So lately I have been thinking a lot about education and the video we watched in class on monday. I remember being in the school system and seeing other children who were just not that excited to be at school. I watched a documentary called the lottery which spoke about the charter school system and how the children were all just randomly selected to sttend these schools. The film showcased several families that were eager for their children to attend these schools. These families were already teaching their chidren the alphabet and how to spell their names. This eagerness for education is something that I hope is happening around our country.
With my younger sisters (who are 5 & 7), I have noticed that they are beyond eager to know what I am doing when I just say "homework". I can barely get away with this response anymore because they want to know exactly what kind of homework it is. They want to read what I read, watch what I watch, and understand what I am doing. This is a great benefit for them because they have grown up with role models, and are given the tools to succeed. But what about the other kids who don't have older siblings for role models or the tools to succeed in the American school systems.
I feel as though these children, the ones left behind or placed on a slower track should be more thought about. Give them opportunities to progress, and if they need the access to a role model they should be able to have one.
Another thing that has been stuck in my mind as of late, was the Save Texas Schools Rally that happened on March 23rd. Longhorn LULAC, which I am also involved in, was present there to express their feelings about legislation that may change Texas schools. There are changes that are affecting the whole state, but it seems as though not many are taking action. As college students we are seen as young, still eager for change, but I feel as though we shouldn't be the only ones. If you want something to change, you must be the change. Corny I know, but I know there will be many complaints after legislation changes or stays the same from people who did nothing to show their interest. I guess where I'm going with this is that I hope people who know their importance as a citizen are voicing their opinions and voting when their are elections.
Sorry this is so late, I wasn't sure what I wanted to blog about!
Aranda, I like that you have a concern for those students who are likely to fall off the map. One of the experiences related to this that I reference often is that back in elementary school, we had a teacher's assistant come out each morning and have all of us sing a song. It was the same thing, over and over, but with different professions. "I'm am somebody, I'm gonna be somebody. I'm gonna be an engineer, I'm gonna be a doctor. I'm gonna be a lawyer, I'm gonna be a teacher." We'd do that in the morning until school started. As a kid, you buy into it and if asked what you're going to be when you grow up, you'd reply a lawyer or a doctor or engineer, but as time went by and we realized we didn't have the resources to accomplish these goals, my friends began settling for mechanic, store manager, etc. Amazing how the American school system messes these kinds of things up.
ReplyDeleteAranda-
ReplyDeleteI love the thoughts you articulated in our conversation last wednesday and I appreciate that you had a lot of similar insight to me from working through things with Project 2013!
Please keep suggesting those ideas, because you're definitely on the same track I am in many ways, but can provide insight through your passion for change as well. I'm very excited to work with you and stay involved with our course, and hope that you plan to become more involved in Project 2014 next year. You can definitely leave your mark if you commit whatever you can with your knowledge of service learning, community engagement, or any other social work practices!
I tried to write this last night, but apparently switched which google account I was logged into, so it deleted my message!
Have a great spring break,
Cameron