Fix The Shading On The Children's Faces!

i think it is just plain stupidity for someone to tell an artist to change the color of the child's face. it is up to the artists preference and the artist is taking into considereation of trying to find an inbetween that would represent children. i agree with Jackie when she says that you cannot change the color of the skin you were born with. what kind of message will this send to the children? that its wrong to be a darker color than some of the other people? they are going to start thinking badly of themselves and others who share the same skin tone as them. it is not fair for them to be treated like that even if its not directly, it is sending the absolute wrong message to them and they will carry on that message to others. its just a vicious cycle to keep racism going instead of trying to help iliminate it.

We Cannot Chuse But Hear

to me this sums up the oil spill exactly! gallons upon gallons of oil are spilling out each and everyday going into the 59 day into the oil spill crisis. it is unmeasurable how much we have damaged marine life, everyday there are news stories of birds and other sea creatures coated in oil so thick you can hardly make out what species they are. i know that the president has gone above and beyond what he can do for the situation but i honestly think BP has not worked hard enough to try to permanently fix the issue. instead of just killing it completely they were looking for ways to cap it but still get oil out of the spill. how can they possibly still think of wanting to get oil out of the situation when thousands are being affected and animals are losing their lives. the seafood industry is losing thousands of dollars everyday because they cannot get seafood that is unaffected by the oil spill. i think BP is going to end up going bankrupt and will no longer be in this country after this incident.

Quiz10

Quiz9

HB2281

i think that people should be allowed to freely express their culture and pass it on for future generations without the fear of always being targeted not only by everyday people but by governemnt and law officials. culutre and languages is what makes poeple unique from the rest; they dont always follow things exactly the same and they have different customs. taking that away from a person is like stripping them of their identity and forces them to be just like everyone else; where no one is different. this is supposedly a free country, we should not have to limit our culture practices just because it is "out of the ordinary" or different from what others, especially law and government officials, see as what is right and what is wrong. they are there to enforce laws not to judge others or condem them based on the languages they speak or the culture they have.

Si M Mourii, Ou Pral Mouri!

I agree completely! instead of investing millions of dollars for things like off shore drilling and such that, as we can clearly see, is absolutely dangrous to the environment and the health of not only the animals but the people as well. we should be figuring out ways to convert or massive landfills overflowing with waste into an alternative fuel. we could never possibly run out of waste and it would help us to eliminate or at least condense the landfills by significant amounts. if there are people who know how to do this then we should be going to them to see how they are doing it so that we can benefit from it as well. this is to protect and save our future!

Reflection Paper16

I understand intersexuality to be a person who has the mixed characteristics of a female and a male. Transsexuality is when, for example, a woman who is physically female feels that she is not a woman, or “thinks like a man.” The study of these topics has been useful to me because it makes me more sensitive to people who are like either of those cases. I personally do not have any problem with people who are intersexual or transsexual I think it is rather remarkable. I had heard of both situations but I did not know of the full details of them both but now I am more informed and have become rather fascinated by these topics. I would imagine that with both cases the people with those issues are bothered by them because maybe someone said something to them or they think it is wrong. They also are made fun of by their peers and sometimes even family members. In no way do they have it easy some of them can’t even tell you for sure whether they are a man or woman because they don’t feel like either of them or they are confused as to what to say. Transsexuals are ridiculed more than intersexual people because they cannot hide or cover up how they feel. For the women people just see it as being a tomboy but for the men I think it’s much tougher on them because in a “man’s” society looking or acting like a girl is degrading. They are called multiple names and pranks are played mercilessly on them just because they express how they feel. Intersexual people have a harder time finding a partner because of their issues, they too are ridiculed by those who find out and are verbally attacked because of something they cannot help, in both cases of intersexual and transsexual. It makes them think that there is something wrong with them like they are warped and possibly even monsters. I think that women are more understanding of both issues then men because women do not have the type of standards that men do; the “man code” as they call it. I think that it causes trauma to either party and creates depression and possibly even psychological problems for them.

Reflection Paper15

I think that the cause of homosexuality does not happen overnight and that it is most definitely not a disease but that it comes from birth. I think that the knowledge that a person is homosexual is deep within the brain at birth but as time goes by it surfaces because the brain has expanded. After reading the articles my views on homosexuality have not changes at all. I consider myself a very open person and things like homosexuality; bisexuality, etc do not bother me in the least. I have family and friends that are homosexuals and I cannot even imagine pushing them away because of something like that. It severely angers me that some people, despite how long they know a person, can treat them so differently the second they are aware that their friend is a homosexual. To me it shouldn’t matter what sexual orientation they are that person is still the same person they have known for however long. I don’t think that homosexuality develops from childhood upbringing because as children get older they will see and experience many different things and they will eventually develop an opinion of their own. Most people are homosexuals adopting children because they think that they will turn the child gay but as I previously stated as the children get older they formulate their own ideas. In most cases that I have seen the children remain heterosexual despite having parents that are homosexual. There are more cases of homosexual children with heterosexual parents than homosexual parents. Most people see homosexuals as a horrible thing some even going as far as resenting their friends, relatives, and even their own children. I think that because homosexuality comes from birth parents can see it in their child growing up and they try to change the child’s habits and behaviors. Homosexuality is seen as such a horrible and disgusting thing and those that are homosexual have more discrimination, hate, and so on than the issues or race. They are constantly targeted, even in the work place, even when applying for a job most interviewers notice their homosexuality, for those that are open with it, instead of credentials and experience.

Reflection Paper14

I think that a case can and should be made for charges of institutional racism; I think that just because you are from a certain background does not give you special privileges. Despite ethnic background we are all still people, we have the same organs the same types of functions, and so on and so on. If a law is to be made it should apply to everyone of every nationality, nowhere in laws made does it say that a certain nationality is excluded or has special rights. I honestly believe that the decisions of whether Cuban immigrants get asylum and Haitian immigrants do not is an inside matter and that those people are not following the law. Laws are made to be followed; they are not recommendations or requests, they are to be executed. What makes one race different from another? To me it is absolutely nothing just the color of their outside skin. Atomically we are all the same, even with color, if we bleed we all bleed red and we all have hearts and as I said before a law is meant for all people to follow. Also just because a country is less off than another does not mean that they deserve to be treated any differently than another race, I am pretty positive that no law anywhere says to give Cuban immigrants better treatment than Haitian immigrants. Matters like these should be addressed and corrected. I think that institutional racism is a big issue and there should be charges for doing so. Preferential treatment is not something that should be allowed at all let alone for the color or a person’s skin. If two different people commit the same criminal act, or whatnot, they should be handled exactly the same. I think that if one race sees the preferential treatment happening to another race that they would fight back. If the preferential treatment matter were to be addressed in a legal court system the person or persons who were issuing the favorable treatment would be the one/s in trouble. I think that charges for institutional racism should definitely be made into a case in order to prevent it from happening and to let perpetrators know that if they do give special treatment to one race that they will not be able to get away with it.

Reflection13

Race and racism are very strong things and have such a powerful effect on many different people. Race plays a part in our daily lives whether we realize it or not; people are judged based on their skin tone and ethnic background rather on their behavior and how they carry themselves. I learned that the workplace is the worse source of racism, in some institutions job positions are decided on by race. For example, in a construction site a Mexican American will be more likely to be hired than an Asian American because they will “work for less.” In my honest opinion the whole race option on any form or paper should not even be there especially for school testing. I think it is only there so that people can be put into a category and judged based on their race. Another example would be for a standardized test a child scores a high score on the test and before they even look at the race box they will assume it is an Asian or Indian child. Many people wouldn’t think that racist remarks hurt or affect other but it truly does. Most feel that they are being degraded and lose enthusiasm for things such as job hunting, and so on. Children could develop low self esteem because they are always being judged on their race rather than their performances. It hurts enormously when a child is left out of a game or conversation because of what they look like; they cannot help the way that they look or what their ethnical background is. In most cases I think that their hurt feelings develop into severe cases of depression, especially at young and tender ages. Those remarks or gestures will forever leave a scare on their hearts and I think will carry on to adult hood and will affect how they see other people as well as how they see themselves. It is completely wrong when someone says you should be able to run faster since you are black or you should know how to draw because you are European. It brings that persons spirits down and makes them think negatively about themselves and their race, I think it develops into self hatred in some cases because the comments that were said to that person had such a strong impact. To me, race has nothing to do with your abilities or your personality I think it is just a title of where your roots are.

Assignment1

The teacher I chose to do my hours under handled her diverse classroom very well. Every student that she had was treated respectfully just like any other student, no one was an exception to her. I especially liked how she handled her classroom discussions; she involved everyone in the group conversation and had them contribute something to the discussion. The feel of her classroom was very comforting and inviting, it felt homier than a classroom because everyone was engaged in the same activity and they were all coming together to answer things they didn’t understand. If a student made a racist remark or something similar she would immediately reprimand the student and have him or her apologize for the statement. Not only that, she would discuss for a moment why it was inappropriate and advise them never to do it again. I truly respect her teaching style and her classroom management in regards to how she handles each situation calmly and respectively. In Mrs. Pasqualine’s classroom there is no such thing as diversity, everyone is treated exactly the same and they are respected as young adults. If a student requires extra assistance she would help that student pertaining to whatever the child needs. She is always willing to take time before or after class to help a student with any problem they may have or she would suggest materials for the student/s to seek extra reference on. No one is excluded in assistance or classroom participation; everyone gets to voice their opinion or state ideas. Collaboration is always suggested and encouraged on assignments to give students a chance to bond with classmates as well as understand material better. Mrs. Pasqualine is also very active in collaborating with the students and respects every student’s need. She will never turn anyone away if they need help and says that if they are truly motivated to do something that she could not possibly turn them away. From observing her in the class room I can clearly see how and why all of her students respect her whole heartedly and always look forward to having a class session with her.

Quiz8

Quiz7

Reflection Paper12

The insights I have gained from reading the articles about genocide are that it does not take munch in order for something like this to happen. I think it happens when those in power let the authority go to their head and use their prejudice judgment to create things exactly like genocide. In Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur they all had political officials instigate the killings and it was all based on things such as looks or if they had even the slightest bit of different blood in them. They basically do the same thing in every case of genocide; kill mercilessly, rape the women of the groups, destroy homes, burn crops, etc. I honestly think that there has to be another way for people to work these differences out; that is what the government official is supposed to do. In this day and age I truly believe that we should be more focused on things such as world peace, hunger issues, etc rather than what someone looks like or where they are from. It just seems like we keep on moving further and further away from what life in the 21st century should be like and we are moving closer and closer to primitive times when Neanderthals did the exact same things to different tribes. No one can ever look the same; besides twins, so I think we have to move beyond this point, adults involved in starting genocide are acting like children on a playground who don’t want to play together. People come in multiple varieties and colors, it is impossible to escape that or do anything about it so it is about time we use our evolved craniums and get past these ridiculous quarrels. Killing mindlessly will not solve anything or get anyone anywhere; it is just a vicious cycle that will keep on repeating until everyone is dead. I think that everyone wants to live peacefully instead of dying before their natural time has come. Even if some don’t intend to they involve young children and their loved ones, I think if people understood better that everyone can work together and help each other out to make a better future that they would forget about wanting to kill someone because he or she is a bit different and just strive for a better life together.

Reflection Paper11

I think the Holocaust was one of the greatest tragedies the world had ever seen. A majority of the world knows the stories and the horrors that the victims went through and it moved us all even to this day. To me the Holocaust was the worst type of genocide ever, what those people went through was absolutely mortifying that I would have rather of been shot point blank instead of having to go through what they did. The people thought they were going to be helped to safety and kept away from the horror but instead they were sent to the direct core of literally, hell on earth. No one was spared not even tiny infants, they thrown into the “wolf’s den” like all of the others. If you happened to get sick while in the camps no doctor would help you, instead they would experiment on you making you wish that they would have just killed you instead. They were basically lab rats in the concentration camps; their every move being watched and their lives being played around with like a game. When soldiers became bored they would just go and execute people without a care in the world. It is hard for me to think that none of those soldiers had a conscious or even thought that it could have been them instead. I think that if they wanted to get rid of the “imperfect people” they should have just thrown themselves into the camps and maybe then they would realize that what they were doing was ludicrous. What the Nazi’s did and how they did it was truly inhumane to me because not only did they target Jews but small children, handicap people, homosexuals, etc; no one was safe. It absolutely blows my mind that people actually say that the Holocaust never happened. There is actual footage of what was going on in the concentration camps; journals found in the camps, even the Germans admit the Holocaust was horrible. There is so much evidence to support the fact that it did happen that I would think that it is impossible to doubt. I think that those who do not think it happened should visit a camp to see exactly what is was like and maybe then they would change their opinions about the Holocaust.

Reflection Paper10

The most important thing I have learned is that instead of looking at the victims of the crimes we should be looking at the ones doing the acts. When we look at the victims of a certain crime we are looking at the type of people who are likely to be victimized by a certain crime and not those that are causing the problems. I understand that prejudices come from many different elements in a child’s life when growing up that contributes to the source. The main source I think that contributes the most in where prejudice comes from is in the child’s home environment. As we are growing up our parents teach us things like our culture and whatnot, we gain insights of how we will think in the future from our families I think. We do what we are told and we listen to just about everything our parents, grandparents, etc say and we pick up on things, especially prejudices, as we are starting to develop. When we see the world as we are growing older some choose to remain with what their parents have inputted into us while others tend to see the world and cultivate ideas and opinions through their own eyes. Also I think the groups of people we associate with beyond family members have a large impact on developing prejudices as well. If you desperately want to fit in with a certain group we adapt to their customs and how they feel about certain things. Whether you completely agree with them or not you still follow their lead and where you didn’t think of something a certain before your opinion changes naturally to match with the groups. Even the mass media, I think, has a large impact on prejudices and such. If we see our favorite idol, or whoever, doing something a certain way, says something, or expresses his or her own opinion about something naturally their followers will start to do the same. People with high celebrity status have the power to help change things such as prejudice but instead I think they are doing the opposite. To me, I think celebrities are just adding “fuel to the fire” and making matters worse especially for the young and upcoming youth instead of trying to make a huge difference.

Emmett Till

I think it is ludacris that when the evidence is right in front of people that they are willing to refuse the truth. For all of those white people who say they are extremely religious, i dont know what kind of bible they read but they should know that murder is a sin. not to mention that he was only just a 14 year old boy is just monstrous. the threats they used against the blacks in those types of towns were childish and stupid to me. even the presdient was unwilling to listen to the pleas of a destoryed mother who lost her only child. if they were to put themselev into that type of situation you can be that they would never have let anyone who commited such a hainous act would ever be found guilty. but despite such tragedy the black community was able to rise up and make a stand and let others know thst they will not just sit quietly by anymore, which led us to here and now.

Arizona Goddam!

I think that if Arizona doesn't correct what their doing its going to have a huge negative impact on them in the future. i understand what they're trying to do but they need to develope a better way of trying to figure out the illegal immigrants. what they have preposed is basically racial profiling, that police officials have the right to pull you over on suspicion of being an illegal alien. citizens and tourists will feel incredibly offended if they happend to be pulled over on suspicion based on a single officer. i think that they will eventually lose tourism and perhaps some of the lega citizens of Arizona will move to a different state. so if Arizona doesn't want it to come to that then they need to sit down and formulate a new idea of "weeding" out the immigrants.

Quiz6

Quiz5

Reflection Paper9

I think that Freud’s work on the “Theory of Personality” is so important even by the people who do not exactly agree with him because deep down they know it is true. Basically everything we do whether we think about it or not, is for us to have sex. We go to school to acquire high paying jobs because we want to be able to attract a partner. Just about everyone wants to be with a CEO of a major company because they know they will be secured and they know they are “banging big bucks.” Money is also a way for us to attract partners because now in today’s world no one wants to have someone with a low income because they cannot provide financial security and it would seem like an embarrassment to be having sex with that person. We also want to be able to continue on with our lineage and in order to do that sex is required. We basically build up our lives not just to survive but we are building them for a family whether it is just two people or multiple people. In order to obtain what we desire we have to be aggressive, thousands of people are aiming for what we desire and many are aiming for the ones we long for. Aggressiveness is our way of fighting for our mate and I think our survival to want to continue on our own lineage. Aggression is also what we use to protect our family and loved ones as I think it is a part of our basic or natural instincts. It is so similar to what animals in the wild do; they show off their “goods” to their potential mate so they can decide if they are interested and they compare multiple potential mates, the same as we do. In my opinion I think Freud is a genius to be able to come to these conclusions. I know that many people thought that he was only just a sex crazed maniac but to me he sees the world kind of in black and white. He compares our socially and technologically advanced world with nature and its own world. I think it is absolutely true because it is a fact that we do the same things animals do just on our own level. We buy expensive cars, monstrous houses, all of these posh things just so we can attract someone of our preference, I think it is rather comical how he described it exactly.

Reflection Paper8

I think that the most important things to have as a teacher are values, attitudes, changing beliefs, values, and attitudes, etc. in having values I think it is important because if you value teaching your students, having them learn and interact peacefully and positively with the rest of the class it should keep you on track. You wouldn’t lose control of your class or have any uncomfortable situations with them because you will always have it in mind that your class room should be an ordered, placid, and reassuring environment to learn in; not chaos and disorder. Having a positive attitude in your classroom I think is extremely important. To me, your classroom reflects your attitude; always keeping a positive stance will make the learning environment for your students a tranquil one. If you are in a dreadful mood your attitude reflects it upon your students, they will feel the wrath of your mood and it will have the opposite effect of what you want. Also I think that if you are in a foul mood once it effects your students they will become unruly and they will not be as motivated to learn. I believe that they will be more likely to ignore you and act up when they see you are not cheerful and basically completely take advantage of you. I think it is important to have changing beliefs, values, and attitudes because your classroom will be completely mixed with different types of students with multicultural backgrounds. What might be normal to you could be different to them; for example looking an adult in the eye, in some cultures it is disrespectful not to look them in the eyes whereas in other cultures, like the Latino/a it is disrespectful if you do. So we as teachers have to always keep things like that in mind and not to be to overbearing with issues like that because what might be one way to us could be another way entirely to certain students. To me it is a given that issues like prejudice and/ or using deprecating names are an absolute horrible thing to do especially as a teacher. Students are just students, sure they have a race and ethnical background but in a classroom I don’t think that should matter. Students are there to be educated for the future, not to be treated like they are unwanted or demoralized because of anything like prejudice or name calling.

Reflection Paper7

I think that as teachers we have to have faith in our students and dissolve all stereotypes and treat all of our students the same. To me, if I was asked if I needed extra help, when I never asked for it, I would feel offended and inferior to the rest of the class because I was singled out and looked like I was in distress. I believe that it is our jobs as teachers to make sure our students feel comfortable in any environment and to not make them feel afraid to speak their mind for fear of being criticized. We should let all of our students know that they will not be scrutinized over what they say but let them know that they should be respectful in whatever they say as to not offend anyone. I agree that the classroom should be similar to a community, that way each student is just like the other; not an African American student, a Latino/a student, or a European student, etc. I think it makes the students feel more comfortable and for them to make easier interactions knowing that they will not be judged or any sort of that matter on what they are. However I believe that a classroom should not be so free lanced and that there should be some rules and behaviors that the students should abide by to make the classroom a peaceful and safe place. With the topic of singling out students, I think it should only happen when a student is not paying attention in hopes that that they would stay focused and remain alert with the rest of the class; but only for that specific time not periodically. Each student, to me, should make a contribution at some point in a class. Calling on those constantly who know the answer causes singling out and makes the others feel as if they are not important and that their input is not needed. I think that we as teachers should be encouraging them to want to participate even if they do not have the necessary correct answer they would still be engaging in the discussion with the rest of the class. I think that it would kind of help them to participate and they would not have the fear or not answering because they think they will be reprimanded or made fun of for their wrong answer. A classroom is not for that purpose, it is for the students to take in the information they receive and evaluate it.

Most Interesting of Our American Birds

i think that this is a perfect example of whats happening with the oil spill caused by the franchaise BP. Because they have nglected to take precautions thousands of birds and even hatchlings are dying. even though we are trying to do everything we can, it won't save merely enough to stop populations of animals from becoming endangered. i think this is more than enough of a reason to ban off shore drilling and find an alternative. instead of searching for oil outlets we should focus on how we can transform our waste into fuel. we would be saving ourselves literally from becoming a massive landfill.

Stormy Weather

I think she was a wonderful singer despite the issue back then of race and whatnot. She was incredibly beautiful and acting just seemed to look as natural as the sun with her. Stormy Weather took my breath away with all of those emotions raining down just like the weather outside her window. Who would deny the beautiful suductress in Cabin in the Sky? If only Hollywood saw more of her worth then they did, i bet they regret it every second. The world has lost an amazing woman on so many levels not just from Stormy Weather or Cabin in the sky. Now that she has passed on she leaves us with an incredible legacy and is now an angel in the sky.

Awaiting an Appropriate Provocation

I think this is a perfect example of protest against the Arizona law SB 1070. By enableling SB 1070 Arizona is going to create more problems then solutions. It is not going to be based just be suspicious behavior, it will eventually turn into racial profiling. Even legal citizens will fear being targeted and asked for their papers. A law is supposed to make its followers feel safe, this law however will do the exact opposite. Even further than that i think that the policemen will go further then what they are supposed to be doing and it will escalade to an act of violence. The citizens will not feel safer at all knowing that if a policeman thinks they are suspicious then they will be targeted based on that police officer alone.

Quiz4

Quiz3

Reflection Paper6

I think the rites of passage are important because they signify such an important part in life and once you go through with them you are a new person. Just like how a teenager becomes an adult they too are transformed into a whole new person with different feelings and perspectives on things. They know that they are no longer children and that they have successfully become mature adults. “Sitting Quietly” is a good example of overcoming that childish hurdle and blossoming into the world of adulthood. The boys enter the forest as frightened little adolescent boys and fight their way past the terrors of the forest to reach safety. I think that when they are fighting the things that scare them it is another way of saying that they are fighting away their childish and immature selves to become brave and fearless adults. In “Facing Mt Kenya” I think it’s a more graphic way of a girl becoming an adult woman. Not only do boys have to go through the rites of passage girls are also privileged to have their own ritual so they may also shed their childish bodies and transform into beautiful and mature women. With the Sambia I think they kind of set an example. They set an example because even though there is homosexual activity no one is looked down upon them or becomes judgmental like we in the United States are. To the Sambia that kind of behavior is completely natural to them so they are not bothered or repulsed by it. In a way I think it is like saying that they have to overcome that “difficulty” or “awkwardness.” The rites of passage are basically a different form of high school graduation; they only get to become an adult after they have passed the required tests and have proven themselves to be true adults. The young boys and girls finally get to break away from their childish statuses and can be known as men and women rather than adolescent boys and girls. The rites of passage are tests to examine whether or not he or she is ready to take the final leap from child to adult just like how middle and high school do that same thing but in a slightly different way. They both have requirements that need to be met or passed in order to be considered mature or fully developed.

Reflection Paper5

At first I wouldn’t mind being one of the “Little Rock Nine” I think I would be honored to do something so historic that would impact the rest of the world and the future generations to come but my opinion would probably change after the first day. I would feel embarrassed to have to have armed guards walk me into school or ever be there in the first place because I think it would be putting more attention on me then there already was. I would want to live my life as peacefully as I could despite all of the arguments and such about my presence. On the bright side having the armed guards provided especially for me and the others to be able to enter the school would make me a tad bit happy because I know that they were sent there to encourage desegregation and send a powerful message. I think I would also feel safer knowing that they are there incase anything were to happen I also think that I would be able to ignore all of the shouts and slurs of the people on the street that didn’t want to see me to go a white school. I know that if I were to fight back physically or verbally that it would be a step in the wrong direction and they would never accept being able to have me in that school. It would be easy to lash out or say the wrong thing to someone and then not only would my life be at even more of a risk but they would get it in their heads that I, and people similar to me, are nothing but barbarians that cannot coexist. If they, however, saw me being civilized and behaving properly maybe they stop being so hateful and at least except the fact that I wasn’t acting like an animal or whatever else they would call me. . I would be there for my education and to try to urge people to see that there is nothing wrong with me and that I have the capability to learn the exact same material and that I have the same capacity to do things just like the others do. I would prove them wrong with my silence, determination, and composure that I am no different than them by no means whatsoever. I would be lying, however, if I said their marks wouldn’t bother me at all, they would make me feel somewhat upset but I would not waver from my goal.

Reflection Paper4

The insights I have gained from culture are many different things. For instance, culture is important in the way we view subjects and different things. Culture influences people in their daily lives and I think some decisions come from our culture and background. I have learned that a culture is a group of people who think very similar and act as one. People in a culture have certain ways that they do things such as dress, holiday celebrations, what foods they eat, etc. I have also learned that something like looking into an adult’s eye while talking to them could be disrespectful in another culture and that it isn’t always the right thing to do. I also learned that in some Hispanic cultures for Christmas Eve some will go to a family member’s house and they eat naca tamales, enchiladas, and flautas, etc and they drink. Before midnight they gather around the Christmas tree, pass around presents, open them and take pictures. They continue with the festivities they left before the opening of the presents and then at three in the morning they all return home. I think that culture is very important to a person because in a way it gives them an identity and makes them feel a part of something unique. I think it is important to be aware of the different cultures, as a teacher, in order to understand your students. As a teacher it is inevitable that the group of students you will have will be strongly culturally different. We must be able to put aside cultural differences in order to manage a class room but still be aware of them so that we do not offend any students. I think it is important to be intercultural competent because it can give you the chance to connect with your students and to know their customs so that you understand where they are coming from when they talk about a certain tradition or whatnot. I think it would be a good idea to have a class discussion of the different cultures and how they celebrate different things so that students become aware of how people do things differently so that in the future when they come across someone who does things differently than they do that they will not offend that person.

Quiz2

Quiz1

Reflection Paper3

Paradigms are a set of forms that all contain a particular element that serves as a pattern. A paradigm shift is when a person’s opinion on a matter changes with new information. I have had many paradigm shifts but the one most prominent to me was the topic of human euthanasia. I wasn’t exactly for Dr. Kevorkian’s idea that people should be allowed to kill themselves. I thought anyone could go to him and say I want to die and it would happen. When I found out that he wasn’t doing that but rather it was for patients that were gravely ill and suffering tremendously. I was completely for his idea of human euthanasia when I heard his argument on how letting the patients die how they chose with dignity is so much better than being taken off life support and letting them starve to death. What also changed my mind was how he also fought the argument that he was playing “God” by countering saying that when I doctor gives you a pill they doing the exact same thing, they are changing what “God” had planned for that person. Once I found out more about Dr. Kevorkian’s human euthanasia I completely changed my mind and found that even I would do that if I was in such great pain and would rather choose how I die instead of being starved to death. At least I know I would be dying how I choose and would have some sort of dignity instead of dying so helplessly. I think it is important for teachers to experience paradigm shifts because you have to be open to different opinions in order to maintain a classroom. Students come up with many different ideas and as a teacher we have to be open to all thoughts and suggestions. Teachers have to be willing to change their minds; they cannot always have everything the same way without any compromise. If a teacher is not susceptible to change the classroom could become unruly and students would revolt in anger. That is the worst situation to have in a classroom because the other students would feel uncomfortable and scared; it is the worst thing I think a teacher could do. Having paradigm shifts for teachers, I think, is a good thing because you should always hear both sides of things before you make an opinion. It is the same thing when two students are caught in the wrong, both sides have to be looked at and all the facts known in order to make a decision.

Reflection Paper2

I think that as teachers we take the students we have and they are like fresh clay; they have no shape whatsoever; soon enough though we are molding them into beautiful sculptures. Even for unruly students, they might be tough to handle in the beginning but once the class moves forward they break away from being disruptive. I think as teachers it is our job to take our students from the very beginning and guide them to where they want to be. They cannot have everything left up to them to figure out and handle; teachers need to be next to them to assist whenever they are needed to give them that little push. All we as teachers really can do are to just urge them on and give them our full support and they will eventually break out of their shells. For example in speech classes there are always many students who are too shy to speak in front of a class and wait until the end before they have to present. By the time that class is mostly over some of those shy students will have blossomed into more courageous speakers less afraid than as they were in the very beginning. Students undergo their own transformations into who they want to be and break away from old habits, it takes time but they eventually are successful. Throughout a school year I think students change their minds multiple times about how they feel about certain things and how they act. I think it is a sign of maturation in their transformations from young adolescents to adults. Peers also help in the transformation of oneself. They not only look to teachers for advice but also their friends and classmates to advise them on what they should do. Experiences with other people from different backgrounds helps them to establish themselves as to just who they are and who they will become in the future. For the most part students learn on their own how to overcome inner obstacles and we as teachers try to keep them balanced and help them through their inner battles while they sort things out. This also helps them in their transformation because they are choosing for themselves what they want and how they want to do things which is all a part of being an adult.

Reflection Paper1

The insights I have gained from reading the prehistoric human use of fire, the history of writing, and the invention of the human wheel are many things. For instance, without the use of fire, or knowledge of it even, we would have never thought of the inventions we use today such as ovens, microwaves, toasters, etc. I think we would still be eating raw foods that are unhealthy; we wouldn’t have evolved as much as we have today, and we would be dying much younger instead of living as long as we are now. To me, I think the world would be lost without writing; it would become absolutely boring with nothing to escape from it. If writing wasn’t used I don’t think we would have the amazing literature that we now have from centuries ago. I believe that we would not know of the past and the struggles that were fought to make the world what it is today. I also think that without the use of writing we wouldn’t be able to consider ourselves evolved because nothing would have improved. I do not think that the greatest minds in the world would have ever been heard and the world in itself would be frustrated with not being able to communicate over long distances. Without the invention of the wheel humans would not have gotten anywhere whatsoever. Without the wheel there would be no traveling or exchanging goods at a faster rate; no one would leave their residences to travel enormously long distances. Once again, I do not think we would be able to call ourselves evolved if humans had not thought of the wheel. It is responsible for nearly everything we use in transportation and in our daily lives. I think as a pre-teaching intern I am reading about these articles so that I would be aware of the impacts lives would have without them. Also the fact that the use of fire, the wheel, and writing have all had a major impact on the world and teachers do something similar. Teachers guide their students to be something great and to try to improve the world one small way at a time. If they aren’t given something to think about then they won’t be able to understand the impacts of what they chose to do. I think students would never be able to go beyond the ordinary and question “what if?”

Pilon Bio

Hello, my name is Hillary Pilon. I am 18 years old in my first year of college and I am interested in teaching art. I am the youngest with two older siblings and I have four adorable dogs that I love very much. I became interested in teaching during my junior year of high school at Doctors Charter School. The teachers that I saw were so enthusiastic about what they were doing and were willing to lend all the help they could so that their students understood the topics. The way they helped the students inspired me to want to do the same and to make learning fun instead of just something that is required of them. I want my students to be able to have fun while they learn about different artists and their styles. Art is supposed to inspire students and bring out their most creative selves and to discover the inner artist hidden inside of them. With art anything is possible and you can be as creative as you want because it is what you want to make and how you want to do it. There are no guidelines as to how to make art and how to go about creating it. It is also a way to relieve stress from other classes and to connect with peers in gathering ideas or materials; it creates a deep bond within a class and that is most important. As a teacher I want to be able to help my students in any way possible and I want them to be able to see me as someone they can trust and talk to if they have any problems; also to know that I care for them and their wellbeing. Teachers are supposed to be influential on their students so that they can look back and remember how great it was to be in their classes and to enjoy the time they spent with their peers and teachers. I want students to be able to remember my class for years to come as the best class they ever had. To be able to touch even one student’s life means so much to me and is such an incredible honor to have because then I know that I would have done my job to give them the best time they could ever have.