Video Analysis: Precious Knowledge

In Tucson, Arizona ethnic studies classes caused controversy over what kinds of classes should be allowed in Tucson’s public schools. The Latino population of students was greatly being effected by only a 50% graduation rate. The ethnic studies curriculum was created to engage students with a history from a different cultural viewpoint than what was usually taught in public high school. From the outside of the classroom the opposing forces against ethnic studies believed that the hidden curriculum within the classes was detrimental to students. This was because it was teaching anti-American beliefs along with creating students who would act with rebellious beliefs and racism. From inside the classroom the teachers and students look to their curriculum and insist that their curriculum was more about having courage to examine history, create understanding and respect for one another and one’s self. They believed in looking at problems that the world was facing and not just accepting them but also trying to make a change for the better. The problematic readings were grounded in the courses use of the "Pedagogy of the Oppressed” with ideals that are based in teachings like Marxism.

It is very common to find different point of views interrelated after the dispute becomes public and same may be guessed in this case. The evidence of miscommunication and misleading information has created confusion between both parties. The Ethnic Studies Program has its own importance in the field of education and it becomes more valuable in culturally diverse place like America where this study of people gives us vast knowledge of races, their roots, their lives, backgrounds and their relation with other communities.

In his “Open Letter to the Citizens of Tucson,” Tom Horne explains why he believes ethnic studies should be banned. Horne explains what happened at the Tucson magnet school when a Republican Latina came to speak. Tom Horne writes, “Her speech was non-partisan and professional, urging students to think for themselves and avoid stereotypes. Yet a small group of La Raza students treated her

Ethnic Studies is a course that offers minority students the chance to learn history from an “alternate Perspective” that is not to say that ethnic studies teaches kids radical, or extreme ideas, but rather teaches them about the unsung heroes of history which are easily forgotten in modern day History courses. It Allows students to discover their true identity and reconnect with their culture. However, some people don’t see it that way. Their are those who oppose the implementation of this course into public schools, Mostly Conservative Republicans. Critics of the course claim It promotes “racial separation”, “linguistic isolation”, and “racial preference.” Others will also claim the course is to “emotionally charged”, and influences kids to rebel against the government, essentially turning them into Anarchists.

Despite the new discoveries in medicine whether it is a new vaccine or antibiotic, the most basic components for disease prevention and death in humans depends on a good nutrition and access to clean water. The RX for Survival: Back to the Basics video depicts how both an inadequate nutrition and malnutrition can impaired a child’s physically and developmentally. It is estimated that over 100 million children in the world are undernourished and causing the death of more than “one third” of the children (WHO). Furthermore, the consumption of contaminated water, which carries disease organism, exacerbates the mortality rate among children.

A good reaction arises in me when I see the union of society as you can clearly see in these videos analyzed; For example, in the video the movie Holding Ground part 2 About the Dudley Street Initiative in South Boston and Cabrini Green in Chicago, clearly see as a culture is work of a neighborhood in a way that reaches social neglect and harms the community general because poor hygiene and poor services become absolute owner and harm the good development of that community.

This paradox is not just affecting low-income and minority students, but also students in non-minority groups as well. When there is no time for focus on skills that students need to participate in social change, these students will not learn to question practices within society or to work with other students from all different groups and backgrounds in order to effect change. Classes in schools which may contribute to multicultural education, such as social studies and foreign language, are being cut completely in order to spend more time on reading and math (Au, 2009). According to Au (2009), since multi-cultural anti-racist perspectives and content are not deemed legitimate by the high-stakes tests and classroom standards, the end result is that multicultural, anti-racist content and perspectives and not being included in the instruction time or curriculum. This reinforces the notion for white students that they are the dominant group in society, and works against the goals of multicultural education.

Monday not long after arriving at the office SAC Mark Pro received a phone call concerning assistance from the GBI for a death in Adel. CSS Kellyn Wilkes was the CSS on call. The other intern “Olivia” and I rode with CSS Wilkes to the scene. Upon arrival, we were still waiting on a search warrant before entering the house. However, since pictures are always taken before entering a house in death investigations we took pictures from different distances as well as vehicles on the property before entering the residence. Additionally, DNA swabs were taken before entering the home as well. I watched and observed as evidence was obtained and as the residence was searched. Afterward, evidenced was logged into an online database and left with the Adel Sherriff department.

The film Precious Knowledge takes a deeper look into the defense and fall of the Ethnic Studies program within the Tucson Unified School District. During the standoff, as Arizona lawmakers bombarded the students and educators with threats and false claims. A major question surrounding the film is whether or not this program’s failure was preventable. Jeff Biggers approaches the situation from a politically centralized point of view, having written for The New York Times, The Nation, and The Washington Post, as well as, working with MSNBC's “All In” with Chris Hayes. Biggers writes the review “Arizona’s Precious Knowledge: Blockbuster New Film Chronicles Ethnic Studies Battle” where he looks at the bureaucracy behind the film rather than

Once upon a time there was a 13 year old girl named Emily Anderson who lived in Iowa with her 15 year old brother Jeff and their uncle Ben. It had been 10 years since Emily and Jeff's parents died in a car crash. Emily, Jeff, and their uncle Ben were all super heroes. Emily and Jeff had always questioned their uncle Ben about how they were superheroes, but he would always say they were very lucky but Emily is the special one in the family.

We all hear about what a teacher did on social media that was inappropriate all over the internet. But we never really hear about the good things. I read an article in Scholastic, about a teacher named Christopher Casal who a technology teacher for an Elementary school in Brooklyn that uses social media in his classroom and the kids are learning from it. Casal works as a technology teacher for the Magnet School of Math, Science and Design Technology. He has taught for many years and decided to bring Twitter into his classroom. Twitter is a social media website where you can make posts that contain 120 characters that can tell others in a few words are doing or thinking. Casal had the brilliant idea of bringing Twitter into his second grade

“On November 2nd, a coalition of students called Next Yale marched on University President Peter Salovey’s house to submit a list of measures the administration should take to improve the racial climate on campus, including an ethnic studies distributional requirement for all Yale undergraduates” (Victor, 2015). A majority of the students at Yale University voted in favor of making ethnic studies a requirement for undergraduates. In Arizona, around July, legislators decided to prohibit students from taking a Mexican-American ethnic studies class because they believed the class would promote ethnic solidarity instead of promoting the treatment of the people as individuals.

Horne would argue that it was causing students to act out and almost feel bad because of their treatment. Even though in history/social study classes there is American history, they may not go in as great of detail as a class totally dedicated the certain races. Horne is almost putting the students who take those classes into categories that they are going to act out because the students feel “let down” although, not just the students of those races take the classes; they are offered to all the students that attend the school. The superintendent is just making a generalization of one incident.

The Graeters video relates to what we have learned about business and change by showing us that change within a business is virtually inevitable. As times change and technology becomes more apparent, business must also change or use valuable resources to become more efficient to keep up with, or become more successful than the surrounding competition. Graeters experience with change was a bit different than that of other companies. Before technological innovations brought about the refrigerator and modern ice cream machines ice cream was a delicacy, it was something people couldn’t get every day or whenever they desired. In the times after though, many companies began to mass produce ice cream making thousands of gallons per day. Graeters

showing the symptoms of culture shocks when she came to know that her account has been frozen as uncollectible until further notice.