In the Service of What? The Politics of Service Learning

Author’s Argument:

Kahne and Westheimer argue that in order to “serve” the community, we need to reflect and change what needs to be fixed inside the community. They investigate two cases of service learning-- both reflect on matters affecting the community. In order to be a citizen, we have to provide a service learning experience to our resumes.

Quotes:

1.) “He argued for the creation of ‘miniature communities' in which students would work together to identify and respond to problems they confronted” (4).

In today's democratic society, there are many people in need of assistance. As citizens we have to recognize these people and find our own ways of helping them. The miniature communities that the authors are talking about are our own neighborhoods of helping hands. As a VIPS volunteer, I think that the school I work at is a miniature community because it is filled with children who need to be taught something. It is my responsibility to recognize these students and to respond by teaching them what I think is best for their learning experience.

2.) “In contrast, much of the current discussion regarding service learning emphasizes charity, not change. The claim regarding the relation of service learning to the development of altruism is relatively articulate and, in many respects, compelling” (4).

It is so difficult to change a person. A student may volunteer because he/she has to do it. But to get a student to take something away from charity and learn and grow from their experience is an amazing feat. I know that in high school we had to do charity work in order to graduate. I worked at a nursing home, but I was not appreciative of my experience. I received no change from my experience. I just did it because I had to. But working with VIPS has made me feel like I was changing a child's life by being at the school and working one on one with him/her.

The authors identify charity as "giving" and the deep relationship received from charity as "caring". I think that when you volunteer, you are giving yourself to another person. As a young adult, I recognize that when you give your energy into something, you become selfless. That is what I get out of service learning. I drop the "me, me, me" act and think of someone besides myself. That is altruism.

3.) “Maybe this [community service] is what citizenship is about, acting in a decent way toward people who live where we live” ( 9).

What JFK said about serving your country is true. We need to ask what WE can do for our country, not the other way around. Why not serve the people who need help? What if we ever needed help? Would we hope for assistance? I know I would. In middle school I learned about reciprocal respect. Do unto others, as they do unto you. Under Obama's new US policies, we should provide service anywhere we see fit. It is all about citizenship.

Comments:

I thought this article was pretty boring because before we started with VIPS, we discussed how we need to provide service and learn from it. Going to a Catholic school my whole life, I know what charity work and giving is all about. As I am maturing, I realize that I am learning and growing from my service learning. It makes me feel good to help out. I do not want to do it because I have to (like I have done in the past). I want to be a citizen of the US and according to Kahne and Westheimer, I need to provide my services to those who need it.

Unlearning the Myths that Bind Us by Linda Christensen

Argument:

Christensen argues that through the media--children's books, children's movies, clothing ads, etc.--we can see that the world is dominated by one race, sex, class, or country. She wants the parents and teachers of the world to break this mold by making children realize that our society is distorted and it is up to everyone to dissect the media.

Quotes:

1. "...So why dissect the dreams..My dreams keep me from dealing with the unpleasant."

This quote was spoken by a student analyzing the media. All of her dreams, as well as who she is now, has been formed by Disney moves. The student says that all of her dreams are related to each other. The way she acts, thinks, and speaks are all influenced by her dreams. So, why would she want to alter her dreams? I think she has a fear of knowing that the media does "steal" her dreams because subconsciously that's where she got the dreams from. Starting as a little girl and developing into a young adult, the media has given her these dreams.

2. "Happiness means getting a man and transformation from wretched conditions can be achieved through consumption--in [Cinderella's] case, through new clothes and a new hairstyle."

This quote sums up the media. Any television show or movie or advertisement, you can see the need for consumption. This can mean anything from having a man to owning the newest pair of skinny jeans. Self worth is determined by what you have. If you don't have a man or a new style, then you are unhappy. I disagree that these two things will make me happy. I think that surrounding myself with good people, family, and friends, will make me completely content.

3. "Women who aren't white begin to feel left out and ugly because they never get to play the princess."

Almost every princess is white. There are the exceptions of Mulan and Jasmin. Two out of a lot more princesses are non-white. That is sad to see because there are waaaaay more than two people in our world who are non-white. As a white woman, who has a white three year old niece who loves Tinkerbell (that is a different issue in itself), I find that it must be difficult to fathom the idea that a non-white three year old girl rarely sees a princess who looks like her. I wonder who those little girls look up to?

Questions/ Comments:

What a sad article to read. I didn't actually cry while reading this article, but I did find it disturbing to read how distorted our media is, especially the cartoons I grew up watching. I mean I am set in my ways now, but I have a two year old nephew and a three year old niece who are very moldable. I think if you showed several types of cartoons, they could develop their own sense of the world. But maybe cartoons that have no people could be a better option to show kids because their is no race. However, if they looked at Spongebob Squarepants, then they would see a fat starfish who was dumb. Therefore, maybe they just shouldn't watch any cartoons because they all offer a negative mindset, whether it be with race, body type, ethnicity, or financial status. Now what can kids watch? National Geographic...and that's pretty much it.

Fin.

homosexuality=contagious?

Dennis Carlson, Gayness, Multicultural Education, and Community

Carlson's Argument:
Carlson argues that public schools have a large part in rebuilding a multicultural community, in which sexuality is recognized and the silence is broken.

Quotes:

• In Carlson's argument he talks about a broken silence about sexual orientation. On page 237, Carlson references Willard Waller. Waller wrote The Sociology of Teaching, in 1932. In it he argues that homosexuality is contagious! Ridiculous, I know, but I didn't say it, Willard did. "He argued that homosexual teachers represented a danger to their students...certain [that] homosexuality is contagious". I chose this specific quote because it give some sort of voice towards homosexuality. It may not be a positive one that I agree with, but it is a start. The silence is broken.
• "In the late 1940s and early 1950s, homosexuality and communism were closely linked as threats to the 'American way of life'" (Carlson 237). So, now we have homosexuality as being contagious and threatening to the great American people. Given the time period when this was thought of, I can see where they were coming from. WWII had just ended and a Cold War had Brewed. Everyone had to watch their backs, people who seemed different from the SCWAAMP concept, were thought of as a threat.
• "These abuses get tolerated because gay teachers and students operate in an environment where they feel afraid to stand up for themselves" (Carlson 239). Homosexuals in our society are often teased, made fun of, beaten, and even killed. The "don't ask, don't tell" policy started by our military is very important because if no one knows your gay, you run the chance of not getting abused. I mean, how can one person stand up for every homosexual in our society? They can't. They know that nothing is going to change, so they tolerate this abuse. It is probably hard to find a dominant voice where you know no one is going to listen.

Comments:

I thought that it was funny to read some of the ideas formulated by people throughout the 1930s through 50s. The idea of homosexuality being contagious was ludicrous. Some of these ideas were far to crazy for me to fathom.

I feel like this article relates to Secondary Ed. teachers. Early and Elementary Ed. teachers should not have to worry about this. Middle and High schoolers are the ones to worry about. They harshly tease each other, but imagine if they found out their teacher was gay or a lesbian? The harassment would never end. Also, the curriculum in the younger grades seems to be neutral--there is no sexuality, besides the heterosexual mother and father combo. Most of the kids in these younger grades seem to think that the opposite sex has cooties anyway. When you get to the older grades, the students start to have more opinions of the world and our society.

***This article seemed the same as all the others, illustrating the idea of the privileged class. I'm wondering when people are going to realize this idea and fix the injustice made to those who have barely none, if any, privilege. ***