Re: [xmca] The national context for education funding in the US

[Mike Cole <lchcmike@gmail.com>]

What you are both doing sound wonderful to me, Emily and Peter.

A couple of points to add (and perhaps for next AERA, or before(!)- there is
multi-party skype after
all -- we really need to get together these examples and generalize their
principles. Gene Matusov's
work also fits this form of higher education admirably. For my university,
SL, even S-L, is unacceptable
to the academic senate. Hence my search for fancier sounding terms and my
constant argument that
we will not allow a student to graduate with a major in chemistry without a
lab but our social science
student have none. Its a strategic necessity.

1. My work is not in school. it is in a low income housing project. There is
one staff member if we are
not present. So our partners include the kids, especially the older teens,
the manageress of the
housing complex, and others (I'll keep this short).

2. Doing "cognitive ethnography" that produces a detailed written account of
the twice a week activities
at the site is central, along with feedback, to the process of documentation
and reflection by undergrads.

3. A collaborative project that leaves something behind for the communities
involved is expected as part
of the final course work so that the next generation of students can build
upon what has accumulated.

4. A reflection paper at the end begins with reading the first field note
(written after the initial class meeting) to the
last fieldnote (written after a community-centered "block party). It
produces, routinely, results such as the following
(I assume you have recorded reflections to match):

*I.** You think you have much to offer the kids, pearls of wisdom, insight,
morals, etc., but you end up learning and growing more than them! I thought
their world view and perspective was limited, sometimes stereotypical (all
their Chinese jokes made me laugh though), but I discovered mine was just as
limited in the ideas and judgments I carried into the center with me.  Looking
back, I think it’s sad that I was surprised to find that some of these kids
were brilliantly intelligent, and ridiculously talented in so many other
ways.  Too often I feel that kids, especially in lower SES areas, who are
surrounded by teachers, parents, other authority figures who have low
expectations for them, end up having low expectations for themselves.  Yet
there I was, with my own sorts of expectations.  ..I really came to
appreciate the whole “structure” or maybe it’s more accurate to say
“structured chaos” of the learning center.  I don’t know how exactly it
works the way it does, but all I know is that it created an atmosphere and
place that allowed kids to feel safe and comfortable enough to be creative,
explore, learn, grow.  It allowed for the relationship between the buddies
and the kids to grow and flourish on its own, without having to follow
predetermined rules or guidelines (other than Ms. V’s that is), and because
of this, I think that’s what allowed for such great relationships to be
built within the short timeline of 10 weeks! It’s amazing how attached the
buddies and kids can get to one another, and I’m not quite sure how it
happens, but I think it’s more than enough evidence to show that we must be
doing something right at the learning center.  *

*I can’t express how much the kids at the learning center have brought so
much joy to me this quarter, but it has moved something in me that I’ve been
on the edge about for a long time now.  I’ve always considered teaching to
be something I was interested in and wanted to pursue, but I wasn’t sure it
was something I was really that passionate about. I do love working with all
sorts of kids, and teaching them, building that relationship with them,
learning from them.  But there was truly something different and special
about my experience at the learning center that made me look back on it all
and say, “This is what makes me want to teach – to be able to interact with
kids like these, to love these kids, and to have them love you back…”  I
want to see these kids do well, I want to be there to help them learn and
grow into strong, independent individuals, I want to help them in any little
way I can.  I most certainly was not expecting this class to give me that
extra little bit of inspiration, but it did, and it’s undeniable.  It’s not
just that these kids in and of themselves are inspiring, but it’s also so
much intertwined with what you do with the kids, the relationships you make,
how you get involved with them that makes the difference for them, and for
you.  ( 3/19/09)*

* *

* *
*II:  **I do not think anything would have prepared me for what I
emotionally and mentally went through this quarter. This course truly has
been a humbling experience and it amazes me to look back to measure my
growth, not only as a student, but a person as well….. I challenged myself
and worked with people that I never worked with before. And the fact that I
survived and everything worked out shows that I can do anything I put my
mind to. If anything, I surprised myself because I was so scared and
intimidated sometimes by the adults and even the middle school girls, but
looking at the way I handle those situations, it almost came natural to me.
I never knew I had it in me* (3/19/09).



On Sun, Mar 29, 2009 at 4:44 PM, Duvall, Emily <emily@uidaho.edu> wrote:

> In my reflection work with my students I tend towards the critical,
> challenging institutionalized positionings of teachers and learners, of
> parents and children, etc. Assumptions are challenged in the work we do.
> Including assumptions about and rigid notions of a more 'knowledgeable'
> other.
> It opens up opportunities to mess with understandings of the zpd and to
> engage in conversations about scaffolding versus mediation.
>
> In some of the product oriented work, like the assessment project, it
> allows my students not only to engage in interesting conversations about
> policy, politics, accountability measures, etc and how it impacts on our
> understandings of children learning to read. In this project, requested
> by the Title teacher of a school, I hope my students will come to see
> how our grassroots efforts can address the inadequacies of the 'system'.
> Revealing the limitations of accountability with regard to its impact on
> teaching, as well, is what I see emerging in our Readers Theatre Club.
>
> Many of my students believe they live in a homogenous world where
> everyone has equal opportunity and that such things as the Aryan Nations
> are in the past and best ignored or slavery is in the past and
> irrelevant to Idaho.  Learning to break through the veneer of
> appearances, developing a critical lens on multiple
> levels...incorporating theory in a meaningful and practical way rather
> than a text book understanding... these are some of my goals.
> ~em
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu [mailto:xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu]
> On Behalf Of Peter Smagorinsky
> Sent: Sunday, March 29, 2009 2:08 PM
> To: 'eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity'
> Subject: RE: [xmca] The national context for education funding in the US
>
> I realize that service-learning has gotten a bad rap, which doesn't mean
> that it can't be carried out with intellectual rigor. My sense from
> being in
> a Fellows group on my campus is that serious s-l education is designed
> both
> to serve the community and to challenge students intellectually, and
> ideally
> to promote conceptual change regarding issues such as poverty,
> immigration,
> etc. If it's a research site (like 5D and ultimately, I hope, like my
> course), it could also provide a Hawthorne effect that could enhance the
> experience.
>
> I'm fairly comfortable with the term service-learning. The hyphen,
> incidentally, is less a grammatical touch than a sign of the connection
> between the two terms and constructs. And so while service comes first,
> and
> while courses no doubt don't eradicate poverty etc., s-l courses can
> help
> feed hungry people (my colleague's course does this) and help kids
> graduate
> (my course does this), and so they help chip away at larger problems. In
> my
> case, I developed the course because most students who enter our teacher
> ed
> program come from the honors/AP track of their high school and never met
> the
> kinds of kids they mentor/tutor in the alternative school; and yet their
> careers will undoubtedly begin with assignments to teach middle and low
> track students. So it was set up as a learning experience for my
> students in
> which, in conjunction with book club readings and discussions in class,
> they
> learn about populations with whom they have had little contact and
> develop a
> personal relationship with one kid from such a background, then put the
> experience and the readings/discussions in dialogue in order to write a
> case
> study. The book clubs are also designed to model a pedagogy that lies
> outside the repertoires of most of my students, who have been lectured
> to
> for most of their education, and suggest to them that alternatives are
> available.
>
> I was supposed to present something on this site at AERA but have no
> travel
> money left, and so have had to cancel my trip. This is the first year
> I've
> offered the course and so the syllabus will get revised in light of some
> realities that have come into play this semester (e.g., what to do when
> a
> mentoring relationship is undermined by the student's unannounced
> absences).
> But I think it's going well.....only the course evaluations know for
> sure. p
>
>
>
> Peter Smagorinsky
> Professor of English Education and Program Chair
> The University of Georgia
> 125 Aderhold Hall
> Athens, GA 30602
> smago@uga.edu/phone:706-542-4507
> http://www.coe.uga.edu/lle/faculty/smagorinsky/index.html
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu [mailto:xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu]
> On
> Behalf Of Mike Cole
> Sent: Sunday, March 29, 2009 2:19 PM
> To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
> Subject: Re: [xmca] The national context for education funding in the US
>
> What bothers me about the term, service learning, Peter, is that it
> implies
> no serious
> intellectual engagement related to the critical, scholarly activities at
> the
> university.
>
> While we still run a 5thD course of the kind described, it is by no
> means
> restricted to education
> or psych majors. Majors from all over the map participate.
> And we also are engaged in an entirely different sort  collaboration
> with a
> learning center at a HUD housing
> project. The range of joint activities is vast, as are the serious life
> problems facing all residents, so it provides
> a marvelous canvas upon which students can explore the relationship
> between
> their own life paths and the
> conditions of life of people in very different circumstances.
>
> I gather, Peter, that your experience is like mine: There is a serious,
> positive, improvement of a generalized sort
> in the further education of the undergrads. There are also some nice
> outcomes, sometimes, for people in the
> community, but it is a little difficult to erase poverty, sexism, and
> rascism by this means. But since the question
> Jay posed was about improving higher ed, and since these kinds of
> efforts
> are in perfect allignment with the
> policies of the present administration in Washington (for the moment)
> this
> line of action seems timely.
>
> Thanks for the links.
> mike
>
> On Sun, Mar 29, 2009 at 10:44 AM, Peter Smagorinsky <smago@uga.edu>
> wrote:
>
> > Hmmmm, this sounds remarkably like the way the 5th Dimension
> experience at
> > UCSD works.
> > I know that others attempt similar ways to integrate student work into
> > communities, a.k.a. "service-learning" in US contexts. I'm teaching
> such a
> > course this semester (see
> http://www.coe.uga.edu/~smago/SL/SLSyllabus.htm<http://www.coe.uga.edu/%7Esmago/SL/SLSyllabus.htm>
> <http://www.coe.uga.edu/%
> 7Esm <http://www.coe.uga.edu/%%0A7Esm>
> ago/SL/SLSyllabus.htm>
> > for the syllabus), which I developed through a grant from UGA's Office
> of
> > Service-Learning. One of my friends from the Fellows has a great
> project
> > described at http://www.uga.edu/columns/070910/news-urbanfood.html.
> These
> > efforts can also serve as great research sites and thus combine
> teaching,
> > research, and service into one project. They also provide students
> with
> > important experiences and close the town/gown gap by serving community
> > members in need. p
> >
> > Peter Smagorinsky
> > Professor of English Education and Program Chair
> > The University of Georgia
> > 125 Aderhold Hall
> > Athens, GA 30602
> > smago@uga.edu/phone:706-542-4507
> > http://www.coe.uga.edu/lle/faculty/smagorinsky/index.html
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu [mailto:xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu]
> On
> > Behalf Of Mike Cole
> > Sent: Sunday, March 29, 2009 12:02 PM
> > To: Jay Lemke
> > Cc: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
> > Subject: Re: [xmca] The national context for education funding in the
> US
> >
> > My answer to your last question, Jay.
> >
> > Make participation in real world settings, linked to relevant academic
> work
> > including reading and writing, mandatory for all students attending
> any
> > college or
> > university. Use money to do this mainly to support grad student
> supervisors
> > who themselves are gathered into groups supervised by senior
> professors as
> > one
> > of their courses.
> >
> > All evidence is that such practices improve student commitment to more
> > serious study at the university, increase the intellectual and social
> > capital of those with whom
> > they work, and increase understanding of social justice issues among
> more
> > privileged students, e.g., those who can afford to attend a
> university.
> >
> > mike
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > xmca mailing list
> > xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> > http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
> >
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