Sunday, November 8, 2015

Patrick J. Finn- Hyperlink

It's sad to think that Fin has a truth in what he preaches in his book Literacy with an Attitude.  
At birth the classification a person is informally assigned to, depicts their success and education in the future.  

Growing up in a middle class family myself, with one teacher and one egineer in the household, I was able to get a very sufficient education.  I believe this education set up the foundation for my life.  In my school I was taught to respect, trust authority, and  taught to become a successful working piece of our "wonderful" society.  In my schooling I was given opportunities and resources to become a smart, functioning, important person in this world.  

For other schools like Providence, children are taught through their easy assignments to fear authority and do what is asked of you or else.  In my school we were encouraged to do school work, and allowed room for error and creativity.  In inner city, lower class, areas the curriculum is leaving no room for error because the work is so easy, and fear in having to do the work or else you will be in trouble.  Finn goes into deep explanation of the gap that consistently is widened between lower class education, and the classes higher on the social latter.  Finn discusses this oppression and struggle that is placed upon lower class students.  Stating that this students become the "hard-bitten teachers" (Finn 8) because they are so bitter from all of these forces going against them in life.  These students in the lower class school levels have been" prepared for wage labor- labor that is mechanical and routine" (Finn 12). Finn argues that this mechanical routine mind set derives straight from the education they've received.  Their work that is given is easy, repetitive, mechanical, ruled based assignments that have no true deeper purpose.  

In richer communities Finn adresses that this is not the same case.  In higher class education children are breed to be creative, and critically think.  They're taught the deeper meaning behind things and not given a right or wrong type of work.  They are allowed to have their own ideas and opinions, and are almost encourage to do so.  There is an education gap that many argue is not present, but in the podcasts, The Problem We all Live in: Part I & II,  the educational gap is discussed in great detail.  There is a present, not past, educational gap between lower class education and that of higher classes.  This gap like said in the podcasts, can be closed, through integration and allowing for all children to start off with the somewhat the same opportunities.  However, that is not how America runs, like Finn says, our society fears that exact thing.  It fears giving these children and equal opportunity will create that social class Finn states of "rich, richer, richest" (Finn).  

Finn also relates to Delpit in that all we do teach are these codes and powers, but they're not the same ones that are taught from lower class education to higher class education.  In lower class the codes and rules that are taught, are teaching the children to fear authority and that they have to believe and follow all of these codes and rules of society or else they will go no where in life.  But on the other hand, higher status education encourages children to fight against what they are taught and to make their mark in the world. 

Is the difference for opportunity clear enough yet? 


"I'd like to hope that a child's expectations are not determined on the day he or she enters kindergarten, but it would be foolish to entertain such a hope unless there are some drastic changes made" (Finn 25)






  

5 comments:

  1. I really like how you connect yourself and Providence into your blog and then add quotes to everything that you are saying as well! I also like all the pictures that you added as well!

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  2. I like the personal connection you make here and the way you link this to something we can all relate to - education in providence. Thanks for sharing!!!

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  3. I really liked your blog post and the connections you made. Great job!

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  4. really like your personal connection

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