Brandon's Blog

Connections between my site and the class

Mon, 10 Apr 2006 14:04:38 -0600

One thing I have noticed between my site and the readings I have read for class is that the students at the charter school (African Americans in the inner-city) have less school knowledge than thestudents I went to high school with in Stillwater. I haven't talked with the students enough to determine the reasons, but I have seen a girl with three kids, and found that a couple of kids I have worked with don't live with their parents; David Hilfiker mentioned these as reasons for poor school performance. Another connection is that many students miss school. Also, Hilfiker notes the oppurtunity to dismantle the ghettos by looking to other countries. I see much hope for these students as all that I have talked want to go to college or work in a well-paying career; there desire is in place, and there are many people concerned about the plight of people in ghettos.
But I haven't seen or heard of violence amongst these students, so that has been absent from what I read in Urban Injustice and Our America.

Week 11

Mon, 03 Apr 2006 14:06:04 -0600

Last Wednesday I worked with Letisha and Rodney on math. Letisha previously failed her standard math test by one question, which is very unfortunate. So, she has been reviewing material for her next test, a week from today. I felt bad, considering that date, because this week is her spring break, so I will not be able to work with her again before her test. She still had a few concepts to digest also. But, I feel she will pass the test as she has made progress, she planned to study befor Monday, and she is an intelligent young person. I really like her.
Rodney, on the other hand, can be difficult. He gives me some grief, even though I helped him previously with a paper he had due. Last Wednesday I worked with him on pre-algebra. Once he learned how to do the specific problems, he flew through the material, and in fact he did some problems he didn't need to do.
I was in a unique position in that I was working with two students at the same time. I was a little discouraged since I couldn't focus on Letisha, because she desires the help more than Rodney does.

Research Project

Mon, 27 Mar 2006 14:02:35 -0600

I will look on employment possibilites regarding poor African Americans. I will do this as it relates to their job satisfaction. Then I will find out about the past, current and hopeful employment for students at my site.
I hope to find out what the students at my site desire to do regarding work for their future. This answer will be influenced by their lives, and the past of African Americans.
The students I work with at the alternative school are making an effort to get a high school degree, so I assume they have work goals. So, their thought s on employment are very important to the work I do with them when I tutor. Also, North Minneapolis has limited options, so it will be interesting to see how it has influenced the ambitions of the young people of the community.
A young women named Letisha has been my best source. She was very open with me and gave me an image of her perfect work situation. I appreciated it very much, because it allowed me into the mind of somebody with widely different perceptions. It aslo helped me to narrow my research because I became interested in job satisfaction from her comment she enjoyed working at Arby's.

Blog week 8

Mon, 06 Mar 2006 14:03:38 -0600

Today, March 6, I met with Julie and Amy, coordinators for the charter school. They supplied me with training; we talked about the cultural aspects of myself and those of many students I will encounter. In addition, they showed me resources I can use to assist my tutoring and help prepare the students for their basic standards tests. It was a good experience, both women very enthusiastic and sympatheic.
Last Wednesday I helped Rodney with a paper he had to complete. The essay question was whether a women would be capable of the presidency of the USA. He felt, irrationally, that no women was capable. But, I wasn't there to explain his support was inaccurate. My job was to show him the format of an essay: an introductory paragraph, three body paragraphs and a conclusion: the format needed to pass the writing test. We completed his paper together, I helped position his sentences, and asked him to explain himself in writing. It went well, but we were rushed at the ending so I wasn't able to go over his work when it was finished.

Blog week six

Wed, 22 Feb 2006 14:03:11 -0600

Today I went to my site for the first time. I'm tutoring at a charter school which is located in a church. It's a one room classroom, located at the top of the building. The tables form a large horseshoe and many computers sit behind them.
I met the teacher I'll work with, Kathy, and she was very helpful and enthusiastic, but a little disorganized. She sent me downstairs, into a cafateria to work on a math worksheet with a sixteen year old girl, Miranda. Miranda wanted to know the material, which was pre-algebra. I was able to understand her problems quickly, but told her a few wrong things. We worked on the worksheet for an hour and a half. I left feeling I could have done a much better job at communicating my knowledge; she was still unsure about some solutions at the end.
It was a good first day experience. I enjoyed everyone I came in contact with, and when I said goodbye to Kathy and Miranda, they both seemed like they appreciated my contribution.

Urban Injustice and Our America pregnancy similarity

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 12:57:56 -0600

In Urban Injustice, David Hilfiker spends time describing the single mother pregnany issue of ghettos. He dispells many myths and gives alternate reasons why the situation is as it is. He says fathers tend to leave their families because of a feeling of economic failure. He says teenage black girls desire children to love someone and to be loved. This is analogous to Our America. LeAlan's sister, Janell had a child at 15. When LeAlan asks about the father she says he doesn't have a job. (The father's feeling of not being able to provide economically could be a reason he's not around much) When LeAlan notes that Janell dropped out of school because of her child, she responds by saying she wouldn't change what she did. She feels her son to be the most precious, important thing in her life and she wouldn't want to give him up. In the desperation of ghettos, teenagers feel hopeless and desperate; a child is a way to acquire a purpose to their lives.

Hellhole and Jewish community

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 12:44:46 -0600

Hellhole noted that the relationship between balcks and Jews in the twenties and thirties was good despite some racial differences. The Jewish community owned many of the businesses and helped the poorer members of North Minneapolis when they were in particular financial trouble. The "Jewish community" piece noted the racial tensions that led to the Jewish exodus; tensions between blacks and jews and jews and white gentials. But, there were many members of the jewish community who worked to encourage understanding between the races before the jewish exit to the suburbs.
There was always violence in North Minneapolis. Davis said it was not uncommon to see someone beat up or a dead body on a street in the morning. The writer of the "Jewish community" piece described a conflict between a group of jews and gentials driving cars. But the increased segregation and weaponry has changed North Minneapolis. The freeways have isolated it. The jewish exodus has resulted in ending the economically vertically integrated community. The federal programs contributed to this and also racism.
The segregated community North Minneapolis now is correlates with the timeline drawn by Hilfiker. When the black riots occurred in 1967, the push to leave escalated quickly.

Thoughts about my proposed community service

Mon, 30 Jan 2006 14:02:47 -0600

I chose the Minnesota Internship Center Charter School to tutor high school students preparing for the Minnesota Basic Standards Tests. I think it is self-evident that public schools should exist, so even though I disagree with the ability of the government to defund them that these tests create, until they are removed it is important that our schools meet the set percentages. I hope I'm able to help prepare every student I work with, but I'm worried that at first I won't be able to communicate my thoughts effectively.
I have confidence that I'll be able to understand the material, emphasis on mathematics, because I was able to undertsand the material when I was younger. But, I'll have to look over their problems, read in their books of how to solve the problems before I'm able to help them.
I have night class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I typically work on Mondays, so Wednesday evenings and Fridays are the days I'll be able to contribute. I have a car, so transportation is not a concern.
At the end of the semester, if I'm able to help the students I work with pass their tests, I will acquire a feeling of satisfaction.

Understanding service

Mon, 23 Jan 2006 14:31:40 -0600

The example of Noblesse Oblige the writer used, "You perform community service because you fell fortunate and able to help out someone else," I thought was stretched by the writer. I didn't see as an implication in her/his definition that he/she had elevated themselves above the "servee" on moral grounds. I only understood her definition that some are more fortunate in a physical sense: i.e. money. Rather than using your time to spend your money, some engage in community service.
But I thought it was helpful of the writer of Understanding Service, to stress the amount of knowledge bestowed upon the "server." As the biological difference between servers and servees is non-existent, politically it is very fruitful to understand the ways a person is in their situation; to realize the connection of how my decisions and actions or inactions affect other people.
I liked the emphasis put on the interdependence of people.