SEX TOY BINGO!! :)

Way back in March, around 75 people came to the Student Union Ballroom to play a fun game of sex toy bingo. There was well over thirty different kinds of sex toys that the winner of each bingo round could go up and claim as theirs.  This bingo event was held by Athena's a home novelty organization. To play bingo was free, but they encouraged students to bring old bras so that they could donate them to the breast cancer society to help find a cure. Before the game, one of the Athena Goddesses explained to everyone the proper ways to use the toys to make sure they were safe for everyone. It was defiantly quite the experience!!

I can relate this event to the Linda Christensen piece that we read. This type of event is definitely for digital natives! Not really sure if I could see my parents attending an event like this ;) Although I am sure that sex toys have been around for a very long time, the sex toys that were displayed at this event seemed to be more m up to date and more intriguing to students.

Another piece of literature that I can connect this to is the week we talked about GLSEN. There were toys available for anyone and everyone. Being gay, transgender, straight, lesbian. It didn't matter if you won their was a prize for you!

one of the toys you could have won

I can connect this event to The Susan B. Koman breast cancer society because all of the bras that were donated were sent directly to her foundation to help find a cure. 

Overall this event was a great way to get people together and all help a great cause! The women's studies group that put on this event were very pleased/shocked at the turnout because they did not think that many people were going to attend. Overall I really enjoyed this event, and it was something different to do on your average tuesday night at Rhode Island College.

If you are intrested in learning more or hosting your own sex toy party feel free to contact any Athenas Godess :)

SHOR

This week for my blog I decided to do an extended comments off of Mariah's blog!  I really enjoyed reading the quotes that she chose and they really reflected the article that we had to read this week.

One thing from Mariah's blog was:

"In science, a problem-posing approach could take a debate form. A science class could present controversies in the field and in society. Students could examine competing interpretations of the origins of the universe, the causes and treatments of AIDS, the policy conflicts over energy sources and global warming, or the debates over the health hazards of exposure to low-level radiation to electromagnetic fields generated by power lines. By presenting science debates, controversies, and competing interpretations, the critical teacher would pose the subject matter as a problem for students to think through rather than a bland official consensus for them to memorize."
--Shor discusses the problem-posing approach in this quote. He believes that if you approach a subject asking questions it will give the subject matter more meaning to the student. The subject mater does not matter  at all to a student if they facts are given to them and they are told to memorize it. Shor proposes that they are prompted with, as an example, a debate in science class. Instead of telling the student the treatments and causes of AIDS, have them debate about it. That way, instead of them just memorizing the material they are learning to be critical thinkers by debating the idea. This website shows an article that talks about the problem-posing approach in Biology Education. One point this author makes is how he thinks textbooks should be changed to accommodate the problem-posing approach.


I believe that it is important for students to be challenged and that they should be questioned so that they can find the answer. A question can be so broad that the students will have to think and try and find the answer.  It is important that the student knows the information, and not just memorize the information. A student should be able to explain what they learned and use it in different context, instead of just memorizing a definition of something.

End of the Semester!

I can not believe that it is already the final week of classes! This semester and year has flown by!

I would just like to comment on how this semester went. I really enjoyed all of the discussions that we had in class, and we all have learned so much from each other and Dr. Bogad. Our eyes were open to many different things, and they will only help us in becoming future educators. Its has been a pleasure working with everyone this year, and I hope everyone has a great summer (: and look luck with the rest of your college careers!


Steph (:

Citizenship in school: reconceptualizing down syndrome

Sorry this is late!! i have been crazy busy lately with lacrosse and school. 

REFLECTION! :)

This weeks discussion in class opened my eyes to a lot of things, and i am sure had the same impact on other students in the classroom. Although I believe that it is very important with students who have down syndrome, or any other disability get all of the attention that they need, I also believe that it is important to interact these students with your typical everyday student. It only benefits each person and it brings out the best in people. It makes people with a disability more open and they feel more accepted if they are part of the group, and it makes your average student more open to things, and becomes a well rounded person. Though out this week I was thinking about how my high school dealt with the issue of integrating students with disabilities into the regular class room setting. My high school did an awful job at it. There was one class room, room 104 that was at the back wing of the school that hardly any students ever made their way over too. There was only 3 other classrooms in that wing, and what used to be a very crowed place filled with seventh graders, three years ago when the school changed from a jr/sr high school to a straight 9-12 high school that hallway became vacant. It was a shame to see this students not have a lot of interaction with other students, when in reality thats something that they could use.

I believe that the students should be incorporated into everyday classroom settings, along with a teacher assistant so that students can learn how to act and help these students, and the disabled student will feel more welcome.  Most of the time these students can brighten someones day because they have such a positive outlook on life and are usually always happy. When ever i got a chance, I would always go out of my way to say hello to these students, because they were so excited and proud to call you their friend.

I think that it is morally wrong to seclude these students just because they have a disability. They are your average student, they just need a little more help then others and their is nothing wrong with that.

It only help build better people, and helps everyone become more well rounded.

Was your resource/inclusion classes separated from your regular classes in high school?

Tracking: Why schools needs to take another route.

QUOTES


One of the pieces we had to read this week was How Schools Structure Equality by Jeannie Oakes. In this piece Oakes discusses the problem of tracking in class rooms. Although some people think that separating the gifted students from the slower learners is necessary to provide more challenging material for the fast learners, Oakes argues that there are ways that work well to get the most out of each student by intergating fast and slow learners.


"students in high-ability English classes were more likely to be taught classic and modem literature, provided instruction in expository writing and library researcb, and expected to leam vocabulary that would eventually boost their scores on college entrance exams."


This quote is a great example that shows separating fast learners and slow learners create a huge disadvantage for those slower learners later on in their education. The teacher of the class will take  time to teach the fast learners important vocabulary words and gives them challenging activities that will help them succeed in the future. . The students in the lower level classes may not get that information till later in there education and that is a huge disadvantage.  The problem is that faster learners are getting more from school. The slower learners learn less just because it takes them longer to learn. That's not an equal education, especially when you think about the different ways that these students are being asked to learn. The faster learners are being challenge while the slower learners are just being asked to keep up.


"In low-ability classes, for example, teacbers seem to be less encouraging and more punitive, placing more emphasis on discipline and 'behavior and less on academic learning. Compared to teachers in high-ability classes, they seem to be more concerned about getting students to follow directions, be on time, and sit quietly."


I notice this occurring a lot in my VIPS tutoring. I am working with a lower level student, and the teacher just seems to ignore the fact that she is not learning as fast as the other students, and the student is left behind.  The teacher seems to work more with the advanced students and is encouraging them to do more work. I feel like the student I am working with is at a complete disadvantage. 

"In many classrooms the evidence 

of students' capability is a matter of public record. Grades and progress are prominently posted: letters, numbers, stars, smiley faces, race horses, and halos - along with sad faces, zeros,and the ever present blanks."

Also, I see this a lot in my vips tutoring and I do not agree with it at all. For example there is a "We know our multiplication tables 100%" chart on the wall. Everyone in the class has stickers in every single column except 2-3 students. The student that i mostly work with does not have any stickers on her chart. I feel bad because it is praising the more advanced students, where as my student is left behind because she is a slower learner. 

This weeks readings were very interested, and I am excited to hear everyones reactions about them in class on tuesday! (:

GENDER ISSUES

Title IX, in my opinion has been one of the best things that has been passed by congress. It has opened up so many opportunities to women all over the country, and I would not be half the person I am today, if this act was not passed.  Sports are such a huge impact in my life. I played 3 varsity sports throughout high school, and 2 sports in college. Also I am a physical education and health education major, so sports is a huge part of me. If title nine was never passed then I would not have been able to experience a lot of the most memorable things in high school, because I would not have been on the court, or on the field, only the  boys in my grade would have. I would never have been able to experience winning a state championship, becoming a captain, or even just being a good team player. Title IX has opened many opportunities, not just in the athletic field, but for women in anything.  It is very imporant that it was instated, becuase there is no such thing as a man, or womens job. If it can be done by a man, then it can deffiently be done by a women.

This video show what Title IX means to people.

In Service of What?

Extended Comments:

For this weeks blog I would like to expand off of Emily O's blog! Her last paragraph of her blog was:

In class I'd like to discuss more ways that we can better service learning and how we can do more after this service learning project. I don't want it to end here, I know it won't but I want to work on everything about service learning.

In your first question, when you ask for more ways that we can better service learning is that everyone needs to teach with passion. We are taking FNED 346 because we want to be teachers in the future. We all have certain knowledge that we want to share with others, and now is a great time do so. When you walk into the classroom every week you should be excited to be there. You should make sure that your students know that you want to be there too! Knowing that they can count on another person consistently being in their life, may help them make it through the day. Also, make sure you are using words of encouragement when you are helping the students and keep expressing that learning is fun, and its good. Many students at the schools that we are going to, may not have family members who attend college, and they must be the first one. Express the importance of college, and graduating high school. Tell them what wonderful things happen when you stay in school. Remember, these students are the future of America. 


As you said, you do not want the service learning project to end, neither do I. I feel that we are truly making an impact on these students lives, and I want to help more. Although being in a classroom, and teaching students is not overall what I want to do with my major, being a physical education/health education teacher I do have passion for helping students. Volunteering is always an option! Many students are looking for volunteers with the same passion that they have to help students. I am sure VIPS is always looking for people to volunteer, because there are thousands of students in the providence district may need some extra help. 


I am looking forward to going to my school, and working with my students over the next month and a half, because I truly feel like I am making a difference in that students academic life, and I am helping them become the best student to their potential.