There have been many meaningful moments throughout the semester in FNED 546. Many lessons and class discussions will always stick with me, but seeing how accepting the class was as a whole really stuck with me. The space that was created was such a safe, comforting space that it was never a burden to go to class. The class was a community in which we could all bounce ideas off each other. Our group presentations and games really helped to bring everyone together.
When it comes to the articles that we read and the lessons taught, ethnic studies, teaching students with disabilities, and racism in schools stood out to me the most. All of the movies we watched will definitely stick with me -- "Precious Knowledge," especially, which was about ethnic studies. It was such a heart wrenching movie about students fighting for their own rights to ethnic studies, and being turned down. It was inspiring to see students who want to learn and heartbreaking to watch adults in the community fight with them and win. These students weren't doing anything wrong but because they were learning about their culture, they were marked as "anti-American." Along with "Precious Knowledge", "Teach Us All" really stuck with me. This was a movie on the social injustice and the inequality of schooling in America. It highlighted how schools have become as segregated as they were before the civil rights movement. The issues in this movie really highlighted the flaws in schooling in America. "This Is Not About Me" was also a really moving film about a non-verbal autistic women who faced significant barriers within the education system. She fought for the rights to education for the neurodivergent community. Her own story was of such a success that she became a public spokesperson for others like her. The movie explored themes of communication access, neurodiversity, and educational reform.
All of these movies highlighted areas in which schools need change and it made me motived to make a change. A lot of what we accomplished in class was highlighting wrong-doings in schools and discussing how we can make school a better experience for everyone involved. I really enjoyed this class and hope that we can all make a difference, together!
Hi Amara- I enjoyed reading your blog! It reminded me of one other thing that I will take from this class, which is feeling cautious hope for education if everyone in the class is going to be an educator.
ReplyDeleteHi Amara! This was such a thoughtful reflection on the semester! It’s clear that the sense of community we built in FNED 546 provided a vital foundation for tackling such heavy and important topics. I especially appreciated your takeaway on the films we watched and seeing the resilience of the students in Precious Knowledge or the advocacy in This Is Not About Me really emphasizes why we need to view neurodiversity and cultural identity as assets rather than "problems" to be solved.
ReplyDeleteHi Amara, thanks for sharing your experiences in this course. I love that you acknowledged how accepting the class was as a whole because I agree, I really felt supported by everyone and I'm excited to continue. I too agree that the videos we watched here were all worth while. Especially "Precious Knowledge," it was very eye opening to see the student's experiences in Tuscan.
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