Talking Point #3 - Ready Set Respect, GLSEN: Reflection

Reflection -

I read the Ready, Set, Respect  article from the GLSEN website.

To start, this website was great and very user friendly. It is an ultimate go to. If they don't have an answer for you, they provide you with the links of the people who do.

The page I chose to read is advertising for a program to help Elementary educators teach and discuss topics focussing on LGSBT. I was impressed by the initiative to start this dialogue so early with kids. It is an important topic and something that needs to be tabled at a young age. If children don't have an understanding of LGSBT at a young age there is a higher chance of intolerance as they grow older. In my personal experience, the topic of LGBST wasn't really acknowledged until late middle school/high school. If you ask me...that is too late. At that point the bullying is at it's highest point. It is smarter to target the subject before the bullying begins. Not only does an early discussion of this topic decrease the chances of potential bullies it breeds an environment where people of different sexual orientations can be comfortable. It is important not to make LGBST taboo, the more it is talked about the better people can confront their differences.

The page I read provided a trailer to the Ready, Set, Respect program which I thought by itself was insightful ....hopefully this video works...

Just for Fun - Sir Ian McKellen

I'm a pretty big lord of the rings fan and an even bigger Sir Ian McKellen fan. I'm excited for "the Hobbit" to come out in December. This video is just for fun and in lieu of "the Hobbit"

Sir Ian McKellen on acting

Talking Point #2 - Aria, Rodriguez: Reflection/Hyperlink

I wanted to acknowledge the Delpit situation that is presented on the first page in the last paragraph. "At school, words were directed to a general audience of listeners..."  Rodriguez sets up the a similar instance that Delpit does. In the Delpit article there was a section on tonality and the way demands or questions were phrased. Delpit notes that there is a miscommunication when a teacher is indirect with their students due to a difference in culture. Rodriguez takes this notion a step further by acknowledging the tremendous miscommunication when there is a difference in language.

I also wanted to share a few statistics about ESL students in America:

Within the next 10 years ESL students are expected to make up for 1 in every 4 students in the United States ... source

This page also has some interesting info on ESL students!

Talking Point #1 - White Privilege: Reflection

Reflection:

We had talked briefly before in class about McIntosh's theory of the white man's back pack o' privilege. When this term was first brought up in class I'm not too sure what my general reaction was. Rather, I'm not sure how I should have responded. I don't know if I was insulted, shocked, or just simply confused. As class has progressed I have had time for this term to sink in and develop a reaction. And now, after finally getting to read the article from which the term comes from, I have a better understanding of the concept.

Right away I knew that McIntosh was talking about me. I've always said that I am grateful for what I have and the opportunities I have been given and so on. Never had I attributed my fortunateness to my whiteness. My whole life I have acknowledged the fact that I have privileges but have never seen them as white privilege. According to McIntosh, the first step is to accept the fact that I have white privilege. The fact that I grew up in a predominantly white community does not make me intolerant to people of a different race, but it makes me less apt to notice that I have privilege. 

First Post

My name is Ryan Field. I am currently a Sophomore at Rhode Island College. I am a secondary education English major with a theatre minor. Besides the long walks on the beach and dinner by candle light, I thoroughly enjoy music, writing, and acting. I cannot wait to become a teacher!