Jason Morosky EDSC 425 1/29/13 Tuned In and Fired Up Chapter 3 Paper While the chapter starts off

with explaining how sometimes the truly amazing things are in the details via a snapshot of a hip hop club conversation, I thought the exercise depicted in the chapter was terrible. While I understand that sometimes all the students need is a bit of a change and a bit of a push in the right direction, the assignment to describe a plot of grass seemed like such busywork to me. I would have thought the same way in high school, growing up. Sure, we would have gotten to go outside on a day when we would normally be stuck in the classroom. However, that doesnt mean I would have had such an introspective piece of writing as many of the students in Mr. Quinns class seemed to have. I did like the point that Intrator made to highlight the sort of hive mind that these sort of activities can take on. On pages 31 and 32, Intrator makes a note about Jerry and how he, and many other students, followed a similar script that began by deriding Mr. Quinns plan as unconventional and voicing resistance to its intent...What seemed to happen in Mr. Quinns class was that a high-status kid would acquiesce and begin to participate, and the rest of the class would follow suit. Often times, as much of a stink I would put up initially, this eventually happened to myself. I would give in and do the assignment - usually coming up with something half involved if not more so - but that doesnt mean I agree with the assignment. Intrator makes note at the end of the chapter to solitude and changing up the routine of the classroom, something that this assignment did very well. No student ever wants to sit in a classroom and be bored all day. Its important to change things up every once in awhile, which I believe was the real strength of the lesson. The students (and teacher) had been stuck in due

to the excessive rain, and having finally got a break from it they took advantage of it. And they got to go outside of their comfort zone as well, which is doubly important. The chapter ended with students saying they got to write what they wanted to write because there was never anyone looking over their shoulder, unlike a classroom which is usually more packed than a can of sardines. This was an interesting note, as you never really think that would be an issue. Funny how something as mundane as going outside and writing about a plot of grass would make such a difference.

Jason Morosky EDSC 425 1/29/13 Tuned In and Fired Up Chapter 4 Paper This exercise was a much more efficient use of the students time and effort, at least as far as Im concerned. Much better than staring at a plot of grass for a class period. The fact that the class was led by another student also makes the experience within the class much more profound. I dont recall ever having any experience like the one described in the chapter during my high school career, nor was it ever an option. My high school experience was not what I believe the typical experience to be. I graduated in a class of 108, and I went to kindergarten with probably 100 of my fellow classmates. We grew up knowing everyone and everything about everyone - at least thats how it felt. Any gossip that occurred seemed to spread through the whole school in minutes. I dont think we really could have had the same experience in the classroom that Mr. Quinns students had. Everyone in that class, for the most part, seemed to be mostly acquaintances. In nearly all my classes I knew everybody and knew them well. The secrets that everyone held werent really secrets to my classmates. The thing that surprised me the most about the exercise was how many of the students that were normally quiet spoke up. Intrator even made note that for many of them, it was the only time he ever saw the students speak up or react to anything. The other thing that really stood out to me was that Mr. Quinn even noted that wouldnt have been as successful in that class that day as Arnie was. I dont think I could have achieved that conversation today... Arnie had access to them in a way I dont think I can get. That is such a strong remark, especially coming from someone who appears to have the reputation for being able to have those sort of profound classroom experiences. I can only hope that as a teacher I am able to be that humble

and that aware when something like that occurs. Sometimes it takes someone like Arnie to approach a subject and discussion, someone to have the courage and strength to open up to fellow classmates like he did, to make a class really come together. Arnie later said to Intrator Today we had a discussion that was open... People were actually thinking, our work was our thinking. For a student to come out and notice that, and more importantly be the one who was solely responsible for pointing the class on that path to open discussion baffles me. But again, I hope as a teacher all my students baffle me like that. I want them to surprise me.

Jason Morosky EDSC 425 2/5/13 Tuned In and Fired Up Chapter 5 Paper I was never one for poetry. Even last semester I took an Intro to Poetry course and got through it (much to the perseverance of my professor) but it was something that I just never got. The words never clicked with me. So when I go and read that all the guys in the classroom didnt get it either, but all the girls were offended at that fact, the Barbie Doll poem did its job. It opened the doors to a revealing truth to the students, that yeah, your words do hurt others. Even when you dont mean them to. On page 76, Vincent talks about his friends starting conversations with Im not racist or nothing, and he would call them out on it using examples from class. Then his friends would get it, it would click for them - having to say that at the beginning of a sentence is just showing your ignorance - and yes, you are racist. Again, a revealing truth that the student didnt realize. Vincent later went on to say that he continued these discussions outside of the classroom because These topics get into your personal life. That shows that to really get through to students, you need to connect things. You cant just go read something because you should, its a great book. Things need to have a reason. I think thats why Im in the Tech Ed program - we give reason to the science and the math, its not just numbers for numbers sake or hypotheses. Theres practical knowledge were teaching. The last bit of the chapter went over how part of what made the poem Barbie Doll so accessable was his ability to read it, and read it properly. If you go up and read a poem in a monotone, boring voice then nobody will get it. But when you turn it into a piece of music, as it usually is perceived, then people will follow and understand it. Theres a cadence to every poem, a musical nature to every poem. If you cannot bring that out, then its not worth the time to read

it.

Jason Morosky EDSC 425 2/5/13 Tuned In and Fired Up Chapter 6 Paper Every year around Christmas, my high school TSA chapter would hold a canned food drive for needy families in our community. Every year, we received more and more cans. Needless to say, I know where these students are coming from in chapter 6. The need to do good for those around you can be so strong that sometimes you need to take advantage of the situation inside the classroom. Both my teacher, Mr. English, and Mr. Quinn did this, in their own ways. In addition to the food drive, my TSA chapter now runs blood drives every 6 months. The ability to channel adolescent energy into something constructive is a gift not many have - but, just as the students that visited the Kennedy school inspired those around them go visit and read to the children, the same thing happened with our food drives - often classes would turn it into friendly competition, and when we got to see the end result - that families would have a warm meal on Christmas and then some, that feeling is unlike any other. Teenagers who may not necessarily be involved elsewhere can find a home in programs like these, and then those who are affected when they are younger grow up and stay involved, which leads to more people being involved, which leads to more kids growing up involved, etc etc. Its a giant chain reaction, one that is totally awesome to watch. The fact that Mr. Quinn was able to set up such a program at Stanton High, where security is such a big deal, both does and doesnt surprise me. He has a rapport with the school and he had outside help in the elementary school. What does surprise me is that the kids are given so much freedom when the rest of the school really seems to feel more like a jail than a school. Not to say that schools shouldnt be locked down like that - maybe not quite that much,

even with recent events - but there should be some security. However, there is a lot to doing security right and doing it for the sake of security. A great example is of this Gift of Words program - The kids are unsupervised, and they always come back! More importantly, however, is Mr. Quinns attendance policy. He doesnt mind if the students show up late or miss class because of the program - he knows there is something more profound going on there, something far more important than a lecture on a piece of literature. That is what school should be. More profound experiences. These experiences should be the norm, not the exception.

Jason Morosky EDSC 425 2/5/13 Tuned In and Fired Up Chapter 7 Paper This chapter dealt with discussing those things that arent normally discussed, either inside or outside a classroom. The kinds of things that everybody knows and notices, but doesnt want to mention. I guess Im disappointed to say that having grown up in a rich, very predominately white area that I never had to really discuss these types of things. The one black kid in my graduating class was adopted by white parents, and honestly nobody ever treated him like he was different - he grew up like one of us, so that made him one of us. The issue like race never came up, neither did poverty - nearly everyone in my class was middle class of some sort everyone was pretty well off. Obviously some more than others, but the difference came down to if you had to work for your car or if Mommy and Daddy bought you one. But everybody had a car. Im glad that these sorts of books dont get banned from everywhere. Catcher in the Rye is another book that comes to mind in addition to Huckleberry Finn. They open these kinds of dialogues for students that they normally couldn't have anywhere else. What happened in Mr. Quinns classroom discussion about the word nigger is something that I both agree should be had and at the same time something that shouldnt be used. The context of the word matters greatly, but its one of those things that cant be let go of - every so often you hear about something on the news about it or something of that nature. In reality, it should be let go of - it gets hidden, and every time someone says the n word instead of nigger it turns it into a white shame thing instead of just another word.

Intrator makes a good point about why the conversation even took place - that Mr. Quinn created and fostered an environment that the students felt safe in talking about the topics at hand, and that the students were really unable to have another conversation like that throughout the rest of their high school careers - but they all seemed to want more of that, and the chance never occured. Thats one of the largest things that I think teachers should do - create and foster a creative and safe environment that the students can be themselves in, and not be afraid to speak their mind no matter the topic. If my students want to come into my robotics class and talk about politics or their literature classes, then by all means! Ill be glad to oversee these sorts of conversations, and step in when necessary.