Tattoos..

Well here are the pictures that I promised from a couple posts ago.

They go in order, hopefully from the first one I got to the most recent one I got.

The only thing I ask though, is if you don't know me that well, don't judge me by my tattoos. Get to know me, because if you pass judgement on me without getting to know me or the reasons behind any of the tattoos that I have, you are just being ignorant. So if anyone has questions about any of them feel free to leave me a comment and I'll explain everything :)

Talking Points #5

Article #1
Kahne and Westheimer
In Service of What

Kahne and Westheimer argue that teachers should encourage their students to use what they have learned in their service learning projects to help and change their communities.

1. "Service learning makes students active participants in service projects that aim to respond to the needs of the community while furthering the academic goals of students."
Kahne and Westheimer are saying that it is important for students to get out into their community and make themselves known. By using community service projects, students are able to know their community as well as make themselves known for helping out their community whether it is mandatory or not.

2. "By engaging in meaningful service--whether tutoring children for whom English is a second language, helping patients in a hospital, doing difficult chores for the elderly, or supervising younger children's recreational activities--students will have opportunities to experience what David Hornbeck, former Maryland state superintendent. referred to as 'the joy of reaching out to others.'"
The main purpose in giving students community service projects is so hopefully let them see the joy in helping other people. If people can experience joy by helping one another maybe they will be more apt to help others on another occasion.

3. "This experience and others like it, quite common in the literature of service learning, emphasize charity more than change."
I think what they are saying here is that service learning is not all about trying to change the world but rather being able to give to a person in need.

I thought the article was informative. I thought it was clever how we have to read this article in particular while we are doing our service learning projects. I now understand why we have to bring our journals to class tomorrow. We will obviously be doing somehting about what we have learned so far during out service learning project.

Watching the Redsox game...

I was just sitting here watching the Redsox lose... and decided I would write a little something.

Well, I am so excited because thie weekend I got a new tattoo. That makes four total and I am so excited to have it. Its a lotus flower and it means strength for the troubles that I have been through in my past. Its so pretty :) I love it ha! I'm going to try to post pics of all of my tattoos some other time. Hopefully you guys will like them as much as I do :)

Talking Points #4

Article #1

Linda Christensen

Unlearning the Myths That Blind Us.

Christensen argues that through the media and things such as childrens television programs, there is a bias and stereotype created. The children watching these shows are then aware of the bias' and stereotypes and apply them in their lives. This has to be taught to the children that not everything they see on television is true about a person and if the world wants to be a more peaceful place this has to take affect.

1. "Our students suckle the same pap. Our society's culture industry colonizes their minds and teaches them how to act, live, and dream. This indoctrination hits young children especially hard."

I like this quote because I think she is basically saying that TV is taking over childrens lives. Children learn everything they do from mockery and where do you think they watch it from? The TV obviously!

2. "Young people, unprotected by any intellectual armor, hear or watch these stories again and again. Often from the warmth of their mother's or father's lap."

Parents should take an initiative to help their children and teach them about stereotypes from a young age that way they are less likely to use a stereotype against someone.

3. "Students have also said that what they now see in cartoons, they also see in advertising, on prime-time TV, on the news, in school. Turning off the cartoons doesn't stop the sexism and racism."

I think this is ridiculous. Sexism and racism are everywhere because they are topics that people like to watch! Its like a really gory movie. It sells. That's why people, esp children, are seeing this all the time.

I like this article alot because it has to do with children learning bad habits from sources that do not always tell the truth. A person can watch a Disney cartoon from the past decades and see stereotypes of Asians and African American. It's time that things are brought to attention and are taught the proper way of things. This article also reminded me of the book Ishmael. It's more or less about types of people and how they can change the world by listening to Mother Nature but it ties to this article because of how we can teach our children to change the world.

Talking Points #3

Article #1

Dennis Carlson

Gayness, Multicultural Education, and Community

Carlson argues that public schools have only "normalized" the heterosexual people of the world in the same sense of the culture of power. Saying that, he states that public schools have done nothing to promote the knowledge of "abnormal" people. Also, the "normal" people in the world, basically the people that fit into the culture of power, reep benefits from being a certain way while others are seen as deviant, criminal, and lazy.

1. "Yet a third discourse on community to emerge over the past decade or so in America is associated with the notion of a community of difference and diversity-- what I will call a democratic multicultural community." (234)

What I think Carlson is trying to say here is that in America, all of a sudden people have become aware of diversity. For example, over the past few years in my school systems I have seena great increase in posters, books, and many other things that promote the acceptance of diversity. Numerous time in my high school career (but more towards my junior and senior year) have I listened to diversity panals. It just seems like all of a sudden America doesn't want to upset people in the world so they put a band aid on the problem and say "Well, we have students listening to diversity panals, therefore all the students are aware of and accept diversity." Bull...

2. "Nevertheless, normalizing texts systematically exclude and neglect the culture of those outside the norm for the purporse of ratifying or legitimating the dominant culture as the only significant culture worth studying." (236)

Again, not to sure what Carlson is really trying to say here, but what I am taking it as is that places such as America have "normal" texts which include mainly people of the culture of power and that trying to make the texts even more "normal" is really just kicking out the "abnormal" cultures even more.

3. "... homosexuality and communism were closely linked at threats to the "American way of life"." (237)

I just don't understand how people can link these two things. They are not closely related at all. Communism is a type of socioeconomic structure... and homosexuality is what a person prefers in a sexual manner. So how are these two things related? I think Carlson is trying to legitimize his thoughts about the "normalization" of school systems being ridiculous.

I thought this was a really hard read. Some of the vocab was difficult to understand and the text was small for me to read at a quick pace. Overall though I really have no idea what Carlson is really trying to say because I was very lost and confused with some of his points. All I have to say about this article is that people who think that homosexual people, or anything "outside of the norm" are naiive. Really, just grow up because they are all people too and maybe if the world was more accepting of their uniqueness we wouldn't have as many problems in the world.

Eh.. Whatever..

I was just sitting in bed surfing the net, bored, on a Thursday night... haha weird I know, but I was sitting here thinking about what I could do with my time so I decided I'd write an entry to pass some time.

Well, today I had my first exam in literally my hardest course, and probably one of the hardest courses on campus... HED 202. I know it doesn't sound like a tough class, and I'm sure most of you have no idea what it is. Well, its a health class that I have to take for my health major and its taught by probably one of the hardest teachers on campus, Dr. Betty Rauhe. I think I did a great job on it, or at least I should have seeing as I studied forever for it. Hopefully an A will appear on my desk on Tuesday haha.

I got a dress tonight too at the mall! I have to go to a ceremony on Saturday night for the new inductees to the RIC hall of fame. And that night I will get my NCAA World Series ring. :) I'm pretty excited about it.

Speaking of Saturday, I have 3 softball games at 9, 11, and 3 if anyone wants to stop by and support the RIC softball team :) AND my family is coming to visit :) It's going to be a great weekend... :)

And of course, who can forget, Saturday is Jordan's birthday haha! Sorry Jordan, I know how excited you are about it so I figured I'd help it along :)

Lastly, tomorrow night should be fun. I get to spend the whole night with my boyfriend :) I haven't really been able to spend alot of time with him this week because of how busy I was with the exam and such. He actually helped me study by quizzing me haha. What a good guy :) He really is though, one of the best :) I love him so much! Well anyways, we're going to go for a walk with hot chocolate. How cute?! How many guys would do that haha. Isn't he great???

Ok well that passed about.. five minutes... on to something else

Have a great weekend everyone :D