Class Discussion Post

The past two classes have been really interesting with everyone's input on their SL project and charity vs. change. The first point I want to comment on is the story that Beth told the class about. She said that her teacher used the words "It's Obama's rule not mine." when explaining the rules to the class. At first I saw this as offensive and wrong for her to do but as the class kept discussing it, it became less and less offensive to me. She could have been using President Obama as a scapegoat blaming all of the rules on him. But this just does not seem rational to me when Beth told us that all of the students were of African American decent. The teacher was white so I just do not see her blaming the president but actually using him as a role model for the kids. She takes the presidential situation as a plus for the students and the bond they have together makes the "blame" she is putting on him okay in the eyes of the students. I just cannot see this teacher trying to be offensive right in front of her students.

The second point I want to comment on is the reason why my service learning project is more "change" rather than charity. I am not saying that I am doing this project solely to change these children. Of course I am doing this project because I have to and without it I would not pass the class. And as others said, most likely I will never see these kids again for even go back to the school after the project is over. But the reason my project is more change than charity is because I am not teaching these kids to read at all. What I am teaching them is to have fun with reading and the WANT to read and the WANT to learn as much as possible in school. If a child is not willing to learn something new it is almost impossible to teach them. A child can learn anything if they want and are eager to learn no matter how difficult the material. So, I am not entirely focused on if the kids are becoming better readers as much as I am trying to show them that learning is fun and they should want to learn. It is difficult to do and I do not even know if I am doing a good job because, as Dr. Bogad said, "There is no measurement of it." But even so I still think my service learning project is more change than charity.