November 15, 2006

unDELETE Article by Michael Roth and Michelle K. McGinn

Interesting Concepts:

Caught in a vicious circle, the girls in the Physics class are unwilling actors in their own failure. There are high stakes in this vicious circle-their careers, self-esteem, perception of justice, gender stereotyping etc. Negative forces on their futures are the 'successful boys' in their group who make the girls seem incapable and by removing opportunities to learn. Zero engagement is possible which leads to zero learning.The grade system in sciences which is based on results from exams and lab reports is a contributing factor to their failure by consciously refusing to take into account the negative learning situation. Zero learning from zero participation in lab leads to zero results in exams. The lack of appropriate evaluative measures for Rhonda (verbal assessment, interview, research report with other girls) is an actor in the network by virtue of its absence. The teacher who does not take the time to circulate during lab cannot possibly notice or consider the learning environment as a negative factor in Rhonda's results. When university admissions look at her grades (incriptions and representatives) which are the only representation they consider, they have an inaccurate picture of Rhonda...a false picture. Stuck in their love of bureaucracy, habit-forming routine-driven process, admissions 'think' they have the whole picture and are quite pretentious about the power of grade point average. So stuck they are in this narrowminded pathway, they are incapable of adapting their process even when people point out the downfalls.

Examples:This situation reminds me of a family in my neighbourhood of four girls. I was helping the youngest girl with French conversation one day when she informed me that nowadays at U.B.C Admissions, they actually are changing their process. Students leave high school with a portfolio containing 'inscription' examples of their school life. Students include documents on: community service, other volunteer activities, fine arts participation, involvement in school committees, letters of recommendation, political initiatives and finally their grades. Admissions also conduct interviews with the student in order to assess more thoroughly. Many inscriptions contribute to a truer representation of a human being. Regarding the grades issue: My daughter received a geography test last week which indicated a very low result-close to failing. The content of the test was Québec geography and 'les régions administratives'....intéressement '0' ! experience in Québec '0'...does this represent her geographical knowledge in Québec-'yes' (She did study) Does this represent her geographical knowledge of Canada and the world?-'non'. For a 14 year-old who drove across Canada last summer with her father and who is interested in the plight of the poor and the environment (does google research on global issues) I believe her geographical knowledge is advanced compared to many québecois teenagers in her PEI class. Moral of story...intéressement affects representation. It is a driving force in the network of education.

November 22 Michel Foucault

Interesting concepts and my perception:

The evolution of the prison system from corporal punishment to imprisonment to 'self-imprisonment was long but drastic. The concept of the 'panop..' design in incarceration actually transforms the victim (criminels) of prison officials into victims of themselves. Through constant surveillance or perception of surveillance, prisoners psych themselves (unwittinglingly) into self regulators or self-punishers. Prisoners become prison guards in an economical establishment which has everything to do with power and nothing to do with bettering the individual.

Our punishment system in elementary schools...have we gone too far with anti-bullying?

Relating our reading/learning to our life experience...now this is fun learning. News from my 11 year old daughter Chloé who is attending an English school this year reported first to sister then to me: 'You know what happened today at school Mom? (pseudonyms) Carly was taking too much time putting away her work so we all had to stay in at recess. Emma was mad at her so when we were eating lunch she said to everyone, 'here comes that Carly, let's all move over when she gets here.' So then the supervisor came over and asked me, 'what happened Chloé?' and I told her what Emma had said. Now Emma is suspended for the day and she is mad at me now!' Remove the perpetrator from the group for a day and that will solve what exactly? I believe it will deepen her resolve to stay angry at the world and discourage her from changing her ways.

Put her in prison where her exclusion, loneliness and issues will overwhelm her. Surround her with others who have the same issues and expect her to rehabilitate.

Pow Wow: Face off with the devil. How about bringing in the school counsellor and having a round table discussion no holes barred? Emma is forced to listen to Carly's version and empathise with her situation. Carly is forced to listen to Emma's frustration with the situation caused by the teacher when she punished the group for one student's mistake. Apologies are uttered, inclusion favoured and power is redistributed in an atmosphere of understanding.