Ashley's Blog

       I was assigned a Webster Elementary School fourth grade classroom to work with for my placement. I have only been twice so far. My first day there I was informed of which students had ILPs, were MLL learners and how many were behind in the curriculum. One student I observed during both of my sessions was a young caucasian boy. He is the only white student in a class that's mostly hispanic. The time of day I come in is during their math block, my teacher assigned me four students to work with and I practice math skills with them aswell as reading. While my teacher was teaching the class a lesson on fractions, I noticed one student in particular that frequently spoke out of turn and called things out often. This was frustrating for my teacher and she had to keep stopping to reprimend him. He was in my group of assigned students and during our first meeting together I could tell he was very advanced for his age compared to some of the other students in his class....

       Kimberlé Crenshaw stresses that intersectionality is an essesntial concept that society needs to understand and accept. It refers to how different parts of a person’s identity, such as race, gender, and sexual orientation overlap and interact with each other. When we focus on only one aspect of a person’s identity, we miss the bigger picture of their lived experience. To explain this, Crenshaw uses the example of a traffic intersection where multiple roads meet. Each road represents a different part of a person’s identity, and where they all come together shows the full complexity of who they are. For example, one road could symbolize gender, while another represents race. These identities do not exist separately, but rather they are intertwined and influence one another.      Crenshaw also highlights how the law often fails to recognize these overlapping identities, which can result in injustice.  She shares the story of Emma DeGraffenreid...

       In the preface and introduction of  Troublemakers , it talks about how schools often prioritize control rather than giving students freedom. Instead of valuing every individual, students are taught that some lives matter more than others. What we really need is to teach respect for all lives. Children shouldn't be punished or silenced for expressing themselves, as is often the case when they are reprimanded for not following the rules. Students miss out on valueable learning time when they are sent out of the classroom.      Troublemakers  is about four students who are labeled as “troublemakers” by their teachers, Instead of punishing these students, the Shalaby argues that we should listen to them, as they have valuable lessons to share. Teachers are trained to silence disruptive students. During my younger years of school, I was a very hyper and talkative child who was often reprimanded by my teachers for being disruptive. I also st...

     The author of "Other People's Children" Lisa Delpit, provides a narrative on the cultural barriers African American students face in a system of predominatly white educators. In the chapter "The Silenced Dialogue", she uses real examples aswell as her own insight to discuss how white educators "listen, but they don't hear". This quote effectively brings awareness to how educators need to put their students needs first. White educators need to reflect on their teaching practices in order to enhance their teaching in a way that reflects cultural diversity in their classroom.      White educators must be able to have a complete understanding of cultural values outside of their own. Learning about and respecting each student's background is important to help each child reach their full potential. It can be challenging for students who do not see themselves represented in the classroom to feel a sense of community. Teachers must be respectful a...

 While reading Privilege, Power, and Difference by Alan Johnson, he discusses a variety of issues seen throughout our society. Johnson acknowledges the privilege he has being a white man in the middle-class. While he knows his experience does not relate to everyone, he can still use his expereince to discuss his own privileges to those that in similar positions. He also isn't ignorarent to the struggles he doesn't face himself, and instead seeks out information to help him understand others better. Johnson discusess discrimination and how it affects many areas of our lives, such as work and school. In chapter 3, we are shown a picture of "The Diversity Wheel" which is a wheel with categories for individuals to look at and see where they fit into it. He mentions "For most people, shifting only a few parts of the diversity wheel would be enough to change their lives dramatically" (19). Our differences aren't the problem it's how they are used as either...

Hi! My name is Ashley Loiselle and I am a Junior at Rhode Island College. I am majoring in Early Childhood Education. I plan to open my own daycare in the future with my best friend. I completed my freshman year of college at the University of Rhode Island and decided to transfer for my sophmore year to RIC. Not only did I change schools, I also changed majors. Originally I thought the medical field was something I wanted to do but after working with young children the past few years, I know that is what I would like to do in the future. I love hanging out with my friends and spending time with my family. I like to go on hikes, bake and cook, and am a big movie watcher.