In the last class we had a nice variety of topics in our narratives. Thanks again to our readers for sharing their stories. First, we heard about a high school student who had to wear a back brace and the hardship, physically and emotionally, she endured. Then we learned about how someone started several careers and the "epiphanies" that caused her to realize the jobs were not fulfilling. Next we heard about an educational experience that approached learning from a dialogue and interactive method, one that the reader felt was a more effective way of learning. Another narrative explored how parents prepared the reader for the future by enrolling her as a child in several after school activities. Then we heard an author's thoughts on his experiences with different religious practitioners, Muslims, Jews and Christians, who through their authentic embodiment of values were able to break through stereotypes. Lastly, we heard about a play dealing with Aboriginal residential schools that had a deep impact on the audience and production team alike.
Next week we will be winding up our narrative readings and moving on to another type of academic writing, the research paper (image: "The Writer" by Richard Baumgart). I will be discussing this in class in more detail, but it is not too soon to start thinking about which topic you would like to investigate.
We will also be examining some of the ideas in the textbook, so be sure your reading is up to date. Please post on this prompt for Sept. 30 and Oct. 5's classes before class on Oct. 7.
Have a great weekend.
Again the narratives from the class on Thursday night were very thought provoking and emotional. I commend everyone who has been taking the risk of sharing some incredibly personal moments from their past. It’s amazing to find out the remarkable stories that such a small group of induviduals in one room have had. It puts things into perspective in a lot of ways. Certainly, it hammers home the reality that people are the result of a experiences they’ve had in their lives, wether good or bad. It also reminds us that everyone has a story.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the narratives from Thursday class. They were all interesting and raised many good points. Some of the narratives resonated with me because they expressed things that I believe in and advocate for. The narrative about the three different families from various religious backgrounds was very thought provoking. It conveyed a powerful message, one of understanding. It spoke to me because of my negative experiences as a previously visible Muslim. I enjoyed the narrative because it advocates for understanding and it communicated the humanity that existed in all of the families regardless of their religious beliefs. It is very easy to get caught up in political propaganda and the biased messages and “facts” that we receive from different media. We have to remember that everyone has biases and most if not all of the news networks have their own political agenda since they are privately owned by wealthy bureaucrat. We need to be critical of everything we see and hear and remember not to make generalizations to mass populations based on the actions of one insignificant individual. These generalizations often occur in reference to visible minorities or any one who is not “white”. Peggy McIntosh says it best when talking about White privilege when she says “I am never asked to speak for all the people of my racial group”..
ReplyDeleteI recommend to those interested to take a look at Peggy McIntosh’s article called “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack”. She makes some observations about the privileges that white people have just for being white.
Here is the link for it: scroll down to the bottom and read the list.
http://www.lilithgallery.com/feminist/modern/WhitePrivilege-MalePrivilege.html
Great Narratives from Thursday's and Tuesday's class. I particularly enjoyed the one read on Thursday, about the girl who had to participate in a lot of activities. It is hard when you are younger and your parents enroll you in a bunch of different programs. When I was younger my parents made me do a lot of different activities, which I am now thankful for. I did everything from various sports,like basketball,volleyball,swimming and tennis to playing the flute. Looking back now I probably did not enjoy it too much; however, now I am glad I did all those activities, because I still to this day play tennis on a regular basis, and it is fun to say that I know what I am doing.
ReplyDeleteLike a lot of my fellow students, I will definitely enroll my children in a bunch of activities, especially when I see that they have talent for it.
Today's narratives were great too. A lot of them covered the same kind of topics, such as homelessness. I try to help out a homeless person whenever I can; however, when I see a younger person, who looks like there is nothing physically wrong with him or her, I tell them to get a job like I do.
Very interesting stories were shared in the class today. It was enjoyable to listen to others’ personal stories that I can learn from. Today, many classmates shared their experience and views on homeless people. I can definitely relate to their experience on how we tend to ignore the homeless, and how parents tried to protect us by not associated with them.
ReplyDeleteI came from Chinese-background family. My parents always told me never talk to the strangers, never give any money to the homeless, and stay away from them because my parents worried that they will harm me. As a child not knowing much about the world, I took their advice and I feared talking with the homeless. However, after I volunteered at NightShift Street Ministries to serve the homeless people dinner, my perspective on them has changed. They are not the dangerous people that I was once imaged they were. They are well-mannered and good people, and they should be respected for who they are.
When I first started serving the homeless people, I felt very nervous. The lady was shaking pretty badly and I was a little scared to hand out her a coffee. I did not want to look at her. However, she kept her energy, smile, and said “thank you very much”. A simple word like that actually made me feel immediately less worried and calm. As I served more and more people, I became more comfortable with them. Everyone had a genuine smile on their face and they seemed to be very happy to see many students came to help. Many volunteers shared their stories about how they got involved. I was amazed to find out some of them were once homeless people and they came back to help others and give back to committee.
I also heard a great story on how difficult for them to struggle for survival during the winter. They often had no place to stay, no food to eat, no warm blankets to cover themselves. Citizens like us often ignored them and don’t want to talk to them. They felt neglected that nobody was willing to talk to them, but having this non-profit organization gave them a new light and helped them to get through tough times when they needed.
A lot of other stories were shared to us from how the owner started it to how others got involved. In short, working with homeless people made me realized that these people are no difference than me. They are great people that need to be taken notice and cared for. As we served more hot dogs, coffees, juice, deserts, and clothes, I felt more comfortable within the environment and I also felt appreciated for what I have. At the end of day, we prayed to god to thank you for giving us an opportunity to help and hoped the best of them.
The narratives really stimulated the good discussion in the class. I can relate myself to some of the narratives. The narrative about parents enrolling their child into different outside school activities certainly is also my story. When I was around 4, my parents already put me into different lessons, such as ceramics, piano and drawing. Personally I did not think I learnt much at that age. I do not even remember any of those skills. I think one big aspect of that kind of trend is because the society is growing more competitive each generation. If parents do not prepare their child like this, they are scared of their child losing behind and not going to be competitive enough. The other reason behind this trend I guess is that because when they were young, they did not have the resources or money to do the things they want and they regretted. They want their child to fulfill the dreams for them. It is very logical if we think that way. One day I will become parents, and I guess I will probably do the same thing to my child ironically. The problem is about finding the balance of being too demanding and being too loose. I do not want my child to suffer and I do not want them to blame me for not providing enough resources for them. I guess that is the trick part of parenting and education. We are always trying to find the equilibrium, but no one has the correct answer.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I would like to thank my classmates above for enjoying my narrative. At first, I was unsure if my experience would relate to anyone. I would also like to thank my parents for enrolling me into these activities, although I did not enjoy some of them. Without them, I would not have the privilege to explore what it is I like and good at. I think it made me know myself more throughout my childhood. Not to mention great for the resume. To tell you the truth, I would probably do the same to the kids as what my parents did to me, because I think it’ll be beneficial to them. However, maybe we can try to compromise what they want and what I want into one perfect solution. Parents are their kids’ first teacher and communication between them, in my opinion, is the best teaching method at home.
ReplyDeleteAlso, from other people’s narratives, I believe they correspond well to our readings. There are too many stereotypes out there nowadays such a bias perceptions towards homeless or disables. From the readings, I was surprised to read teachers were nervous and anxious when they find out they have a student with learning disabilities in their classroom. Today’s society, mainly the media portrays these particular groups of individuals as “not normal” because they do not fit the social norm. However, as teachers, they are the ones trying to teach our kids not to have such perceptions because they are not all true. We should not generalize and apply such stereotypes onto anyone based on appearance. However, if the government, parents, and faculty members can work together, maybe one day these problems will disappear.
The narrative about children who are enrolled in many activities made me think of those parents who want, not just the best for their children, but who need them to fulfill the dream which they were never able to attain. This can certainly be seen in the aggressive "hockey parent" as much as in those parents who drive their children to practice the piano for many hours. All this outside of school and home work. Not all children are gifted, or exceptional learners. If we practice hard enough at something we enjoy, and which drives us, we may attain a substantial skill in it. But we must surely recognize the ability of the "gifted" (if we are not) as something way and beyond. To be well balanced we must come to admire it, and not to envy it; which is a very damaging sentiment. Unfortunately some parents fail to accept that their child is not going to play for the Oilers or to perform at Carnegie Hall. Neither can they accept that their child's activity should be enjoyed simply for the intrinsic pleasure of it.
ReplyDeleteIn this weeks reading we are also faced with the reality of exceptional learners. On a teaching practicum I experienced a class in which there were two exceptional students. I do not count myself among the exceptional, and had to work very hard to answer their questions, and to keep up with their demands. There was certainly the fear of not appearing competent in their eyes. I definitely agree with textbook, that such students need to be taught by those who are themselves exceptional. And that they should also be allowed to move on to classes that suit their level of ability, despite the age difference of those amongst whom they will be taught;if they are not to become dissatisfied with their school experience.
After listening to the narrative on public speaking, I was thinking of my own fears of sometimes speaking out in class. I do get nervous before presentations and even raising my hand in class, but the fear and anxiety generally doesn’t stop me because I am okay being corrected if I am wrong. I think that being able to be confident with your own ideas while also being able to respect the opinions of others is key to feeling safe enough to participate in a class setting. I am dyslexic so I know when I read out loud I generally fumble and I am always cautious when going up and writing something on the board but growing up I never felt mocked by my peers and so now I am confident that if I do make a mistake someone can correct me with out me feeling belittled. I find the same to be true while doing presentations; if I am confident with my own knowledge and I am prepared then does it matter if someone judges me if I make one minor error? Another thing, I always try to wear an outfit that I feel confident in, because if I am confident in what I’m wearing then it gives me a boost to stand up in front of a room filled with strangers to give a presentation or a speech.
ReplyDeleteI was really impressed by the student who took the time to give one on one attention to a child and to figure out a way to help the child understand the homework through a different method. Although I have spent very little time in elementary schools lately I can just imagine the difficulty teachers must have with large classes and the varied learning strategies of each child, so the support of volunteers I’m sure is very much appreciated. This student is clearly very open and supportive but unfortunately I doubt that all educators are willing to go the distance or have the available resources to give each child the full support that they need. My younger cousin has had difficulties with teachers not supporting his learning needs. He is in grade 10 and was diagnosed with mild autism and audio-visual disorder two years ago. He is high functioning and doesn’t need someone to help him in constantly but he has found out that getting a copy of the notes so he can just try to listen in class and sitting in front seems to help him. These seem to be easy strategies for a teacher to help with but unfortunately at his middle school there have been a couple teachers who refuse to give him copies of their notes since they don’t give notes to the rest of the students. I don’t know if it is because the teachers in this situation feel like they are already over-worked or if they just genuinely don’t understand how much this small gesture would help my cousin succeed. I do understand that teachers feel like they are being stretched, so I hope that eventually teachers will get the help that they need to support their students and that it will encourage teachers to connect with each child and help them succeed.
The narratives from Thursday and Tuesday's class were very thought-provoking, and sparked really good discussions. The student's narrative who was enrolled in countless after school activities stuck with me. When I was a kid, I rarely participated in any after school activities because they were expensive, and since my mom worked all the time, nobody could take me. When I was enrolled in karate lessons at age 9, it was a great experience, because I had never had a chance to do an activity with kids who weren't my neighbors or classmates. I found it easy to make friends, and loved the fact that I was being exposed to a new activity. Since my social skills weren't great to begin with, being an insecure ESL student, this activity really helped to raise my self-esteem. If I had been enrolled in more activities in different settings, my self-esteem would either have been significantly better, or much worse. Always being around different people can do good for some, but bad for others. At work, for example, sometimes I feel as though I've had enough of people, and wish for some alone time. Could the same happen as a young child? Probably. Having a whirlwind of activities might seem good from a parent's perspective, but for a child, it may be too overwhelming. An adult also has to remember that a strict, packed schedule may be the norm for them, but for a child, it is totally different. Things seem to move at a slower pace for kids. Volunteering at an elementary school has taught me that you have to change the activity often so that a student doesn't get bored. Having too many activities though, can confuse and overwhelm a child. A fine balance has to be found, before putting the child's best interest first.
ReplyDeleteWhen I have a child, I won't overload them with activities, simply because I never got a chance to do what they can. Living vicariously through a child is something that many parents do either for their own comfort, or simply to put on a show for the social world; as an outsider, they want observers to think that their child is the best--from the best parent.
I really enjoyed the narrative on the ‘epiphanies’. I believe that the narrative resonates with a lot of us that are entering the workforce and take on the real world for the first time. Perhaps a degree gives us the tools needed to succeed in the workplace, but it hardly prepares us for what is to come in the real world.
ReplyDeleteLike the narrator, I have gone through a couple of jobs in my life. In fact, I am still in search of a ‘career’, something that I am willing to do for twenty years. Some friends advised me that I should do something that I am passionate about. However, as I later found out the hard way, a job that I am passionate about does not pay the bills.
I discover that the problem lies not with the job, but with me. Not enough perseverance was my problem. As my boyfriend has volunteered to point out, I have never lasted more than 9 months in a job. When faced with an issue at work, I have always chosen to escape from it rather than confronting it and further work with my employer to resolve it. Subconsciously, feeling that I was still young, I had the idea that opportunities out there are endless and I should not have a problem to find another job.
However, as I grow older and times get tougher, I realize that this is no longer the case anymore. The unemployment rates are record high and living costs are as high as ever. I have vowed to myself that I should stay in my next job for at least a year before quitting.
Hopefully, I will find a job that I am able to settle down and that will support my living for a long time.
In Thursday class, there was a narrative regarding kids learning. My personal opinion is I will put my kids into several learning classes like swimming, language, music, and so on. Of course I will let my kids to choose, they cannot choose until they experience. Also, since they are too young, they cannot say what they want. I think the role of parents is providing as much opportunities as they can to kids. Parents do not know their kids’ potential and also kids do not know as well. Thus, parents should give as much variety of opportunities to children and find out what is suitable for them or kids may notice what is interesting for them. Since I do not want my kids to miss the opportunity to pursue their potential, I will let them to try as many things as they can.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of equality in education, I felt that teachers have to spend a lot of effort to create good classroom condition. Until I read the textbook, I thought the primary role of teachers is teaching the subject. It is important, but I think taking care of various types of students require more effort. Even though we say it is necessary to treat disability student properly and equally, if teachers spend a lot of effort compare with “normal” students, they or their parents feel it is unfair. Also, there are many problems regarding student behaviour these days like violence, drug use etc. Since teachers have to take care of it, they cannot concentrate on thinking subject matters a lot. It is pretty hard to settle those problems at the same time, but since teachers are playing special roles in the society they need to consider how to treat them.
I really enjoyed the narrative. I was a little afraid of going to Pakistan I think now I will try. I have many friends from there but they advised me not to go. But I will definitely try someday.
ReplyDeleteThere have been a lot of common themes that have risen through the narratives that have sparked my interest. It has caused me to reflect upon my upbringing and my parental choices. By the age of six I was playing soccer full time in the summer and diligently practicing piano during fall and winter. My mother was a music teacher and my father was an athlete. This created dueling interest for my extra circular activities. My mother wanted all of us to be aspiring musicians, perhaps trying to live out a career she wanted. Her method though was structured and was laced and tied by perfectionist tendencies. My father wanted me to be a great athlete. Long story short I ended up being involved in basketball, soccer, badminton, cross country running, debating, piano, tenor saxophone, and choir.
ReplyDeleteMany narratives expressed the distress in their parents over committing them to extra circular activities. I have been thinking about what is the ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ approach to doing this. I have been asking what would I do as a parent? I know the source of great tension for me as a ten year old girl stuck in uncool piano lessons was arguing with my mother about it but there was certainly great benefit to all of the things I have done. Many people have raised the notion of allowing their children to decide for themselves but it is unclear to me if they actually would make choices they would stick by in the future. For example I quit piano and now wish I would be able to play. It is an interesting tension to explore.
The September 30th narrative on epiphanies made me laugh as well as reflect on my own experiences wrestling with similar issues. I also had grand ideas of my own after leaving high school. Once I graduated from high school I went straight into University for two years. After wrecking my knee playing University Football my wish to play professionally was crushed. I went into deep depression and came home from University only to end up once again working for a few years in my family’s businesses. I became so restless and distraught that I decided the only way I could regain the ridiculous view my ego had constructed of my ‘self’ was to join an established foreign organization where two years into my contract I was again badly injured and forced back into the family business in Vancouver, however this time awarded a European passport and a pension for ‘sang versée,’ WOW… This made me even more depressed; however, my return home did force me to finish my degree at SFU in 2007. Once I had obtained my BA I was recruited by a large international American Defense Contractor (Military Supply Contract Management) to begin work in Central Africa in Purchasing and Procurement and travelling all over the world to meet vendors that would submit their product proposals to sell us their wares. On call 24 hours a day in 48 degree heat amongst wannabe ‘hard asses’ began to take its toll. It was here I was able to volunteer at the Canadian Consulate School in Chad as an English Teacher and teaching became an interest. Last December when my employer wanted to send me to Afghanistan all I could think of were my past experiences with injuries and that damn piece of shrapnel still lodged in my back that ‘won’ me a European passport and an endless prescription to pain killers…? I quit my job and returned to Vancouver and the endless ‘epiphanies’ of futility and despair that have always come to haunt me in Vancouver returned with a vengeance. I enrolled back into SFU last January to possibly begin the process of training in something new. I briefly returned to work in overseas for the same company I had left over the summer. I have had a new epiphany: I have realized that I have to calm down and become more sedentary- there are presently people working with me to achieve this. I am still restless finding it hard to adjust without the presence of an environment with endless fast paced challenges that feeds my addiction: Endless Adrenaline Rush.
ReplyDeleteAmanda said:
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry for blogging so late for the entry due on Oct. 7th but i had some computer problems. I finally got my computer fixed.
I would like to comment on the readings we had for homework. What stood out for me was what Anita Woolfolk mentions: "The teacher must be a patient, supportive person who never embarrasses students for their mistakes." This is important because students are trying to learn and through this learning process they may make mistakes. However if a teacher is not supportive and embarrasses them, they may shut down and not want to learn on contribute to other topics. I remember this happening to me when i was young and i remember for the longest time i was scared to answer a question because i remember the embarrassment i endured at school when i made a mistake. It was not a pleasant experience it was horrific. I think students who support students who make mistakes make it easier for the students to learn from their mistakes.
I also enjoyed reading the section about teachers needing to know the current language associated with children who require extra support and special education. For example, “a disabling condition shouldn’t be used as an adjective to describe a person.” I have encountered many instances in my work place as an out of school care educator, where many professionals use the adjective to describe a person. They would say “ the autistic boy or blind girl.” I find myself correcting a lot of people and think that it is a valid piece of information to emphasize for teachers and other professionals working with children.