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 It's a White man's world 
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The most recent readings we have done for class have had to do with race, and the disadvantage that minorities have. Even in the reading about ebonics, we saw how that Standard English is the dialect of preference, and if a person does not speak or write in that form, they are many times considered illiterate. Standard English is a dialect that caters to the middle class white person. Other dialects from minorities are not respected as equal. Then in the reading about the incarceration rates of minorities, we see that the rates are unbalanced. It seems that if you aren't a white, middle class citizen, then the cards are stacked against you. This made me think about my own education. I received a good education, and I have some success in our society today. What if I wasn't Caucasian? What if I had the same intelligence level, but I was African American instead? Would I be where I am today? With this new awareness, I hope that I always see equal opportunities for all my students, regardless of race. Maybe little by little, I can help change America from being just a white man's world.

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~Victoria Hayes


Wed Oct 17, 2007 4:46 pm
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I agree with you Victoria. Until class yesterday I had not ever thought of another dialect as correct because I always considered Standard American English as the "correct" way to speak. It truly is amazing to see the different ways in which we speak the same language. It brings the idea of different cultures and backgrounds to another level. Even in a seperate background, our students will be brought up to speak English in different ways. It will be a task to remember to consider this when we teach our students Standard American English and be understanding of their backgrounds.

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-Tiffany Mease


Wed Oct 17, 2007 6:24 pm
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Victoria,
Your ideas made me think of the 4th chapter in "A Home on the Field" by Paul Cuadros. At this point, the Latinos have a huge population in Siler City. One of the elementary schools has a majority of Latino students. The "White Men" begin to freak out, because their children are the minorities. They begin to transfer them to other schools and hold meetings against the Latinos. One of biggest issues is the dialect that the Latinos speak.... a completely different language. This scares the "white men" in the White Man's World, because the world in Siler City is changing. The white men begin to intimidate the Latinos, making sure that the cards are not stacked in their favor. I guess what I am saying is that so many people see the world in such a way, and white people are afraid to see this change. As teachers we need to help our students feel comfortable in many situations.

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Audrey Fowler


Thu Oct 18, 2007 1:33 pm
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I thought so many great ideas came from the readings and the discussion we held on Tuesday. Along with Tiffany I had never really considered any dialect other than Standard American English. I was very surprised to hear the information Dr. Turner had given about dialect but then it all made sense to me. I was also very excited about this discussion because now I can feel comfortable in the way (dialect and accent) that I speak, and if anyone says something I have information to back up my language. I do want to point out however that I feel something needs to be addressed with standardized testing and the language barriers that are in place.
:lol:

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Nikki Ballance


Thu Oct 18, 2007 1:44 pm
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I think that even more important than the disadvantages dealt out to minority and underprivelidged populations, the population that has advantages seems completely unwilling to give up any power. It just seems like a constant truth that those who have intellectual power are willing to keep it through violent force. Relating to the lynching post cards, the immense number of crowds , 500 people at times, that simply want to take a brick and shove it into someone's face as an exercise of power blows me away. Relating to education, people really want the best for their children. If that means bullying an entire population of people out of a school or developing tests that tests only what they find important, people seem ready and willing to push others down so their kids may get a leg up.


Thu Oct 18, 2007 1:53 pm
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That's a great point Chase. People with power are definitely not going to give that power up without a fight. It's sad how some people have to get their way all the time without any concern for others. Like you said, many people today are only concerned about their kid's education, never stopping to think about what would benefit the entire class, grade or even school.

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Jonathan Chase Weaver


Sat Oct 20, 2007 11:47 am
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