Alyssa Petrarca Fall 2016 Blog

From completing my service learning project this semester, I truly discovered that I want to be an elementary education school teacher.   This  experience  was something I was nervous for because  I never  been inside an  inner-city  school. I will never forget the first day I came home and told my mom I had to volunteer in a school in Providence. I was worried about the area around me, the people who lived around the school, and what the school would be like inside. I also  feared  what the students would think of me and if they would like me. That was until the first day, I walked in and was greeted with nothing but smiles and hugs. It changed me as a person and made me see a different side of life. Growing up I was  lucky  enough to always have a jacket on when it was cold, had a lunch my mom made me every morning, and always had a pair of socks on me feet to keep me warm. Going into this school and seeing many students on...

Kilewer    “Citizenship in School: Re-conceptualizing Down Syndrome"  This blog post is going to be based off of Rachel B. Reading the article and seeing how frustrated the young girl gets when she finds out she cannot take any of the classes she wants because she is special needs. By not allowing her into these classrooms its taking away at her learning experience and ability to learn. Reading Rachel's blog made me completely agree with her because I had a similar experience too her when I was in school. In elementary school special education students were put in normal classrooms but always had a student aid with then. Then when I got into middle school they were both in regular classes and in their own rooms.  In middle school we were put on teams and the teachers picked five students on each team to spend their advisory time in the gym hanging out with students that had special needs. Being able to have this experience working with them and seeing how hap...

In my service learning, classroom I finally have gotten to know the students. All of them are different in their own unique way. The classroom is filled with  primary  students of  Hispanic  or African American decent. There  are  three students in the class who are white. You will see students wearing the same shirt or  pants multiple times in a  week.    The   three white kids in my class you can tell are from a higher social class. They dressed in designer clothing and I never see the student wear the same thing twice in a week. One of the girls will always have dresses on with bows or  ribbons  in her hair where none of the other girls have that. One of the students on a  sixty-five-degree  day came into school with snow boots on. Some of the students don’t even have winter jackets. They will wear just a sweatshirt outside to recess because they have nothing else.     When talking to th...

Service Learning In the article of In The Service Of What? The Politics Of Service Learning, by Joseph Kahne and Joel Westheimer two approaches of service learning are mentioned. The two different approaches were to show that their is multiple ways to service learning not just one. One example was Mr. Johnson's approach were he had his students go out in the community to help others in need. For example, one student prepared and distributed survival kits for the homeless, another student ran errands for doctors and helped patients locate there sites for appointments. This approach had students work one on one with people. Ms. Adams took a different approach, she had a seventh grade classroom who focused more on helping the community without going into the community. She had the classroom vote on what topic concerned students the most.  The class picked homelessness. "Their service learning unit "Homelessness Here and Elsewhere"--examined the social,  economic...

Gender & The 2018 Election In Soloway's and Stacey Abrams article they both talk about what it's like to be a women in twenty eighteen. Soloway's article talks more about men and how they talk about women in a vulgar way. They use the words, "that" instead of saying lady or women. I believe in today's society men are so used to talking about women in a vulgar way they don't even think what they are doing is wrong. When I go out with my guy friends they all do it. They will stand in a circle and talk about a women's body and stare at her. They will refer to her as "that" and say what they like just from looking at her. Being a girl myself,  I feel many women are used to men talking about women and discriminating them. As a whole men and women both need to stop discrimination and realize what they say before they say it. This relates to Zelle's article "Eleven and Gender Fluid," on how the mothers daughter was a transgend...

11 & Gender Fluid After reading Erin Zelle's article I feel for her daughter and everything she has to go through in today's society. When your in elementary school and going into middle school your hormones are all over the place and your trying to figure out who you are. I feel that anyone should be able to express themselves in whatever way they want too. Its awful to think that someone has to goes places and get made fun of because of who they are trying to be. I think another problem is parents don't make their children aware of transgenders so when they see it they don't know how to act, especially in elementary school.When I was a kid I wouldn't leave the house unless I was in a pink tutu and wearing Cinderella heels. It didn't matter if my parents were going to Target or the grocery store I had to wear that exact outfit. I used to play t-ball as a kid and would run around the bases in jelly sandals with princesses on them. My mom would say ...