Woops completely forgot to add a conclusion.
Collier piece was actually a little hard to read, it's not story, its a text. It was very slow and technical, I have never had the experience of learning a second langauage so i had a hard time putting her words into context. However, she did bring up some really points, some of the things she brought up were things that i feel like I should I known, they seemed so obvious. This whole class makes me feel a little sheltered lol.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Collier
Quotes from Collier
1. "Be aware that children use first langauge acquisition stategies for learning or acquiring a second langauge."
Now that Collier actually wrote this down on paper it seems so obvious, however I never even would have thought of learning a second langauge in this way. When a young child enters an American school without knowing much english, a teacher can not just jump right to teaching them all the intricacies of the english langauge. They will probably be confused if this is the case, especially if english is not spoken at home. Therefore the child must learn to be literate in both langauges. This way if the child is at home they can properly communicate with their parents, and family, and when they are at school they will not run into learning gaps.
2. "Don't teach a second langauge in any way that challenges or seeks to eliminate the first langauge."
Just because english is a popular langauge in America, does not mean that knowing a second langauge would be useless. If a child is not allowed to express themselvves in their original language and we preach the importance of english, they may lose confidence, and self esteem. These children as I mentioned before are not only speaking in classroom but at home and in their neighborhoods they need to be able to properly communicate on all levels. There should a balance in place, so that children learn both langauges, and understand the proper place for each one.
3. "Once a child becomes literatein the home langauge, literacy skills swiftly transfer to second langauge seetings."
This is another one that seems so obvious now that Collier pointed it out. Children need to be taught to their own individual needs, if a child enters a classroom speaking spanish they need to also learn spanish. If they become proficient in Spanish literacy, and they develop the tools used in literacy, it would follow that becoming literate in a second langauge can be achieved with greater ease.
1. "Be aware that children use first langauge acquisition stategies for learning or acquiring a second langauge."
Now that Collier actually wrote this down on paper it seems so obvious, however I never even would have thought of learning a second langauge in this way. When a young child enters an American school without knowing much english, a teacher can not just jump right to teaching them all the intricacies of the english langauge. They will probably be confused if this is the case, especially if english is not spoken at home. Therefore the child must learn to be literate in both langauges. This way if the child is at home they can properly communicate with their parents, and family, and when they are at school they will not run into learning gaps.
2. "Don't teach a second langauge in any way that challenges or seeks to eliminate the first langauge."
Just because english is a popular langauge in America, does not mean that knowing a second langauge would be useless. If a child is not allowed to express themselvves in their original language and we preach the importance of english, they may lose confidence, and self esteem. These children as I mentioned before are not only speaking in classroom but at home and in their neighborhoods they need to be able to properly communicate on all levels. There should a balance in place, so that children learn both langauges, and understand the proper place for each one.
3. "Once a child becomes literatein the home langauge, literacy skills swiftly transfer to second langauge seetings."
This is another one that seems so obvious now that Collier pointed it out. Children need to be taught to their own individual needs, if a child enters a classroom speaking spanish they need to also learn spanish. If they become proficient in Spanish literacy, and they develop the tools used in literacy, it would follow that becoming literate in a second langauge can be achieved with greater ease.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
McIntosh
Quotes:
"If these things are true, this is not such a free country; ones life is not what one makes it; many doors are open for certain people through no virutes of their own."
I completely agree with McIntosh on this point. This country is not free, not even close, it never has been. We are inching now closer to completely free, but most of the policies only work in theory. Being white and working class myslef I know I have had priviledges. I have never been in the minority, I have no idea what it must feel like to be unrepresented by your government, or any other system of authority, these huge systems which ultimately controls your life. I can't image what life must be like for someone outside the cultural of power. I can read books on how my culture was treated poorly, as less than human, but I have never experienced that. I think that my lack of experience with this is why I have been so blind to it, I thought we were overcoming this Culture of Power, I thought society had move passed that. I was wrong.
"I did not see myself as a racist, because I was taught to recognize racism only in individual acts of meanness by members of my group, never in invisible systems conferring unsought racial dominance on my group from birth."
Wow, thats what I was taught, I never looked at it that way before. I was taught racism was white southerns doing whatever harm they could to scare blacks into not registaring to vote in the 1960's. I have never thought of it any other way. But like McIntosh says its not even just with race its with everything, with sex, with sexuality, with age, with religion. Maybe its not blatant hate anymore, now its hiding, its a huge pink elephant nowcowering under the table. But its still there.
"I think whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privilege,"
I don't know about carefully taught, I mean I am not agrueing against, I don't have enought information to do so. But I think that she is right, maybe its carefully taught or maybe we don't realise we are teaching this to white children, but we are. I think that this is if no the most then one of the most destructive occurences in our society. Very rarely today do you hear about lynchings and abuse, its still out there but less then there was. In today's America the problem is those who claim ignoance while flaunting white privilege. Its why gay marriage is even an issue.
I really liked this article by McIntosh, I liked how she pointed out the obvious, yet hidden facts. I liked her as a writer but also as a sociologist(?). She gave me a new way to look at an old fact and I can do nothing but respect her for that.
"If these things are true, this is not such a free country; ones life is not what one makes it; many doors are open for certain people through no virutes of their own."
I completely agree with McIntosh on this point. This country is not free, not even close, it never has been. We are inching now closer to completely free, but most of the policies only work in theory. Being white and working class myslef I know I have had priviledges. I have never been in the minority, I have no idea what it must feel like to be unrepresented by your government, or any other system of authority, these huge systems which ultimately controls your life. I can't image what life must be like for someone outside the cultural of power. I can read books on how my culture was treated poorly, as less than human, but I have never experienced that. I think that my lack of experience with this is why I have been so blind to it, I thought we were overcoming this Culture of Power, I thought society had move passed that. I was wrong.
"I did not see myself as a racist, because I was taught to recognize racism only in individual acts of meanness by members of my group, never in invisible systems conferring unsought racial dominance on my group from birth."
Wow, thats what I was taught, I never looked at it that way before. I was taught racism was white southerns doing whatever harm they could to scare blacks into not registaring to vote in the 1960's. I have never thought of it any other way. But like McIntosh says its not even just with race its with everything, with sex, with sexuality, with age, with religion. Maybe its not blatant hate anymore, now its hiding, its a huge pink elephant nowcowering under the table. But its still there.
"I think whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privilege,"
I don't know about carefully taught, I mean I am not agrueing against, I don't have enought information to do so. But I think that she is right, maybe its carefully taught or maybe we don't realise we are teaching this to white children, but we are. I think that this is if no the most then one of the most destructive occurences in our society. Very rarely today do you hear about lynchings and abuse, its still out there but less then there was. In today's America the problem is those who claim ignoance while flaunting white privilege. Its why gay marriage is even an issue.
I really liked this article by McIntosh, I liked how she pointed out the obvious, yet hidden facts. I liked her as a writer but also as a sociologist(?). She gave me a new way to look at an old fact and I can do nothing but respect her for that.
Friday, September 11, 2009
SUCCESS (if you yell it, its more dramatic)
Hello everyone. I figured out how to use this thing, aka ms Bogad told me how to.... goodbye self-esteem it was nice knowing you for that one day back '94. JK JK no stress. wow so these first 2 weeks of school have been pretty intense, I think I have worked more hours these 2 weeks then i have all summer, thank you vinidicitve walgreens manager lol But now i have cut my hours back down so I am ready to LEARN WOOT (exclamation point) GAME ON
Sunday, September 6, 2009
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