laughing at the stars while our feet clung tight to the ground

despite my very vivid and brilliant disappointment turned anger in not yet receiving my phone charger...i am doing my very best to ignore the hassles of not having a phone and embrace the small freedom from technology.

i am taking a sociology of education course this semester. it's with a professor i enjoyed over the summer so i am taking this course for 4 credit hours [which means an extra 12-16 page paper on top of the 6-8 pager for the primary course group paper] and i am also taking her 'ethnic and racial diversity in families' course.

we discuss many of the sociological theories, etc. involved in researching education and its primary focuses and goals [and how those of changed throughout reforms over the years]. now, i have always taken a more macro-level look at the relations in society and i have also taken the more radical marxist/neo-marxist stance on these issues. i realize each day through the discussions with my peers that i am in all actuality, quite a radical.

my wishes are ideological, of course, and i hadn't realized how radical they might seem to others. my aspirations involve a major overhaul of the structural make-up of institutions and the reworking of education, economic methods in society, and governmental policy. today, we discussed what the relationship between teaching and activism should be in the classroom. while most of my classmates seemed to believe that activism should not be involved in the classroom setting during the elementary level, i did not tend to agree. just looking at the educational system with a critical eye, one is able to see the inequalities that exist [even at these elementary levels]. i believe we must recognize our privileged positions in social relationships at a very young age, and thus, i would take a social justice pedagogy in the classroom even during elementary years. after all, aren't these the years that begin to shape us and our ideological viewpoints?

the academic success of individual students is undoubtedly based upon their socioeconomic status, parent's educational level, the way in which they are treated by the teacher (who may or may not have specific biases toward children of color, children from a nontraditional household, etc.), among other factors. and in general, the amount of resources a particular school might have over another is absolutely imperative especially when looking at the the history of the US educational system. for instance, lower income neighborhoods will most likely have less funding for the school which means not only lack of resources like computers, but up-to-date textbooks, or adequate pay for teachers (or even having qualified teachers at all).

i have found lately, that i could go on talking about all that i have learned in the last four years for the rest of my life. if only i could educate others on the knowledge i have obtained--if only i could teach them how the inequalities in our society are preventing others from enjoying their lives, if ONLY. i want people to know and understand the overlooked inequalities that many in our society face everyday.

i am passionate about this.

and finally, i'd like to share this as well: i bartended an event at the alumni center for the college of media professors here. many of these professors have been MY professors and it was so wonderful to learn that many still recognized me from their classes. it was also great because one particular Professor wrote me a recommendation for graduate school and seeing him [and all of them] outside of the classroom setting and speaking about media-related subjects was inspiring. they truly love what they're doing. and it shows in their classroom teachings and how interested they were in my future endeavors. it was really wonderful and i'm grateful i was able to be there.

enough writing already!!!

sweeter dreams.
k