Renkly & Bertolini: Shifting the Paradigm

 

Talking Points:

1. Renkly and Bertolini say “When schools focus solely on at-risk behaviors exhibited by students, they tend to work reactively rather than proactively” (pg. 3). This really stood out to me because I have to agree, we need to focus on proactive strategies like creating a better environment. Ways we can do this can be building better relationships, coping strategies, and reinforcing positive behaviors. A deficit model does tend to focus on what students cannot do which is the wrong way to see it. Our students do not have the confidence or strategies to move forward when we focus on the negative. This very often just brings them down.

2. “These include commitment to learning, positive values, social competencies, and positive identity. Through multiple studies of over one million students in grades 6-12 performed by Search Institute, they have proven repeatedly that the more assets a student possesses, the more thriving behaviors the student showcases and the less likely that student will exhibit risky behaviors” (pg.4). Ways we can support students in this are very simple. We can address bias and address cultural backgrounds. This can make students feel comfortable which can in turn help their education thrive. As Renkly said, asset building provides a better outlook for community members as well. When members in our community are willing, we create a nurturing environment. Communities naturally do get nervous when they hear about problems arising. However, when we shift the thought from “problems” to building youth programs where our students can be active in the community, we foster strength. Our students are then around positive relationships which helps improve at-risk behaviors.

3.  On page 5 Renkly and Bertolini talk about how much of an impact teachers make on students. When they have high expectations that highlight student strengths, students succeed. Students realize that failure is not bad and that goals are achievable. Setting small, attainable goals for students can help this. I can relate to this because I can remember a college professor that taught like this. I was able to realize that even when I did not do well on the test, I could just do better on the next. While this is a very reasonable thought, that can be hard for students to admit when they are in a negative environment. If your professor is bringing you down after a failure, how do you expect to do better? It was also talked about focusing on individualized learning like personalized instruction. This shows that not every child is the same and individual needs are met for success.

Argument Statement:

In our world, it is common practice for people to focus their attention on what is broken

and how to fix it. Education does not benefit from the deficit model. 

Connections/Reflections:

I can connect with the fact that a lot of schools do focus on the deficit model. I have seen that districts have assumed students from lower income homes and or different ethnic backgrounds do not value education. This could not be more wrong and that is why the deficit model does not work. Schools need to focus on enhancing student learning since the deficit model ignores that. When I was in school, I can agree that when I was surrounded by positive adults in school activity-based programs, I did better in school. I was a part of the cross county and track team and during these times I did well in school. I can contribute this with the positive relationships I had and the success I gained from the after school sports. I looked forward to sports after school which in turn made me more invested in my education. This can go for other after school activities like journalism, chess club, etc. The more students are involved in positively influencing them, the better. I enjoyed the quote from Renkley and Bertolini that said, “No matter how old a child is, they all need adults that are willing to mentor them, catch them if they fall, and encourage them to get back up and try again. This can only be done with an asset model” (pg. 5). In my previous blog I talked a lot about my undergraduate experience before nursing school and how negatively my advisor/professors impacted me. Once I left that university and got into a nursing program, I quickly realized how positive professors can impact education. They clearly followed the asset model, they did not focus on my failures or previous grades (or in some students cases, previous risky behaviors).

The Broken Model: History of the American School

Talking Points:

1. Khan states “Basic as the habit of eating three meals a day. Is there some biological imperative dictating that we should eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner versus two or four or five meals? Some Buddhist monks eat one meal a day at midday. There is some recent evidence that suggests alternate-day fasting might also be a healthy option. Why, then, do most of us cling to the habit of breakfast,lunch, and dinner, even though most of us today do much less” (pg.2). This is just something we have always done because it is a cultural habit. We do a lot of things that are “cultural habits” like having certain types of foods, going to certain schools, etc. Khan mentions this is something we take for granted and I agree. If we did not have allotted lunch breaks or restaurants that offer lunch vs. dinner options. It can be difficult to challenge these norms, and this goes for other norms embedded in our culture as well.

2. Khan also talks about handing out test scores like A’s, B’s, C’s, and D’s. What does that actually accomplish and are we doing more harm than good? The same goes for standardized tests (pg.16). This can create labels and put students in categories that may not truly reflect who they are. We know that certain students perform better on standardized tests than others and that a particular test does not make a person. For example, I did terribly on my SATS in high school. I probably received one of the lower scores. I was still able to get into nursing school and graduate as a nurse. Yes, it may have taken me longer, but I still did it. During high school not doing well on the SATS definitely put me in a different head space like I was not good enough. That I could not apply to certain schools all because of a test score that reflected nothing. Another example of this would be in nursing school, I passed every class with a  B. I never received an A, does that make me any less than the nursing student that got all A’s? I understand there needs to be a cut-off grade for certain specialties, but I feel like as a culture we can do better and not label our students. 

3. “The danger of using assessments as reasons to filter out students, then, is that we may overlook or discourage those whose talents are of a different order—whose intelligence tends more to the oblique and the intuitive. At the very least, when we use testing to exclude, we run the risk of squelching creativity before it has a chance to develop” (pg. 22). This quote may seem similar to my last talking point, but I feel this really stood out to me. Testing does indeed exclude and this can create a bit of a bias. Just because someone does not perform to a certain standard, they are cut. Why are we not giving them the chance to excel in a different category? Maybe their creativity would pull through showing they are capable. The example Khan used was the student Nadia being prepared for her placement test because her parents prepared her. Because of this she was able to pass and excel. If she did not have the support from her parents, this may not have been the case for her. Expectations would have shifted. 

Argument Statement:

If you want students to truly learn something, we cannot just have them listen, read, and repeat. We need to allow students to explore on their own so they are not set up for failure. We cannot hold every student to the same standard and expect them to thrive. 

Connections/Reflections:

In the film A short History of Public Schooling John Gatto says "Universal schooling has destroyed the imagination”. He mentions the constant bells, ordering lunch at a certain time, having to be at school at a certain time, and testing/ranking. This is made to regiment students and prepare them for adulthood. Couture mentions we are sending children to school to essentially take our place. When it is put like that, I can see why creativity is felt to be absent in schools. That we may be treating students all the same. I can connect slightly. When I was in high school I felt I was able to be creative, I was able to thrive in sports. Academics I always struggled so sports were my outlet. If my teachers instilled the theory that even though I was not top in my class or in honors classes that I was still going to make it, I think my academics could have been better. Looking back I could have pushed myself more, but I was just in that constant state of needing to just “graduate” and push through. I was an average student grade wise, but still I knew I was not getting into prestigious colleges because being on the high honor roll with straight A’s was where you needed to be and that was not me. I also remember my school pushing college. You had to go to college and they would not even talk about community college or trades.  I felt like going and getting the “college experience” was literally the only option. I love being a nurse and would never change that, however, I would have done my research on community colleges before just settling. My “college experience” did not do me well. I felt I had to go away for college and quickly realized it was not for me and returned home. Due to this, I was not able to immediately get into their nursing program and had to transfer schools to then get into another nursing program. This ties back to my talking points about falling into cultural norms.

Colorblindness is the New Racism

 Colorblindness is the New Racism 

Talking Points:

1. Armstrong and Wildmen state “Color insight requires recognition of the myth of perspectivelessness and unmasking white normative” (pg. 6). This stood out to me because to understand racism, we need to understand that not all perspectives are neutral and that white perspectives can be seen as the norm. It is important to note that just because something has been made the “norm” does not mean it has to be the norm. White perspectives can often be set as the standard. This can make other perspectives be seen as wrong or different which Armstrong and Wildmen try to get the audience to understand. Discrimination continues due to the fact of privilege dynamic and that needs to be recognized. 

2. “We advocate for the application of color insight rather than colorblindness as an approach to thinking about race” (pg.8). Colorblindness can promote inequality thus avoiding seeing race as an issue. Color insight counters colorblindness by recognizing race can impact everyday experiences. Armstrong and Wildmen state that color insight should be incorporated into the classroom by utilizing techniques like racial observation exercises. These exercises can help race be seen in everyday scenarios rather than ignored. 

3. “ In educational settings, faculty and students of color often carry the major responsibility for highlighting issues of racial justice.They should not shoulder the institutional work of either caring about race or the onus of educating their White colleagues” (pg.66). It should not be expected that faculty and students of color are the only ones to address inequalities. White students and faculty should be able to address it as well so it is a shared responsibility. Not sharing the responsibility can allow some people to escape accountability. These conversations may feel uncomfortable for some, but that does not mean they should not be talked about. 

Argument Statement:

Colorblindness is the New Racism argues that unacknowledged white privilege is embedded in our society. Those who benefit from privilege may avoid responsibility which in turn places burden onto others. Privilege can be built into laws, policies, and norms which can blind people from seeing it, thus making them avoid accountability. 

Connections/Reflections:

I can connect this to my work as a school nurse by acknowledging that privilege can affect health outcomes. Not having access to healthcare, medications, doctors, and or nutrition can pose a serious risk on health. In my clinic I can assist my students' families with finding a primary care doctor if they need one. I can also provide them with other resources if a primary care doctor is not feasible. I always allow my students to have access to food in my clinic for those students that may have food insecurities. I let them take whatever they would like and as many as they would like. Attendance is also something else I am involved with and I often find myself explaining to others that a student may be out frequently for many reasons. Attendance can go the other way as well in the aspect that students truly love coming to school and do not like going home. I have some students who will come to school very sick and ask not to be sent home. That can show the privilege others have. They enjoy going home because they know it is a safe place while others do not have that sense of security. I did enjoy reading about the power line exercise on page 71. I think it is very important to identify privilege and subordination, talking about above the line vs. below the line. Having students discuss how often they talk about/acknowledge privileged attributes. I very much enjoyed the ted talk color blind or color brave. We need to acknowledge race and disparities. We need to have those uncomfortable conversations so that inequality does not continue to exist.

Privilege, Power, and Difference

 

Talking Points:

1. Johnson states "The trouble around difference is really about privilege and power-the existence privilege and the lopsided distribution of power that keeps it going. The trouble is rooted in the legacy we have all inherited" (pg.15). It is up to us how we continue and move forward. This is a topic that is not talked about due to fear, and this is fear is what keeps people from addressing the issues head on. Ignoring what is in front of us can create a false reality says Johnson. The diversity wheel is a way Johnson was able to put this into perspective.
2. Johnson also discusses oppression, the flip slide of privilege. For every person that is privileged, there are people who are oppressed. Oppression can result from social relationships which can be caused based off personal experiences. With this being said, someone can very much so be oppressed by society. Johnson said "As we saw earlier, people in privileged categories can certaintly feel bad in ways that can resemble oppression. Men for example can feel burdened by what they take to be their responsibility to provide for their families"(pg.40). Just because these men may feel oppressed does not mean they are oppressed. This is why the definition of oppression can be distorted. 
3. Privilege as a paradox is discussed stating "Individuals are the ones who experience privilege or the lack of it, but individuals aren't what is actually privileged. Instead, privilege is defined as in relation to a group or social category"(pg.34). With this being said, someone does not receive "race privilege" because of who they are, it is due to whiteness being privileged in this society. Johnson also discusses here how you can lose privilege. "When it comes privilege it does not matter who we really are. What matters is what people think we are, which is to say the social categories they put us in".

Argument Statement:

The author Alan G. Johnson in the text Privilege, Power, and Difference argues that difference is not the problem. We need to acknowledge that the longer we ignore privilege, the longer we promote a false illusion. Many of us are afraid of what we don't know or understand. 

Connections:

The following text connects very closely to my work as a school nurse. When I see a large variety of students with complex medical needs, I need to keep in mind the access they might not have. In this case it is important not to jump to the conclusion that a family "does not care". They might not have access to basic needs. I can help provide resources like food, clothing, and even help point parents into the direction of certain primary care physicians.

Reflections:

After reading the article I can say I learned a lot and was able to reflect on my current practices. My current elementary school where I work is very diverse. This article helped me better understand how differences among students are often shaped by larger systems of privilege and power rather than individual choices. It showed me that I can go even above and beyond of what I am already doing for my students. It is important to note that there is always room for change and improvement to better my students.