Interesting

http://digitalsynopsis.com/inspiration/60-public-service-announcements-social-issue-ads/

Syllabus Link (So that you can see the graphics)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sOoia4oovvIEbIxdcxP7Q6Qpge8qBqNERwMYLq4vyAg/edit?usp=sharing

Course Syllabus Redo

Syracuse University Project Adventure

Fall 2015

Mrs. Amber DeSimony

Room C244- right across from the library!

Contact: adesimony@niskyschools.org

·        This course is an introduction to academic writing!

·         With the support of classmates, you will learn how to read, revise, and edit your papers- JUST LIKE A COLLEGE STUDENT!

·         Learn to analyze works of writing, learn about a variety of topics that pertain to your interests, and most importantly, have fun!

·         An emphasis on writing argumentatively will help you have engaging conversations with others about topics of interest.

·         Learn to be aware of your audience so that you can be effective in your persuasion. 

Unit 1 Reflection

Olivia Canavan

Mrs. DeSimony

October 2015

SUPA 12 H

The genre of academic writing is very flexible in the way information is presented. Throughout the first unit in SUPA I observed this in the variety of materials we used for research. Many of the authors took a formal approach to their writing, while the documentaries and podcasts were more informal in their language. The quantitative information, like the qualitative information, was also presented in a particular way.  Having the ability to write well in an academic environment is vital to the reader’s ability to understand a textual work. Stylistic choices of authors are frequently influenced by how they want their information to be received by readers. SUPA has helped me understand in a greater capacity the extent to which academic writing is dependent upon how the writer wants their work to be received.

While researching various statistics and issues affecting the American education system, I read several articles by authors who would be considered radical. I intentionally did this, especially when researching social promotion, because I wanted to see “both sides” of the argument in the most direct way. The ideas and philosophies of educators varied drastically, it seemed essential to the quality of my paper to have a diverse pool of sources and articles to reference. The pieces of research we discussed in class helped give me a general idea of the issues I wanted to discuss, specifically race as it relates to graduation and poverty rates. The article by Jean Anyon helped me understand why the effectiveness of education varies depending on socioeconomic status, although it didn’t answer why instruction approaches are so different. After thinking about it, and having a discussion with my mother, I decided that the variation is due to the expectations of teachers. Based on Anyon’s interviews with teachers, it seemed like the majority of the teachers in the more affluent schools had more faith in their students ability to learn. One relevant point from our class discussion was the idea that teachers don’t usually learn to teach one particular socioeconomic group of students. Considering this, it is amazing how teachers consistently embody the characteristics Anyon describes.

Throughout my research and writing processes, I was wary of several holes that I didn’t want my paper to fall into. First, I didn’t want it to become overly partial to my own personal experiences. My goal was to present my information and sources in a way that would lead the reader to agree with my conclusion, instead of telling them why I was right. Secondly, I didn’t want to portray information in a way that would make the reader “pity” the students that I was discussing. It’s more helpful for people to be proactive and solve problems, rather than feel bad for someone. In class when we watched the HONY video, I felt that the school that went on field trips to Harvard didn’t solve the actual problems students were facing that caused them to be poor. Fundraising doesn’t solve generational poverty.

All in all, this unit helped improve my skills as a critical reader of texts. I not only increased my ability to understand “why writers write,” but also “why writers write in a particular way.” I felt that this was one of the first topics I have learned about in high school that actually resonated with me.

Inequality Class Activity Response 2015.10.1

Olivia Canavan

September, 2015

Class Activity Response

Mrs. DeSimony, SUPA

During the class activity, I experienced the “working class school.” Our individuality was suppressed and there was minimal instruction from the teacher. Perhaps the most apparent part of the activity was the lack of choice that we had as students. Our teacher expected us to look at vocabulary words, read them, and have them memorized for a quiz, without implementing our own processes of learning words. Not only were we expected to be silent, but our desks also had to be straight, our bags under them. It seemed like everything, regardless of the magnitude was a disruption and being unique was frowned upon. Throughout the duration of the activity I felt as if the teacher had no right to micromanage my every move. I eventually had my name written on the board because I turned around in my seat one too many times. If I were forced to attend school in an environment that restrained my personality I would eventually start to believe that being an individual is wrong. Educational philosopher Jean Anyon believes that the rote learning methods found in working class schools are meant to prepare students for a working class lifestyle. In her book, Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work, Anyon observed elementary language arts classes, where a teacher said “It tells them exactly what to do, or they couldn’t do it.” The lack of expectations feeds the “working class” cycle and creates more people who are brainwashed into learning without feeling. It could be argued that the economy needs the working class, otherwise there would not be unskilled or semiskilled laborers, however having these workers as an economic base should not be at the expense of child creativity and imagination.  Anyon also discusses the grading procedures for the working class school, “Work is often evaluated not according to whether it is right or wrong but according to whether the children followed the right steps.” The long term effects of being forced to learn only one way go beyond the classroom, and into the daily lives of individuals. If someone has never been taught to “think outside of the box,” they will struggle to find a way out of the working class, since high paying jobs often require a more creative side.

Critical Summary- Podcast 2015.10.1

Olivia Canavan

September 2015

“The Problem We All Live With” Response

SUPA Mrs. DeSimony

Quality of education in the United States is often determined by socioeconomic status and the extent to which individuals are represented in government. Across the nation efforts have been made to equalize the educational system. Programs such as magnet schools and No Child Left Behind attempted to help all students learn. These attempts were never successful, and in many cases widened the achievement gap between white students and minorities. Investigative journalist Nikole Hannah- Jones analyzed the decisions of the Missouri State Education Department and presented her findings in a podcast on This American Life. She strives to show the magnitude to which minority students are mistreated by the education system. A product of a school integration program, Hannah- Jones offers an experienced perspective and suggestions that could be implemented to improve the lives of students nationally. She believes that most effective way to eliminate the disparity in achievement among minority and white students is to integrate the students, in other words, put them in the same schools. Despite the fact that most people view segregation in obsolescence, it continues to be a barrier today for students and adults alike. By referring to critical moments in the 1970’s desegregation movement, Hannah- Jones forces listeners to question our nation’s progress in obtaining total equality. Statistics show that between 1971 and 1988, the achievement gap decreased by nearly one half. During that period of time America made a national effort to provide students of color the same opportunities as White students scholastically. Today, the achievement gap has widened again, and our schools are “resegregated,” unintentionally of course.

According to Hannah- Jones,  the generation of Black students who went through integration programs were healthier, more successful, and the longitudinal data shows that they were given more educational opportunities than other minority students. It seems like it would be a simple to provide all students with an environment where they can be successful, however it isn’t a no brainer for everyone.