What Stood out to me This Semester

 3 THINGS THAT STOOD OUT TO ME THIS SEMESTER AS MEANINGFUL

1. The first thing that stood out to me as meaningful this semester was jeopardy. This activity was meaningful to me for a lot of reasons. First, I felt like I learned so much from it. It gave me a really good refresher of everything that we learned in the first half of the semester and really forced me to think. Second, I felt like this was the first time our class really bonded and got to know each other. Lastly, it was really fun and was a memory I will always remember!

2. The second thing that stood out to me as meaningful this semester was Alfie Kohn and his teachings. This stood out to me because I felt like I had been utilizing it in my classroom. When I entered the school I am in, one of the teachers had her desks in rows. When I entered the classroom for a few weeks, I moved the desks, and I felt like it really enhanced their learning. 

3. The third thing that stood out to me as meaningful was this quote from Troublemaker's that I wrote on one of my blog posts, "The child who deviates, who refuses to be-power like everybody else, may be telling us-loudly, visibly, and memorably-that the arrangements of our schools are harmful to human beings.". I really like this quote because it has changed the way I am as a teacher. Instead of looking at students as "behaviors", I try to see what I can change in order to help the student feel more comfortable.

Connections to Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Guidance for Rhode Island Schools on Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students

Connections to the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Guidance for Rhode Island Schools on Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students

Hannah Kennedy | FNED546 | Link to Article: RIDE Guidance | Link to Video: Video/Aeticle

I am really glad we had to read this article because, as future teachers, I feel like it is important to know and understand these guidance rules to help us truly understand our students. As someone who has been working in an elementary school, I definitely made some connections while reading this. First, overall, this article taught me how to create a safe and inclusive environment for all students in the classroom. It has been evident to me in my time in an elementary school that the teachers around me have worked super hard to create this type of environment. I have also witnessed teachers discipline students for being discriminatory. For example, I heard a student call another student "gay" in a derogatory way, and the teacher used it as a class lesson on discrimination. Secondly, the article really focused on respecting students' identities. I have seen this in classrooms, especially in college, where students are asked about their pronouns to ensure people respect their identity. Third, the article explains that students should have access to facilities and activities that align with their gender identity. I have seen gender neutral bathrooms in most schools, which is a great step for those who need them. It is also important that teachers create activities that students of every gender identity can participate in. This allows for everyone to be included in school. One thing the article also mentioned was that teachers need to ensure confidentiality when it comes to a student's transgender or gender conforming status. I am so glad the article talked about this, because this is something I will need to know in the future when I am a teacher. Lastly, I really liked that this mentioned that teachers need to attend professional development and be aware of policies pertaining to transgender and gender conforming students. It is so important that teachers stay up to date in order to enhance their ability to support and understand all of their students. This article is extremely helpful to those who are studying to be teachers!

Notes on A Guide to Being an Ally to Transgender and Nonbinary Youth by The Trevor Project

I really enjoyed reading this article by The Trevor Project, and I thought it was super informative and helpful to those looking to become a teacher one day. I wanted to mention that this article talked about how teachers are in a unique position to make a positive impact on their students. This means that as a teachers, we should be creating safe spaces for our students and enforcing non-discriminatory practices in our schools. Teachers have the ability to create an equitable environment for all of their students, and need to take a proactive approach to ensure students are supported and feel seen during their journey through education. Overall, I love how this article really gave me an idea of how I can be proactive as a teacher and how I can make my students feel supported. 

Another great article for further reading:

 https://intercommunityaction.org/how-to-be-an-ally-to-transgender-and-nonbinary-youth/

Questions

1. Do you feel that AI negatively alters the way students learn?
2. Do you think AI causes delays in students’ critical thinking skills?
3. How do you feel that AI can be a valuable asset in the classroom?
4. How can teachers teach students to use AI in a positive way instead of just a tool to give them the answers?

Quotes

 Quotes in Aria by Richard Rodriguez

Hannah Kennedy | FNED546 | Link to a good Prezi on this memoir: Prezi| Link to book: Aria

• "But I couldn’t believe that the English language was mine to use. (In part, I did not want to believe it.)"

Throughout the chapter, we see Richard Rodriguez's struggle with learning English. It is evident that Rodriguez has emotional ties to his home language, Spanish. It is a part of his identity and his sense of belonging. It is obvious throughout that chapter that Rodriguez is struggling internally with learning English, not necessarily because it's hard, but because of his emotional ties to Spanish. Rodriguez is scared to lose his identity and the connection it has with him and his home. I love this quote because it highlights how Rodriguez did not want to believe that he could learn a different language, which really made me think about why he wouldn't want to learn English. It did not occur to me how much of a role language plays in people's lives, and I am glad I realize this now.

• "The moment after the visitors left, the change was observed. ‘Ahora, speak to us en inglés,’ my father and mother united to tell us."

In the book, Rodriguez's parents made the decision to have everyone in this house speak English instead of Spanish. This was to aid in their learning of English. Based on this quote, it is evident that this change hurt Rodriguez. This quote also shows us an important part of assimilation that we do not normally see, which is how it affects families. When a student is trying to assimilate into the English language and American culture, their families have to support them, which means major changes at home. This was definitely hard for Rodriguez and his family, as a big part of their identity is speaking Spanish. Rodriguez is losing a deep connection to his roots by not speaking Spanish at home to assimilate. 

• "But the special feeling of closeness at home was diminished by then. Gone was the desperate, urgent, intense feeling of being at home; rare was the experience of feeling myself individualized by family intimates."

While in the last quote, we saw Rodriguez's initial feelings of confusion and loss when his parents made him speak English at home instead of Spanish, this quote goes deeper into how Rodriguez felt. Rodriguez explains how assimilation caused him to feel differently about home. He used to love his home because of his love for his family and Spanish, but now Spanish was being taken away from him, and it did not feel the same anymore. This quote emphasizes to readers how hard assimilation is for students. Not only is it hard to learn a new language, but emotionally, it is extremely hard for kids to adjust. People who assimilate into a new culture have to sacrifice a big chunk of themselves, and we as a society expect this to be an easy transition. Along with this, Rodriguez felt like even though he was gaining confidence in society due to his assimilation progress, he felt like this cost him his intimate family life in which he felt was a big part of his identity. I like this quote because it really shows how hard assimilation is for more reasons than one.