Blog # 11 "Stephen Cruz," "Richard Rodriguez," "Gary Soto" and "Mike Rose,"

Question # 6

     Stephen Cruz, Richard Rodriguez, and Mike Rose all used education to liberate them self and become successful.  All of them are not Americans (in terms of their backgrounds).  Gary Soto on the other hand was too small and success to him was going around the neighbor in search of making pocket change.  But even he wanted to be successful and live the life style he saw on TV.
     Out of all of them, Richard was the one who took education the most seriously.  He even just about mentally cut connections with his family because he felt it would help him get ahead.  It makes his successful, but that was not enough for him and he realises that when he goes back and visits his parents.  So success to him involves family members.
     Mikes story was about his difficulties in school and about his idea about being normal.  He did not do too well in classes because he lacked the resources, but non the less made it to collage.  
     Stephen got his success through education and was economically successful but felt sort of bad because his friends were not.  For him, the fact that Blacks and Mexicans were discriminated against made him rethink about what he defines as successful.

Blog # 10 - "Class in America--2006" by Gregory Mantsios

Question # 2

   The essay does not make the claim that the wealthy are exploiting the poor, it is merely calming that the transition from poor to rich or even middle class is difficult and often has a lot to do with a persons background. Perhaps it may hint at this by stating that the wealthy have more power, but it does not directly form a connection.  The thesis seems to be that the ever increasing gap between the rich and the poor is increasing but the public is to fixed on either the past, or the illusion created out of hope, that they can move up the ladder by trying hard enough.
     Other possible interpretation of the data he provides indirectly talk about is that the class you are born in affects where you will end up.  For example, Harold S. Browning came from a wealthy background and ended up making a 324,000 dollar salary.  Cheryl Mitchell on the other hand came from a poor background and ended up with an annul salary of 15,820 dollars.  From his table on page 315, you can make the connection that the higher your sat score was, the more money you will end up making.  The score is usually connected to the persons background.

Blog # 9 - "Horatio Alger" by Harlon L. Dalton

Question # 3

     Dalton's argument cannot be disputed.  Pretty much everyone  today is aware of the myths that seduced countless immigrant families and the probability of succeeding.  But we don't generally think too much on the topic;  The myths that he talks are in plain sight, which is why i suppose we tend to filter them out, just as an ears filter out constant in the background.
     To help his argument, Dalton also mentions the other side of the argument.  He admits that the myth gives the poor hope and motivation to work harder.  Then he shoots down the statement by saying that it still does not change the fact that it is nearly impossible to leave poverty with motivation and hope alone.

Blog # 8 "The Lesson" by Toni Cade Bambara

Question # 7

     Sylvia and sugar are close friends, where as Teresa and the narrator were not friends.  Both groups of girls are poor and come from similar backgrounds.  I think that Sylvia and Sugar have a better change ofachieving success rather than Tersa and the narrator because both Sylvia and Suger seem to see the unfairness and reach the conclusion that things are not fair.  Where as Tersa never saw eye to eye with the narrator, and did not see why the narrator was trying to move up in life.  Success is also about making the attempt to understand.

Blog # 7 "Learning to Read" Malcolm X

Question # 9
   
     Unsystematic learning is a double edged.sword.  ts great in that it gives you a lot of freedom.  However, the freedom can be just as bad as it can be good.  By not having limitations, a person can explore what he wants and to whatever ever degree he wants.  This results in two things, one a person gets to follow his interests and two, the person is not as well rounded as someone who is learning in a controlled environment.  For example, if my high school curriculum did not have art, a class i really enjoyed, i would not have take it.  On the other hand, they made me take a class called D.E.A.R.  Which stood for "drop everything and read."  Basically i was forced to read novels only. If i wanted to read a text book or magazine, i could not.
     When reading a random page, i learned that the English language has too many freakin words.  For example, i managed to find at least 12 words on the same page that in one way or another describe a sac.  Also, most definitions of words had other words i did not know.
 

dailyinfographic and helpful tutorial for researching!!

dailyinfographic.com is a website that presents facts or cultural behavior with images.  The topics range from education to entertainment. This one in particular is about using google like a scholar. Click the link below to see it enlarged >>>>

http://dailyinfographic.com/the-power-of-google-infographic
http://dailyinfographic.com/

Blog # 6- "Para Teresa"

     Question # 4-

     Even though the story and the poem are fundamentally speaking about education and its importance of a successful future, they differ only in the writers relationships in school.  Both stories are written by authors who were born to immigrant families.

     The story and the short poem both talk about their relationship with their family members.  Though her poem, Ines Hernandex-Avila tells us about how much her families happiness means to her.  She states that "I studied for my parents and for my grandparents."  Richard Rodriguez on the other hand did not see the value in his family until much later on.

     In both the story and the poem, the authors culture interfered in their educational pursuits.  Rodriguez felt his cultural differences will take a toll on his education and began separating from it; while Avila was being bullied by other students from similar cultures who thought she was trying to be a hot shot.

      

Blog # 5 "I Just Wanna Be Average"

Question # 6-

     Micheal Moor's essay helps explain the attitude of Rose's friends towards education because of the school attitude for the students.  Moor describes all the ways that the school system are flawed.  He states that the school do not even receive enough funding.  Most school's look to advertising unhealthy drinks such as Coke as a means to making profit.  He mentions that the ones in charge of the education system also need to change because they generally don't know much themselves and go where the money is.
     In this kind of environment, it is not strange to expect that some student give up on the system and want to be just average.  

Blog # 4 "Anainst School" by John Talor Gatto

Question # 2-

     The unstated purpose of school that Inglis talks about in the essay is the truth, but a very altered and twisted truth.  The first unstated function of school he talks is the "adjustive or adaptive" function.  He states that schools teach kids to react neutrally to what authority figures do and in turn destroying judgment.  I guess i can see how he came to that conclusion, but his next statement is completely absurd.  He says that schools teach boring and foolish things to test if the kids are obedient enough to not question what they are learning.  I don’t think i have taken a class that teaches foolish and things.  My least favorite class was art but that does not mean it was foolish.
     The next one he calls the "integrating function."  By this he means that students are made to look alike because people who can be categories are more predictable and manipulatable.  I thought they did that because being similar helps a kid transition into society better.  But even if the reason he is talking about is true, who cares?  A labor force is necessary in ever society; also they have unions now.
     This unstated purpose is the most realistic one.  It’s called "diagnostic and directive."  He means that they keep your permanent record and determine your role in society through those records.  I think that is a big reason school exists.  What you achieve through school usually indicates your role.  If you are not successful in school, you to other means for money, such as businesses, etc.  A student in my graduating class was not doing well academically, so the school told him to go to a trade school.
     The fourth one goes back to being absurd.  "Differentiating function," as he calls it, means that schools only allow you to advance as far as society needs you to advance?  I put a question mark because 1, how do you know what is one step ahead or behind and two, they don’t have the budget to monitor students with that kind of enthusiasm.  They put you in a class and give tests, you score determines what step your taking.  In my school they put us in a class, taught us the same marital and allowed the test to determine where we place.
     "Selective function" means exactly what it sounds like.  He says that the smart students are taught to look down on that student receive low grades.  This one made me laugh.  In my school, the students with the low grades were the attractive and athletic students.  They were not looked down upon, although some of them should have been.  They were the one who participated in plays, music performances, etc.  If school was a movie, the ones with the good grades would be considered background characters.
     The final one is called the "propaedeutic function."  This guy is a little too crazy for me.  With this unstated purpose, he is suggesting that a small group of students are trained by the school to be future leaders; they are trained in the art of keeping the common folk in control and dumb.  Where would something like this take place?  I haven’t herd of a school that does this.
     I can understand what he is trying to say, but he is exaggerating way too much.