In reflecting on the feedback I received from today's Writing Circle, I think that everyone in our group identified with the dilemma I'd described in my Web Log about the idealistic teaching perspective vs the realistic teaching perspective. We concurred that this Educational Foundations class has really made us all aware of issues we will face as teachers and already do as students and products of the American education system.
It was emphasized that it is in a teacher's best interest to try to stay optimistic in order to maintain utmost motivation for personal best performance as well as for hope for the future of one's students. We acknowledged that we do not yet know how to balance our teaching perspectives between idealism and realism, and like I have, some groups members have sought experienced sources for commentary on this issue. I had conducted my own surveys this past spring, and other people have talked to experienced teachers they know, and others have discovered informative video interviews with successful teachers who face particularly difficult environments and problems, yet are still able to achieve their goals and stay content in the profession. I plan to seek out similar such videos in order to better inform my expectations. I will also continue to talk about this dilemma with my current and future professors as well as my mentor teacher at St. Ignatius.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
musings on idealism vs realism
Disclaimer: the following statements are purely the perspective and thoughts of the author and the implied tone is one absent of judgement.
So it has come to my attention throughout the many group discussions we have had in this class, as well as through reading the writings of fellow classmates, and through the prompts and directions given by our professor that two main approaches or attitudes exist among us as prospective teachers. They are the following: an optimistic, generally happy and goal-focused, idealistic attitude, and a concerned, uneasy, and restlessly apprehensive attitude of realism. By no means am I implying that these attitudes are permanent or of a fixed concreteness; I certainly believe that meanings of things can shift and change and be multidimensional. Personally, I am currently of the more realistic state (though admittedly my attitude may convey perceivable pessimism), which I think stems from both my life experiences that have brought me to where I am today, the surveys I've collected from teachers currently in the field, as well as my academic background of economics, which is itself a way of thinking that is, I would say, wholly realistic.
What I am attempting to communicate is that when urged to imagine an ideal situation, or in hearing optimistic, lofty goals oriented around a perceived ideal, I find myself feeling frustrated and usually unable to fully buy into the assignment or perspective. My mind goes to many hypothetical situations, potentially rare or not, that conflict with the notion that any ideal is attainable (or most of them at least). That being said, I find it important to note that my perspective on teaching and on the education field/system in general is not without its ideals. Usually centered around notions of equality and academic effort, I hold certain tenets as MUSTS; that in my mind, I WILL be able to implement in MY classroom in the future, and it will be GREAT. :) For example, I have a personal intolerance for gender inequality, and I am of the belief that attitudes and behaviors around this issue can be changed for the better, and that an environment can be created that expects nothing less. Of course, my rational mind is telling me to research past attempts at this in order to better inform this perspective, and to not draw any definitive conclusions until I can witness it action.
In summary (wow this turned out to be longer than I anticipated), I recognize that for optimal results, it is probably best to ascribe to and embody both of these attitudes of idealism and realism.
ps- I might write another post later, I just wanted to comment on this theme I'd noticed.
So it has come to my attention throughout the many group discussions we have had in this class, as well as through reading the writings of fellow classmates, and through the prompts and directions given by our professor that two main approaches or attitudes exist among us as prospective teachers. They are the following: an optimistic, generally happy and goal-focused, idealistic attitude, and a concerned, uneasy, and restlessly apprehensive attitude of realism. By no means am I implying that these attitudes are permanent or of a fixed concreteness; I certainly believe that meanings of things can shift and change and be multidimensional. Personally, I am currently of the more realistic state (though admittedly my attitude may convey perceivable pessimism), which I think stems from both my life experiences that have brought me to where I am today, the surveys I've collected from teachers currently in the field, as well as my academic background of economics, which is itself a way of thinking that is, I would say, wholly realistic.
What I am attempting to communicate is that when urged to imagine an ideal situation, or in hearing optimistic, lofty goals oriented around a perceived ideal, I find myself feeling frustrated and usually unable to fully buy into the assignment or perspective. My mind goes to many hypothetical situations, potentially rare or not, that conflict with the notion that any ideal is attainable (or most of them at least). That being said, I find it important to note that my perspective on teaching and on the education field/system in general is not without its ideals. Usually centered around notions of equality and academic effort, I hold certain tenets as MUSTS; that in my mind, I WILL be able to implement in MY classroom in the future, and it will be GREAT. :) For example, I have a personal intolerance for gender inequality, and I am of the belief that attitudes and behaviors around this issue can be changed for the better, and that an environment can be created that expects nothing less. Of course, my rational mind is telling me to research past attempts at this in order to better inform this perspective, and to not draw any definitive conclusions until I can witness it action.
In summary (wow this turned out to be longer than I anticipated), I recognize that for optimal results, it is probably best to ascribe to and embody both of these attitudes of idealism and realism.
ps- I might write another post later, I just wanted to comment on this theme I'd noticed.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
fascinating yet disturbing documentary on deculturalization
It was actually just last week that I found this documentary on the PBS website, under the Independent Lens project. I was astounded by the perseverance, tenacity, and empowerment that these teachers instilled in these multi-cultured high schoolers in Arizona. At the same time, I was utterly appalled and enraged at the unfounded criticism by the white men and women in positions of governmental authority who senselessly shut down an effective multicultural approach to education that demonstratively helped kids succeed. You can no longer watch the entire video online, but please watch these short clips at this link, and I welcome your perspectives.
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/precious-knowledge/
"Precious Knowledge"
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/precious-knowledge/
"Precious Knowledge"
"Crash" standpoint discussion
in reference to our group discussion on the sexist standpoint depicted in the scene we viewed from "Crash":
I think it important to highlight the two main aspects of sexism we uncovered, which were 1. the hysteria shown by Sandra Bullock's character and 2. her husband's response to her.
The writers/producers capitalized on the the husband having the high powered job of a defense attorney and the wife being a rich, insecure, judgmental, and dependent spouse. The role of the wife was made to be emotional, hysterical, and irrational, not to mention obscenely racist, while the role of the husband was made to be calm, rational, more experienced and more open-minded. He even unthinkingly redirects her to check on the sleeping children, as if that is what her role as wife and mother can be reduced to, as he, the man of the house, deals with the serious situation of a potential robbery. The overarching discussion was how standpoint (or a person's frame of reference, which we ALL have) influences one's perception of a situation. Whether intentional or not, the writers/producers of this film set up a scene that for many Americans would seem typical or far from unusual, but from a more feminist or gender-equal standpoint, is blatantly sexist.
Additionally, I'd like to comment on Dr. Shutkin's and other classmates' interpretation of the painting hanging behind Sandra Bullock in this scene. I noticed it while watching the clip, and my automatic thought was, "Good for that lady, hanging up what would be stereotypically labeled as controversial art." I was actually surprised that Dr. Shutkin and others agreed that it further indicated the sexism in the scene, because I perceived it to be contradictory to Sandra's character's stereotypical feminine behaviour. My thought process is this: People, men especially, are often uncomfortable with artistic renderings of [natural and realistic] female nudity. I believe that it is relatively recent, if not uncommon, that such pictures are even uncensored in public media. For a woman to be so "daring" or "liberal" as to hang such a potentially provocative [large] piece of art in her home, I found it to be a progressive step towards shameless acceptance of the female body as it is, NOT as men digitally create their ideal of it to be.
I think it important to highlight the two main aspects of sexism we uncovered, which were 1. the hysteria shown by Sandra Bullock's character and 2. her husband's response to her.
The writers/producers capitalized on the the husband having the high powered job of a defense attorney and the wife being a rich, insecure, judgmental, and dependent spouse. The role of the wife was made to be emotional, hysterical, and irrational, not to mention obscenely racist, while the role of the husband was made to be calm, rational, more experienced and more open-minded. He even unthinkingly redirects her to check on the sleeping children, as if that is what her role as wife and mother can be reduced to, as he, the man of the house, deals with the serious situation of a potential robbery. The overarching discussion was how standpoint (or a person's frame of reference, which we ALL have) influences one's perception of a situation. Whether intentional or not, the writers/producers of this film set up a scene that for many Americans would seem typical or far from unusual, but from a more feminist or gender-equal standpoint, is blatantly sexist.
Additionally, I'd like to comment on Dr. Shutkin's and other classmates' interpretation of the painting hanging behind Sandra Bullock in this scene. I noticed it while watching the clip, and my automatic thought was, "Good for that lady, hanging up what would be stereotypically labeled as controversial art." I was actually surprised that Dr. Shutkin and others agreed that it further indicated the sexism in the scene, because I perceived it to be contradictory to Sandra's character's stereotypical feminine behaviour. My thought process is this: People, men especially, are often uncomfortable with artistic renderings of [natural and realistic] female nudity. I believe that it is relatively recent, if not uncommon, that such pictures are even uncensored in public media. For a woman to be so "daring" or "liberal" as to hang such a potentially provocative [large] piece of art in her home, I found it to be a progressive step towards shameless acceptance of the female body as it is, NOT as men digitally create their ideal of it to be.
Monday, June 18, 2012
WebLog 1: Class Survey
Personal Information:
1. Kate M. Lawson, Westerville, OH, klawson09@jcu.edu
2. Kate
3. k-12 Spanish (B.A. Spanish, B.A. Economics, John Carroll University
4. I'm the oldest of four siblings, I practice yoga, I played tennis for JCU as an undergrad, and I love reading and learning about cultures and countries of the world.
Learning Styles:
5. in order for me to feel comfortable in taking intellectual and creative risks in the classroom, I need to have a good relationship with the professor, based on mutual respect and in which lines of communication are open. The professor supports me as a learning student, without judgement of me or my views as they are in the present. Ideally, I'd like to have mutual respect with my classmates and feel that the classroom environment is one that is open to new ideas and not limited to the perspectives that each person brought in originally.
6. I see myself as a responsible student who values the opportunities to particpate in class discussion and who diligently works to comprehend the material to the best of my ability and prove such learning by earning the best grades of which I am capable. In situations when I do not understand the material, I tend to seek out the professor to help me reach full comprehension, rather than fellow students, because I don't like to be missing anything I should know. I do, however, see the value of conferring with fellow students to encounter more varied opinions and perspectives on various subject matter.
7. I have a history of subjecting myself to the torture of attaining academic perfection, and this is a path that I do not want to repeat as a graduate student. I am working to strike the balance between doing my best work under realistic and healthy circumstances.
Education Past and Present:
8. I was always a shy student and it took me many, many years to be brave enough to ask a question in front of the class, because I was so worried that I would seem stupid, to the teacher or the other students. It wasn't until I was in an advanced Science course in 9th grade that the teacher created an environment in which I truly felt I could admit that I didn't understand the concept at all, and that all questions were valid. I remember tentatively raising my hand, probably barely whispering the question to the teacher, and once she heard me, she asked the class who else had the same question, and why no one had spoken up. At this point she was so excited that she was really challenging us and happy that someone had provided her with the feedback that the way in which she had presented the material had eluded the class, and she was glad to teach it to us another way. At the end of class that day, I felt like I truly understood the material, and how complex of a scientific principle it was. I felt privileged to understand such important and complex material, and I was proud that I had been brave enough to ask a question. Though it still took many more years to completely get over the fear of possible judegement, I think that day was a crucial turning point for me in my educational journey.
9. Some issues concerning the field of education today are the lack of equal opportunities for all students regardless of race, ethnicity, culture, socio-economic status; the structure of funding for public education; the exponential rise of the costs of private education; and the often single-minded focus of schools on math and science in pursuit of higher/passing standardized test grades.
10. We need to DO a lot of engaging discussion in the classroom; we need to STUDY facts, data and information, so that our discussions can actually be relevant, productive and complete; we need to BE respectful of each other's opinions, we need to challenge each other and the texts we read and we need to communicate effectively with each other, and we need to AVOID thinking that there is only one or two possible perspectives, avoid getting caught up or trapped in our own limited experiences, avoid jumping to conclusions, and avoid accepting the problems as they are with no solutions.
11. Where are you from? Where does your family live? What are some life goals you'd like to accomplish?
1. Kate M. Lawson, Westerville, OH, klawson09@jcu.edu
2. Kate
3. k-12 Spanish (B.A. Spanish, B.A. Economics, John Carroll University
4. I'm the oldest of four siblings, I practice yoga, I played tennis for JCU as an undergrad, and I love reading and learning about cultures and countries of the world.
Learning Styles:
5. in order for me to feel comfortable in taking intellectual and creative risks in the classroom, I need to have a good relationship with the professor, based on mutual respect and in which lines of communication are open. The professor supports me as a learning student, without judgement of me or my views as they are in the present. Ideally, I'd like to have mutual respect with my classmates and feel that the classroom environment is one that is open to new ideas and not limited to the perspectives that each person brought in originally.
6. I see myself as a responsible student who values the opportunities to particpate in class discussion and who diligently works to comprehend the material to the best of my ability and prove such learning by earning the best grades of which I am capable. In situations when I do not understand the material, I tend to seek out the professor to help me reach full comprehension, rather than fellow students, because I don't like to be missing anything I should know. I do, however, see the value of conferring with fellow students to encounter more varied opinions and perspectives on various subject matter.
7. I have a history of subjecting myself to the torture of attaining academic perfection, and this is a path that I do not want to repeat as a graduate student. I am working to strike the balance between doing my best work under realistic and healthy circumstances.
Education Past and Present:
8. I was always a shy student and it took me many, many years to be brave enough to ask a question in front of the class, because I was so worried that I would seem stupid, to the teacher or the other students. It wasn't until I was in an advanced Science course in 9th grade that the teacher created an environment in which I truly felt I could admit that I didn't understand the concept at all, and that all questions were valid. I remember tentatively raising my hand, probably barely whispering the question to the teacher, and once she heard me, she asked the class who else had the same question, and why no one had spoken up. At this point she was so excited that she was really challenging us and happy that someone had provided her with the feedback that the way in which she had presented the material had eluded the class, and she was glad to teach it to us another way. At the end of class that day, I felt like I truly understood the material, and how complex of a scientific principle it was. I felt privileged to understand such important and complex material, and I was proud that I had been brave enough to ask a question. Though it still took many more years to completely get over the fear of possible judegement, I think that day was a crucial turning point for me in my educational journey.
9. Some issues concerning the field of education today are the lack of equal opportunities for all students regardless of race, ethnicity, culture, socio-economic status; the structure of funding for public education; the exponential rise of the costs of private education; and the often single-minded focus of schools on math and science in pursuit of higher/passing standardized test grades.
10. We need to DO a lot of engaging discussion in the classroom; we need to STUDY facts, data and information, so that our discussions can actually be relevant, productive and complete; we need to BE respectful of each other's opinions, we need to challenge each other and the texts we read and we need to communicate effectively with each other, and we need to AVOID thinking that there is only one or two possible perspectives, avoid getting caught up or trapped in our own limited experiences, avoid jumping to conclusions, and avoid accepting the problems as they are with no solutions.
11. Where are you from? Where does your family live? What are some life goals you'd like to accomplish?
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