Reading Notes

  Burton, J.M. Preface. Ch. 9. Early Adolescence: Ideas in search of forms This chapter gave a mixed assessment of children between the ages of 10-14 years old. My major take-away was how this period is an investigation of truth. Children are asking questions about themselves and the world around them. They are asking "serious" questions about life, connections, and hypocrisy. Due to the investigative mode (mindset) comic strips and doodling prove to be excellent forms of expression for thinking about topics, questions, streams of consciousness. Burton states that it is the "Stage of Reasoning" highlighted by Lowenfeld that is flanked by a shaky foundation of truth/reality and the need to use/relate to the culture and conditions of their circumstance.  The realization of multiple truths led me to my current unit for 8th grade. We are discussing topics such as race, privilege, (I don't know if "class" exists currently), and spirituality/religion. All to

  Adolescents at School, Second Edition : Perspectives on Youth, Identity, and Education Introduction Best Lines: "standards, accountability, and testing movement is based primarily on a view of students as a group -  and the notion that if we put the right inputs and apply them in the right amounts, then eventually we'll get the right output..." "...emphasize the realness..." Said me: Our future inhabitants are going to laugh at our use of "race." Questions :  Do we hold onto the parts of our nature, expression, activities that are celebrated by others?  Do we hold onto the parts of our nature, expression, activities, self that gain attention by others?  Though we are all very unique and individual, can theorist agree that human beings in certain situations "act/perform" the same way 9 times out of 10? And if so, does the institution of social situations alter how students "feel" about certain topics, activities, areas of study? (i