Topic

After some discussion with my classmates around me, I have realized that this project is not limited to just an outside community. At first, I looked at the project from the perspective of fixing something from a neighborhood or a community in need and although this maybe a good idea, our own school is in need as well! Although Roosevelt University emphasizes social justice, it lacks in several different areas that are crucial to a student's education. Our small group brought up several important aspects that are being cut such as grants, workstudy, or the fact that it costs to print. Since these topics are essential to a student's education, I would love to be a part of a group that wants to enhance/develop a group to help change people's minds about the cost of our education! Of course these are not the only problems we have at school, so if anyone has any other opinions, I am open to those as well :)
Regarding the role we will play in our groups, I would have to say that I am a negotiator or a supporter. As Mr. Walcher said, everyone has the potiental to be a leader and although I have fulfilled that role in the past, I am open to helping my group in whatever way possible :)

Group Projects

Honestly, group projects have never been my cup of tea. I love hearing other people's opinions because not only will these individuals help shape my thoughts, but because different perspectives brings in more, well-rounded information on a topic since not everyone thinks the same. Nevertheless, working with other classmates can be a negative depending on who you are working with. My past experiences have sadly left me disliking working with groups because the other members never contributed any type of information useful to the assignment. Classmates can be highly helpful or useless in the sense that they sit back and depend on the "smart" student to complete the task. This is exactly the environment I have endured several times over throughout my years in school. Of course, more recently in college, my group projects have changed my view on working with others because professors have started giving points and grading groups based on individual work and group work. This method makes students provide more of their insight which equals out the amount of work on the project.
After hearing my Libs professor introduce our final project yesterday, it gave me both a feeling of excitement and a bit of fear because this project is like nothing I've done before. While our group projects in the past have been about creating a project based off a chapter in a book or an object/subject, this is pertaining to actually communicating to another individual about the topic of our choosing; I have never done this before. So overall, even though I have had bad experiences in the past, I am open minded to a new type of project with a new group.

Eden's Place in Fuller Park

So when I started off researching for this project, I was debating whether to write about Lincoln Park or Lincoln Square (You can really tell I like Lincoln huh?). Anyway, after a lot of endless research without any results on a topic, I have finally figured out what I want to write about: Eden Park in the community of Fuller Park. This place is really a miracle and I am very excited to finally be able to research my topic! So far this is all I have, but of course, Ill definitely be adding more in the future :) As for the resources, I put them in with the names because I have not put in the "Notes" in yet!

 

Introduction

Opened in 2003, Eden's Place is a site that does not reflect the common belief f those non-Chicagoans, as well as Chicagoans, that the city is consisted of only angles, lines, squares, bricks and copper wiring [1]. This abandoned junk yard turned nature center is located on the Chicago's South Side in Stewart Avenue in Fuller Park. Eden's Place serves and welcomes neighborhood residents of all ages in addition to visitors who are interested in the educational nature-based activities that Eden's Place has to offer.

 

History

In the year 200, the small neighborhood of Fuller PArk was announced as the area with the highest lead concentration in the entire Chicagoland area [from Chicago Tonight]. As a concerned parent, Michael Howard, founder of Eden's Place, started informing residents of the area's problem and projected his efforts in improving the Fuller Park area with the makings of Eden's Place [from Chicago Tonight]. The area that would be known as a "treasure" [www.fullerpark.com], was a rush and noise of traffic linned up besides factories [Prologue: Cloud over Chicago]. The location was between busy railroad tracks and the Dan Ryan's Expressway full of waste; however, with the help of hundreds of volunteers ranging from adults to children, the area started clearing up [from Chicago Tonight]. Unfortunately along the way, Michael Howard discovered that the area was being dumped on by the city itself with materials such as old railroad tracks and soon proved to the major of that time, Richard M. Daliey, and with that, the city agreed to he;[ wotj tjhe clean up, which they had not done in the first place [from Chicago Tonight]. As the project continued, Mr. Howard had to face several distrubing issues such as gang violence and local arguments that actually objected to the the opening of Eden's Place [From Chicago Tonight]. Michael Howard thought he was bringing nature into an urban area because Chicago [was thought to by many] represented all that ws most unnatural about human life [Prologue: Cloud Over Chicago]. Nevertheless, residents of the neighborhood complained that he was bringing black slavery because the people involved (majority were black), would be cultivating gardens [from Chicago Tonight]. Michael's intentions were far from creating an uneasy atmosphere for its residents; he wanted a better, healthier environment for the children [from Chicago Tonight]. Sadly, even gang members that dealt at the corners where Michael Howard planted butterflies at considered him a threat and on June 11, 2000 the Howard's home was fire bombed. Fortunately nobody was hurt [From Chicago Tonight]. As the advancement kept on with Eden's place, recongition from all around poured in to donate and volunteer. Finally in 2003, Eden's Place opened.

 

Context

Mission

History

Programs

      Field Trips

      Leaders in Training Programs

      Raising Animals

      Nature Restoration

      Educational Workshops

      Community Events

Awards and Recongition

Effect on Fuller Park

See Also

Notes

Annotated Bibliography

Here are my two annotated bibliographies although I have to admit, I am not 100% certain of my topic. I am still debating on what to research :(

"Lincoln Park." Everyblock Chicago. Msnbc.com, 2011. Web. 20 Oct. 2011.
http://chicago.everyblock.com/locations/neighborhoods/lincoln-park/.

The "everyblock" website is a very helpful link that discusses the different issues occuring throughout a certain neighborhood. For example, the neighborhood of my choosing, Lincoln Park, is not discussed in a very prosperous viewpoint as the majority of the websites advertise it to be, but as a place that has some range of crime. Here, people from Lincoln Park (or anyone who has information on the area) are capable of updating information and of talking to one another about the important issues that not only includes crime, but, for example, renovations around the area. I really liked this website because it helped me learn about new issues that other websites did not take the time to adress and it helped me hear, in respect of the residents of the neighborhood, what they really thought of it. The reason why I think this website is credible is because it is based on their first hand experience; yes, the residents all live in different parts of Lincoln Park, but the information is logical and insightful. As for an overall intended audience is actually, from what I have read, is directed to other locals so they can help each other out. The residents from Lincoln Park have an authority to write this information down based on the number of years they have lived in Lincoln Park; however, many other factors can give them the authority to write about what happens daily. One reason can be that these peope see something happen and since no one else has reported the incident, these people can feel obligated to report it somehow which is why this website is set up. For whatever the reason was/is, I believe this to be a reliable source that I have obtain insightful information from.
 


"Lincoln Park, IL." Zip Codes and Area Codes. 2011. Web. 22 Oct. 2011.
http://www.zipareacode.net/lincoln-park-il.htm.

Although I have found a well-rounded graph concerning the demographics of Lincoln Park, this website game me the precise statistics of the population. Even though the information is very limited/small it is very informative and is an eye opener because it showed that the white population is 57,688 while the Hispanic and the black populations are well under 4,000 people each. This website may not explain why this area is like this; however, it is a good start to what I am trying to research: why the majority of the people in Lincoln Park are white. This is no problem with a white population, but the fact that Hispanics and the black community, that are said to be growing everyday in numbers, are so significantly low in this area is questionable. The authority of the website is somewhat questionable since I have never heard of the source and because the information is so "basic"; however, pertaining to its credibility, it is credible. The website is based on zip codes and everyone can relate to this because we all have them. I doubt that a website would lie about the number of people living in a certain area. I will back this website up (in the future) with a more reliable source such as a graph or chart by a popular magazine or newspaper. The audience this website is trying to get attention from must be people that want to buy homes in a certain area that would like to know basic facts about the area to determine whether or not they would like to live there. With the information provided by this website, anyone can have a good image concerning a certain area, like for example, Lincoln Park.

Lincoln Park is an area that contains alot of activity; however, as for people, several groups create and help shape the community such as the first immigrants that come and settle in what once was a swampy location with occasional quicksand. These first immigrants to come settle were Polish and German immigrants. They brought over their culture and language which have been the orgins of this area since it is very Polish and German influenced. The only controversy that has occurred lately that can cause a stir in the neighorhoods is the fact that the student that was from Roosevelt and was killed recently was killed in the Lincoln Park area. This neighborhood is known for its clean and well-kept all around neighborhoods, so this comes to be a shocker to many. Considering that this area is heavily occupied by Europeans, when different ethnic groups come in the picture, there is racial discrimination. For example, there is a very small population of Puerto Ricans in the Lincoln Park area, their treatment is poor and although there were efforts for equality in 1970s, the efforts have not changed much of the neighbors' opinions. Overall, the primary group that dominates the area of Lincoln Park are Europeans; however, subgroups have been created pertaining to hobbies or other activities.

In Case You Didn't Know...

Lincoln Park has always been an area that has always caught my eye; yes, it covers what most of Chicagoans like to visit: the beaches, the museums, the lakeshore path, and amazing harbors, but have you ever wondered what else Lincoln Park has to offer? Lincoln Park is the "chamber of commerce" with multiple activities hosted throughout the year for its residents. For all ages there are art and music festivals throughout the summer for entertainment as well as the program called the Lakefront Sculpture Exhibit that is privately funded but is open for the public to see. Here you can see art art its finest from the chosen particpants.Lincoln Park also contains the Children's Memorial Hospital that has dedicated its time and efforts to children of all ages including my sister. The helpfulness and outlook to beautifying and conserving the area is a huge priority in Lincoln Park. As a result, this area is also known to be featured in several known films such as "Public Enemies" and "The Dark Knight."


http://www.lincolnparkchamber.com/lincolnpark/did-you-know/

Lincoln Square

After much thought, I have considered to research Lincoln Square. Although Lincoln Square was labeled as community number 4 out of 77 communities in Chicago, it is in reality a neighborhood. Lincoln Square is made up of many private residences and small buildings. The square is the home of this location where everything comes together. I had the pleasure to come to the Square one Wenesday night and although it was a school night, people of all ages were there walking around with their pets, talking, enjoying the view, eating, and of course, listening to the music. The music is essential to the square because its vibrate and the variety of music is endless. Although I have only been there once, the area has left an impression on me and that is why I think that it is ideal for me to research Lincoln Square. Throughout the year, the Square holds several events that vary from wine fests to 5k runs for those who enjoy a little competition. Lincoln Square also includes Ravenswood which is home to the ex-governor Rod Blagojevich who has put up his home for sale (for anyone interested in buying!)

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.chicagofashionresource.com/system/neighborhood_images/0000/0021/Lincoln_Square.jpg%3F1191428781&imgrefurl=http://www.chicagofashionresource.com/neighborhoods/10/designers&h=209&w=275&sz=30&tbnid=KRsy2rC4q6MB2M:&tbnh=94&tbnw=124&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dlincoln%2Bsquare%2Bpictures%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=lincoln+square+pictures&docid=t2aK7rpwKX-vhM&sa=X&ei=pVGLTrK2LsOJsALk_tysBA&ved=0CDMQ9QEwAg

We Are All Immigrants

After reading the "The Framing of Immigration," I was shocked; I have heard of and seen debates concerning immigration, but Lakoff's explanation for it opened my eyes. As a daughter of immigrants from Colombia, I understand what you need to do in life to succeed for your family because I've watched my parents each day working their butts off to do what they can for my siblings and I; even if they are U.S citizens. I liked the face that Lakoff chose to defend "illegal" immigrants because I've only read in the past the articles that degrade them even more than the title "illegal immigrants." Sadly, the majority of Americans do not see that they are an asset to our country and that have the same rights as us. Placing these names upon them frames them as criminals and such even if all they want is the same we want-the American Dream. What I find funny is that America was founded by immigrants and made by them as well; so why do we see them as such horrible people if they are exactly like us. They maybe from a different culture, but we are all the same.
Sadly, people have been placing the blame mostly on immigrants from Mexico and Central America, but they are not the only immigrants coming here. Just because some immigrants are white doesn't mean that they should be treated better or not reffered to as an "immigrant" because I feel that is what they are doing in America. Throughout America's history we have housed people from Asia, Africa, India, Spain, Europe, etc; that is why we are called the melting pot. However, now that it is a new era where most of the immigrants are hispanics, Americans are now turning their backs on them and saying they are criminals for taking "their jobs" or "invading their lands." It seems to me that every race needs to pick on another one to make themselves feel better. For example, African Americans were treated cruelly and discriminated against, but now that they "are not," they pick on the hispanics (example in reading). I believe that America should hold its truth to the title of "the land of opportunities".

"The Family"

After reviewing the family models for today's blog, I've seen how perfectly matched these two families are for their parties.  For example, since Conservatives follow the strict father model, they basically display every trait that is given here as a description.Here, the father is the head of the house with sole responsiblity while the mother watches from the sidelines, but plays her part as a supporter. Through his perspective that life is hard and dangerous, he tries to protect his family in every possible aspect in life. Meanwhile, "the father" embodies every good there is such as being morally strong and self-disciplined. He sees retribution as he sees fit while holding himself to a high strandard as an example for his family. As sort of speak it is "tough love" and once the kids have grown up, they are on their own to make it or break it. (explains why the view of topics such as abortion and homosexuality)
Nurturing parent model is, on the otherhand, unlike the strict father model, this model allows both parents to actively play a part in their child's life. The first and for most goal in this family is to be cared for and about. Protection for them means from external dangers such as drugs and crime since the world is "filled with evils that can harm a child." Unlike the "tough love", we saw earlier, here parents do teach self discpline, but also "hold your hand" through life.

He did what?!

The article I chose to write about revolved around Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn and his regrets about sexual assualting a maid in France. Sadly, this is not his first time being reprimanded for this kind of charge. He also has record of assaulting a 24 year old about ten years back. In contrast to all the evidence and statements, the article frames the former IMF chief as a good citizen that might run for president next year. Even though he could be charged with sexual assault and has been locked up in a "jail cell," interviewers waste percious air time on a man who should not be valued at all for his "morally" unjust actions. 

Instead of showing its viewers with a good solid showing that he is a bad candidate for his repeated actions towards women, they accuse him of the actions and nothing more. Yes, there are a few statements that contradict his views, but they are so small that they are easily avoided. The reason why I believe the writer wrote the way he did was to support the man because he may, in someway, support the paper he is writing for. In that case, then the writer needs to chose his words carefully and depict the man charged with sexual assault in good light.

The way the writer wrote his articles gives off the notion that this former IMF chief is important because he even states that he was giving his opinion of the candidates this year and well, I believe if someone just got accused of sexual assault, their opinions should not matter. The importance the article gives to this person shows that the case agaisnt him isnt strong and that there are other things about him that should be accoutanted for instead of the accusations. The text even aids this former IMF chief because they quote him several times saying I am sorry, I have a very exceptional wife (because she was strong enough to stand next to him during all of this), and that the evidence agasint him was minium. Overall, the article was very ironic in the way that it showed the man in a good light instead of what the article was supposed to be intended for.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/dominique-strauss-kahn/8772501/Former-IMF-chief-Dominique-Strauss-Kahn-regrets-moral-failure-of-liaison-with-New-York-hotel-maid.html

Students' Blog

After reviewing some of my fellow classmates' blogs, I considered to focus mainly on Tina's and Calvert's blog because of their great and clear explainations. (Not that any of the others did not do the same) Tina addressed in her "Work" blog that she thought of work as work and I believe that this is a good, decent outlook on what everyone calls a job. Work shouldn't be a place of hate that you dread going to and she knew what work really is. Tina has been working since the age of 13 and she know what the value of a dollar is and this is a lesson I believe we all should take into consideration because there are people out there that have it all and have never even lifted a finger in there life for something that is called "work". The link to Tina's blog is http://tchurley216.blogspot.com/ .In addition to Tina's blog, I also commented on Calvert's because of his assertiveness in the reasons he gave for the child who was reframed wrongly. His view points on why the media does this sort of stuff really spoke to me because its so sad, but true. We should focus on the real story instead on what we want to get out there because the truth is what we should know. We shouldn't fear others for false accusations. Calvert's blog is http://cmiles7949.blogspot.com/

Where can i find the truth?

The stack of articles our group received on Tuesday consisted mainly of the the brutality of torture, mainly done by a Lt. John Burge. Lt. John Burge had been charged with lying about not torturing his "criminals" and was sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison even though the sentence was said to could have been up to 45 years in prison. Although throughout the articles there appeared to be differences in the way they explained, whether it was in alot of details or not, all the articles did consist of the main topic: Lt. John Burge. Yes, this seems obscure since obviously he was the main purpose behind these articles, but this also shows proof of the lack of consistancy between the articles as well. Every article excelled at making Lt. John Burge look like the bad guy, and beyond all means I am not defending him, but these "criminals" must have done something as well to be in these shoes.

Each article's "attempt at faming" was based on associating Lt. Burge with racism towards African Americans and horrific tortures. For example, in one new station Mr. Burge sentenced a man to 100 years in prison while the prisoner claimed to have been wrongly accused and confessed because he was tortured and of course, as stated, he was African American. This is not the only cause to follow that claims to have been wrongly accused of their crimes and as a result, Lt. Burge was sentenced for the lying; however, strangely, not for the torturing. 

The "truth" is hard to identify within these articles. While some claimed that Mr. Burge discriminated against, tortured, and locked up only African Americans, some articles insisted it to had been both African Americans and Latinos. News Stations also differed in dialect throughout each article. Stations like Fox News and The New York Times focused on the trials while other articles aimed at getting information such as who was tortured or what Lt. Burge did. These frames that these articles targeted all made sense from their own political or social standpoint. The reason why I claim this is because every single station tried to frame the same person, but through different viewpoints to get to the point. An example from a social standpoint was from a news article of a page long that consistently viewed Burge as a rascist through just writings that repeatedly stated "only African Americans" while others, from a political standpoint, talked concerning Mayor Dailey and the trials in relation to Burges. Insufficient evidence, in my belief, was given for and agaisnt Burge (even though I do agree that he should go jail for torturing others). In other words, I am not satisfied with each news station because every article did not focus and did not prove well enough what was supposed to be done. Overall, every new station took advantage of their articles and made it in the way they wanted the readers to see it; by structuring the story to their specific needs, news stations got what they wanted out of the stories. Through their methods, whether it was the repitition of words or by just mentioning the message they wanted to send out (and not the other half of the story), these articles created the frame.

What?? I didn't say that...

Misrepresentation is a serious matter that should not be intenionally done to get viewers attention; however, CBS 2 did it when interviewing a 4 year old child concerning guns! Misrepresentation in general, especially on this topic, is wrong on so many levels because miscommunication can lead to bad results. Altering the truth will never be seen as a light subject. This news station did this intentionally and like it or not, created a whole different problem in addition to just airing the wrong footage.The media in general define reality because they are capable of manipulating stories by shaping them and editing them (Writing, Politics, Power), and this story was no exception. The edited version of the 4 year old "wanting a gun" helps associate these negative actions to African American, children, and guns. Maybe that was not CBS 2's intention, but by framing the child's words as so, it supported and reinforced what people like to call a stereotype. As a result, the video evoked several different means to the same event (Writing, Politics, Power). This misconception can cause alot of damage to people of this race because this can form some link between African Americans and guns. If CBS 2 continuously misrepresented African Americans or even children of this age, it would create this frame associating them with guns like mentioned by Lakoff's rules of framing (Rule #2).  Even through small stories, such as this one, new stations should realize that the everlasting effective will impact people. The media is supposed to "mirror society" (Writting, Politics, Power) and by airing this mis representation of a 4 year old African American boy, people will view it as "reality".
Although the editing done by CBS 2 looks obvious, viewers may have believed the clip and may consider it true. By re-framing the story, the news station have established a different outlook on children. Even the newscasters at the end of the clip state how horrified they were, but sadly, we should be the ones horrified of them because they misled the audience to think that this child could think like that. CBS 2  created a whole different story when they re-framed the videoclip. The news was concentrated around a drive by shooting that injuried two teenagers; however, when they interviewed this small child, they thought that they could make the story a little bit more interesting by re-framing what was actually said. By doing this, they captured the attention of their auidence in a fearful matter because it makes us believe that our future generations, that are as little as four years old, have ideas of owning guns. Like I've stated before, these stories can re-frame views on people and by evoking them, it can establish that certain frame that will be kept. The media has the power, this capablity of structuring stories and this station knew that. As for the orginal story, audiences that viewed the news created a certain image that the gunmen must have been African Americans because even though the evidence was not given to be African Americans, it was socially produced. This may have not been the case for every viewer, but the hard proof that the gunmen were not identified and having a young African American child "approve" of guns in matter that showed admiration instead of fear, is hard to deny. Uneditting versions help fight these negative notions towards certain groups or certain age groups by revealing, in this case, the truth that the child had orginally stated.

CBS 2 could have produced a story that even though had a tragic base to it, focused also on the goodness of children and how they are capable of realizing how bad this situation was. If I were the reporter I would have stressed on this issue of how the children see these actions because this creates some sort of relief in us all to know that even through troubled times, we can count that "our future" will no the difference between right and wrong. 

Work

 The term work can be defined in a range of definitions; however, when a student speaks of work, they often relate work with homework and this was the first type of work I was introduced to as a student. Throughout each grade level, I learned the difficulty that homework differed in, but I also knew that this type of work helped me expand my thought process and the continuously repeated execrises called "homework" helped engrave the information into our heads. First off, it was because of all the subjects I had to accomplish which included math and science where I struggled the most with. Now that I love the subjects that I am taking because they all fall under my major for English, I cannot find the time to finish my work load because they are lengthy and I have other things to do other than homework because, as we all know it, when you get older we each receive different responsibilites we have to complete everyday and mine includes running on a team and a job that requires labor, everyone's favorite type of work. Overall the concept of work in terms of homework has always been a dreadful one, but I have always kept going because I know that I can get somewhere with an education and to get that education, homework or work has to be done. The ultimate goal is to live a peaceful, good life and work has to be a part of that life; everyone has to endure it, you just have to be strong and I believe that I have that strong mentality to keep going. Furthermore than the usually day to day take home assignments that teachers were unable to finish in class, work is something we all dread, whatever the age we are at because at any stage, work is something we have to put effort into to achieve a goal, whether its to learn or to make money at a job. My attitude towards my job is not the same as how I view my school work because of just the simple fact that my homework is much enjoyable than my job. A job, or what many call it "work" is rewarded with money you earn doing that type of labor for a reason. Labor is not always what you want it to be, but you need it to survive and as a student, I have to confirm with anything I can get at the moment to pay for college or atleast the little I need to survive in today's world. When imagining labor, two images come to mind which are complete contrasts of each other : one includes someone enjoying their employment and the other is stuck in a dirty factory with a blank expression. The reasons why these two images come to mind is because one can do what they love to do and some others cannot and while I want to be that person that enjoys their job, I know there are others out their without that chance that get stuck in those hard labor jobs that will continue on doing that until they cannot because it is all about survival at that point. Growing up, I have always been taught with the notion that education is everything, and it is. It may require work, but that is where the line divides the lazy people and the hard working people that want to succeed. My father always influenced me heavily on my beliefs on work because everyday he came home from work with the same answer when I asked him how his day at work had gone. His response, "well, I get paid mija, that's how great work is." The translation is a loose one, but you get the jist of it. Work is work for a reason and that is why if you are passionate in something, work hard to achieve it because that's what you want to do all your life and not the image of the factory worker. I first handly got to experience what it was like to work in a factory this summer and although I knew it was only a summer job, the feeling of waking up so early every morning to do a repetitive motion for 8 hours straight was the worse feeling ever and seeing young people like myself in that same position was awful; the worse part of seeing them there was that the job they were doing was their career because they had chosen not to continue in their education and start earning a wage of 9.50 an hour.

Work is just a four lettered word, but behind it, is an array of means. The definition of work involves effort to accomplish something even though sometimes we don't feel like we have accomplished anything. Work can be described as a punishment in many circumstances because of its long hours and repetitive state. According to the Conservatives in Lakoff's article, framing words, such as work, takes time to develope and through common use, the word sends many a chill up their spine when said because it has been connected to something bigger than just an "effort to accomplish something." Work is the kind of word that frames a tough image and makes me feel like it is unescapable, something you have to do to get to that "new level." The "new level," I would like to think is a better and richer life in the sense that I am happier and capcable of surviving, not needing to be a millionaire. Since we have spent so much time dreading work, when the time comes for it, we cannot resemble our brains into thinking positive and in turn, your efforts to accomplish those goals will not be to your full potiental.

Your social class, your economic state, and your cultural envionment, in most cases, help you perceive work differently because depending on where your grew up, you were taught differently. A child brought up in Hollywood will definitely not view work the same way as someone who grows up in the ghetto part of the south side of Chicago. For one, the child in Hollywood might not even get the chance to know what work is like because she or he will not need to earn any money since her parents have everything covered; however, the child living in the ghettos on the south side of Chicago sees work as a way of moving up the ladder to a better life. Work for this person can become a better oportunity if she or he lets it become that way since they know what being poor feels like. Different experiences make different view points because not everyone will know or have been through what others suffered or gained and because of this, work is framed as a good or a bad. If work reminds you of a better life, then work will be a tremedous opportunity for growth and for a great feeling of accomplishment, but likewise, if your view of work is disasterous, your outcome will be bad. Knowing this, I try to abolish the framing that work contains and I try to stay positive throughout my workdays because everyday will lead me to something greater. Although it matters the way in which you perceive work, everyone should understand that work is something that must be done in order to achieve in life and it may have various forms of labor, but only one goal, which is to succeed.

Does your social class justify the schooling you get?

I couldn't help but stop every few sentences to think of my last 15 years as a student and think, "wow, I never really thought about it that way."

Jean Anyon's "Social Class and The Hidden Curriculum of Work" depicts the truth about schools based on their social classes. We would love to say that all schools and students are equal, but that would just be ridiculous. This concrete evidence indicates that our school system needs some kind of reform because every student does deserve an equal chance; there should not exist a difference because of social classes. Attending a working-class school does not justify the means to have a poor education. I guess we are always blinded by the fact that money is everything because it can buy the needed school supplies or the most expensive and hi-teched computers for a "higher education," but we should also realize that it is also the teachers' treatment of their students and the emphasis on how they teach that plays a huge role in these students' lives and how that can draw the line whether they are successful or not in life.

After reviewing the four types of schools, I most strongly consider that both my elementary and high school followed the middle-class school pattern. All my life it had always been about getting the right answers to get that A. It was exactly what we always did as students because that was what we were told was the right thing to do. During high school, I remember vividly that my math teachers would always remind us to check in the back of the book for the answers to the problems and likewise, they never bothered asking a student if they really understood. Although I never thought it was the correct method to use, I never questioned it because I hated math and as long as I got the right answer, I knew I would get a good grade, so why bother, right? Answers have always been straight out of a book, but the book of answers won't always be there for you and thats a vaulable lesson everyone should think about.

In the long run, every teacher was the same; however, in every student's life, there's always that one teacher that out shines the rest of them because they made you a better person, in one way or another. Mine was in sixth grade. My sixth grade teacher was Mrs. Bilski and although every teacher at my elementary school followed the same routine, she did not. Everyday she had us reading and also made us write about our books that we read or whatever else was on our minds. Even though some of us hated it, in time we grew to love it because it expanded our thought processes. She made me understand how important school was because at that time, it was always about friends and having fun. The times she drilled us with books and writing assignments made me appreciate what a pen and a piece a paper could create. Although I am not the greatest writer or best reader, I love to do both.

Assuming that the educational system was actually designed to follow and maintain this sad structure, it could be easily said that the United States is going backwards instead of fowards in terms of progress. The permanent segregation the U.S would be placing on students would divide everyone and heavily place a greater emphasis on money. I say money because students that grow older and do not have the right cognitive developement will not be able to get the higher paying job and will be stuck at a job suitable for his or her educational level. This cycle will repeat itself with their children because the parents will not be able to afford to have them in that "Executive Elite School" and the barrier will never be broken. The United States will in fact be like in the early age where children followed in their parents footsteps because they never knew anything better or just couldn't do any better.

Given your own experiences in school, what kind of world do you think you've been prepared to fit into?
My experiences in school have shared so many opnions about numerous topics that I believe I am ready for whatever the world shapes out to be. I see and understand from several different prespectives and I believe that it is a very helpful tool to use. With that in mind, the strongest tool you have is your voice, so use it :)