Borders and Dreams by Chris Carger Essay -- Racism Spanish Americans E

Borders and Dreams by Chris Carger In the book Borders and Dreams, Chris Carger shows the readers the hardships of Alejandro, a Spanish-American boy with very little educational background. In her case study of both Alejandro and his family she shows how the limitations of Alejandro, his parents, and an overpopulated school system can make succeeding in an American school nearly impossible. In this paper I will look at all the obstacles that Alejandro faced both before and during his education. Also, I will identify both the things that I felt were done right in his schooling and the things I felt were done wrong. To finish I will give some of the idea's I have that could possibly have helped Alejandro. 1. Describe at least three ways that educators characterize their students' abilities and needs? The first way teachers characterize their students abilities is by labeling them. Throughout Carger's book we see this, both in Alejandro and in Alejandro's sister Alicia who was called "At risk," limited English proficient," "learning disabled," and Linguistically delayed"(p. 54) Labeling is something we in American have to do, it's just our nature. However, labeling can be dangerous because it can be a stigma that they have to live with for the rest of their lives, also I think it gives the child an excuse to fail. They can just say well, I'm dropping out because I'm learning disabled. A second way is by ethnicity or social standing, granted this is a sometimes racist way to characterize children. We do see this in Borders and Dreams, with Alejandro who was put into a Latino private school instead of a regular public highschool. This was possible because Chicago is a big culturally diverse city, with 20000 Latinos in the Chicago elementary school system(27) In schools I have gone to social standing is very important, children of important members of society always had it easier than children who were poor, or whose parents were not in the PTA. In small cities where everybody knows everybody this is a very common occurrence, even though it is very wrong. A third and the most obvious way that educators characterize the needs and abilities of their students is with grades. Whether your in first grade and get U's or S's, or your in highschool and get A's, B's, C's, D's, or F's teachers are always judging students ability levels. Anoth... ...d to begin with and he fell further and further behind, because the teachers could give him the help he deserved without bringing down the rest of the class with him. At the Latino school Alejandro was in the best possible position, but when he went to Crown High he got lost in the shuffle and dropped out. If the private school was at would have went all the way through highschool I think he would have graduated, or at least would have gave highschool a lot better effort. But to do this public school system need to have more money, money they really can't get from local taxes alone. In Conclusion, Alejandro's story, though very sad is a very common one, and until we can have more schools and more teachers to help disadvantaged students like Alejandro will continue to fall through the cracks of our nations educational system. But in all honesty, one of his parents dreams did come true, Alejandro was better off than his parents. He could read enough to do well in everyday life, and would not have to have relatives come with him to the bank to read the statements for him. I think Alejandro attained a lot more than anyone expected with all the limitations he began with.

Creative Art and Fine Art Essay

By a broad definition of art,[9] artistic works have existed for almost as long as humankind: from early pre-historic art to contemporary art; however, some theories restrict the concept to modern Western societies. [10] The first and broadest sense of art is the one that has remained closest to the older Latin meaning, which roughly translates to â€Å"skill† or â€Å"craft. † A few examples where this meaning proves very broad include artifact, artificial, artifice, medical arts, and military arts. However, there are many other colloquial uses of the word, all with some relation to its etymology. The second and more recent sense of the word art is as an abbreviation for creative art or fine art and emerged in the early 17th century. [13] Fine art means that a skill is being used to express the artist’s creativity, or to engage the audience’s aesthetic sensibilities, or to draw the audience towards consideration of the finer things. The word art can refer to several things: a study of creative skill, a process of using the creative skill, a product of the creative skill, or the audience’s experience with the creative skill. The creative arts (art as discipline) are a collection of disciplines that produce artworks (art as objects) that are compelled by a personal drive (art as activity) and convey a message, mood, or symbolism for the viewer to interpret (art as experience). Art is something that stimulates an individual’s thoughts, emotions, beliefs, or ideas through the senses. Artworks can be explicitly made for this purpose or interpreted on the basis of images or objects. Although the application of scientific knowledge to derive a new scientific theory involves skill and results in the â€Å"creation† of something new, this represents science only and is not categorized as art. Often, if the skill is being used in a common or practical way, people will consider it a craft instead of art. Likewise, if the skill is being used in a commercial or industrial way, it may be considered commercial art instead of fine art. On the other hand, crafts and design are sometimes considered applied art. Some art followers have argued that the difference between fine art and applied art has more to do with value judgments made about the art than any clear definitional difference. [14] However, even fine art often has goals beyond pure creativity and self-expression. The purpose of works of art may be to communicate ideas, such as in politically, spiritually, or philosophically motivated art; to create a sense of beauty (seeaesthetics); to explore the nature of perception; for pleasure; or to generate strong emotions. The purpose may also be seemingly nonexistent. Art is a diverse range of human activities and the products of those activities; this article focuses primarily on the visual arts, which includes the creation of images or objects in fields including painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and other visual media. Architecture is often included as one of the visual arts; however, like the decorative arts, it involves the creation of objects where the practical considerations of use are essential—in a way that they are usually not for a painting, for example. Music, theatre, film, dance, and other performing arts, as well as literature, and other media such as interactive media are included in a broader definition of art or the arts. [1] Creative arts is a subject of study for a number of universities, including those that offer a degree of Bachelor of Creative Arts. [1] Areas of study include dramaturgy, music, graphic arts/cartooning, performing arts, film, publishing, galleries, museums, and the visual arts.

Breaking The Silence Of The Night - 831 Words

Gunshots break the silence of the night. The wailing of sirens seeps through every crack in the wall. Red and blue emergency lights flash by. A family huddles together in fear at their home in Compton, California: the 8th most dangerous city in America. LSU kinesiology major Darion Scott, 23, of Compton, California, decided to pursue his dreams of becoming a sports agent instead of succumbing to gang violence. His youthful mind in the tough neighborhoods of Compton needed to be persistent and determined to succeed. â€Å"In high school, I lost one of my best childhood friends to gang violence. He was shot and killed. Seeing the pain and disbelief in his mother’s eyes first-hand put things into perspective for me,† Scott said. This was a life-changing experience for Scott, who chose to learn from this devastation rather than being angry at the world. He put his faith in the belief that everyone on this planet is here for a greater purpose. Scott was inspired to live life with no regrets and to do better constantly, so when his time comes to leave this Earth, he can be proud of his accomplishments. â€Å"I grew up with five older sisters who taught me how a young man should act. They showed me how to be brave and how to be kind. Life lessons that will stay with me forever,† Scott said. The support of Scott s family, specifically from his parents who provided him with every opportunity to succeed, was crucial to his evolution as a man. Scott was confident that no matter whatShow MoreRelatedPaul Simons the Sound of Silence1161 Words   |  5 PagesPaul Simons The Sound of Silence A poem, like all other works of art, may appear as an inter-subjective truth, an intricate thread of images, a surreal yet realistic expression, and as a creative fact according to Virginia Woolf. 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