Ever time I hear or read the words "Standard English," the hairs on my arms stand up. It pisses me off sincerely... I don't know if it is because I am an African American woman or I just don't believe there is a "Standard English. "
Christensen touched on how this word makes students feel uncomfortable and it truly does separate us as people of who can speak more "correctly" than another. I know being an African American from a small urban town puts me in a category and I don' t like the fact that standard English makes it seems as though I am not as capable or will not be able to speak or write effectively because I do not speak "Standard English." In a school were my people make up less than 5% I feel as though, I'm always trying to prove myself and stand so that teachers and others will know that I am capable. The Standard English makes me feel that I need to do these things becuase this is a way to judge and discrinate against people.
As Christensen we need to teach language in context or teach the "standard" without humiliation. Students in urban areas need to know that standard English is going to be required of them to make it out in the dominate world, because has set society up to be this way. We need to teach them that their way of talking in not wrong nor incorrect and teach them how to speak and write in these different context like writing professionally or writing a letter to a friend. Standard English, I believe for people that were raised like myself, teaches us that we always have to be careful how we talk and write, because its like we are always being judge. I just hate the words "Standard English!!!!"
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Jago Chapter 4
Why oh why does it always have to come back to test? It was very hard for me to get into this chapter because it just was not interesting. One thing that I can take from this chapter is the idea of rubrics and pre-writing strategies.
One thing that really stuck out for me in my pre-internship experience while making lessons and giving lesson is having a rubric for everything. This gives students a foundation for what is expected of them and avoids students saying "well I wasn't sure what you wanted" or "I just didn't understand the assignment." Rubrics are a way to give more detail explanation of the assignment given. From my own personal experience, I notice when I have a rubric before the assignment is due, I check and recheck that I have fulfilled all the duties of that assignment. I notice that I do better on the assignment and I don't have as many questions, like a normally do, when a teacher fails to explain the assignment.
I love pre-writing strategies. I notice as an English major, one thing that I have the hardest time doing is starting a paper. It's so hard putting my thoughts right off the back, but when I have the time to just write all my thoughts down and not have to a clear idea what they are, but just know that this is what ideas I'm going to have in my paper, I am able to produce my paper better. pre-writing is needed and essential for students that have trouble writing and I believe, that is most students. We as teachers need to teach our student show to draft and just write, without thinking things need to be perfect, just write. Then gather you ideas to the way the student wants them to look.
One thing that really stuck out for me in my pre-internship experience while making lessons and giving lesson is having a rubric for everything. This gives students a foundation for what is expected of them and avoids students saying "well I wasn't sure what you wanted" or "I just didn't understand the assignment." Rubrics are a way to give more detail explanation of the assignment given. From my own personal experience, I notice when I have a rubric before the assignment is due, I check and recheck that I have fulfilled all the duties of that assignment. I notice that I do better on the assignment and I don't have as many questions, like a normally do, when a teacher fails to explain the assignment.
I love pre-writing strategies. I notice as an English major, one thing that I have the hardest time doing is starting a paper. It's so hard putting my thoughts right off the back, but when I have the time to just write all my thoughts down and not have to a clear idea what they are, but just know that this is what ideas I'm going to have in my paper, I am able to produce my paper better. pre-writing is needed and essential for students that have trouble writing and I believe, that is most students. We as teachers need to teach our student show to draft and just write, without thinking things need to be perfect, just write. Then gather you ideas to the way the student wants them to look.
Jago Chapter 3
My senior year in high school was the first time that I took a Creative Writing class, this class made me want to be a English teacher, because I fell in love with the idea of being able to write whatever I pleased. This chapter in Jago, Teaching Narriative Writing, made me think of my love for it again and the excitement that I felt every time I wrote something straight from the heart and how I was feeling. Narrative Writing relates well with creative writing to me and I'm excited to bring this into my classroom.
Like Jago mention inviting kids to write whatever the want has its pros and cons. I think that a section like this cannot be taught unless you, as the teacher are put into a situation where a student writes about suicide, rape, or depression and you have to choose what to do about it. Talking about this in class made me think about what I would do as a teacher if we I read someones work, and to be honest I don't know. I want my students to trust me and I don't want them to ever feel that they can't, but I also know that there is that balance between teacher-student relationship that must take place in order for things to be accomplish. This is my battle with myself as a teacher and a person, because I care for people deeply and I don't know if I'm going to be able to have this balance because I do care deeply for peoples situations. I sometimes wonder am I in the right career, because of this.
Like Jago mention inviting kids to write whatever the want has its pros and cons. I think that a section like this cannot be taught unless you, as the teacher are put into a situation where a student writes about suicide, rape, or depression and you have to choose what to do about it. Talking about this in class made me think about what I would do as a teacher if we I read someones work, and to be honest I don't know. I want my students to trust me and I don't want them to ever feel that they can't, but I also know that there is that balance between teacher-student relationship that must take place in order for things to be accomplish. This is my battle with myself as a teacher and a person, because I care for people deeply and I don't know if I'm going to be able to have this balance because I do care deeply for peoples situations. I sometimes wonder am I in the right career, because of this.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Christensen Chapter 3
It was interesting to see all the tactics that Christensen used in order to help her students the process of writing. When I think of essays, i still get scared and it was nice to see that it doesn't matter where you are in life, essays are a struggle for everyone.
During my pre-internship last semester it was nice to see, what my mentor did in order to help students prepare a college essay. Some of the students said that they weren't going to college, that college wasn't for them, some students said they couldn't wait to go to college, but they were scared because they knew it would be hard and they knew that they had not done their best while in high school and some students talked of college like is was just another step of life. My mentor teacher expressed real goals and situations in the pre college experience and she used me to help, since I was closer in age to some of these kids. Christensen is right that as long as someone has an opinion a student can write an essay. These essays ranged from very personal to just the basics of why they wanted to go to school. It was interesting to be involved in this experience, because it made me reflect on my pre college experience and what kind of things that I wrote.
I notice that I was not as nearly as deep as some of the essays I read by the students and I notice that I did just do the basics. I just wanted to get into a school never weighting out all my options I just wanted to get there and be accepted. I never had someone to help me write a effective college essay and it was nice to see that my mentor teacher pushed and probed these kids to set those standard for themselves and let colleges read their essays and see the real them.
During my pre-internship last semester it was nice to see, what my mentor did in order to help students prepare a college essay. Some of the students said that they weren't going to college, that college wasn't for them, some students said they couldn't wait to go to college, but they were scared because they knew it would be hard and they knew that they had not done their best while in high school and some students talked of college like is was just another step of life. My mentor teacher expressed real goals and situations in the pre college experience and she used me to help, since I was closer in age to some of these kids. Christensen is right that as long as someone has an opinion a student can write an essay. These essays ranged from very personal to just the basics of why they wanted to go to school. It was interesting to be involved in this experience, because it made me reflect on my pre college experience and what kind of things that I wrote.
I notice that I was not as nearly as deep as some of the essays I read by the students and I notice that I did just do the basics. I just wanted to get into a school never weighting out all my options I just wanted to get there and be accepted. I never had someone to help me write a effective college essay and it was nice to see that my mentor teacher pushed and probed these kids to set those standard for themselves and let colleges read their essays and see the real them.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Christensen Chapter 2
Wow.... did this hit home for me! Not only am I the ultimate Disney fan, I have just realized in my recent college years how degrading Disney films are!!
When I was child this was all I watched and to be honest I still indulge in my old Disney movies from time to time, to me their priceless, without all the analyzing. I had a different kind of childhood, so to watch these movies took me out of the my reality. Yes like most girls I did think that my prince charming would find me, sweep me off my feet, marry me and we would live happily ever after, but I think to a certain extent these movies sometimes gave girls hope. I'm not talking about those crazed people that only lived in the Disney fantasy, I'm talking about the girls that did want a prince charming, a prince charming that was well rounded that loved a girl for them and that was it, without all the glamor and shine.......
Now on the other hand.... I do agree with Christensen that we are influenced by the media, this is what we have grown to accept as what is real and what is not. These movies have taught some of us that step-mothers are evil, only the beautiful desperate women win the prince charming, and all villains are fat and ugly, but do we go over board with analyzing every single thing within cartoons, magazines, movies and the television? When do we, meaning ourself, figure out that "whoa, I'm looking way too deep into this," or "yea she might be skinny and pretty, but I'm thick and look fabulous" or "dang there aren't any women or people of color in that movie, but it was a good movie anyways" when are we do we stop being so analytically and taking something for just what it is, but still doing something about it to make a change... wheres the line, is the question I guess I'm asking?
When I was child this was all I watched and to be honest I still indulge in my old Disney movies from time to time, to me their priceless, without all the analyzing. I had a different kind of childhood, so to watch these movies took me out of the my reality. Yes like most girls I did think that my prince charming would find me, sweep me off my feet, marry me and we would live happily ever after, but I think to a certain extent these movies sometimes gave girls hope. I'm not talking about those crazed people that only lived in the Disney fantasy, I'm talking about the girls that did want a prince charming, a prince charming that was well rounded that loved a girl for them and that was it, without all the glamor and shine.......
Now on the other hand.... I do agree with Christensen that we are influenced by the media, this is what we have grown to accept as what is real and what is not. These movies have taught some of us that step-mothers are evil, only the beautiful desperate women win the prince charming, and all villains are fat and ugly, but do we go over board with analyzing every single thing within cartoons, magazines, movies and the television? When do we, meaning ourself, figure out that "whoa, I'm looking way too deep into this," or "yea she might be skinny and pretty, but I'm thick and look fabulous" or "dang there aren't any women or people of color in that movie, but it was a good movie anyways" when are we do we stop being so analytically and taking something for just what it is, but still doing something about it to make a change... wheres the line, is the question I guess I'm asking?
Friday, January 11, 2008
Jago Chapter 2
Choice... having choice is so important and it brings out so much more in a student, i know this personally and I know this from experience.
In my pre-internship last semester, my mentor teacher taught two totally different classrooms English 12 and Journalism. The dynamics of these two classes were so different. One being more structured and the other being much more free and relaxed. Even though the English 12 kids got to be creative in their writing and in their responses to whatever they were reading it was still told upon them of how and what process they were suppose to go along in order to get the job done. In Journalism the student could write whatever wanted to write, talk and bring to and discuss whatever was needed in order to get the task done. Students are more engaged and involved when they have choices. Even though Jago was not talking about this kind of choice with to this great extent, this is something that really captured me in the beginning of the chapter.
Even though I have never personally experienced learning how to distinguish between essays and also how to recognize when essayist where stating a thesis and their support, i like this idea. I think that this idea helps students to realize what they are doing in there essays and this sheet that Jago has passed out to her students even is excellent for students to use as they are writing their essays, this will help them have a layout and a direction for what they need.
In my pre-internship last semester, my mentor teacher taught two totally different classrooms English 12 and Journalism. The dynamics of these two classes were so different. One being more structured and the other being much more free and relaxed. Even though the English 12 kids got to be creative in their writing and in their responses to whatever they were reading it was still told upon them of how and what process they were suppose to go along in order to get the job done. In Journalism the student could write whatever wanted to write, talk and bring to and discuss whatever was needed in order to get the task done. Students are more engaged and involved when they have choices. Even though Jago was not talking about this kind of choice with to this great extent, this is something that really captured me in the beginning of the chapter.
Even though I have never personally experienced learning how to distinguish between essays and also how to recognize when essayist where stating a thesis and their support, i like this idea. I think that this idea helps students to realize what they are doing in there essays and this sheet that Jago has passed out to her students even is excellent for students to use as they are writing their essays, this will help them have a layout and a direction for what they need.
Jago Chapter 1
Interesting enough as I was reading this chapter all my problems with writing were revealed. Procrastination as a student and just the need of extra help in order to write an effective paper. As a student I can relate so well with having trouble to write a paper..... its that starting point. It never fails, that when a paper is assigned I will try to start early and would sit in front of my computer for hours and hours trying to figure out where to start, what to say and how can I put what is all down in my head clearly. I fight with myself and this problem all them time being an English major. Then I realize its the day before the paper is due and I have to make this paper sound as good as I can, but it seems as though my thoughts flow better when I'm under pressure like that. Jago has helped me realize a technique that I should use in my own writing and that is questioning the literature. I notice when I'm writing if I can find a point in the literature that I can argue, I have a lot more to say. But to use this technique before I start writing is something that I think I'm going to try out.
In high school in 11th grade AP English, the idea of prompts to help a student out to produce effective was not even available. After reading certain peaces of literature we would get certain essay questions like "What is the tone of this authors work?" Without really going over what tone is. It made it hard for me to write good essay and ultimately since that was mostly what the class was graded on, I ended up not doing so well in this class. Learning and experience the time it takes to come up with ideas to write an effective essay, I know that I want to be able to use this technique within my class, because its so hard to pull information out of students if they have no starting point in my opinion.
In high school in 11th grade AP English, the idea of prompts to help a student out to produce effective was not even available. After reading certain peaces of literature we would get certain essay questions like "What is the tone of this authors work?" Without really going over what tone is. It made it hard for me to write good essay and ultimately since that was mostly what the class was graded on, I ended up not doing so well in this class. Learning and experience the time it takes to come up with ideas to write an effective essay, I know that I want to be able to use this technique within my class, because its so hard to pull information out of students if they have no starting point in my opinion.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Christensen Chapter 1
This was very interesting read to me because it had so many things that I could relate to. The writing, me becoming a teacher and being in a school system as the one described.
One of the fears that I have of becoming a teacher is not being able to connect with my students, boring them and having absolutley no control. I'm not saying that I want my class to be perfect, but I want my class to have structure. I also don't want to be too strict, because I know personally that students will either just pull away or be more defiant. So learning how to find a balance, but to still have control is going to be challenging. I want my students to be able to connect with me and not be bored in the class. So learning how to make certain assignments interesting in English is something that I want to learn more about.
Another thing that really caught my attention is when one of the students said that "Writing can be a lifeline." I don't know how many times that I have said that writing is the way to the soul! This chapter has proved that. I love the journaling and creative writing aspect of English and how it can bring out true feelings, that make you understand a person more. Everyone has a story to tell and I believe that this is why this chapter touched me so much, because the writing was not "pretty up" and was real and about a real person. I know what its like living in a low socioeconmic status neighborhood and going to a school where no one thinks your worthy and what it means to just write it all out and prove that you are something.
It was nice to read the challenges of another teacher instead of reading all the peachy keen stories that make it seem as though teaching is going to be a breeze.
One of the fears that I have of becoming a teacher is not being able to connect with my students, boring them and having absolutley no control. I'm not saying that I want my class to be perfect, but I want my class to have structure. I also don't want to be too strict, because I know personally that students will either just pull away or be more defiant. So learning how to find a balance, but to still have control is going to be challenging. I want my students to be able to connect with me and not be bored in the class. So learning how to make certain assignments interesting in English is something that I want to learn more about.
Another thing that really caught my attention is when one of the students said that "Writing can be a lifeline." I don't know how many times that I have said that writing is the way to the soul! This chapter has proved that. I love the journaling and creative writing aspect of English and how it can bring out true feelings, that make you understand a person more. Everyone has a story to tell and I believe that this is why this chapter touched me so much, because the writing was not "pretty up" and was real and about a real person. I know what its like living in a low socioeconmic status neighborhood and going to a school where no one thinks your worthy and what it means to just write it all out and prove that you are something.
It was nice to read the challenges of another teacher instead of reading all the peachy keen stories that make it seem as though teaching is going to be a breeze.
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