maddybeckmann's blog

I have found that I learn a lot about what is going on in the classroom from the times I spend talking with students outside of the “traditional setting”. In the after school program we have the opportunity to get to know each of the students and in a different way then their teachers. I don’t know the grades of the students I work with, I don’t have to worry about disciplining 30 students while I work with one, and I don’t have to make sure what I am teaching will be memorized for a test. I feel very lucky in this way, but worry about what it will mean for me to be a teacher in the future.

             I remember one of the first weeks of tutoring we were sitting in a circle asking each student what they wanted to be when they grew up. They responded, policemen, singer and doctor. When it was my turn I proudly told the students that I wanted to be a teacher. The comments that followed from the students were not what I anticipated. “why would you want to be that?” “ugh” and “that is a boring job”.  I went on to explain to the students how wonderful a job being a teacher would be and that we are all teachers throughout our life. They were not convinced. I have thought a lot about this event because it had great impact on me.

While reading "Lives on the Boundary", I was reminded of an incident that happened last semester in GASP. One of the students I was working with was struggling with reading. He didn't want to read and was embarrassed to read out loud. I noticed this one of the first weeks and began thinking about how I could engage him like Mike Rose with his group of students in the cafeteria. One day I was running some errands at Rite Aid and saw some stickers. I thought maybe stickers would make him feel good about his reading and give him something to shoot for. So that afternoon we sat down to read a book and again he protested that he couldn't read. After much struggle we made it through a book and I pulled a sticker out of my pocket and gave it to him. I absolutely loved it and put it on his shirt. He asked, "how do I get more stickers?" I told him that after he reads a book he gets one sticker. He proceeded to pick out more books to read and at the end of the day had 3 stickers on his shirt. When it was time to go home he showed his friend his stickers and told him if he read too he would get stickers. We announced that he read 3 books and the class applauded. He has the biggest smile on his face. He was so proud that he asked me to tell his mom how many books he read when she came in to pick him up. For him, the stickers were something to shoot for like points in a game. He could see what he accomplished.

Annette Lareau Perpetuates Inequality Rather than Helping the Issue

“America may be the land of opportunity, but it is also a land of inequality. This book identifies the largely invisible but powerful ways that parents’ social class impacts children’s life experiences” (Lareau, Kindle Locations 299-300).

February 19th, 2013 

ideas from our papers… 

-we all want to respect other ways of being literate, appropriateness of language depending on where you are 

-the dominant discourses changes based on location 

-this assignment places a value on experiences and we can gain ideas from other's experiences--creating a porous classroom (Freire) 

-confronting a teacher around power, she didn't understand that the student was making a choice.

-is there place for negotiation in the classroom?

-should we sacrifice ideas for "correct writing" "academic writing" 

-can slang or conversation writing be accepted in the classroom? 

-writer based to reader based prose as a delicate dance 

-literacy as "static" vs. "dynamic"--literacy as a space to evolve 

-how do we build literacy as a place for negotiation if we are taught not to use certain words in our writing but as we grow older exceptions are allowed …

-does the technical at the beginning of our learning cut off options for later learning because students don't engage 

-if you had more language for challenging the teacher could you break out with a earlier age? 

February 12th, 2013 

How do you know the difference between abuse and discipline? 

Abuse                vs.                     Discipline 

types of Discipline: 

• Threats 
• writing lines
• spanking 

Similarities? 

cyclical/cultural 

Traditional vs. Progressive Discipline 

In preparation for our upcoming paper, I have been thinking about literacy: what is means to be literate, different types of literacy, how we “gain literacy” and how our family life and experiences are intertwined with our literacy. Last summer, I worked for the United Way in Tucson and was asked to write a piece for an online journal about financial literacy and the support that the United Way offered. When I was asked to write the article about something of which I was not literate. Of course, I took the assignment with no complaints or questions because I felt that I should know and my ego kept me from admitting I had no idea about financial literacy. I myself am not financially literate. However, I am pretty technology literate which allowed me to research online about financial literacy. I used one form of my literacy to understand another. Now thinking back and reflecting on this experience, I wonder how many types of literacy there are. Are they endless? Can you be literate in music or dancing? Can one be literate in cleaning or cooking? Where is literacy different than having a knowledge of something?

February 5, 2013 

• learner is an active agent 

 effort and ability--->authority ----->merit and privilege --->conceded cultivation---->accomplishment or? natural growth 

questions of structure                   

and freedom

What is missing from this? 

• expectations/rituals (at home or at school) 
• intrinsic/extrinsic 
• different cultural logics 
• is it black or white? literally?
• to much stress in saying why it is important 
• came from different experiences of school and class 
• Can we generalize by class? Lareau say it is 
• all educative experiences but the payoff is different in our society 

Other ideas from the Lareau 

Last week the word that resonated with me was language and I have more questions than answers…. How do we teach language? How do we include all forms, but also make sure we are teaching “proper English”? But what is “proper”? As someone who has grown up with my mom correcting how I speak and how I write, how can I connect with those who speak differently? I want to work with students and connect with them. However, we all come from a very different background. How can I inspire students who can’t connect with me?

Maddy Beckmann
January 29, 2013
Table of Contents of my Education

Seven Schools in Thirteen Years

I. School #1: My Montessori Education, All I remember is making bread...
II. School #2: My Co-ed Catholic Education, I am not catholic...
III. School #3: My Public Education: Too many kids in my class...
IV. School #4: My Experiencial Education: Taking Ownership of My Learning...

Standing up at the podium with a hundred people in front of my I opened my mouth to speak. I am the last of my class to speak to the audience. At this point 27 students have gone before me and I know I must try to keep the audience’s attention for just one more speech. I opened my mouth to speak my first speech in front of an audience. It was easy. I spoke about my love for people and for helping them. I spoke about making the world a better place and what I love to do. I finished the speech and was greeted by the first standing ovation of my class.

Our discussion today reminded me of a story I listened to on NPR last week about the multiple perceptions of Jesus. It is really very interesting. This is the link:   

http://www.npr.org/2012/11/19/165473220/color-of-christ-a-story-of-race-and-religion-in-america