Literacy With Attitude - Finn (Quotes)
"We worry instead that the low levels of literacy among them make them a liability for the rest of us. The idea is that if we could raise their level of literacy they would join the haves" (ix)
This quote made me think of Kozol's band-aid on a broken leg, that just by fixing the level of literacy the world would be perfect. The fact is that illiteracy is one of many problem that people may face. As a society, we also have to decide what a "have" is opposed to a "have not". Are "haves" only SCWAMP's? In that case simply changing the level of education or ability will not change a person's race or skin color, or what religion they believe in. Of course, the level of literacy must be raised, but it is one of many problems that people face every day. It would alleviate a large problem, but it would not fix everything. As the same time, this quote is also suggesting that society views illiterate people as a liability. I feel that this is true, as with any person of any form of disability. There are many times that I worked in groups in high school, where I felt that one (or more) students were holding the group back. There is a feeling that there is a level where all people must exist, and if someone falls behind the level, they are to be left behind, rather than helped.
"Some minorities feel that they have been wronged by mainstream Americans and that 'acting white' is a betrayal of their people" (x)
This passage instantly made me think of the Rodriguez piece where he felt that he could only speak one language, and by choosing English, he was abandoning his Spanish culture. This was important to me, because it made me realize that language is not the only way that multi-cultural students could be offended, but that they may also feel that Americans are pushing their cultures and customs upon them. It was a wake-up call for me to understand that as a teacher, I must be aware of the differences that students who are not white, might face, and in order to make my classroom a safe place for everyone, I must be aware of the conflict and learn how to avoid it.
"Just do your best. If they learn to add and subtract, that's a bonus. If not, don't worry about it" (11)
This was the most shocking quote of the article, for me. The fact that a principal told a teacher that it didn't matter if the children learned something was just appalling. What is a teacher's purpose, if not to teach their students? It is teachers like these that upset me, because they have the ability to change and shape student's lives, but they chose to worry about themselves rather than their students. If the students in this classroom don't learn adding and subtracting, I would hope they were engaging in meaningful conversations, or in other words, learning something else. There are too many "responsibilities" put on teachers. I used quotations marks, because I'm talking about additional responsibilities like discipline, manners, and teaching their students about growing up. Teacher's need to realize that no matter what they are doing, they need to be educating their students in a positive way.
What quotes or sections in this article surprised or shocked you?
What lessons have you learned from this article that will help you in your future classroom?
I have also found this video that puts this article into perspective. This video gives the facts, and they are truly shocking! According to this video, 7 out of 10 students can not read the text in the video itself.
I like how you made the connection to Rodriguez about how he chose English, and was abondoning his Spanish culture. I'm glad you had the wake up call about having to notice the differences of non-white students, and how you have to make it a safe place for them. I think that is very important that you try to make a safe space for everyone in the classroom. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI really liked the quotes you chose, but to answer your questions. Your second quote "Some minorities feel that they have been wronged by mainstream Americans and that 'acting white' is a betrayal of their people", was one of the many parts of the article that shocked me. Because I feel as though this is true in some cases but in others it isn't, like in a couple articles we've read you either choose to keep your foreign background and just learn the rules of "the culture of power" or you drop your whole culture and become Americanized. It isn't offensive to my family that I've picked up the American culture because I still put my culture before that.
ReplyDeleteAnd as for lessons that I learned from the story, I learned to not be one of those cruel teachers who doesn't work her butt of to get her students where they need to be. I believe that as a teacher we shouldn't start something and not finish it.
hey jess!
ReplyDeleteyour second quote really stuck out to me.
"acting white" should never be a thought in someones head if they happen not to be white. everyone should be proud to be who they are. great connections too! :)