Jackie Lawrence
EDF 1005
Reflection Paper #10
According to our textbook, Teachers, Schools, and Society, by Sadker, Sadker, and Zittleman, teachers ask students up to 348 questions throughout the course of a school day. And that’s only counting questions; over a thousand verbal exchanges occur daily as well. Philip Jackson labeled this process gatekeeping, in which “teachers determine who will talk, when and for how long, as well as the basic direction of the communication.” In essence, educators govern exactly what will go on in their classroom every single day and are ultimately accountable for student’s successes and/or failures. This is an enormous responsibility, but not necessarily an impossible feat to overcome. In fact, I believe that passionate and motivated teachers can use gatekeeping to their advantage.
For instance, teachers initiate the pedagogical cycle around 85% of the time. This succession basically includes lecturing, questioning, and reacting. If teachers spent more class time on questioning, students would be forced to think creatively and critically. It is a known fact that silent, passive students have less positive attitudes and lower grades then students who are actively involved in classroom discussions and activities. It is up to the teacher to create an exciting, motivational learning environment in which all students have the ability to truly comprehend the given material. Anyone can read out of a textbook and assign homework from the end of the chapter, but this just doesn’t cut it. Long, boring lectures put kids to sleep, and busy work is even worse. Kids need an incentive these days, and teacher that incites enthusiasm and excitement for learning is the key. Looking back on my own education, I vividly remember every single teacher that made an impact on me. I could tell you right now how they looked, dressed, spoke to me, and even smelled. I can remember my grades and what we learned in class. Those teachers made an effort to know me, realized I had the potential to excel academically, and forced me to do so. Those teachers are the key reason why education is such a significant aspect of my life today. I was lucky, a lot of kids aren’t. If more classroom time is spent pushing students to challenge and conquer, gatekeeping could produce children that are dying to get to the classroom so they can thrive.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
EDF 2085 "The Blues Had A Baby"
My first kiss was pretty gross too, he tasted like peanut butter. Then we were both teased for days because the other kids on the playground caught us behind the jungle gym. Haha. I loved reading this piece, you have such an eloquent way with words. One of my favorite things to do is let my imagination take me back to when I was young and naive, filled with questions, hormones, and unexplained emotions. It's too bad those beautiful days of innocence are long gone, adulthood can seem so bitter in comparison. I guess all you can really do is cherish those precious memories and hope to learn something from them.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
EDF 2085 "True Love"
Lonliness and abandonment are scary feelings no person wants to endure. Delectus Clark speaks for most humans with this powerful, heartfelt piece, especially men. At the time the song was written, marriage and relationships were considered special sacraments that were to be respected and valued. A deteriorated relationship was looked down upon; reputations around the neighborhood were affected. Furthermore, negative emotions were not to be expressed, especially by men. Typically, men were looked at as the strong breadmakers and backbone of the family. Broken hearts were not to be expressed. Little boys were raised to hide emotions, crying was not an option. Dee Clark acted courageously by openly portraying his hurt from his broken relationship, even though he could only express "raindrops falling from his eyes."
EDF 2085 "Raindrops"
Lonliness and abandonment are scary feelings no person wants to endure. Delectus Clark speaks for most humans with this powerful, heartfelt piece, especially men. At the time the song was written, marriage and relationships were considered special sacraments that were to be respected and valued. A deteriorated relationship was looked down upon; reputations around the neighborhood were affected. Furthermore, negative emotions were not to be expressed, especially by men. Typically, men were looked at as the strong breadmakers and backbone of the family. Broken hearts were not to be expressed. Little boys were raised to hide emotions, crying was not an option. Dee Clark acted courageously by openly portraying his hurt from his broken relationship, even though he could only express "raindrops falling from his eyes."
EDF 2085 "A Casual Look"
Professor McNair,
Puppy dog love is a beautiful feeling and definitely an adrenaline rush. However, call me cynical, but lust is lust, and true, long-lasting relationships take an incredible amount of work and effort. I wish fairy-tale love actually existed, but in today'scontemporary society, divorces far outnumber happy,fulfilling marraiges. Some of my favorite memories as a child are of innocent crushes and "casual looks." Those beautiful experiences can become the foundation of learning how to succeed in love and relationships with others in general. I still have many of my childhood "love" notes, and look at them fondly from time to time, wishing it could still be that simple.
September 23, 2009 5:01 PM
Puppy dog love is a beautiful feeling and definitely an adrenaline rush. However, call me cynical, but lust is lust, and true, long-lasting relationships take an incredible amount of work and effort. I wish fairy-tale love actually existed, but in today'scontemporary society, divorces far outnumber happy,fulfilling marraiges. Some of my favorite memories as a child are of innocent crushes and "casual looks." Those beautiful experiences can become the foundation of learning how to succeed in love and relationships with others in general. I still have many of my childhood "love" notes, and look at them fondly from time to time, wishing it could still be that simple.
September 23, 2009 5:01 PM
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
EDF 2085 Reflection Paper #8
Jackie Lawrence
EDF 2085
Reflection Paper #8
This is a great topic for me to explore in depth. Since this diversity class began in August, I’ve had quite a hard time figuring out my own opinions concerning social classes, gender, and sexual relations. This has, obviously, led me to believe that I may not know my true self as well as I thought I did.
In terms of gender, my parents taught me I could become anything I wanted, regardless of the fact that I was female. My dad told stories of little girls that flew planes and went to outer space. My mother always told me that I should never completely rely on a man for money or financial security. The minute I was old enough to work legally in New York, I went out and got a job. Both of my parents emphasized my brain, talents, and work ethic over becoming a homemaker. I thought all of this was normal until I moved to Miami. My experiences here, along with the media, have led me to believe that most women are just looking to be spoiled and taken care of, which, quite frankly, gets me pretty angry. The topic of sexual relations is even worse. Sometimes I feel like I’m not good enough to be a trophy wife because I have a head on my shoulders and aspirations of professionalism. The media depicts females as nothing more than baby-makers and sexual beings. I’ve had an extremely hard time dating, and even making friends, because I tend to put up major walls with the people I am constantly surrounded by. I was definitely brought up the right way, but in today’s society, I sometimes feel as if I’m going to be alone forever because my standards are simply set too high.
Social class is a whole other story. I was taught to accept and love people for who they are inside, not how they dress, where they live, what they do for a living, or what type of car they drive. And even though media has produced a culture that is overly materialistic and superficial, I still strongly feel that way. Good people come in all shapes, sizes, and social classes, as do bad people. Some of the most crooked, terrible people I’ve ever come across in life have been upper-class, white Americans. They say money is at the root of all evil, but yet media has taught us to look down on the poor. All in all, it is quite easy to develop stereotypes and prejudices after a bad experience with someone different then you. And it’s even easier to justify your prejudice based on the social class the other person has come from.
So, in conclusion, I am still confused. I do know that most of my passion for psychology stems from a desire to understand myself and others, and I will continue to search for my answers. The media plays a powerful role in constructing people’s opinions and beliefs, which may or may not be positive for society as a whole.
EDF 2085
Reflection Paper #8
This is a great topic for me to explore in depth. Since this diversity class began in August, I’ve had quite a hard time figuring out my own opinions concerning social classes, gender, and sexual relations. This has, obviously, led me to believe that I may not know my true self as well as I thought I did.
In terms of gender, my parents taught me I could become anything I wanted, regardless of the fact that I was female. My dad told stories of little girls that flew planes and went to outer space. My mother always told me that I should never completely rely on a man for money or financial security. The minute I was old enough to work legally in New York, I went out and got a job. Both of my parents emphasized my brain, talents, and work ethic over becoming a homemaker. I thought all of this was normal until I moved to Miami. My experiences here, along with the media, have led me to believe that most women are just looking to be spoiled and taken care of, which, quite frankly, gets me pretty angry. The topic of sexual relations is even worse. Sometimes I feel like I’m not good enough to be a trophy wife because I have a head on my shoulders and aspirations of professionalism. The media depicts females as nothing more than baby-makers and sexual beings. I’ve had an extremely hard time dating, and even making friends, because I tend to put up major walls with the people I am constantly surrounded by. I was definitely brought up the right way, but in today’s society, I sometimes feel as if I’m going to be alone forever because my standards are simply set too high.
Social class is a whole other story. I was taught to accept and love people for who they are inside, not how they dress, where they live, what they do for a living, or what type of car they drive. And even though media has produced a culture that is overly materialistic and superficial, I still strongly feel that way. Good people come in all shapes, sizes, and social classes, as do bad people. Some of the most crooked, terrible people I’ve ever come across in life have been upper-class, white Americans. They say money is at the root of all evil, but yet media has taught us to look down on the poor. All in all, it is quite easy to develop stereotypes and prejudices after a bad experience with someone different then you. And it’s even easier to justify your prejudice based on the social class the other person has come from.
So, in conclusion, I am still confused. I do know that most of my passion for psychology stems from a desire to understand myself and others, and I will continue to search for my answers. The media plays a powerful role in constructing people’s opinions and beliefs, which may or may not be positive for society as a whole.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
EDF 1005 Reflection Paper #7
Jackie Lawrence
EDF 1005
Reflection Paper #7
In Ancient Egypt, children were mainly educated by their families at home. Little girls were taught how to manage household chores, and boys learned the family trade through apprenticeship to become journeymen. Once the young boys were old enough, they went out with their fathers and imitated the craft they were expected to learn, also called formal vocational training. Only the King’s children had private tutors and enjoyed the benefits of learning about math, literature, and writing. Children from poor families were only taught their father’s trade, while those studying to become artists, draftsmen, and sculptors learned how to read and write. It was actually against the rules to teach children foreign languages and physical education, but most parents passed down their religious beliefs through folk rituals. In the Middle Kingdom and the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, children were also taught how to behave and practice religion in Temple Schools. The senior officials compiled the Books of Instruction, which contained rules on the values and behaviors children were expected to instill.
The Ancient Mesopotamians also practiced the threefold approach to education. Children learned to write and practice arithmetic using clay tablets. Future scribes and priests were taught by formal education, in which they learned reading, writing, math, astrology, and so on. Priests were taught in Temples, and the center of their education was in the library, where they strenuously, patiently copied scripts in order to learn them by heart. To the Sumerians, the Code of Hammurabi, the earliest laws, taught how significant apprenticeship was. Temple worship was extremely important in the Mesopotamian culture. Most temples had stairways symbolizing the ascent to Heaven. According to the Sumerians, the gods visited their temples from time to time on the platforms, or ziggurats. The Sumerian’s main temple, in Babylon, had seven spiral walkways with ziggurats leading to the top.
As you can see, education, formal training, and religion were extremely important practices to the Ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians. Their rituals and inventions have been passed down for thousands of years and formed the basis of today’s contemporary societies.
EDF 1005
Reflection Paper #7
In Ancient Egypt, children were mainly educated by their families at home. Little girls were taught how to manage household chores, and boys learned the family trade through apprenticeship to become journeymen. Once the young boys were old enough, they went out with their fathers and imitated the craft they were expected to learn, also called formal vocational training. Only the King’s children had private tutors and enjoyed the benefits of learning about math, literature, and writing. Children from poor families were only taught their father’s trade, while those studying to become artists, draftsmen, and sculptors learned how to read and write. It was actually against the rules to teach children foreign languages and physical education, but most parents passed down their religious beliefs through folk rituals. In the Middle Kingdom and the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, children were also taught how to behave and practice religion in Temple Schools. The senior officials compiled the Books of Instruction, which contained rules on the values and behaviors children were expected to instill.
The Ancient Mesopotamians also practiced the threefold approach to education. Children learned to write and practice arithmetic using clay tablets. Future scribes and priests were taught by formal education, in which they learned reading, writing, math, astrology, and so on. Priests were taught in Temples, and the center of their education was in the library, where they strenuously, patiently copied scripts in order to learn them by heart. To the Sumerians, the Code of Hammurabi, the earliest laws, taught how significant apprenticeship was. Temple worship was extremely important in the Mesopotamian culture. Most temples had stairways symbolizing the ascent to Heaven. According to the Sumerians, the gods visited their temples from time to time on the platforms, or ziggurats. The Sumerian’s main temple, in Babylon, had seven spiral walkways with ziggurats leading to the top.
As you can see, education, formal training, and religion were extremely important practices to the Ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians. Their rituals and inventions have been passed down for thousands of years and formed the basis of today’s contemporary societies.
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