Michaelson, "Inclusion and Social Justice for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Members of the Learning Community in Queensland State Schools"

This reading really made me think about how harmful people’s word and actions can be. I for one, think of myself as tolerant of other people’s sexual orientation. Everyone should have the right to be who they are express themselves without the fear of ridicule. Unfortunately not everyone in the world feels the same way it would seem. What some teenager might think is a funny joke to say “Wow that is gay.” to anything he does not like, may seem somewhat harmless to the teen, but it can be very harmful. If they word “gay” is used synonymously with “bad” as in “that is gay” meaning “that is bad” then it automatically makes a derogatory statement on someone’s sexual preference.  

What one teen may think is a harmless joke, can really affect the way a homosexual person may feel about themselves. For example a homosexual may be a great, moral, mature person, but for some reason a homophobic person would slander them and use gay as a negative word. It is 2012, it is time to get with the picture, freedom and equality should extend to sexual preference. Homosexuals should have every right that heterosexuals do. A person should be judged on the content of their character and not on their sexual preferences.

Bullying is a huge problem in schools and it seems like recently schools have started to take a stand to stop bullying but it will never truly end. Kids will be kids, and it seems that what people fear the most are what they do not understand. We need to educate the teenagers and let them understand that you can be homosexual and be a great person to, you don’t need to be afraid or lash out against them. You can be a hetero sexual and still be great friends with a homosexual. Children who use homophobic slander should be taken into an office and lectured on why it is unacceptable to use derogatory language like that. Teachers should be rewarded for speaking out, because as it stands, it seems like there is a problem with teachers ignoring the problem.

This seems like a problem that has been going on for ages. It is 2012 and the time to start putting an end to this. We need to educate our children in the schools, and just let them know that it is not ok to make fun of someone for their sexual preference. Teach them that you can be hetero sexual and you still respect a homosexual person for being who they are, and judge them on their character and not on their sexual preference.

Terry Meier "Why Can't She Remember That?"

          The paper by Terry Meier titled “Why Can’t She Remember That?” was a very interesting read and opened my eyes to some of the difficulties children have. In today’s society, children in any particular school may come from a large variety of different backgrounds. This article explores examples of children that come from a different cultural background and their parents raised them with different methods.

          This article gave me an understanding of how different upbringings will provide a different type of learning atmosphere for kids. This can lead to misunderstandings in the classroom when children find that the teacher’s method of teaching differs greatly from the method that their parents teach them. The article gives as an example, the perspective of a Mexican-American child Marisa, an African-American child Lem, and white child Lindsay.

          The white Lindsey child is the only child were their parents read to them often and therefore Lindsey developed her social skills in a different manner, where as she calls on ideas she learned while reading to deal with life and education. The difference with Marisa and Lem is that they were not read many stories as children, relied on verbal interactions outside of the realm of reading, and they learned more from their interactions with adults and siblings than they did from books.

          This learned awareness outside of the realm of books by Marisa and Lem has its own worth in the real world that is valuable in its own unique way, but can cause problems when they enter the school system were the valued responses are usually derived from reading. Marisa and Lem do not feel books are nearly as important as Lindsey may feel, putting Lindsey and an advantage in the school system right away.

          This article seemed to make a lot of sense to me and opened my eyes to the issues facing the children from Hispanic and African America families. It never really occurred to me that their parents often may not read to them. It makes sense now that I think about it, if I was never read books growing up, I would probably not have been so fond of books and found them challenging. The children who are not read books as a child really are facing an uphill battle from the very beginning.

   It is very sad to see that our education system has not compensated to help these children. It seems so obvious now that not all children are being read to, so as educators we should not assume all children are read to, and that not all children have the same social queues that, in this case, the white child has.

If you were to change one thing that the early education system should do to help these children, who are not read to by their parents, what would it be?

Talking Point 1 - McIntosh

Peggy McIntosh

White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack

Reflection:

          The reading really helped to broaden my perspectives and think of society in a new enlightened way. Thinking back to SCWAMP, I had realized I fit into almost every one of those categories; in society’s view I am very “acceptable”. I had never really thought of myself having it so easy, I have my own ups and downs in life, but in comparison I have an advantage in societies view, over someone for instance that fit into none of the SCWAMP categories.

          With that being said, I feel this article particularly helped to open my eyes to a greater extent, than what I had previously had been aware of. I have seen how race and color can put people at a disadvantage, but had not contemplated how much of an advantage I am given just because of being a white male.

          Number 6 – “When I am told about our national heritage or about “civilization,” I am shown that people of my color made it what it is.” I understand US History is only touched upon with broad strokes in high school, but it would be great if they went deeper into how other races made the country what it is. This is a problem that goes much deeper than what we read in books growing up, but it would help to give kids a greater view on how other races contributed to the US history.

Number 26 – “I can choose blemish cover or bandages in “flesh” color and have them more or less match my skin.” This particularly struck me as something that may seem like a small inconveniences to an average white person, when thinking about someone of color trying to buy the Band-Aid, but it must strike the person deeper than one may think. I can imagine a young colored boy or girl just looking for a Band-Aid and realizing there are none that match his or her skin color. This everyday scratch on his knee then turns into a moment of racial alienation for the child; this is unfair and unjust.

Comment:

          I was raised to treat people equally, but I always knew there were advantages and disadvantages to being a particular race, bet never to such an extent. It seems that society is so far entrenched in their ways that it is impossible to undo these beliefs. I must believe that even if I am one person, I can help influence those around me through small gestures of kindness and openness. One of the biggest ways I can change society, is when the day comes that I have children, to inform them and help them to understand society in hopes they may become a beacon of equality and enrich tomorrow’s generation.

What is one way that you might be able to change your view, or help other’s see their effects on society more clearly?