Talking Points # 3 *Argument*

1. From Teasing to Torment: School Climate in America - A National Report on School Bullying

2.This author on GLSEN argues that we need to "bridge the gap between the support that teachers say they provide to students and students’ perceptions of teachers’ willingness to take action.”  

In order to create a safe and healthy environment in schools, its important that we learn to communicate and work together as a team to help create a system that works for everyone involved. It's important for teachers to be involved with the students, and for the students to feel that they can confide in their teachers for support and guidance.  It's important that teachers don't just "shut out" the problems of their students, or pretend that the bullying and harassment isn't happening. "This study clearly illustrates the prevalence of bullying and harassment in America’s schools and that students who experience harassment are more likely to miss classes which can impact a student’s ability to learn." Schools should be a safe, healthy, and judgement free place, not a place where you have to fear both physical and emotional abuse. It's important that we bridge that gap between teachers and students to provide for a healthy environment to learn. 

 3. I really found this article interesting, and it really makes me wonder how many teachers are actually willing to take action, or how long it takes them to feel "its time to step in." The main point that I wish to discuss, which I've already brought it up few times, is that we really need to bring students and teachers closer, and for the students to know, that the teachers are there to help the students, and that they can confide in them. The students need to know that if they go to a teacher, they will have results, and action will be taken to help them. No one can stop the abuse on their own, we need each other for comfort and support. 

Talking Points # 2 *Argument*

1. Aria by Richard Rodriguez

2. Argument
This author Richard Rodriguez argues that the public language is dominantly English and any other language is just unacceptable in the classroom, which in turn forces the language at home to again be dominantly English.

Richard grew up in a family of five with three children including himself, he had an older sister and brother, they all spoke Spanish as their first language. "The language and the sounds revealed and accentuated the family's closeness" it was something that all five of them bonded over. When Richard and his siblings were in school however they were forced to speak the public language, which they were all having a difficult time grasping, and were soon forced to use the English language in their own home. The same home that they all could turn to and have comfort and speak their native language. Eventually the language barrier between the children and the parents became so difficult that they would eat together in silence, occasionally giving a smile. The home that once felt laughter and warmth, now felt silent and cold. English was the public language and Spanish was the private one. Richard was forced to learn the public language and had to sacrifice his relationship with his parents because of it. "Today I hear bilingual educators say that children lose a degree of individuality by becoming assimilated into public society."

3. The point that I wish to discuss in class would be the last quote of my argument. I really feel that children do lose a large portion of their individuality when they are forced to become part of the "public society" and have to follow the norms that we believe are the 'right' norms.

Talking Points # 1

1. White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack By, Peggy McIntosh

2. Quotes
Pg.1 "I have come to see white privilege as an invisible package of unearned assets that I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was "meant" to remain oblivious."

I think that this describes the invisible power possessd by the white people, based solely on the color of their skin. White people have a privilege that they don't really earn.

Pg.1 "White privilege is like an invisible weightless knapsack."

In society white people are thought to have special privileges because they are white. Without having to put in any additional effort, being white is like possessing a special ID that gets you special things.

Pg.4 "Whiteness protected me from many kinds of hostility, distress, and violence, which I was being subtly trained to visit, in turn, upon people of color."

Being white protects us from and against hostilities because whites are represented as the dominent race.

 3.   It's sad that white people are given privileges based solely on the color of their skin. Society has established that being white is superior and therefore privileges are given to whites over other races. Even though there is no basis for the difference in skin color. These are just many examples demonstrating the challenges that black students can face in schools, because they feel hositlity when amongst their white peers.

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Hello!
My name is Kathryn Carr, I'm a recent transfer student from CCRI, my major is Elementry Special Education. I'm really shy at first but once I get comfortable, I open right up. The semester has just started and I'm good about it so far, I just took a math quiz today, and feel pretty good about it! Math isn't really my best subject, but I try! I work at Dave's Fresh Marketplace in the Deli and in the Bakery Department. My favorite season is Fall, which is right around the corner so I'm really excited about that :) This is my first time using a blog, so I'm trying to figure out how everything works, (I've already changed my background 4 times, but I think I like this one the best) Thanks for checking out my blog, Bye!