Me: January 2011

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

"As Soon as She Opened Her Mouth"

This reading was very disturbing to me, because I have never really looked at literacy in that point of view. However, after reading this, I totally agree with all of the statements, and feel like this is very true. Teacher's usually have stereotypes of children that come from lower-class families. They usually assume that their parent's are not educated, and are basically ignorant. They usually assume that these parent's do not care about their child's education, and are not able to help them to achieve. So what do the teachers do in return, they usually ignore these student's and do not try to help them succeed. In all honestly, I think these are the student's that teachers should pay close attention to, and to do everything in their power to make sure they understand. If a student succeeds in school and likes school, then they are more likely to not drop out and to further their education. Teachers should want whats best for these students, and should encourage them to better their lives. I think it is awful that the teachers and principle kept ignoring Donny's mom, because they knew she didn't have a lot of money and wasn't very educated. They just assumed she didn't care what happened to her son. People need to quit having this stereotype on others, and maybe our world would be a better place. I also found it to be very true where they were talking about how children pick up literacy, at a very young age. Children recognize that when you write, you are making words, and when you read, you are opening your mouth. I think it is very important for adults to be a role model for children, and encourage them to read and write.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Mountaineer

Do you think West Virginia has been able to hang onto our traditions and way of life to a greater degree than other states? If so, why?

I do think that West Virginia has been able to hang onto traditions and way of life more than other states, because a lot of people that are from West Virginia, typically do not leave the state. Although there is not a lot of opportunities in West Virginia, many people feel safe and do not want to leave the mountains. We still have a lot of the old jobs, such as coal mining, which keeps a lot of people in the area. The woman in the video said she feels safe in West Virginia, because the mountains are like a blanket. They protect us from tornadoes, and are like a shield. She said that she doesn't like it when people can see what she is doing a mile away. I agree with this, although I like to get away from West Virginia sometimes, its always nice to get back home.

Have you experienced prejudice or negative stereotyping because you are a West Virginian? Have you experienced positive reactions?

Yes I have experienced plenty of negative stereotyping since I live in West Virginia. I've been asked if I date my brother, because people think there is a lot of "incest" in our state. I've been asked if I live in Western Virginia, because they didn't know there was a state West Virginia. I don't really understand how people get through school thinking there are only 49 states. I've also been asked if I live on a farm with dirt floors and chickens running all around the house. It really bothers me that people think this low of West Virginia. As for positive reactions, some people have told me they love West Virginia, and think it is a beautiful state. A lot of people recognize West Virginia from the WVU Mountaineers, and that is the only thing they know about it. Some people have also told me they like to come to our state because they love to come to our ski resorts.