All posts by r.flores1

Peer Response Post

Response to Kelly Zheng’s “Practical Use”

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This post is in response to Kelly’s Post which can be found here: https://blogs.baruch.cuny.edu/rethinkeducation/?p=2640

I support Kelly’s claim that an education of practical use is interesting and even capable of leaving students better off than a traditional teaching. A traditional teaching involves subjects and courses that students may not find interesting and therefore little will be learned in these classes. In the novel “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” Harry’s class on Defense against the dark arts shows us that students much rather prefer to have a lesson that they know they could use in a life-or-death situation. The novel writes :

“A few curious looks were exchanged as the class put away their books. They never had a practical Defense Against The Dark Arts before… puzzled but interest the students got to its feet and followed Professor Lupin out of the classroom” (130).

As this quote suggests, the students suddenly knew this was not going to be an ordinary class. “Interested” they followed along Professor Lupin to see what alternative education they would receive.

On page 186, the novel states: They had a very enjoyable lesson, Professor Lupin had brought along a glass box containing a hinkypunk, a little one legged creature who looked as though he were made of wisps of smoke, rather frail and harmless looking.” As Kelly pointed, traditional teaching methods involve “lectures and reading chapters from book.” This method makes the class dull and may cause students to fall asleep. Here we see Professor Lupin once again going the extra mile to create a more interesting course that will have a greater impact on a student than a a traditional teaching method.

Introduction Exercise #2

Introduction Exercise #2

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“The more I read, the more I was led to abhor and detest slavery, and my enslavers… As I writhed under the sting and torment of this knowledge, I almost envied my fellow slaves their stupid contentment. This knowledge opened my eyes to the horrible pit, and revealed the teeth of the frightful dragon that was ready to pounce upon me (My Bondage and My Freedom ch. XI).”

The gift and power of an education has the ability to free a man from the conformity he lives and shows him the true reality of his situation. It allows him to question the status quo and take steps towards change.

The passage My Bondage and My Freedom shows us that education is a tool that can free man from the conformity he lives and ignites him to take actions toward change. Ernest Gaines shares this idea and Using “A Lesson Before Dying” I will show how this literary text supports this claim. I will show this connection using parts of Chapter 11 from My Bondage and My Freedom to show the moment Douglass realized that his education had allowed him to perceive the world differently from his fellow slaves. Then I will describe the importance of the wood-cutting scene in chapter 8 of “A Lesson Before Dying” to show how the main character, Grant Wiggins, comes to the same realization.

Creating this connection between Frederick Douglass and the literary text is important because it will help us understand the impact a proper education had in allowing African-Americans to stand up against conformity and fight for the right to be equal in the South.

Thesis Exercise #2

Thesis Statement #2

“The more I read, the more I was led to abhor and detest slavery, and my enslavers… As I writhed under the sting and torment of this knowledge, I almost envied my fellow slaves their stupid contentment. This knowledge opened my eyes to the horrible pit, and revealed the teeth of the frightful dragon that was ready to pounce upon me (My Bondage and My Freedom  ch. XI).”

Both Ernest Gaines and Frederick Douglass realized the power of education and its ability to break the shackles of conformity. Using “A Lesson Before Dying” to support Frederick Douglass’ claim in My Bondage and My freedom that  knowledge has the power to “open” one’s eyes to reality, I plan to show the impact an education had in allowing African-Americans to stand up against conformity and fight for the right to be equal in the South before the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Through the lens post

Frederick Douglass and Grant Wiggins

Both of these man had an opportunity that was very rare, if not impossible, for those around them especially in the African-American community. Although, they come from two different centuries (19th and 20th century) there communities still share something very much in common.  The black community in the tie period of Grant Wiggins are no longer slaves by law but psychologically and economically they still depend and have to submit to the Whites to survive. Almost 100 years have past and their people have still not been able to break free.

Frederick Douglass writes: “The more I read, the more I was led to abhor and detest slavery, and my enslavers… As I writhed under the sting and torment of this knowledge, I almost envied my fellow slaves their stupid contentment. This knowledge opened my eyes to the horrible pit, and revealed the teeth of the frightful dragon that was ready to pounce upon me”

Frederick Douglass is so important to this passage and many we have read because it shows us how education and knowledge is so powerful in showing us the world in a new way! Grant finds this out first hand. Wiggins, a man from a community that has had to submit to the whites, is finally able to realize just how bad the situation is. He shares the same emotions as Douglass when he says he envies his fellow slaves for being content and accepting of the position they were in. Both these men are trying to challenge the norm for the advancement of their people. Frederick Douglass is determined to make this happen by moving north and joining the abolitionist movement and Grant does this by trying to teach his students that there is something more ahead than just working in the plantations.

This would not have been possible without first finding the knowledge they need to show them there true circumstances.

Methodology Check In

Methodology Check-In

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Our Alternative School moment hopes to teach our students about different cultures, civilization and modern nations from around the world. The teaching will be done by pamphlets distributed to people at Times Square 42nd Street. We have chosen this place for its popularity among tourists who come from all over the world and across the country. This ASM will take place between the hours of 1-2 PM because this is the time we expect this area to be most crowded; increasing our possibility of a more diverse sample of students. The materials and supplies needed prior  to the ASM would be a computer and a printer along with matching colored shirts to be able to find each other.

Objective – Teach our students interesting facts and information to give them a greater unbiased perspective about the world they live in

Actionable steps to complete our Objective

  1. Explore the internet for  interesting facts (including statistics, cultural traditions, current events etc) from around the world. This will be done by each group member and  he/she must find two facts that interest them. Only one person would be allowed to look up facts pertaining to the US.

2.   After those two facts are found by each member, he/she will do research on the two facts found and be able to find relevant information supporting their findings. Once this task is complete, each member should be able to explain their facts.

3. All members will share the facts they have found with others and explain where they received there facts from and why it was interesting to them. They will also share the links to where the information was found so other members can find the source.

4. Members will read the sources of the facts they found interesting from other members. This will give the members the ability to be ready to answer any questions if a student asks them.

5. Once all members have a strong understanding of the facts and information chosen, members must unanimously agree and  choose 10 out of the 20 facts to put on the pamphlet.

6.  Member Jessica Lin will type the 10 facts onto a pamphlet template along with a QR code for each fact. This will allow the students to look up the articles for themselves.

7. Members Alana, Anntia, Jenny and Robert will design the pamphlets each with their own unique style and artistic ideas.

8. Once step 7 is done, each member must print 50 copies of pamphlets from any of the three that were created.

9. At this point, all members should once again study and try to get comfortable being able to explain the facts more in-depth with students if necessary.

10.  All members will travel and meet up at Times Square 42nd Street prior to starting the ASM to set up establish a perimeter.

10. All members will hand-out pamphlets to people who seem of ages 15 and above. We do this to ensure the student is old enough to be able to  at comprehend the reading.

11. As they hand-out the pamphlets, all members will say to the students “strive for an unbiased education.”

Through the lens post

Frederick Douglass and Malcolm X

Frederick Douglass obtained his ability to read under unconventional circumstances, enslaved and without freedom. Before being able to read,  he couldn’t really question the position he was in.  It was not until he started reading and educating himself that he started to think outside the box and for become “enlightened” according to the definition of Immanuel Kant; who defines enlightenment as “the emergence from the self-incurred minority.” Frederick Douglass writes: “The more I read, the more I was led to abhor and detest slavery, and my enslavers… As I writhed under the sting and torment of this knowledge, I almost envied my fellow slaves their stupid contentment. This knowledge opened my eyes to the horrible pit, and revealed the teeth of the frightful dragon that was ready to pounce upon me” (My Bondage and My Freedom  ch. XI).

Similarly, Malcolm X was under oppressive circumstances when  he started an education that would allow him to reach a similar enlightenment like that of Frederick Douglass. Similar to Douglass, Malcolm X started off with little reading and writing capabilities. However, they both also had the strong desire to learn. For Malcolm, reading was his escape from jail and it helped him pass the time. As he describes it “from then until I left prison, in every free moment I had, if I was not reading in the library, I was reading on my bunk” (3).  Reading allowed him to build his vocabulary and allow him access to books which would then help open his eyes to the atrocities of slavery. It allowed him to be able to finally reach a higher level of thinking and eventually become a leader in the African-American community. Both of these men, had humble beginnings when it comes to their education. With little resources like Frederick Douglass, Malcolm X was able to pursue an education which would then lead to a form of enlightenment which benefits and helps the “black man” (Malcolm X 6).

"The What" Check-In

What Why Check-In

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  1. Remembering that your Alternative Schooling Moment (ASM)must happen outside of a traditional schooling environment (college or secondary campus, tutoring centers, or community class spaces), please write two paragraphs describing your group’s ASM.

Our alternative schooling moment will take place in the heart of New York City – Times Square. Our city is unique due to the fact that it is always filled with people from all around the world. When people come to New York, it is predictable for a New Yorker to know where they will be and what locations they “try” to squeeze into their itineraries. Times Square at any given day will be full of people from around the world and around the country.

This ASM will be in the open plaza of 7th Avenue and West 47th Street. It will be full of tourists. It will be a fast-paced setting meaning that we will have to work quickly to get a message out. We plan on doing this by handing out papers or pamphlets with facts about countries and civilizations from all around the world. The facts will serve to give people a much more global perspective than the one they have and enlighten them to things they may not have known before.

2) Who will be the audience/students of your ASM? Why?

The great thing about our method is that no one is too young or too old! Our audience is anyone on the streets of West 47th willing to listen. We know that everyone can benefit from our holistic approach to education. Knowledge of different countries not only help gain a better perspective of the world around us, but it also helps us better understand people from different cultures. It’s best to start from young adults; however, and seniors can just as well put this information to good use. In a city like New York with so much cultural diversity, being understanding and accepting of people from different cultural backgrounds is essential.

 

3) Remembering that learning objectives are active, please list the three main objectives of your ASM?

  1. a) To give people more well rounded knowledge (globally)
  2. b) To enlighten people about facts concerning different countries
  3. c) To determine if our alternative schooling moment yields positive results

       4) How do those three main objectives reflect your group’s philosophy of education and school?

Those three main objectives reflect our group’s philosophy of education and school as it interconnects one another through the knowledge of countries other than our own, making us more holistic overall. It is without a doubt that Americans find themselves superior than anyone other than their own. As great as it is to show pride in one’s country, one is restricted when bound within the grounds of their own homeland. Knowledge is only powerful when it is wandering and free. By providing vast numbers of people at Times Square with interesting facts and information on other countries, we are guiding everyone’s knowledge, as well as our own, around the globe and viewing this world with a global perspective.

        5)  Which two of the readings does your group’s philosophy on schooling and education respond to (either by supporting or challenging)?
        Descartes made a strong point regarding how one of the benefits of a formal education was its usefulness in preparing him for the world.  Nowadays, American schooling does not provide the well rounded education that is necessary to the development of useful members of society.   He says that “to hold converse with those of other ages and to travel, are almost the same thing” (Part 1), drawing a comparison between an education of world history and actually going out and experiencing the world for yourself.  Rousseau on the other hand, argues against the need for a broad education, especially early in life, claiming that students will be much more inclined to learn things not forced upon them, and things that they need in that immediate moment.  

Theory Check-In

A Holistic, Unbiased and multi-perspective Education

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 Immanuel Kant writes “Enlightenment is the human being’s emergence from his self-incurred minority. Minority is inability to make use of one’s own understanding without direction.from another (An answer to the Question: What is enlightenment?).” Our  theory of education will revolve around the idea that children need to grow up with a multi-perspective approach.This means that we need to create an education that is unbiased and allows students to make decisions for themselves using the information they know. The best example of where this theory could be applied is in the subject of World History.

Textbooks are a common resource used by many educational institutions; however, they are sometimes ridiculed for the selective removal of damaging crucial evidence of historical events. As Ralph Waldo Emerson stated in his commencement speech at Harvard University in 1837, at this instance, “…the book [has become] noxious: the guide is a tyrant” and it is no longer reliable. This misconduct of our society’s faults is often downplayed in favor of a more patriotic view. The bias ultimately clouds students’ judgement, restricts their ability to form impartial opinions and to a degree “brainwashes” them. Therefore, Rousseau in his treatise for education emphasizes the importance of allowing his pupil observe and understand the phenomena of nature and life by himself and only providing answers to his questions that are sufficient enough to “whet his curiosity but not enough to satisfy it” (Rousseau 17). In this way, the pupil is not “corrupted” by Rousseau and is free from any possible biases. Accordingly, students should be offered a more holistic approach to education so they are equipped with enough knowledge to not only form their own opinions, but to hopefully help find their purpose.

            We gain more knowledge when we learn about things collectively as a whole, rather than just one specific approach. All of the information gathered from different areas can then be combined to have one collective idea. In the United States, World History is sometimes taught to students generally in High School where they will learn about civilizations around the world including China, Russia etc. World History essential because rather than being self absorbent in your own society, you obtain more knowledge and become well rounded. There is a similar dynamic with language.  Language is an extremely useful skill to have and is needed everywhere, just like history.  In Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, language was crucial for the monsters integration into society.  Many steps should be taken to avoid bias within educational establishments, but a good first step would be to have international textbooks to get different perspectives of historical events. Studying different languages could potentially increase students abilities to see historical events and cultural customs from a variety of perspectives.

Students should have a holistic approach to history and learn about the different dynasties and civilizations in the history of the world. NO COUNTRY SHOULD HAVE PREFERENCE. By the end of the year, students should be able to understand why different countries and civilizations act differently and under which circumstances.  We also shouldn’t limit ourselves to history. Subject like philosophy should also strive to learn about philosophers not just in Europe but also those in the MIddle East, Asia and Africa.

This is especially necessary in today’s polarized and partisan world. Now more than ever, we are seeing a world where tensions are growing between nations and even between different parties within a country. Our theory strives to create students capable of understanding others which will lead to more harmonious and empathetic community, nation and world.

Free post

Impossibility of Ever Reaching Moral Perfection

In his attempt to try to achieve moral perfection, Benjamin Franklin was able to pinpoint some of the many virtues needed to achieve the ability of  living “life without committing any fault at any time;” However, one of the virtues suggested by Franklin are only possible to some and not something that should be held as a stepping stone for moral perfection

In the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin he suggests that “order” is essential to meeting higher virtues. He defines order as having all things have their place in the day, with everything in your business having its own time. However, this is not always possible and may sometimes interfere with other important goals one may have.

This is the main focus of analysis of this post. Franklin acknowledges that this is one of the harder tasks to accomplish from the 13 when he writes: “My scheme of ORDER gave me the most trouble.” He goes on to acknowledge that for some professions like a journeyman printer this virtue would be nearly impossible to achieve. But I want to focus on another aspect that makes ORDER so hard. To have order one must have his time planned out and organized, without making any alterations to what was set. But when we talk about the artist or the thinker, he or she does not control when to be inspired or how long it will take to accomplish their masterpiece or theory. In today’s world, this virtue may be possible for those who have a 9-5 job today but what about those who don’t go by a certain schedule everyday? Sometimes you may find yourself in situations where one task is more important then another and requires more of your time.  Placing constraints and specific times for specific activities limits the possibilities and the creativity one is able to achieve when they are able to think and do at erratic moments.

Introduction Exercise #1

Introduction

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Frederick Douglass writes: “Brothers and sisters we were by blood; but slavery had made us strangers… slavery had robbed these terms of their true meaning (My Bondage and My Freedom CH. 2).” Slave children would never learn what it would mean to have a brother or a sister and would never be able to feel the embrace of their mother. The separation of children from their mother and family was the most inhumane act in the practice of slavery and the most effective in creating a sense of inequality between blacks and whites . The writings from Frederick Douglass in My Bondage and My Freedom along with those of Jean-Jacques Rousseau in Emile will help establish why family is an essential part of human nature and how its distortion creates inequality among all of us if done through forceful means.

 

 

Anntia

Alana

Robert

Jenny

Jessica