Detroit School Board Back in Charge of Academics

[corktownyuppie]

Corktown im speaking from my own personal experience. That is not an uncommon phenominon, there is even an academic term for it; its called "code-switching". Code-switching is not only utilized by Blacks, but most ethnic groups revert to a less formal language when they are among others who speak and understand the language. Haven't you ever seen a group of Mexicans talk to each other in Spanish, then just as easily switch to English. To be honest, standard english is a very cold and emotion-less dialect, and I only use it in formal applications, such as taking care of business. I also use it when communicating with non AAEV speakers, in an effort to effectively communicate.

Again, communication operates like a machine. The sender [[speaker) sends out a message to a reciever [[listener). If the message from the sender is incompatible to the reciever, a misfire occurs. In order to correct the misfire the sender must refer to the user's manual of the receiver in order to develop a new course of action so that the message is effectively communicated. Therefore it would make no sense to teach a curriculum of standard english without relating it to what the children understand. Its easier for a person to learn algebra 2 when they have been introduced to algebra 1, oppose to just teaching agebra 2 without relating it to algebra 1.

There has been numerous studies on AAEV and communication in general, just google it. Code-switching is around you everyday, and you may even participate yourself. All effective communicators do.

Having grown up in a bi-lingual household as well as a very different socioeconomic situation than my current state, I code switch all the time, so I'm very familiar with it...though acknowledge that your explanation of it was concise and impressive.

My question is whether or not there is evidence of seeing success at using AAEV as a teaching method which outputs better English speakers and writers?

SFWE can be cold, I agree. But one thing which it is remarkably good at in our system of law. My parents native language was too primitive that even in their home country, they opt to use SFWE in contractual agreements and such.

[Neilr]

Corktown im speaking from my own personal experience. That is not an uncommon phenominon, there is even an academic term for it; its called "code-switching". Code-switching is not only utilized by Blacks, but most ethnic groups revert to a less formal language when they are among others who speak and understand the language. Haven't you ever seen a group of Mexicans talk to each other in Spanish, then just as easily switch to English. ... and I only use it in formal applications, such as taking care of business. I also use it when communicating with non AAEV speakers, in an effort to effectively communicate.

Again, communication operates like a machine. The sender [[speaker) sends out a message to a reciever [[listener). If the message from the sender is incompatible to the reciever, a misfire occurs. ...

One of my favorite poems:

Motto

I play it cool
I dig all jive
That's the reason
I stay alive
My motto
As I live and learn
Is dig and be dug in return

Langston Hughes

[313WX]

Please tell me this is not going to cause the schools 'start' date to be delayed? That's all DPS and Detroit Children need! NOT!

No.

As was detailed in the article, all decisions made under RR and Bob Bobb until now will not be reversed.

Now, whatever the teacher's union does is completely up in the air.

But as far any impact from the DPS school board taking over academics again, I dont see any.

[Lowell]

Telford seems rather colorful.

John Telford, 76, of Detroit was named interim superintendent and also will head the board's search for a permanent superintendent. He will receive $1 in salary if he gets authority to act as superintendent.

Hmm... I can't imagine why he was fired by Mad Heights PS?

Telford, a former executive director of DPS, was fired in 2009 as interim superintendent in Madison District Public Schools after only a month, amid a battle with school officials and some residents over his proposal to recruit Detroit children to attend the Madison Heights schools.

The Freep article says he is 76 and shows this picture. Seems to be an awfully young 76-year old and awfully old hire for Madison Height.. Another typo?

[firstandten]

Telford seems rather colorful.

Yes, he was a regular columnist for the Michigan Chronicle, he was a DPS track star and teammate of the late former super Kenneth Burnley, and he seems to have many contrarian views as it applies to education, which probably hurt his DPS career as well as his jobs outside DPS.

[corktownyuppie]

Ebonics aside, I think the most ambitious part of his speech was about the voluntary expertise coming in working pro bono. Either this guy is the smartest man alive or a total idiot.

[DetroitTeacher]

I do a whole lesson [[a few weeks) on Real Life Business Pratice. Yes, I teach English and not business. It's more of a writing and speaking for business type lesson. We practice interviewing, phone etiquette, writing a phone message, Resume and cover letter writing, greeting clients in a business setting [[which also translates to college settings) and those types of things. I explain to the kids DAY ONE that there is a way one speaks and writes to friends and there is a way one speaks and writes to people they don't know and in different settings. We go from "hang on" to "will you please hold" pretty fast. The kids learn when it's appropriate to use slang and terms they frequently use amongst themselves and when it's appropriate to use standard English. I TEACH them the difference and explain to them what standard English is and why it's important for them to use it.

The majority of my kids who attend college send me their papers to proofread [[yay me). For the most part, what I taught them sinks in from what I read in those papers. One of my former students sent me her first freshman paper with professor mark ups on it and one of the comments said, "thank your high school English teacher for teaching you to do this the correct way". She was proud to send me that and I was even more flattered that she told the prof how she learned to write that type of paper! Our kids CAN do things in the correct manner, they just need to be taught that there is a way to do things in the real world, where the language is standard English. I never deny their spoken language but in MY class, it's standard English all the way. It will benefit them when they move out of their neighborhood and into the world of work and college [[not physically move, per se, just move on to the grown up world).

Thank you for your stand on this DT. I teach part-time at a community college bursting at the seams with students in remedial English courses because they unable to read or write at college level. Some sadly can only write at a basic 'texting' level.

I have observed students attempting college work-study programs unable to verbally convey their thoughts or conduct telephone business conduct [[receptionist duties for example) due to lack of exposure to basic communication skills from their environments, home and now at school.

No thank you to Ebonics! Ebonics shouldn't be considered an academic standard.

[DetroitTeacher]

For the record, I am not striking...whether the union does or not. I will not put my career on the line. I am a union supporter when the union does something for the good of the employees. Our union does very little for us and even less for the kids. My teaching certificate can be revoked if I strike. I am not willing to risk that. Not to mention, Roy Roberts can fire us all if he so chooses. I've never believed in striking [[it might go back to my first day of Kindergarten...when I arrived at school, we saw the teachers striking and I couldn't go to school. I was heartbroken as I so badly wanted to start school). I'll be in my classroom on Sept. 4 waiting for my kids.

[stromberg2]

DT, Hopefully everything will go well for you. I sure wish you would come to the next Forum picnic or meet up, I would love to shake your hand for all the good you do.

Stromberg2

[DetroitTeacher]

I was at a meetup years ago, was invited by ItsJeff. I so miss him and all of his kind words!

I might think about attending the next one. I'm not much of a night owl or drinker, though.

I'm not the only teacher who feels the way I do. There are plenty of us out there who would say just what I say and do what I do. I really have to hand it to the kids, though. If they weren't who they are, I probably wouldn't be where I am. I'm heading in to work tomorrow to get my classroom ready. My truck is all loaded and ready to go. I've attended numerous workshops and trainings this summer for various things that will help the kids with their reading. I'm ready to go back [[although I could probably use a few extra weeks to sleep in since I have been working all summer on various things for work).

DT, Hopefully everything will go well for you. I sure wish you would come to the next Forum picnic or meet up, I would love to shake your hand for all the good you do.

Stromberg2

[Wesley Mouch]

I don't care what people speak at home. But I do care what schools spend their money on. There's no reason to teach 'conversational spanish' or AAEV or any other dialect. Perfectly valid language or not doesn't matter. Schools need to prepare kids for the world.

Pride is probably the logic behind 'Ebonics'. If you think there's a pride deficiency, you might think you can improve pride by teaching Ebonics. You would be wrong.

[De'troiter]

I don't care what people speak at home. But I do care what schools spend their money on. There's no reason to teach 'conversational spanish' or AAEV or any other dialect. Perfectly valid language or not doesn't matter. Schools need to prepare kids for the world.

Pride is probably the logic behind 'Ebonics'. If you think there's a pride deficiency, you might think you can improve pride by teaching Ebonics. You would be wrong.

Wesley my friend I dont think that you understood my post. I am not advocating for the teaching of Ebonics. Black kids in Detroit are very well versed in Ebonics, and it is no need to teach somebody something that they already know. The only place where Ebonics would have to be taught is in the suburbs, or other places that lack a large Black presence. The majority of Black kids in Detroit City, know and understand AAEV very well.

My position is that we must use what we have in an effort to help these children adapt to a culture that they are not familiar with. I am not saying to teach Ebonics. I am saying that we should use whatever methods are necessary to help these kids adapt. Every child does not learn in the same manner, and if using certain phrases and cultural references that the child can relate to, helps the child learn faster; why not use it? The children can speak ebonics, so you may have to use bits of ebonics in order to teach standard english. Its no different than a spanish teacher using bits of english in an effort to help english speakers relate to spanish.

In closing, pride is not the logic behind ebonics. Pride IS the logic behind standard english though. Think about it, how is it that standard english is superior to any other language in America, even though it is just a bastarization of "Real English"? If anything Blacks in this country have very little cultural pride because it was stripped from them generations ago. Cultural Pride is mainly a "White-thing" and many Blacks wish that they could trace their ancestors to the specific place of their origins, and learn their languages. Songs like James Brown's "I'm Black and I'm Proud" was created to try and establish "Pride" in a people that had been traditionally taught that they were worthless trash!

I don't mean to be rude and condenscending but it really irritated me when you said that AAEV exists probably because of Black Pride. The Black community would not be in the shape that it is in, if more Blacks had Pride in themselves. That is a fact!