Students: Advanteged vs. Disadvantaged

After having read the Finn book and the article on literacy worldviews, many ideas, questions and concerns about the advantages and disadvantages imposed on students (and children) by family, society, and the educational system continue to “run around” in my thoughts.
As partners and members in the education business, we know the cultural background of our students and perhaps even the traditions of their upbringing within the given culture. If we dig a little deeper, we can usually (although not always easily or even welcome) discover some facts about the economic status of the family. With this information, we often tend to quickly make some assumptions and conclusions about the child’s academic abilities without even giving them a fair chance to prove themselves. Just as we often do with the behavior child-they were bad last year, so they will be bad this year too.
With years of experience within the field of education, I have come to see that these stereotypes and bias notions (if you will) definitely put some students (maybe most) at an advantage or disadvantage over their peers. Add to this their actual family make-up (number of moms versus number of dads) and it only serves to complicate their “fate” even more.
Within a city, communities and schools are compared and judged based on standardized test results. The school in turn attempts to justify its ranking by often referring to the “cunumber of moms versus number of dads) and it only serves to complicate their “fate” even more.
Within a city, communities and schools are compared and judged based on standardized test results. The school in turn attempts to justify its ranking by often referring to the “culture” of their school population. Why not think about the “culture” of the actual school environment? Are students being “taught” differently in different parts of the city or even with the school itself? Is teaching based on ability or cultural and socio-economic background? Is there ample teacher support in place so as to provide the best “teaching” possible?
Another point of interest is that which involves creating a learning environment which is welcoming, positive, free of bias and stereotype, constantly changing, as well as one where students are free to inquire, problem solve, challenge and drive the topics and lessons. Is there wrong in students questioning and/or challenging the teacher’s perspective? Or even the government’s curriculum?
From my personal experiences as a student, teacher and even a parent, there seems to exist an hierarchy within the system (be it society, home or school), with no room for “movement”. We expect students to be interested, motivated and dedicated, but often ignore their interests, motives and background knowledge, and ultimately render them powerless. I have recently truly come to believe that a student who is “connected” to the topics as well as the methods can’t help but be interested, motivated and ultimately dedicated. As adults, do we immerse ourselves in “things” that aren’t of interest or interesting to us? Not usually. Yet we do it to our children and students all the time.
Then there’s this whole issue of literacy: what it is and isn’t and what the true contributing factors are that shape an individual’s literacy success (or failures). We seem to require and even welcome training to do so much in life (drive, work, fix and build things, even deliver a baby), yet no training required for parenting. And even if we examine our teacher training, is it too, yet no training required for parenting. And even if we examine our teacher training, is it, too, not full of bias depending on where we do and even more so where we conduct our practicum placements? How, too, not full of bias depending on where we do and even more so where we conduct our practicum placements? How can one’s upbringing not affect one’s own parenting some day? How can one’s upbringing not affect one’s own parenting some day? Once again, advantages and disadvantages to the innocent newcomer.
We seem to know and understand that literacy has changed and will continue to do so in an ever-changing world, yet we assume we all have the knowledge and experiences not only to accept and deal with the changes, but also to cope and survive with them. Many believe it should be back to the basics (the old ones I guess) because “look at us, we didn’t turn out so bad”; while still others find validity in all the other worldviews on literacy. I have always been able to relate to and accept the expression – a lot of any one thing can’t be good; everything in moderation.
So, is the answer to a neutral and fair educational system one that involves a bit of “everything”? Maybe. Probably. Can we help students so that they are not disadvantaged because of their cultural and socio-economic backgrounds? Yes. Definitely. First, we must examine and accept our failures and successes within the business of education (and society for that matter). Next, implement changes to the “system” so as to inspire, interest, motivate and empower all of our students. We need also to identify where the students are at as individuals when they come to us each year. Forget the blame and reasons for failures and successes and start “teaching”. Teach with passion, with variety of resources and methods, with the student as priority.

A Literary Where I’m From by Toni Ruscitto-D’Addario

I’m from Italian alphabet chants and Italian number songs.
From the church hymns and prayers that my nonna valued so.

I’m from the broken English and Italian combination daily expressions
Metti allu garbeech, giocca nella backayard and don’t go in the frontaroom.

I’m from sitting and listening to stories of school days and childhood in small town Italy
and the when I was your age analogies.

I’m from reading groups-high, medium, low.
From ‘I’ before ‘e’ except after ‘c’ , change the ‘y’ to ‘I’ and add ‘es’, and when two vowels go walking the first one does the talking.

I’m from Mr. Muggs and Dr. Seuss,
From Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew,
From Sesame Street, Electric Company, Polka Dot Door and Mr. Rogers.

I’m from the monthly walks with my teacher to the what seemed ever so far library,
From the weekly adventures in the Bookmobile parked in the school yard.

My later days introduced me to Shakespeare, Catcher in the Rye, Of Mice and Men,
And Le Petit Prince.

Full circle I have come today as a teacher and a mom of two,
I now read emails, texts, pings and the news on yahoo.

When the day is done, I’m from Sudoku, crosswords, and Vogue in bed,
And finally a nightly prayer recited or read.

Workshop 2 Response

Literacy-Critical Literacy-Being Literate-WOW! To say that these topics are “hot” seems to be an understatement. I found it very easy to connect to the readings which opened my eyes as a parent, a teacher and a “community” member. If ever I doubted my “questioning” some of the directives and curriculum expectations that I am expected to abide by within my classroom, I surely don’t anymore. Questioning is good-challenging may be better. Best lesson learned (or confirmed) from this set of readings - the child as a whole person should be the basis of the planning, implementing and altering of the curriculum and daily lessons.
Even after 18 years of teaching within the same school, whenever I’ve had the opportunity to teach the same grade (or combination) in sequential years, I have found that it’s difficult to repeat the lessons as carbon copies of the previous year. The children that sit before us on a daily basis are changing at a dramatic rate with respect to cultural backgrounds, socio-economic status, needs, strengths and weaknesses. I realize now more than ever that what the articles state repeatedly is so true: teachers need to take responsibility for all of their students, not just the ones they can “relate” to or those they can teach “more easily”. Inconsistencies in various schools (even within the same neighbourhoods) present children with unfair and unjust advantages and disadvantages. Before we can implement changes for success, we have to accept our current failures along with their causes and effects.
More and more, I find that my “best lessons” are those where I talk the least, and the students SAY and DO the most. More work for me (maybe), but definitely greater long term success for them. Teaching strategies and tools that present the children with “connections” and opportunities to be “critical” readers/writers and more importantly “critical” thinkers are no longer an option, but a must in order to help pave the way to success as a student and later survival as an adult.
I can’t help but reflect and comment on the inclusion delivery model for special education. This year I have the opportunity of teaching special education for 50% to a group of grade 7 students. To me, the inclusion model and differentiated instruction pretty much go hand in hand with the topics of the readings. Keeping the identified students “connected” with their peers and the curriculum within the regular classroom setting has had a positive impact on their self-esteem and overall academic success. In the end, if we believe that all children are capable of learning, then differentiated instruction is not an option.
The phrase impacted me the most was that which says we need to teach them to read (and perhaps write, too) the world and not just the words. My son was reading at an extremely early age, before the age of two and a half. Could he read books filled with words? Sure he could. Did he comprehend it all? Definitely not. Could he relate to the pictures? I think so. Many of my students come to grade 4 reading well beyond grade level, yet cannot achieve grade level status on comprehension tests. We need to change the value of simply being able to decode (read words) and implement ways of teaching them strategies to read new words, but more importantly help them make meaning of the words (read the world).
I guess we can sum it all something like this: in order for them to be able to read the world, the world has to be within their reach. Someone has to bring it all within their reach, why not teachers, parents, and community members (maybe even the government). Once it is within their reach, it has to be of value to them or mean something to them (connection). Sounds so simple, yet the problem persists, and perhaps even deteriorates.