Talking Points #8

Article #1

Christopher Kliewer

Citizenship in School: Reconceptualizing Down Syndrome

Kliewer argues that people, especially students with down syndrome should not be seperated from the "normal" people because it can alter their learning experiences. Down syndrome is only a title given to people with a disability but it should not limit their learning experiences.

1. "Success in life requires an ability to form relationships with others who make up the web of community."
This is a perfect quote to back up what Kleiwer argues. People with disabilities, like Down Syndrome, need to have the ability to form relationships with people in their communities. Keeping them seperated from their communities will not allow them to form these relationships that make up a solid community.

2. "She did not dismiss the linear developmental progression laid out for children by developmental theorists (as translated by educational researchers and publishing companies).
Teachers need to not be concened with students disabilities and just teach. Students with disabilities and especially Down Syndrome should be seen as equals in the classroom setting to allow them to make friends in their communities.

3. "School citizenship requires that students not be categorized and separated based on presumed defect."

Basically, you can't keep people seperated because of a disability. All students need to have the ability to make friends in their communities. They need to be able to have interactions with others to help themselves learn and grow.

I did not like this article at. It was hard to read and understand. I found myself having to reread paragraphs over and over again. Kleiwer makes a couple of good points, but I felt like I had to dig through a lot of other information to find those points.

Talking Points #7

Article #1

Charles Lawrence

"One More River to Cross"

Lawrence argues that because of segregation in schools, African American students felt inferior to the white students. The Africa America students also were emotionally and physically abused due to the segregation of schools and other public places. Due to the segregation of African American students they recieved a lesser education than that of the white students.

1. "The first is that segregation's only purpose is to label or define blacks as inferior and thus exclude them from full and equal participation in society."

This explains one of the points that Lawrence argues. He argues that because of segregation in society African Americans are defined as inferior to the white man and because of this inferiority they should not be able to participate in regular society with the common white man.

2. "Segregation violates the equal protection clause of the fourteenth amendment not because there is no rational relationship between the classification and the purpose-it is a supremely rational system-but because its purpose is illegitimate."

Lawrence is arguing here that the segregation of anybody not only African Americans, it completely irrelevant because there is no rationality behind it. African Americans are humans just like any other human in the world.

3. "The exclusion or segregation of blacks in public facilities was settled policy and reached considerable maturity in the North before moving South in full force."

I think it's still semi-segregated today in North vs South. For example, take a look at which states voted for Obama vs McCain. Obama, a black man, recieved the votes of more of the Northern states where as McCain, a white man, recieved votes from the Southern states. Maybe it has nothing to do with color but it can deffinitely come across as it.

Overall this article was okay. It was kind of long but it made its point. Again I state that there is still a hint of segregation in the Southern states and even if people choose to ignore it, it still exists. The world will not be able to move on until everyone can see that people are people and that all people, OF ALL COLORS, RACES, GENDERS, etc are PEOPLE!

Talking Points #6

Article #1

Jeannie Oakes

Tracking: Why Schools Need to Take Another Route

Oakes argues that schools should not group students together who share similar abilities because it will affect students from reaching their full potential. By having students of different abilities in the same classroom it will allow all students to grow and be will allow them to reach their full learning potential.

1. "Moreover, the nature of these differences suggests that students who are placed in high-ability groups bave access to far richer schooling experiences than other students."

I believe that this is one of the main thing Oakes argues about. By grouping students according to skill level will not allow the students to reach full potential in a learning enviornment.

2. "Higher-ability students are expected spend more time doing homework."

I agree with this statement from one standpoint because typically students who get really good grades are the students who take harder classes and get more homework. From another standpoint I think this statement is ridiculous because students do need a break from being overworked in very difficult classes.

3. "No wonder we find a 'rich get richer and poor get poorer' pattern of outcomes from tracking."

I agree with this statement because if we seperate students into higher and lower ability classes, students in the higher ability classes will be more geared to make them succeed in life. Therefore making jobs more accessable for them in the future.

Overall this article was pretty good. It was an easy and very short read. I agreed with just about everything Oakes talked about. By seperating students into ability classrooms it will definitely make the rich richer and the poor poorer. She speaks the truth about the world.