standardization

The opening paragraphs of chapter 32 were enough to help me write my blog entry because I am totally againnst standardized tests that promote rote learning and memorization. My co-op in student teaching has really helped influence my decision on this because all of her tests are short answer/essay so that the students need to explain themselves and their thought process. At first I wasn't sure that short answer tests were the best for some of her regular freshman history course and were better suited for the college prep juniors, but after seeing some of the tests that the freshman have turned in I am sold that this is a truly effective way to assess learning.
Maybe this isn't true for all subjects, but with so much to cover in social studies and so little time to get through it all, having short answer questions that encompass multiple important events really become necessary. Also, a child can memorize that the 2nd amendment involves the right to bear arms all they want, but if they don't know what that amendment means in regard to their every day life, then what is the use of memorizing the amendment in the first place?
For the most part my early education was rote learning or memorization, and I truly believe that that kind of learning made my freshman year in college that much more difficult.

chapter29

Chapter29 was pretty interesting because I never really considered math to be a subject that could be used to teach about social injustice. I really think that Gutstein has changed my outlook on the things I need to be/want to be achieving in the classroom. While the social studies may cover social injustice more explicitly, Gutstein showed that even subjects that may be seen as boring can be made interesting solely because of teacher creativitity and enthusiasm. I do realize however that creating such a classroom or curriculum will take a lot of work. And let's face it, it's not always easy to be enthused about certain subjects or to be enthused every day someone goes out and teaches but this should be a goal all teachers strive toward.

As interested as I became in the curriculum and the classroom, I liked where the article went on page 441 when Gutstein discussed how the students are directly involved in stopping social injustices through this curriculum. After reading this secion I thought to myself that it's one thing to teach about subjects on social injustice and another thing to teach students to do something about current social injustices. Hopefully I can achieve this in my classroom but I wondered if this would be a teaching style that a conservative administration wouldn't embrace?

thoughts on 20

Most of this chapter I was not surprised by...but there is one section of it that I found really interesting. That was the section on page 320 that talked about the two images of black males, the criminal and the endangered species. I thought about how evident these images are in music, and as the article points out in the media in general. The discussion in the chapter also made me think about the black males at my student teaching placement. They're interesting, and for the most part very outspoken and while the things they say don't always have to do with what's being talked about, much of what the students say can be very negative in regards to class, school, and government. I thought that this really coincides with the article's definition of the endangered species image.
The criminal image, one many of my students seem to identify with is really troubling for me in the class. When I point out the times that they are being disruptive, they think I'm picking on them only because they're black not because they've done something wrong. I've realized that most of the time the arguments they make when I address their disruptiveness during class are just a front to put on a show for the class, because when I talk to them after class they understand what they did wrong and agree to try and be a little more respectful next time, and are sometimes apologetic. It can be really frustrating when the students think I'm picking on them for whatever reason-gender, race, intelligence...but I suppose that will be something that will become easier as I gain experience.