Lisa Delpit is a progressive African American educator who obviously had a rude awakening.

She taught at a public school on the border between a low income minority area and a higher income

white area. She is surrounded by other white progressive teachers except for the older African

American teachers who are still teaching the students in a traditional manner. Its quite a shock to

Delpit when, using her progressive methods her white students excell and her black students are

almost completely non-responsive. The really sad and startling thing is that you feel her shock with

her, her almost stunned reaction to her own failure.

How does something like this happen? The older, black teachers claim that the black students

need skills, not fluency. Perhaps coming from a less supportive home life the black students are

deficient in their base skills? In her desperation, Delpit feels herself falling into traditional teaching

methods in order to reach them. You feel her desperation at trying to make her progressive

methods work for her black students. You understand her frustration at trying to do something

better for her students, all her students.

Personally, I would like to know what happened to Delpit. Clearly she is a academic now and

no longer works in the classroom. But I would be most interested to know how her opinion has

changed over the years. Does she see things differently now or does she use her story as a teaching

tool for new teachers? I would hope both. Maybe young teachers can learn the main lesson of this

story which seems to be... stay open, to your students, to new ideas, to old ideas even! Mostly just

keep an open mind to what is best for your students, their needs and how you can meet them.

Surely if you keep to that, no matter what the color of your students, you'll be a successful educator.

#15 Importance of Writing in the Curriculum

Many of my fellow art education students have asked me, "do we really have to take that class?", or "is it any good?". My answers are an affirmative yes and yes. I have learned a great deal in this class; not just about the subject matter but about teaching in general. As an art teacher, when would I ever have the opportunity to learn how to grade a paper or create a rubric? These are important skills for any teacher, no matter what subject matter. In this economy, none of us are sure of where we will end up, being able to grade papers will be a skill we'll be grateful for if we end up substitute teaching. Not just these practical skills but the other writing skills one could add to any lesson, like write-arounds or exit slips. These activities have not only made this class more engaging and, dare I say, fun, but also have stimulated interaction in our class, forcing us to get to know each other. I can only imagine if these writing activities make our class more exciting, what it can do for our students.

I've also really enjoyed being in a class surrounded by other teachers of different subject matter. It has really helped me to see things from other perspectives and to realize how difficult each of us has it as a teacher, no one subject is particularly easier than another I learned! I have come to respect the differences in our teaching techniques and to truly respect those who teach subjects no one else wants to, like health. My respect for these teachers has really grown as I've listened to their engaging lesson plans and heard their comments on other areas. Some of us are already teaching and some of us are future teachers and this is a great mix of personalities for this particular class. We have really learned, in my opinion, what lies ahead for us, both from students and from our curriculums, for better or worse. The great thing is that this allows us to take in all these thoughts with a grain of salt and in an arena where we're all equal and all of our voices count for something. That's the best thing about this class, we've all had a chances to voice our opinions in a supportive and sharing environment.

#14 Reading Reflection Academic Language in Development

Academic language ought to be considered no different and equally as important as traditional academic writing. After all we ask our students to write in more sophisticated modes when writing essays, when they are making a presentation or debating using academic language is equally significant. Using social language in conversations with peers or family could also be considered equivilant to the casual language we use when texting or e-mailing; shortening words and phrases to speed up the verbal transaction.

I agree thoroughly with the article that academic language encourages thinking skills. Chatting with friends really does not require any in-depth thinking, that is why social language flourishes. You are not trying to gain anything other than surface information by speaking socially. When using academic language one is trying to gain information, evaluate ideas, present issues. If you were doing the same thing with writing you wouldn't do it in a casual way because that wouldn't express the importance of the ideas.

When I started graduate school the first thing I noticed was the usage of, as I put it, "big talk".. I realized my papers that possessed more sophisticated language came across better and tended to get higher grades. Then, when I had to give presentations I saw how fellow students who used casual language when presenting just seemed less informed of their topic. I'm not sure if they were or not but students that spoke more formally certainly sounded smarter! I can only assume that if one appears smarter, others will treat one that way and eventually, a level of accomplishment can be attained through one's response level. Does that mean everyone who 'talks big' is smart? That is not an assumption I'm willing to make but I do think people tend to live up to the expectations of other, low or high. Perhaps that is the assumption, communicating to people with intelligent language, can help their intelligence grow.

Class Discussion

At the end of class we had a discussion I felt warranted more thought, and that was, should students be taught to multitask as that is the way the world works? Or should they be taught to concentrate and focus on one task at a time? Erma's point of view was that the world works that way and to a degree I tend to agree.

In the beginning of this class we were taught there are different types of writings and that when it came to grading the method of grading ought to be in sync with the type of writing. For instance, a formal or research essay should be graded for grammar, spelling, phrasing, and content, while a quick write or casual piece should be graded on a less stringent basis.

I feel that the same thing ought to be true of the skill of multi-tasking. Students should be taught when and how this skill is best used. Obviously its not all the time, but sometimes students should be encouraged to do more than one thing at once. When reading in depth academic articles I have noticed that I retain more when its done in quiet. I've tried to have the radio on or the tv in the background, but the level of informational intake is slower and tends to be vague. At the beginning of grad school I realized that my old reading habits wouldn't be successful when doing school readings, before school most of my reading was limited to child care books, popular magazines, or online news. The type of materials I read was in sync with the way I was reading, with the radio on, in the car, or with the TV on. Now that my materials had changed my methodology had to as well.

When would multi-tasking be appropriate? Of that I'm not sure, perhaps when studying languages and a student needs to listen to the language while writing or reading it. I'm sure that someone more skilled in teaching reading would know the answer to that. I know I don't have the answer every multi-tasking question but I'm sure that there is a place for everything somewhere in our teaching world.

The new NYC school Chancellor

How confusing it is to be an educator nowadays? One is forced to test students rather than teaching knowledge, students are crowded into classrooms, principals are required to justify their leadership by a graded system and now this... Joel Klein has been the longest sitting NYC school chancellor until now. He was responsible, according to some, for the one of the biggest overhauls in the modern educational system of NYC and Cathleen Black has now been appointed the new chancellor by Mayor Bloomberg. Ms. Black has no background in education and is a head executive at Hearst publishing.

There are the obvious questions and the obvious answers, regardless of whether any of them are right. First I have to wonder if the assumption is that there are no effective managers who have been educators anywhere. I do agree with the Mayor that Black has had experience managing thousands of employees and running many publications which is by all accounts a difficult, demanding job. But is there no one who has similar experience with an early history in education? Who understands what a student needs to succeed? I think the Mayor's technique of treating the department of ed as a business may be a smart move, after all, the department of ed does have thousands of employees, deals with unions, and has a yearly deadline to turn out millions of students. The one problem with his technique is that the product they're turning out is students and real live children tend to throw a wretch in any plan. Children are an unpredictable, frustrating, wonderful bunch and to lead them successfully it really takes flexibility, second only to experience. It seems that in the past the idea has been to deny these two things with rigid testing and to deny higher salaries for more experienced teachers who actually may possess knowledge to help us and our kids. On the other hand, maybe Bloomberg is on to something, getting the human element running smoothly by concentrating on the managing of them. If his plan works maybe there will be more left for the rest of the system once the human element is organized. If not, it will be a sad, sad mistake with our students as the losers, teachers will go on to teach more students, but our kids only get the one chance. I really hope Bloomberg has enough confidence in the success of his plan that he is willing to gamble.

"...People Still Read but Now its Social"

The idea that reading on a screen undermines "deep...focused book reading" is probably true as this article assertains, but my arguement is honestly, how many people still book read at all? Maybe there is a chance that screen reading, such as Nooks and Kindles, actually bring more readers to the world. My vote would be that creating more readers of ANY kind is a good thing, that they might not be reading to the same intellectual level as book readers is a non-issue. These new readers are out there purchasing fiction, staying informed, and keeping the industry alive is more important. More people are becoming readers and isn't that more important than the quality and quantity of what they are reading? The complaint is that these readers are "less focused but more connected" and implies that are missing out somehow from not turning a page. Maybe the types of material they enjoy don't require focus, maybe these electronic readers are making reading fun again for people who felt they weren't readers, is it bad if electronic readers encourage reading to just become entertainment?

#8 Reading Reflection on KWL

In chapter 4 of Content Area Writing is the first time I had ever heard about the 'KWL' and I can't wait to try it out. Asking what students 'know', then what they 'want' to know and wrapping it up with what they've 'learned' is something I plan on trying today!

I have an extra big after school sewing class this semester, my class went into a lottery system since so many kids wanted to take it. I settled on 12 maximum for basic sewing as long as the majority of them are 3rd graders. I figure that would help make the class a little more manageable. Since it's beginner sewers, and many of them may have no experience at all I figure this might be a good way to start the class, also the class is 10 sessions so I'll be able to see what I need to adjust to make my teaching more effective. Even though its only afterschool I feel like its important these kid's get their 'money's worth', after all, parents do pay a lot to take these courses and I want to give them the confidence that just because the class is in the school its still a quality lesson.

So I'll begin by asking them what they already 'know' about sewing, I'm sure some of the answers will be along the lines of " my grandma showed me how" or "I watched Project Runway". I will definitely try to include the extra 'H' or 'How can I learn more?' so that hopefully students aren't coming to me for every knot and needle thread. Its really important in my classes that some reciprocal learning takes place because this is such a hands-on activity. I've also found that some children are really good at threading needles, while others can ties knots better. By sending kids to the 'best knot tie-er' or asking kids to show fellow students the next step in the project not only is it creating extra moments for me to assist others but its truly helping them learn from each other.

Journal #7 Newark Public Schools donation

This past week it was announced on 'Oprah' that Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook has donated $100 million to the failing Newark public school system. The system itself has been turned over to Newark mayor, Cory Booker by NJ Governor Chris Christie. Evidently Zuckerberg and Booker met at a conference and discussed educational reforms. I caught a educational commentator on TV raising some questions that all this brought up in my head as well, particularly how, if other donations haven't helped, is throwing money at this system really the solution at this point?

Studies of other school systems around the world, abet more homogeneous and smaller ones, have shown that wonderful educations can be had for the same average we spend here in the U.S.. Research seems to show that money is not neccessarily the quick fix to the problem, neither are mass firings, which had also occurred in the Newark system. Seems that large scale firings do little more than lower school morale and weed out the small percentage of truly poor teachers. Donations of such large amounts seem to be purely for show and while appreciated, I myself am anxious to hear the voices of students these donations have actually helped.

While one can hope to hear success stories coming out of Newark in future years the reality is that positive effects of this donation may not been seen for years. Hopefully it will be used for some immediate concerns like decrepit facilities, up to date classroom technology, and replenishing of books and supplies. The intangible benefits are those which won't be measured by rigorous testing; community involvement, graduation numbers, improved school morale, and pride in teaching and I'm not sure any amount of money can truly change these things.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/23/education/23newark.html?_r=1

Reading Reflection; The "J"

The interesting thing about this article is that it clarifies an activity many writers do naturally. But not all students are natural writers and I particularly enjoyed Kirby's techniques for helping those students to whom writing does not easily to get started.

I think the main thing that writing in a journal does for a student is to begin to make the practice of writing easier, more fluid, and less of a chore. I'm sure for many English teachers the problem is not just teaching the classics or writing essays but how to get students to find any level of enjoyment in these tasks. It would stand to reason then, that if students enjoyed these things that they may retain them as well!

The wonderful side benefit of teaching journaling, in my opinion, is that many students today simply do not have anyone to tell their thoughts to. As they point out in the article, of course you have to set boundaries, no teacher want to hear about their students drinking or doing drugs! But today in our busy world with two working parents kids don't often have someone around to tell their thoughts to, much less someone who has the time or inclination to listen. Journals powerful benefit, aside from the gain in writing skill, is being the place where a student can be themselves and present their thoughts and opinions without judgement, a place where they can open up and create a confidant on paper, one who will always be there and never turn away.

I really enjoyed this article as a way to break down the steps to successful journaling. It was really presented in a way that made it easy, clear, and fun for teachers of almost any subject to implement.

Can Exercise make us Smarter?

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/15/phys-ed-can-exercise-make-kids-smarter/?emc=eta1

According to this recent article in the NY Times, there are recent studies showing that its not the exercise that makes us smarter but the physical connections that enable us to think and intellectualize that are made stronger by physical activity.

There is no doubt that physical and outdoor activity of any level are a positive influence on a growing child. Recess happens in schools the world over, even in third world countries where the academics are limited, the importance of children getting out and burning off energy is never discounted. So the article itself doesn't seem to be claiming that this activity makes kids actually smarter, merely that it is a significant part of creating a healthy mind. The studies prove without a shadow of a doubt that physical effort strengthens the body and makes the mind sharper.

How schools manage to make due without any specific space or format for free outdoor play is unbelievable. At my older child's first school there was no recess. At first it became obvious that being in an urban area, this parochial school simply did not have the space.They had a full gym but this was only available certain times of the day and certain days of the week. But as time went on, as a parent, it became obvious that the funding and organization had never been put in place to put the playground in the best place; the rooftop. It took over 2 years to just get the organization, the permits, the paperwork in place to finally get it built, even with a parent contractor! The public school my children go to now is also experiencing a recess-free period. Supposedly there is a beautiful new, state of the art school yard with ball field, track and tree going in now. However, as a parent, the decision to start construction in the few weeks before school started is highly questionable! The children are forced, in beautiful fall weather, to alternate between watching movies in the auditorium, and playing in the small fenced in 'garden' area in the front of the building! I am shocked that children are expected to appreciate the sacrifice they're making when all they really want to do is run and jump and play.

Maybe because I am the parent of boys I never underestimate the power of play. When my kids were younger I used to equate outdoor play with tossing the tennis ball for a puppy, they could never get enough and in fact, seemed to crave it like nourishment. Hopefully, this article will only go to prove what the parent of young children learn at the onset of the toddling years, that a strong body can help a strong mind grow.

Journal #4 First Day Jitters

Well, its official now, both my kids are away at school, the oldest in first grade and the youngest in Pre-K. I can't lie and say its been an easy road to getting them through daycare, nursery school and both into a top tier public elementary school. But now that they're both there I feel my work as a parent has just begun.

We live in Cobble Hill in Brooklyn, a now upper class neighborhood next door to Brooklyn Heights and running along the water. We've lived in a three block radius for close to twenty years moving from a large pre-war to a garret with low ceilings, before finally settling in a beautiful two bedroom in a new building along the outskirts of the neighborhood. Our neighborhood has gone from largely Italian and Hispanic to mostly upper-middle class Manhattanites.

I struggled for years to give my two boys a pre-school education and activity level that was on par with other local kids. Despite the fact that living on one income severely limited our activity level I managed to find ways to give my kids the best available in our price point. My oldest went to a local parochial school for pre-school that was hidden away in Brooklyn Heights. Though it was a Greek Orthodox school the school was reasonably priced and had wonderful facilities. My youngest was lucky enough get a spot at a highly regarded city daycare across from the housing projects on nearby Hoyt street. The city daycare was beautiful, clean, had college educated teachers, freshly cooked meals, and rooftop playgrounds. Leaving it behind for public pre-K more than tripled my after school care costs for my youngest but placed him in the same school as his older brother and thus shortened my pick-up and drop off time.

Now that we're in a public school I feel my job has just begun. In a class of 26 first graders I fear my oldest will get lost in the cracks in such a large class. I also worry his boyish behaviour will make classroom management difficult for his young, inexperienced teacher and lead to discipline issues. My youngest will adjust fine, but he is entering a class where he knows no other kids. To go from going to school with kids from the projects with a highly diverse classroom to a class full of kids who've gone to private pre-schools and have nannies is a difference I hope he doesn't notice as much as I do. Indeed, I wonder if he even does notice the difference or if its just another group of friends.

Hopefully, things will go fine, new friends will be made, and they will adjust. For me its another question altogether; will they make friends? will they have a positive learning experience? will they enjoy being students? will their teachers connect with them?Most of these questions are things that we probably will not know the answers to until the end of the school year.

Journal #3 'Waiting for Superman'

In this week's New York magazine there is an article about the release of a new movie about the school system called 'Waiting for Superman'. The film is directed by the same director as the acclaimed 'An Inconvenient Truth', Davis Guggenheim. He had previously directed a film about first year teachers, 'The First Year', which followed young teachers as they struggled through their first year teaching in the L.A. Unified school districts toughest schools.

New York claims that the film ostracizes the two most influential parties in the school system, the AFT and the reformers. Though Guggenheim claims he made the film to show how kids are the real losers in the entire situation, the article says that the film only polarizes the two sides. The film shows the competitive nature bought about in the race to win a coveted spot via lottery in a charter school. Often seen as the last hope for poor inner city minorities, charter schools are seen as the best way out of a bad environment and the only way to a better life through education. Whether this is actually true or not, the film doesn't go into, rather, it portrays the system that forces parents to go to such lengths to get the education each child deserves.

I feel that the educational system is in such a place that any publicity is good publicity. Educators are hoping that this can do for education what 'Inconvenient Truth' did for climate change, but bring it into a realm which is more relative to viewers. Whereas global warming is scary and distant nothing could be warmer and closer to most people's hearts than kids. Guggenheim even admits that his liberal private schooling of his own children was part of the reason he felt it important to do this movie. His own yuppie guilt which so many of us posses only helped to portray how very unbalanced the system is. Hopefully the combination of sympathetic subject matter and adorable needy kids will help in getting the film's larger point across. I can only hope it does for the sake of our future careers and the kid's we all hope touch in our futures as teachers.

Journal #2 Plumbers and Reading

In our last class discussion I lamented about the decline of the blue collar worker due to the demands of higher education among all working people. Specifically, I used the example of my uncle and father-in-law who were plumbers themselves. However, upon further reflection I realize I really only told the class half of the story.

My uncle, Tom, followed my grandfather into the plumbing business. My grandfather owned his own business and my grandmother was the secretary/bookkeeper. Just as my husband had done with his father, my uncle spent summers and holidays working for his dad as an assistant. My husband often said he could not turn his father down, he paid him well and was a fair boss compared to other teen jobs.

Here is where the stories cease to merge..my uncle went on to become a plumber himself, though never opening his own business. My husband never got his journeyman's license and went to college for engineering. This is where the importance of reading and writing does indeed enter into the career of a plumber (aside from whatever professional testing may occur). My uncle was applying for a job at a major pharmaceutical company outside Chicago, this job would have been a staff position for the company working in their facilities and offering what I can only guess would be good benefits and the other perks that go along with major corporate employment in the early 80's. He interviewed, but to actually be offered this job he had to pass a basic reading and math test. Needless to say he did not pass and was not offered this job. Feeling embarrassed and humiliated, he never spoke about it again. This man in his 40's could not pass a rudimentary reading test and missed out on the benefits that were still offered by corporate culture in the 80's. Today he has retired early on disability.

My father in law owned his business and worked at it diligently until he burned out on it in the late 70's. Most of his bookkeeping was done off the books and cash often passed under the table with no paperwork attached. This was common in this field in his day. But I'll never forget one Christmas when I was dating my husband and we went to visit him on his organic farm (turns out he had always wanted to be a farmer anyway!), we decided to play Scrabble in lieu of television. My father-in-law, as it became painfully obvious, could not spell! It took him many many minutes to Scrabble out three letter words. He didn't really read the paper or novels and I wonder now if it was because of lack of skill.

I can now honestly say after reflecting on our class discussion and my comments that its clear how in my family, the skill of reading (or lack thereof) has truly changed the course of people I know. It makes me sad to think of the benefits my uncle could have retired with, or the novels my father in law will never read because of this void in their education. I'm just grateful they were able to make by with the skill levels they possessed.

Why do I want to become a teacher?

The reasons I want to become a teacher aren't invested in one answer alone, but in many; some rooted in my past, some my present, and some in the person I want to be. When I was in elementary school I would spend my extra time helping out in the kindergarten classroom earning myself the 'Most Likely to Become a Teacher' award upon primary school graduation. Even my family always thought I would become a teacher and in fact, many of them are!

But as we grow older sometimes we see the life we thought we wanted in our 20's change into a pressurized, stressful, all-consuming, and not so great career in our 40's. I loved my original career as a costume designer for television and film. It was fast-paced, glamourous, and exciting, but once I started a family all that changed to equal long hours, relatively low pay, and superficial characters. It no longer fit the life I had come to live.

Being a teacher was a dream I decided to return to after my second child was born. I could no longer work and afford the childcare we needed and wished to have more time to see them grow. I have also changed, I'm one of the most patient people I know, I've learned the true value of money and how to stretch it, and I've realized I truly enjoy sharing with children and helping others. These are not things I might have said about myself at 20. So in conclusion I can honestly say that I want to become a teacher not just to share with kids all I know, but to spend time learning from them too.

Smoking Baby?

Yeah, we all know smoking is bad for you but in other cultures evidently its ok....for babies?? The question we have to ask ourselves is whether its a cultural interpreation or an instance of uneducation. Obviously in many foreign countries people smoke the locally grown tobaccos as part of a recreational form of relaxation, many of them may not have other forms of social relaxation such as bars or sporting events. However, I think the thing we are missing is that these are all 'adult' forms of relaxation. Children don't need cigarettes or alcohol to relax!

The father of this child was offered a truck to make his child stop this habit. Even if he is uneducated and the smoking started on a lark to laugh about around the dining table, that doesn't make it. At this point however, all the publicity may make them not quit merely to keep the public attention. But to turn down a vehicle in their poor village is bad judgement alone..

copy and paste this URL into a new browser window.
http://www.nypost.com/video?vxSiteId=fe3e21a8-49f1-4cec-9ba5-cfe372fa6572&vxChannel=PostTopFilmStrip&vxClipId=1458_948331&vxBitrate=300

Observation Hours

Children Observation Hours start with the word 'Observing': 10 hours

Observing at :

Zoo

Monkey Joe's

Million Dollar Playground

Teens at a Starbucks

Skateboard Park

Playground

Kids-N-Action

Birthday party

Teens in the Snow

Afterschool Class

Museum/Gallery/Event Hours titles have a *: 12 hours

Staten Island Children's Museum

NYC Transit Museum

MOMA: Tim Burton

MOMA: Marina Abromovic

Precious

Inglourious Basterds

Ramp It Up

The Invisible Dog Gallery

Brooklyn Children's Museum

Noguchi Museum

Socrates Sculpture Park

Shadowed Dreamer

Class Presentations 5/18

This weeks presentations consist of a group exploring internet relationships, the art of horror movies, and various forms of punk music.

I had difficulty with the first group for the same reason I did last week, they seemed to be two separate presentations rather than one cohesive topic. They were both extremely interesting in their own right but formed no whole viewpoint. I loved seeing how the internet gaming world is totally different for young girls. We constantly hear how violent video games adversely affect boys, it was interesting to hear that young girls are not immune to the negative effects of the Internet either. It seems that the world wide web is an equal opportunity exploiter! I also noticed how I have tended to do a majority of my shopping online for the exact reason they are training young girls to, the ease, the convenience, the feeling that money is not a real thing.

I was a bit worried that the horror movie presentation would be a bit more for me to stomach, not that I'm squeamish but I generally don't chose these types of movies for myself, preferring the pyschological thrillers. I was glad that he had edited them so as not to be too graphic. My one issue was that even though he seemed to have a focused group of films chosen there was not a very specific list of what he considered to be artistic. I was unclear as to what the criteria were to make his list and how each individual film attained that quality. I was curious to hear how they achieved the artistic visions he appreciated so much. This made it difficult for me to see his point of view.

The final presentation was on two branches of punk and presented by two people. I think they did a great job out of all the people doing group presentations where they had their own topics that came together to form one group. They each chose a branch of punk that related to the other and in their video we could clearly see their connection. The interviews were specific and planned with engaging questions and clear video. The presenters made their points with valid excursions as well. I also felt the video was really well done and they had clearly worked together to create it. I thought this was one of the most successful group/separate presentations.

Idealism and Teaching from Jiesamfoek's Class

A certain amount of idealism is crucial to educating children as no one can predict the influences they will encounter in life that will contribute to or sabotage future success. But whether these outside influences are positive or not it’s important to try to instill in each child the confidence in themselves to want to succeed and this can best be attained through the upholding of a moderate level of idealism in teaching.

Teaching a subject is only part of our job as educators. It is key that we use our time in the classroom with children to positively enforce discipline (Ozman), teach an appreciation of others, allow for the growth appropriate for each child’s development, and encourage a love of learning. Perhaps, as the metaphor Plato demonstrates in The Republic of a blinded man seeing for the first time, educators have the power to expose their students to new, unseen worlds. The students already have the potential within them but require assistance in releasing it. We shouldn’t judge that a certain children have no ability or need to learn certain subjects (Ozman). All children must be offered an equal chance to reach their potential. Surely many students will go on to prove correct a teacher who offers all equal chances to succeed, perhaps some even surpassing the educator themselves.

In conclusion one can see how allowing for a little idealism in your assessment of children can be encouraging to educators and students. Educators can assess students on their potential as well as their abilities. What a joy to be the teacher who might change a child’s life! This situation may never come along but without allowing for idealism you’re closing the door on the possibilities. For students, being assessed outside the confines of their class, race, and income allows for change to happen. When change is allowed growth can happen, and with growth brings new knowledge, experience and joy in the process of learning.

Reflections on my Sculpture Project 2

What is a life made of? The interactions between people or the transactions between them? Over the past weeks since beginning to collect purchase receipts I have been shocked by the number I have accumulated, both from everyday necessities and specialized purchases, like new socks. These items are just that, temporary transactions revolving around the acquiring of things, not creating relationships, memories, or even a life. Its seems as if a huge part of this accumulation makes up a life but adds nothing to it.

Even the process of building the globe represented to me how the thrill of a special purchase is soon overshadowed by another and another until the original excitement of that purchase is long forgotten.

The globe itself is comprised of approximately 300 receipts for everything from Metrocards, groceries, superhero underpants, videogames, pet food, dinners out at restaurants, birthday gifts, and clothing.

Class Presentations 5/11

Locavores, suffering artists, and aerial performing artists...its was an interesting night of divergent discourses our first class of presentations (for the purpose of this essay I won't include my own). The first thing I noticed was that groups that were covering one issue without splitting off were more effective in defending their point of view than groups that covered one subject matter. The second thing I noticed is that there is a lot of great stuff going on in Brooklyn!

I had heard of the locavore movement and been interested in it from going to green markets with my kids but never knew exactly what it was. Now I am energized enough to want to go to some of the restaurants mentioned and experience this first hand. I did however, have a few unanswered (due to time constraints) questions. For instance, don't you ever want a mango? I would like to have heard the view points of some die-hard locavores if they don't tire of the same locational fruits and vegetables. Surely these North-easterners tire of apples and potatoes at times? But I truly appreciated the POV and information presented and feel its really important to understand why these food movements are important to our overall health.

I found the 'Suffering Artists' presentation to lack a bit in the explanation of what exactly qualifies as 'suffering'. I would have liked to known what were their criteria for these artists to be considered as such. Surely most of us have had to do without when we were starting out in life. Particularly living in a major urban environment I had to question whether working at a job you don't love, while living in a apartment thats too small, saving your money to do what you love, was really anything out of the ordinary in this day and age. But I found the points of view of the individuals profiled to be fascinating as to their priorities at this stage of their careers and I felt they were all artists with a voice.

The aerial performers in the final presentation were a fascinating mix of athleticism and dance. I love it when performers allow us to see the strength it takes to perform. Much like dancers who make everything look so simple these performers are amazingly strong and agile. However it was difficult to imagine how difficult doing the 'silks' is because we had no comparison. I would have loved to have seen the presenters trying to do the 'silks' during their inaugural lesson trying it out. Maybe then I would have been able to appreciate it better. Overall I really enjoyed the outsider aspect of the activity and have investigated taking my kids to a show there sometime in the future.

Reading Reflection on Undoing Whiteness in the Classroom

Undoing Whiteness in the Classroom does a highly effective job of highlighting not only the challenges of teaching an almost exclusively white student body but also methods for assisting students in offsetting their whiteness from their centered viewpoints. Some of these students seem to live in a very culturally isolated world, which I think is not uncommon for middle America. But trying to open their minds to other viewpoints, belief systems, or media perceptions seems to be the real challenge.

One of Kroll’s techniques is to show varying viewpoints through different medias. She shows a documentary film interviewing men of different races, helps students break down the lyrics of rap music, has them read a non-fiction account of an African American sent to prison, and even presents fine art from a historical time in South African history. Her strong suit is not keeping viewpoints to one media source or even outdated media sources. By utilizing media that make the students feel a level of familiarity, like music, she is able to show students the reality of these viewpoints. Often students think racism is absent if they only see it through the lens of outdated media sources, for example, newspapers. She keeps her sources contemporary so students see these people are living with these issues right now in our society, not in some far away time and place.

By giving the reader specific techniques to use in the classroom she allows us to take the first step to presenting multiculturalism in our modern world. Just showing videos and reading books with students can’t be our only plan of attack. We need to know the words to say when we encounter these issues, we need to know how to say those words so students really hear what we’re trying to get across to them. Only by taking this multi-pronged method can we begin to open their minds to new ideas that aren’t centered in their perceptions.

Temple Grandin, autistic

Temple Grandin is not just a heroine for autistic children and their families but for all people who see the world a little bit differently. In an HBO movie chronicling her life we can see what a huge impact shes had on animals and people. Temple was born to a wealthy New England family in the 50's. Early on there was no diagnosis for her unusual behavior as she was clearly intelligent and had all her senses intact. It was with great distress her well-to-do mother didn't know what to do with her. Especially in an era where the discourse on the role of women was so attached to the 'feminine' arts and the ability to catch yourself a good husband, to have a child like Temple must have been extremely upsetting to a family who's social standing was greatly affected by the accomplishments of their children.

After several unsuccessful attempts at college she spent the summer at her aunt's ranch and discovered her calling. Temple had, due to her autism, a clear connection to the perceptions of animals. Back at college against her wishes, she devised a 'hugging' machine which would drop two wooden panels into her sides to 'hug' her whilst she was on all fours in a wooden stall type contraption. To those around her it was disturbing to view and the administrators had it destroyed. She had finally created something to help her deal with the internal stresses of her condition and in their ignorance they destroyed it. Not all this can be blamed on the misinformation of people. I believe a great deal of the ignorance can be attributed to the era in which she grew up. The medical community was not as enlightened as to mental conditions and certainly the only affiliation autism had was broad at best. Women were looked at differently and a woman without marriage prospects with an mental condition was an anomaly.

A special needs college was found for Temple and she went on to get her degree in animal husbandry/agriculture. Her first school visit to a slaughter house was disturbing to her, not because the animals were being killed, but because the methods they used to slaughter the animals was so against the natural inclinations of the animals it made the situation utterly unbearable to her. Though to us most slaughtering of any kind is distasteful, Temple saw how this could be done with less fear, less stress, and therefor, less pain to the animals.

Though PETA may disagree, Temple Grandin used her abilities to see the world differently to change the way animals are treated forever. Ranchers doubted her unusual ideas for slaughterhouse architecture, considering it superfluous and expensive. Many reporters kept asking her if she didn't want a romantic relationship for herself. Its a hurtful and ignorant question for someone like Temple who has no emotional desire for that kind of connection to another person. Her mind doesn't work like the rest of us, she has no physical need for human contact the way we do. Her legacy will be bringing less cruelty to the world. She has an amazing mind and to respect the differences of others is to appreciate the gifts each one of us has to give the world.

http://www.hbo.com/movies/temple-grandin/index.html

Reality Shows with Lots of Kids

Have you ever noticed that a majority of reality shows hinge on the pure novelty of big families? The idea that watching grown adults surrounded by an overflowing daycare of offspring is like a car crash, anticipating the chaos makes us unable to turn away. Of course, by now everyone knows about 'Jon and Kate Plus 8', the show that brought the philandering dad, Jon, and angry mom, Kate to the forefront of the media stage. Originally they were just a sweet family with twin girls till they decided to go for just one more...we all know what happens next. Sadly with the popularity of their show came the dissolution of their marriage. Is it the fame that pushes these large families off the deep end or were they already there and just holding on tight? Could the chaos we enjoy giggling at be the very thing that in the light of publicity is unbearable?

I'd like to hope that if anyone can make it work its the Duggars. The Duggars are a Christian family from deep in Arkansas who live by the 'quiver full' movement of always having a bun in the oven. However, despite their conservative beliefs (visiting the museum of creationism, oh I bet you didn't know there was one!) dated hair-do's (those 80's perms) and the sexist roles they place their children in (19 year old Jana isn't obviously going to college, 21 yr old Josh is already married with a baby) they might actually survive the flurry of publicity surrounding the premature birth of their 19th (!!!) child simply because they do live in such a fringe subculture. Due to their religious discourse they do not watch TV and only read religious works, a night on the town consists of a bowling party for one of their son's birthdays. Its simply because of this separation from the mainstream media that I believe the Duggars may actually have a chance to do what they had said they originally went into this for; to spread their message about God. Part of the attraction to the Duggars is that they're not pushy with that message either, never condemning other children when they visit a public school, and never a sad face because they're still getting a used bunk bed from a thrift store even though Mom and Dad were on the cover of People magazine. I think that their restrictive religious discourse actually protects them from all the ugliness that publicity tends to bring upon average folks.

The newest family I've enjoyed adding to my 'big family' viewing habits is the Novogratzes of '9 by Design'. The Novogratzes are a Manhattan hipster couple who renovate and design tri-state homes, buying high priced properties themselves and gut renovating them along the way. Oh, and did I mention they have 6 kids which includes 2 sets of twins, but doesn't include the baby born in the middle of episode 3! Their family seems to have been raised on the belief if it looks cool then it is cool. The children are all acceptably mischivious and adorably coiffed, they eat in the coolest restaurants together, have playdates in their gorgeous west side highway house, and play basketball in their basement court. The uber-stylish mom rides a Vespa scooter 9 months pregnant behind her husband who always seems to wear some sort of dashing chapeau and only sneaks a smoke when the camera is on his back. Contrary to the Duggars, this family seems destined for fame, in fact, their life seems like a dress rehearsal for it. As of this writing the entire family (including the new baby) got a modeling contract. They will probably survive the media crush associated with being reality stars simply because they seem to already be stars of their own lives. The publicity is probably nothing out of the ordinary for this family who have folk singer Suzanne Vega sing at their baby's christening and renovate a 'private' client's Hamptons house in episode 4. Their attitude seems to be that this is nothing they didn't already expect, so bring it on! Their family discourse is in line with the discourse of the producers of their show, and the publicity machine so they will probably come out the other side of this happily fully intact.

New York City Transit Museum *

Nestled in an abandoned subway station near downtown Brooklyn is the NYC Transit Museum, a favorite among local train-loving children and adults. At a surprising $6- per person entry the subway museum, as it is lovingly referred to, allows visitors to go into some of the oldest trains from the system while taking a brief walk through the history of the construction of the system and exploring the joys of pretending to drive city buses.

The wonderful thing about the Transit Museum is that is a chance for visitors to our city to see that we are made of more than huge buildings and concrete pavement. Our city is made up of our people and they can see that they helped to create our public transit system. This helps visitors appreciate how this helped to make our city what it is today. Because of the public transit system there is virtually very few corners of the city that you cannot get to from almost any starting point. (Sure, it may take 2 hours due to budget constraints, but that's another topic for discussion!) The train tunnels were not carved with giant space age high tech equipment, but by men, with wheelbarrows and lanterns on their helmets. The reality of this is pretty stark to most visitors. The human element is really brought to life in a way we can all appreciate.

The area covering bus travel is far less exciting than entering a train from the golden age of subway travel with its wicker seats and overhead fans. But little ones will sit for hours in driver's seat of the abbreviated city buses, pretending to steer and brake. The small section explaining energy sources for these vehicles is a bit dated and a little shaky but children won't focus on this.

The museum offers many opportunities for artistic interaction in their classroom and this is a rainy day outing that can't be beat in a city where a coffee can cost you almost $6-. Kids will spend the whole afternoon happily jumping from one train car to the next, pretending to drive buses, and appreciating the truly 'human' factor that makes our public transportation system run.

Staten Island Children's Museum *

The Staten Island Children's Museum is on a beautiful historic site in Staten Island called Snug Harbor. I has a beautiful grassy field surrounding the historic building with a giant green grasshopper sculpture and nestled behind the museum is a nautical themed playground .

As compared to the Brooklyn Children's Museum, which focused on the diversity of cultural neighborhoods, Staten Island Children's Museum has more of a world view. After the giant game pieces and interactive firetruck there are accouterments to venture into the Antarctic, dive into the ocean depths, and explore the jungle. There is more of a focus on exploring the unknown than understanding the familiar world around us. The excitement of being an explorer in a foreign world is quite different than learning how they make bread in a Mexican panderia. One is not necessarily better than the other, merely different.

On the third floor there is a construction zone where children can handle tools and see a building at different stages of completion and a bug section. The bug section seems to be real crowd pleaser among the younger set. Perhaps its because there is a similarity to a zoo in the exhibits with scary tarantulas on view behind glass and guinea pigs in their 'natural' environment. There is a similar exhibit at Brooklyn Children's Museum and I can only garner its because of the ease and economy of caring for arachnids is much easier than monkeys or other wild animals. Nevertheless it seems to be a real high point for kids to get nose to nose with roaches, spiders, and butterflies.

In general, I prefer this museum over the one in Brooklyn for its wide open spaces and relatively unsophisticated point of view. The Brooklyn Museum seems to shout, 'look at me! I'm politically correct! I respect all local cultures!' There is nothing wrong with that but the simplistic viewpoint in Staten Island is far more enjoyable.

Reading Reflection on Home Births

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/06/nyregion/06midwives.html?src=tptw

To give birth to your child in your home may see to many as archaic, dangerous, and somewhat crazy in this age of medical science. But to many women control over their own bodies is paramount in their decision to give birth at home.Whether on a personal level you agree or not, to control ones own body is a right that is given to each person.

Rates for surgical births are typically higher in New York City than the World Health Organization recommends. For such a educated, sophisticated city its fairly shocking that doctors here are more likely to cut open a woman than many other states in the nation. In the documentary, The Business of Being Born, they tell us how hospitals get paid more for C-sections and that planned medical procedures are preferred over the erratic schedule of natural childbirth. It also turns on its head the myth that women who give birth at home are uneducated hippies. Most women who give birth at home are healthy, low risk pregnancies on their second child. In other words, most women who give birth at home know what they are getting into and chose that for themselves and their child based on prior experience.

Myself, having had a natural out of hospital birth and a hospital birth can only say the true business of being born is gambling. You can give birth at home based on the odds or you can give birth at a hospital hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. Personally, I feel to give birth at home because a mother-to-be is hoping for some sort of birth experience is selfish, considering the child should really be the focus of the birth. But I fully support her right to take that chance, should she chose to. Bringing life into this world is always a gamble and giving birth at home is every woman's right. The only ones who will benefit if this legislation goes through which outlaws home births is the hospitals, which will reap the financial benefits of over billing insurance companies, over medicating women, and overworking obstetric surgeons.

Reading Reflection on Testing

http://www.amazon.com/One-Step-Ahead-Closet-Organizer/dp/B002YQSBWC

In the NY Times, they're discussing possibly disregarding the E.R.B. test for entry into private Pre-K and Kindergartens. The world of children's testing, particularly for younger ones, is a world of politics and secrecy. As noted in my reflection of The Myth of the Gifted Child, studies have shown that testing at such a young age does little to reflect the true nature of intelligence in a child and most likely is highly insignificant. Still private schools continue to use it as a litmus. Most private schools are part of an association of Independent Educators who pay the E.R.B. to devise the test, so one can already see the tail wags the dog.

The argument is not as much the test itself but the alleged prepping for test which parents are not supposed to do. Three prominent private schools in Manhattan have already dropped the test as a admittance requirement. But at the same time the E.R.B. has published online a guide for prepping for the test and there are overpriced workbooks and prep handbooks for sale as well. Many people equate preparing for this test to trying to give their child a hand up in this already highly competitive urban society. I would say this is another example of how those with the funds to prep their child have already won the battle. Even if you are not wealthy, it is $510- to have the test administered to your child at all! How many wonderful children will not make it into programs simply because their parents didn't posses the wherewithal to prep their child.

We have good friends upstate near our summer cabin who have a 7 yr old daughter in a public school G & T school. Their culture is highly competitive (they're Russian) and parents in their culture tend to be very assertive when it comes to their children. They've already begun prepping their 5 yr old son for the G & T test as siblings only have to test in the 97% in order to be accepted. They were prepping him on holding his pencil and working in his workbook, at the beach all summer long. When I suggested they allow him to work with crayons a little more and practice by coloring they told me he didn't like to color and since it wouldn't help his scores they don't bother..

Schools have interview, play interviews and many other options other than testing to gauge a child's proclivity for learning. It's sad that we feel the need to put children on a treadmill so early in life. Studies have shown that young children all tend to equalize their abilities by the third grade no matter what previous learning has occurred. We have our whole lives to push, concentrate, be under pressure, buckle down, put our nose to the grindstone. Why can't we let the one time in our lives that its ok to be useless, silly, loud, noisy, messy, just be that way? Why can't it be enough in our society to just be child?

Reflection on Class Discussion (May 4, 2010)

We've been examining artists and their work from many different points of view and cultural discourses. However, when a student remarked that being a middle class caucasian gave him no cultural community, whereas African Americans had, I had to stop and reflect on whether this was true. Whenever a person is in the smaller, non-dominant group that creates a sense of group, we can see how people naturally band together. It is the similarities which bring more people together than their differences, particularly if the groups has suffered at the hands of a dominant culture.

The only way I can perceive of caucasian Americans grouping together to form a cultural community is through class. The dominant cultural force will always be income in the average American household. The house that feverently purchases organic foods does not generally follow the same cultural beliefs as the family that needs food stamps. The family that views college education as mandatory does not purchase the same products, watch the same shows, vacation the same places, or have the same peers as the family who cannot afford 'Mommy and Me' classes for their toddlers. Of course, all families would like their children to go on to college but this is not the reality in America today. College can draw a child into another social level, and if that child continues to strive they can retain their position in that culture. Unlike other repressed minority groups who are held back through no fault of their own and may never even get the opportunity for higher education, the white lower class has the ability to bring themselves into the socially dominant group. Minorities have to battle the stereotypes of their people on an everyday basis, they have no choice in the preconceived notions others have about them. Everyday they must fight to present themselves accurately, as individuals with the same hopes and dreams as the dominant culture.

The Gaze

The Gaze is an important methodology for catagorizing diverse visual cues. This ad, by the Fox clothing company, is the adjusted version of an earlier one taken down after protests from the Orthodox Jewish community in the city of Tel Aviv. The original ad depicted the same models in far less clothing and what we can only assume was too suggestive for the local population. I see the image as depicting the irony of the situation. The models are still looking at us but the joke is on us, because instead of the Orthodox covering their eyes to avoid being tempted by the scantily clad models, the models are covering their eyes to avoid being... tempted?? I don't think their expression signifies temptation, I think their expression depicts an expression of an inside joke, a mocking expression of fun at the viewer's, presumably Orthodox, expense.

The gaze is exhibitionist in nature, but on its head, the desired object (the models) are actually looking at the viewer in a mocking nature. Not only poking fun at the fact that the Orthodox couldn't look at them in their previous gear, but also mocking the fact that they can't join them

in whatever fun they appear to be having, smiling and giggling. The gaze could even be seen as identification of the Orthodox viewers perhaps wishing they were in the picture, imagining themselves seeing the ridiculousness of their pious wardrobe, or maybe the gaze would be considered transgressive then.

In conclusion, its difficult to imagine what the gaze means to someone so far outside our culture. How could we pressume to guess what an Orthodox person might feel at seeing this ad? I think it may be our belief system which makes us think they might feel envious or mocked. From my past research on the Orthodox Jews, they would never feel this way, their religion places them in a social hierarchy which, in their opinion, places them closer to God and superior to all others. But it is still interesting to imagine what they might think as they gaze on those billboards.

Reading Reflection on Philosophy and Children

In the NY Times there is a fascinating article about Professor Matthew Lipman who has spent the majority of his career teaching philosophy to children and educating teachers on how to do so. He has created a curriculum used by Professor Wartenberg using popular children's picture books, such as Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree (viewable below link for article) to encourage children to think philosophically, question their thoughts, and respect the conclusions of others.

In The Giving Tree, the tree gives its whole self to the boy throughout the course of his life, giving him what he needs at each particular stage; apples to sell for a teenage boy, branches to build a house for a young man boy. In the end, the tree is nothing but a stump still trying to please the boy, now an old man, but having nothing left to give having been stripped of everything of value.

Especially in today's eco-conscious society this particular book brings up many questions and feelings that young children may be unsure of. In the classroom they observed the children, having had 5 previous classes in philosophy, knew how to have a discussion. They questioned the value of a tree, was it wrong to take everything, and took a stance on their points of view. Then following their point of view they argued the value of nature, the value of friendship, and came to conclusions by hearing their fellow students opposing viewpoints, listening respectfully.

These are really significant skills for children to learn, not only in school, but for life. To be able to debate your point of view, respectfully, with knowledge and articulation is skill few people aside from politicians, seem to have. The ability to recognize one's beliefs and follow through in one's defense of them, whether right or wrong, is something that will take children far in life. Whether it be talking their parents into why they deserve a cell phone or making a presentation in school, being able to speaks one's opinions clearly and in defense of one's own opinion is priceless.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/18/education/edlife/18philosophy-t.html?pagewanted=1&ref=general&src=me

http://dilayllah.wordpress.com/2007/11/18/the-giving-tree-story/

Marina Abramovic at MOMA *

The exhibit of performance artist, Marina Abramovic, at Museum of Modern Art is not only amazing for the incredible amount of work presented but also for the fact that the artist is there, live, creating a piece. Abramovic is no longer in the same physical shape she was when she began performing and the question of how to preserve a body of work when the artist can no longer perform them is approaching quickly. Her work has been sold as a collection to MOMA and they have found the solution. They have dancers re-creating her performance works under her direction. The majority of them are dancers and perform the pieces as she and her partner, Uly, did, nude. What seems almost embarassingly comical on initial inspection is actually complex, fascinating, and at times, violent.

Abramovic has led an amazing life. Of Yugoslavian descent, her father was a decorated World War 2 hero and her uncle declared a saint by the church after his death. She experienced an productive period of collaboration with a German artist, Uly, doing many performance pieces together. Their relationship culminated in a piece in which they each start walking from opposite ends of the Great Wall of China with the plan to marry once they met. Unfortunately, by the time they overcame the red tape their relationship had deteriorated and their final meeting signified the end of their relationship and collaborations. Video of this culmination is projected onto a far wall.

Many of her earlier works have typed directions for each performance including the specific time each step takes displayed alongside a photo of her performing the work. The methodical way each piece was rehearsed, performed and notated is more reminiscent of a bookkeeper than an artist. Some of the most riveting consist of sound and video; including one piece where she screamed, danced, and recited random words till she passed out from physical exhaustion. All three performances are displayed on a wall alongside each other in a violent, disturbing, but riveting vision.

Her performance pieces are recreated by trained dancers. Since most of them perform nude it questions many of our preconceived ideas about how we feel about the vulnerability of nudity. In one piece a man and a woman flank a doorway facing each other creating a narrow opening that the viewer must position themselves through, brushing past their exposed bodies. How do people react to the nudity? To being forced to have physical contact with it? In addition it makes one question how nudity appears in public locations. We also observed the performers in the midst of changing for breaks in a piece in which a naked woman sits precariously on a bike seat suspended 20' up on a wall, arms and legs splayed out without any support. The slow, gracious way in which their arms and legs lowered, carefully climbing down a ladder to their replacement holding a long white lab coat for covering up, it was almost as if it was part of the piece.

The Artist is Present is the piece she performs live, everyday during museum hours. She sits in a chair at an empty table facing an empty chair and is surrounded by a large taped off perimeter on the floor. Museum goers are invited to come and quietly sit with her for as long as they like, not interacting on any verbal or physical level other than sitting still. I heard another student in our class, talking about her and her work, say it was about physical endurance. But I beg to differ, I feel that her work is really a physical representation of the challenge of the mind. It is the mental flexibility that allows her to remain physically still and still travel, without a sound, without moving. The gowns she wears are specially made to even allow her to defecate while sitting on display. That control of mind over body is only on the surface about endurance, I think its more about the ability to set your mind free.

I thoroughly enjoyed this exhibit and truly commend MOMA for putting on a display of the type of work one goes to a museum of 'Modern' art for. Let's face it, pretty pictures are on the wall everywhere. But to be able to see this type of work, and the artist herself, live, is truly a wonderful, mind opening experience.

Reflections on My Sculpture Project

“Class Snuggie”

brown terrycloth

A Snuggie was designed to give the wearer the ultimate feeling of comfort and security when lounging, watching TV, or relaxing on the couch. My Class Snuggie is representative of my overall feelings towards my graduate schooling as I near the end of my first year.

When the Snuggie is worn by a class the students heads are seen as well as the teacher’s head, while the rest of the body is hidden, secure under the tarp of cozy concealment. At times I feel this is all they, the professors and the school, cares about; our heads. Our heads that can have the learning poured into them, our ears that can listen to endless lectures for hours on end, our eyes which droop after hours of power points, and our voices which have to speak up to be heard. What is hidden, in secure comfort, is what they seem to want little to do with. Feet that have climbed mountains, bodies that have nursed children, hands that have built houses, hearts that have worshipped, all these things seem to hold no bearing on our higher educations. “You’re graduate students now” seems to be a phrase that is thrown around a lot with so many loaded expectations connected to it. But what about what we HAVE been? Why does what we are made of seem to have so little bearing on what we are? The Class Snuggie represents an absence of the acknowledgement of students as a whole learning being.