Nick DiPaola's FNED 346 Blog Fall 2018

A segregated, predominantly black elementary class sits on the rug with their legs crossed. This photo, taken from an article I will be discussing further, can be found  here . This post is a critical reflection on The New York Times   article  titled New Jersey Law Codifies School Segregation, Suit Says by Sharon Otterman. As a future educator, I find this particular topic of segregation both intriguing and complex.        The article, published in May 2018, serves to inform people of the segregation present in New Jersey Public Schools and the ensuing lawsuit filed against the state. According to a UCLA study, New Jersey is currently the sixth most segregated state for black students, and seventh for Latino students. The man at the forefront of the lawsuit seeking to change this is Christian Estevez, of Plainfield, NJ. Plainfield still consists of the predominantly black and Latino schools that his family managed to move away from. N...

A child with Down syndrome is included in classroom activities just as any other student would. This picture was taken from a really great article on inclusive education that can be found  here .   For my final blog post of the semester I chose to make connections to other readings we have discussed in class. Since I found this particular reading to be interesting, it will be the focus of this post, with a couple connections added in at the end.         In a section of the book titled Schooling Children With Down Syndrome by Christopher Kliewer, the author informs the reader what it's like to teach a class with a student that has Down syndrome without letting them become frustrated or feel left out. In the chapter, he first discusses negative feelings associated with children who have the disability. Mia Peterson, a student segregated from her non-disabled peers says "I started to notice that I didn't like the classes I was taking called...

This photo was taken from a CBS News article posted in 2014 titled "Seperate and Unequal": Segregation Making Comeback in U.S Schools. For the article, click  here . For this post, I chose to write extended comments on our classmate  Emily Vieira's blog.         I like the quote that Emily chose from The Problem We All Live With  because it speaks to the fact that characteristics like racism and discrimination are learned. The young children in Francis Howell celebrated the transfer students from Normandy School despite what their parents thought which is indeed quite amazing. Older folks tend to be much less open-minded and accepting to changes as opposed to the youth, or in this case, their own children. I think it's also important to note that their was no increase in violence, no decrease in test scores, and overall, the transfer students fared well in their new district.          I also like the quote tha...