Entry 4

In the article “Teaching what really happened”, it was mentioned that students had misconceptions about the reconstruction because that was what they learned from the textbook. This made me realize that a similar situation is happening with the resources that bilingual students receive. I remember reading an article in one of my classes last semester. It mentioned that the resources that bilingual students are being exposed to are inappropriate. I recall that it was mentioned that the books and resources that students got had words that weren’t correct in Spanish. This was the case because the books were translated from English. Consequently, the students learned and adopted words that didn’t make sense.  This is a similar case to what happened to the students mentioned in the article. They were learning incorrect information because that was provided to them. The books were made from white supremacist viewpoints, therefore the content was not accurate (Lowen, 2009). I am amazed on how the inappropriate instruction that we give to the students shapes their ideas about the past. In the case of bilingual students, inappropriate textbooks lead to their lack of proficiency in Spanish. It is time for the board of education to choose up to date books. 

Entry 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epZeq_SJ6cI

In the article A brief History of Lawns, royal palaces turned lawns into a symbol of authority (Harari, 2017). People then saw lawns as a symbol for wealth, status, and political power (Harari, 2017).  After reading this article, a video named How a bombshell bribery scandal illuminates the ‘ corruption’ of college admissions came to mind. This video is about a scandal of ivy leagues admissions. A great majority of the students got admitted because their parents were wealthy. Not only were their parents wealthy, but also they had social status. In other words, admissions to Ivy League universities like Georgetown, Yale, and UCLA can be associated to wealth and power.  This is the same way that lawns were associated with authority and money years ago. Unfortunately, this scandal made me realize that having wealth means priority and preference. It was sad to hear that many talented and smart students were not admitted because children of famous people got in due to bribery. I can’t believe that people even got sport scholarships when they didn’t even play a sport. Throughout the years, it becomes more noticeable that money is becoming a symbol of control over ones future and other peoples' future. It is nerve-wracking to think about my students’ future. What will happen to their education if they can’t get admitted to an Ivy League university because they don’t have money?  Does this mean that their effort and accomplishments were a waste of time? Whatever happens in the future, I am ready to tell my students to not give up on their dreams.

Entry 2

The speech “A Revolution of Values” of Martin Luther King made me realize that in the educational system we have a war similar to the Vietnam War. While the Vietnam War lead to poverty among African Americans ( King, 1967), we have a “war” leading to poor quality of education among certain districts. It is sad to see that the education some students receive depends on the amount of money that schools have. It is clearly seen that the war we have today is that money is being invested on the border wall rather than on education. There is clearly more importance put on the border security than on the future of our country. This makes me think how sometimes we encourage our students to work in the technology and science field, but we don’t offer them the money necessary to become passionate about technology and science. Afterschool programs could be funded with the money being used for the wall. This would help our students discover their potential and love for the STEM field. This would not only ensure that our students have a better future, but in the long run it will be an investment for the country.

Entry 1

The first chapter of the Black ants and Buddhist is an introduction that implies teachers should teach in a critical manner. The author recounts the story of welders who helped car wash workers learn English. The car wash workers were learning English in an English survival course. This course was different than the traditional ones because they learned English while discussing their struggles. The narrator recounts this story on a response paper for a college assignment. The professor then introduces her to Paulo Freire’s pedagogy of the Oppressed. After reading through the book, the narrator realizes that students should learn from their daily interactions with the world and others.  She also agrees with Paulo that real learning takes place when the students are working with the teachers to construct new knowledge rather than the teacher having full control (Cowhey, 2006). The story proves that learning can be acquired through real life situations that the students encounter.   

            This article was interesting because it went beyond the ideal and common definition of teaching. Reading the article made me realize that as teachers, we can help the students to think deeply and learn the material in an interesting way. It makes more sense to teach with a true purpose. I understand that students struggle to pay attention because most of their coursework is not introduced in a way that is relatable to them. I believe that if more teachers worked hard to teach from this perspective, the world would be a better place and education would have a greater impact on the students. This chapter helped me realize that the education system needs improvement so teachers don’t only teach for tests but prepare the students for the future.

            I will definitely apply the information that I learned when I am in my class. I will try to learn from my students and they will learn from me. Teaching will be a mutual concept. During class, I will make sure to learn about my students’ interests and motivations. This will help me create engaging and exciting lessons. I am a true believer of modern lessons. They should make the students want to learn. I will also make sure that I am open to suggestions about how to teach something. This will make my students feel valued, they will learn the concepts, and they will learn how to use them in the real world.