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Reflection: Blog 4

 The achievement and opportunity gap was very interesting to read about as well as very informative. It's a constant reminder that there is a big gap when it comes to the number of opportunities that students are given based on where they live and what school they attend. It's unfair when you think about it but it's nice to keep in mind that there are students every day who rise above and work through that to achieve their dreams. The segregation in schools was something that I know I was aware of but didn't get to fully educate myself on how the segregation of schools was in New Jersey. When completing the discussion board questions, one of them asked which was the most effective way of fixing the segregation problem in NJ. The one that stood out to me the most was for the state to stop building low-income housing and making children attend schools in that same area. I believe that continuing to build these low-income housing and making children attend those schools in...

Freire and Culturally Responsive Teaching

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 Reading about Freire was both inspiring and very informative. Freire's main tenants of critical pedagogy were the oppressed, the oppressors, and their relationship. The relationship between the oppressed and oppressors can result in dehumanizing the oppressed. Both must find mutual ground to overcome this issue and reach humanity. We have to dig deep into the matter and understand what it means in order to create a world not of domination but rather of liberation. His critical pedagogy was applied to American education because it made educators think about their own personal experiences and how they can bring that into their teachings rather than make it about just throwing information to their students and asking them to simply memorize it. Culturally responsive teaching can help improve a student's studies because it creates an environment where students are eager to learn and are engaged in the classroom. By students becoming engaged and motivated, we are allowing them to e...

Reflections on History, Hidden Agendas and Provocative Statements

         Reading up on the history of education has allowed me to realize the very real, visceral struggle it has been for people of color to receive an education and the financial struggles that we still face today when it comes to education. Although recent laws that have come into place make the financial burden a little easier for some students to attend college, it is still amazing how many students will shy away from wanting to further themselves academically due to the fear of living the rest of their lives in debt. Reading up on the hidden curriculum was especially interesting because it's something that we do not think about. The hidden agenda has maintained structure and organization in the classroom which is something that is extremely important but it has also robbed many students of their individuality and creativity. Often times students can interpret these hidden agendas as being more of a follower rather than a leader in their lives. Rather than ...

Literacy History

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  My name is Anna Henriquez. My major is Elementary Education with a minor in history. I am currently a Junior at NJCU. I enjoy gardening in my spare time. I took this class in order to better understand education reforms and understand in depth how politics contribute to education. My mother didn't speak English and my father was always working. The only person who helped me with my academics was my older brother. My older brother is sixteen years older than me, he was the one who took over and would buy me books in order to practice my reading. One of my earliest memories is holding one of those books that you press on certain buttons for a sound effect. I remember reading that book every night with my brother when he got home from college. It was a memory that I hold very close to my heart. I was always encouraged to read, even if I mispronounced certain words, my brother would always correct me in a gentle way. In school, I was timid and didn't like to participate much in r...