EXP201.Davi.Fall05

Service Learning

Unfortunately this entry is not about my experience during the first day, instead, it's just me explaining what happened today. I went to the service learning office to talk to Scott. I thought something was going to be arranged, but nothing happened. He just gave me an envelope so that I could send the form to my parents. I decided to take the form intead. The the good thing was that I managed to get my parents signature so I will definitely be there next week.

Service Learning

sup people, it's about 10:55 in the morning and I still don't know if I will be able to go to my service learning site. I will be so mad if I'm  unable to go today. I am working right now and I've been thinking the whole time about whether I will be able to go or not. It really sucks being under 18 at this moment. Hopefully later I will have another post up describing my first day experience with the kids. So for now peace!

Javier

does racism still exist?

Continuing with the topic from class racism still exists.  The people that are still in a way following racism, are the ones that are still exposing it.  Even if it is explict or implict the rasicm could be found everywhere from school, to the media, to everyday conversation.  even if we try to hide it, it wil  still exist.  Why do people get these ideas of a certain group not being successful.  All these ideas come maybe by one person in the race group screwing up for everyone.  "They are all the same, because they are"  Basically you can add any particular group it that and it will make sense.  This has gone on for to long and now that we are tring to stop it is that it is being exposed.  Is it really minimizing or are people finding other ways to make fun of it?  Superstars like comedians are being paid large amounts of money to really "crack or make fun of their race for humor"  that is being exposed on TV.  That is how children are learning.  The movies automatically stereotype groups.  the ghetto are low income or minorities.  The movies that are successful are the movies that go against that and do not deal with a lot of race issues.  Why do we pay money to see a movie or hear someone say such things about our own race?  that is a question that really does not have any one answer.

Peace Edison

Beyond the Book

The plan for this past weekend was to have a functional draft of essay #1. The inspiration was somewhat there, but the rsearch and support of ideas and claims simply was not. Yes, I have plenty of academic journals to support my position, but something seemed as though it was missing. And then it struck me, primary research is missing. For my own piece of mind, I need someone to tell me that my rehabilitative martial arts program has true real-life value; that they think it could change lives.

Hello world, Jeff on ch.4

Wow! words cannot describe the shock I felt, when I concluded reading chapter four of "Lives on the boundary."  Author Mike Rose made his way from a childhood of poverty and misery, worked his way up to college, and went on to Graduate School.  I found this chapter to be inspiring because it showed us readers, that truley anuthing is possible. 

Do we make ourselves?

The quote referred to on page 51 by Maslow, really got me to thinking. "Every person is, in part," "his own project and makes himself."

The author found this quote very intriguing, yet from his encounters with himself at least educationally the "project" seems as much his own as the teachers helping him excel. What I mean by this is that as much effort as he put into his schooling and learning, his "project," education, would not have been as successful without his teachers help. This is just an objective view of the situation. If I were in his shoes of if I look at my own "projects" I would completely disagree with this. I think that is because i would be talking a subjective stance on the idea. For example if I were him, I would argue that the teachers and other help were mearly tools in his personal "project" of "making himself"

Another question I had within this thought of mine is whether the teachers were contributing to the "project," being used as tools in his personal "project" or were these teachers his
parents" when it came to the "project" of education. I struggled with this question of "parents" because it seems from my experience when an individual is trying to excel in education parents and teachers seem to have some interchangeable qualities.

From what I have experience and read in factual writings such as Lives on the Boundary, it seems when parents can help there children thrive in education the teachers roll is more to educate about information and let children and parents figure out the future. On the other hand parents that can't help their children thrive in education for whatever reason that my be, the teachers seem to take over more of a roll of a parent and help that driven child not only with educational facts but with helping the child find their future.

These as just some thoughts I had after thinking about this quote. If anyone had other thoughts or experiences I would love to read and discuss them. Comments agreeing with my thoughts/ideas are welcome, but please if you disagree or have had other consistent opposing experience with what I wrote I would really appreciate your comments.

Chris

:I Just Want To Be Average"

The second chapter of the book “Lives on the Boundary” the author wrote about how his teacher Mr. MacFarland had tapped into his old interest in reading and creative stories. This teacher gave him a way to feel special by using his mind. In today’s academic world everyone is just looking for the grade. It’s never how much you have learned in the class, its always what grade you got. Grades diminish the intrinsic satisfaction children experience by engaging in reading, writing, and problem solving. Today’s employers have become obsessed with evaluation and assessment. IF your transcript has a 2 on it, it looks bad. It doesn’t matter how much you learned in the course, but because you did not do well, your transcript looks poor. It seems as long as you are able to cram facts into your head the night before the exam and able to remember them long enough for the test, you can pass the course. It doesn’t matter if you remember it for your job in the future. That is a kind of scary thought. I mean in today’s world are you more likely to get a doctor who did well on his MCATs because he was able to memorize facts, as opposed to a doctor who knows what he or she is really doing?

Hello world, Jeff on Monday's meeting

On Friday September 23d, I as well as my writing classmates recieved an e-mail from Scott Morency, who is the founder of the 2+2=5 Program, which we'll be volunteering in.  His e-mail stated that we would have to report to the auditorium on Monday to fill out some paper work becasue, anyone who works with children in the state of Massachusetts, apparently must be cleared.  Upon recieving the e-mail I felt that I would really be making a difference in the lives of these children.  If the state government requires me to go to an informaional meeting, sign legal papers, and bring authorized identification, then the job I will be doing must be important. 

Information of Plenty

Hello friends and collegues,

II am posting my thoughts about feeling a bit overwhelmed by my research project. For those unware of my topic, it involves creating service learning program designed to teach a specialized martial arts program to children undergoing physical therapy at the children's hospital. I am having a ball game working through my ideas, but I find myself working my way into a wall, getting lost in ready and planning, and not enough focus on completing the actual assignments. My second synthesis for class is proceeding well, but it is still in hardcopy form-being cut and pasted, moved around, reworded, and otherwise reworked in every way, shape, and form. My hope is to present in hard copy an acceptable draft to Prof. Davi this afternoon. My ideas are coming in clear, and I am able to present them just as so, however, the issue is that I have too many ideas. My passion for martial arts and its potential as a service learning program is swelling heart and soul. I just want to get out of the paper stages and begin working with children right away-trainig them in the ways of the warrior.

My synthesis as it stands at the moment is comparing the value of specialized martial arts programs to Conductive education programs to children with mobility problems. I have no trouble arguing my favored side (martial arts), but seem to be struggling with objective reporting. If you were to read the piece, you may not agree, because I have gone back and adjusted my tones. My passion for my topic is interferring with factual reorting.

Best Wishes

Cheers

Christopher James Fraser

Hello world, It's Jeff again

"I just want to be average. That woke me up. Average.  Who wants to be average."  While reading chapter two of Lives on the boundary by Mike Rose, I was intrigued just as the author was by this statement.  This particular comment was made by one of Mike Rose's high school classmates while in class.  This student as well as Mike Rose, were not the most gifted students and therefore ended up in lower level classes.  This student, discourgaged by his performace in school, just wanted to be average.  I believe that by schools distictively segregating children, is sending a bad message to the nation's youth.  By explicitally telling students that they are not bright or as capable as another group discorages them making them feel inferior.  This is wrong and should no longer be practiced in schools.  It breeds a nation full of individuals who are lazy, uninspired to work, and doubtful about themselves.  It's time for a change and the time in NOW!