Friday, we finally decided on a class name, Pangea.  Initially, I wanted the class name to be The Revolution, since we are in the process of trying to make a social change in the world through the process of education.  But many of my classmates were not behind that name so I had to choose another name I did not mind having.  Urbtopia was another name I liked because we will be serving students who attend urban schools, and we are trying to do the best for those kids.  But many of my classmates like the name Pangea because we want to bring everyone from all aspects of life together.  So I felt that Pangea was a name I could get behind, although it was not the name I initially chose.  I believe when working with a group of people there has to be compromise, so that the group can be successful.  Compromise is necessary in all relationships.  Well, I look forward to working with you Pangea for the next two years.  Good luck to all.

Today as a class we met at Idlewood Elementary School.  We observed a few classes and interacted with a 2nd grade class.  I was really impressed with the students at Idlewood, they were very intelligent kids who have big dreams about their future.  These kids really enjoy school and had a great passion for learning.  It really made me feel good to see these kids wanting to do well in school and in life.  I really encouraged the kids I had interaction with to continue making good grades and remember that school in very important.  I will love to be at a school like Idlewood, so I can be a positive influence on the kids very many people do not have much faith in.  I really look forward to becoming a teacher, so I can be involved in making some significant changes in our society.

I believe censoring books in schools today is wrong.  Of course I do not believe having adult magazines in schools, but students should be able to read what they want.  I do not believe reading certain books will not have a negative influence on children.  We should be happy as teachers and parents that the students are interested in reading.  I do not see any issue with a child reading Harry Potter, there are so many people out there who just need to loosen up and allow these children to read what they want to read. 

When I started the 9th grade many years ago, I was given a choice to follow the college preparatory track or the vocational track.  Of course, I chose the college prep track, but did I choose that track because I was placed on a certain track once I started school?  Today kids are tracked from the time they start school.  Usually those kids stay on the same track until they leave school and once they leave school their school tracking usually determines their role in society.  I always wondered if parents knew that their child is being tracked.  Because if I was a parent there is know way I would allow my child to be placed on a track that will have a negative effect on their self image.  I think parents need to know how their children are tracked and really need to get involved in their education or the system will do what they want to do with their children.   Tracking can label a child and prevent he or she from reaching their full potential.

Today in class we had a discussion about intelligence.  Initially, I believed everyone was born with a strength, but I thought intelligence can be nurtured.  After reading Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences I believe that everyone has high intelligence level in something.  Schools only notice children who have a high intelligence level in math, science, or verbal reasoning, so the students who strengths are in something else usually do not do well in school.  I think this is extremely unfair because what happens to these students?  I think something has to be designed so that the students who have a high intelligence level in something other than math, science, or verbal reasoning will have a chance to function in society.

Today in class we discussed Ebonics or Black English.  Initially, I thought that Ebonics was slang speech that was influenced by Hip Hop music, but it is a language that many Black people see as common.  I always felt that teachers should correct students when they hear their students speaking in Ebonics because I felt Ebonics will hinder an individual when he or she has to go into the real world.  After our discussion I felt differently about Ebonics.  If we as teachers embrace it an also explain to students that Standard English should be used in the classroom we will be able to empower the students.  I believe this is empowering because the student will feel that they speak two languages, so I think that teachers should learn how to understand Ebonics as well as teach their students Standard English.

Today our class took a trip to the Martin Luther King Center and I really enjoyed the experience.  I have not been to the MLK Center since I was a young child, so I did not remember much about it.  While walking there from campus I noticed the difference on Auburn Ave in comparison to the way it was years ago.  We watched a video today on gentrification and Auburn Ave was mentioned in the video.  Auburn Avenue was a prosperous community where blacks lived years ago.  Walking down Auburn Avenue on today saddened me because it is not as lively and prosperous as it was many years ago.  The street looks very unkempt and dead, but the experience and the King Center was great.  What really got my attention were the children who participated in the movement.  A child had to be really brave to know the terrible possibilities of participating in the movement.  The sad thing is, many children were killed during the movement.  I ask myself what kind of person can kill a child.  Things were really bad during that time.  I think everyone should take a trip to the King Center at some point of their life to realize the social injustices that occurred during those times.  Social injustice still occurs today and we should take a stand when we witness it.   Hopefully, this trip will have a positive effect on us when we become educators.

Today, we discussed the systems that are in place that causes the wealth in the United States to be distributed unevenly.  Basically only 20% of the population controls about 90% of the wealth in this country.  This causes the remaining 80% of us to fight amongst one another for a piece of the pie.  This also causes immoral behavior by many just to survive.  Growing up we were taught that Socialism was bad because it was almost like Communism, the system that the Soviet Union practiced.  In school, there was a negative connotation towards the Soviet Union because they did not practice Capitalism, but in the Soviet Union no one had much more than anyone else.  Capitalism is system designed to keep the wealthy wealthy and the poor poor.  I always felt “Capitalism” is a nice sounding word for GREED.   If the United States’ wealth was distributed evenly,  what will happen to the crime rate in this country?  It will probably decrease by significant numbers, but the powers that be do not care about the crime rate because it does not affect them.  Also it will take much money out of their pockets.  So what can we do as regular working people to change the system so we all can benefit?  Because the children we will be teaching will continue to suffer by the system that is currently in place.  There is no simple solution.

Today, we watch a video that switched the roles of race relations in today’s society.    I found it to be very real because it demonstrated the harsh reality of being Black in a society that is  dominated by Whites.  The teacher in this video held a two hour program that put a group of Whites in very uncomfortable situations they were not use to,  to prove a point.  The point was to help them realize that people of color, especially blacks have to deal with what they went through for a lifetime.  The video was very blunt, but I believe that is what we need as a society to make changes.  I believe everyone in the United States needs to see this video.  I know doing this will not change every-one’s attitude, but I believe it is a start at improving race relations in this country.  I think by not tackling this issue head on, will cause the same ways of thinking to continue in this country.

We just arrived back from our retreat from the Serenbe Inn.  Initially when I arrived, I thought “this is not what a visualized”.  I visualized something that was similar to a modern day resort, but it was still a nice get away.  While on this retreat I was able to get to know more of my classmates and realized that they are good natured people who really want to make a difference in our children’s lives.  Today we discussed “The Ethnic Myth” and their was a shocking response to many people after reading this because it explained history in a totally different way than what we were taught in school.  We also discussed the conflict of teaching the true history in school versus continuing to teach what is currently taught.  The resolution will not be a simple one.