XC - Babies

1. Did one culture, shown in the film, have a better way of parenting than the others?

I don't think any of the four parentings were better than the others because all the parents in the movies, especially the moms who we see a lot, care for their baby a lot. I just think that since they are in a different environment, they would receive different materials and resources that allow people to see that they have better parenting than the other babies, depending on the people's cultural perspective. At first, I thought the babies who lived in the city, Mari from Japan and Hattie from San Fransisco had a better parenting because of all the toys and books they have whereas Ponijao from Namibia and Bayarjargal from Mongolia had environments that seemed unclean and the parents were busy. However, I thought that the mothers took good care because they had a lot of kissing to the child, hugging and playing with them as much as the parents could. I think it is from the parents' culture's own perspective in raising the child and addition to their experience of being raised that that is how the parents are raising the four babies. Even though there were negligence, I thought that should also mean freedom and more self-exploring that the babies could do and it is not a bad thing to have the child to not stick to the parents too much or else independence won't grow. I don't really know which one had a better way of parenting because at the end of the movie, after two years, they all look wonderful and cute.

2. How did each family prepare the child to take its "place" in their society? Did communication, cuddling, supervision, discipline line up to "mold" the kid for that society? Or do you think that a kid from one society would have been able to transfer successfully/ easily at age 1 to one of the others?

In Namibia, Ponijao was raised quite funny and weird (to me). I think it is the environment that had me felt surprised because all the people were quite naked and they walked without shoes, which I thought is cool, since their feet would be strong but for a baby, how would he feel? The mother seemed to take care of him but then gives him to the siblings to take care of or have him tied to the mother's back while she works. But as the movie progresses, the mother and other children with other mothers were always there, which show love and I think there is a stronger connection build up there. I think it shows unity that Ponijao is being accepted into the society and he was eating with other children and playing with mothers, such as when the mother was playing music and he danced to it. With the same clothing with everyone else, the mother is molding the child to accept the way of dress that their culture has, and teaching Ponijao how to speak their language is another way of "molding". Other times, even though the mothers was there, Ponijao would go eat from the ground such as rock and bone, and then would beg the mother to drink her milk, which I thought was like having the mother not giving too much, too much spoiling on the child unless the child "beg" for it. I guess that is the discipline they had for the child at that age. Then as Ponijao begin to crawl, then walk, he takes more steps into his society and understanding how his place is in his culture and the surrounding because he would play with the dog, learn how to eat like the rest and being almost naked.

In Mongolia, Bayarjargal was born in a hospital and after that, the nurse tied him tightly, packed him like he was a present and then the mother was off to go, back to home. In many scenes of the early scenes of Bayar, I find that he is always tied up, around the knees or tied to the leg of the bed so he won't, I believe, hurt himself and go off somewhere. In such a vast plain, I thought the parents are just worrying about his safety but then as the movie goes on, he went to play with the animals, half-naked like Ponijao and did his own exploring like climbing up and down on the barrel and staring at the rooster. There was a lot of cuddling at first and with all the other babies but because the parents have to work, Bayar was either alone or with his brother. And sometimes, in the movie, the brother would tried to make him cry or make him get in trouble with his mother, which then Bayar got in trouble, and the mother had to yell at him. The mother discipline him by yelling and leaving him alone even though he wanted to go near the mother and I think the cuddling part is always at the beginning, after the mother and baby begin breastfeeding and bonding of the mother and baby. I think Bayar was a very independent child because he was mostly on his own, and I think he had a good connection with the animals. He was not scared even when cows and rooster was in front of him. I think he had the most free and self-exploring time than the other children and he get to crawl and walk around the large plain without much supervising. In a way, I do not think the parents molded Bayar for that society but molded him in the surrounding area he is living in. He got taught how to speak and go visit his relatives, but for him, the environment had more molding for him than his parents. I think that is why, he was shown in the end of how to walk whereas the other three babies walked fast with their mothers around but Bayar's mother was not around.

In Japan, I think Mari was molded a lot because she went to a lot of classes with her mother to improve Mari's skills. Her mother was there for her a lot and same for the other three babies. There was a lot of cuddling and the father had used a toy to get her attention, or by moving the toy to meet her eyes. I think he was trying to raise her awareness. I think her mother is trying to mold her child into the culture but I did not see much discipline from her mother. But I think Mari had a much self-independence better because when she was trying to match the blocks together, and playing with stickers, that is raising comprehension. And by getting frustrated, she was crying and thumping on the floor, but the parents didn't came. Additionally, when she was with her father, and taking out everything and throwing the CD around, the father didn't look her way either. I think the mother is trying to give as much love as possible to Mari but at the same time, to let her do things her way, and let her grow independently, thinking more comprehensively plus taking the classes to help her do that. And the classes make sense because Japan parents' have their children to go to many classes so they can become smarter. After watching Mari, I thought the culture was to raise their mental skills, and having to share with the other mothers and their babies on their way of parenting, and the babies can meet to build friendly bonds.

In San Francisco, Hattie was the baby that I felt sorry and worried because she had wires on her body when she was born. Then after she goes home, the scenery changes where the parents have read to her a lot. Even when Hattie smacked her mother, her mother was not angry or shocked, not sure if it is from the camera, but then she took out a book that said, "No Hitting". I think it is Hattie that she had scenes of her father the most, taking her out to eat pudding or ice cream and to singing exercises and reading to her. And watching her with her cat and other parts, she likes make faces like trying to figure things out, which is what parents want their babies to begin to do. There was not much discipline that I see from her parents either but mostly telling her to read books and they don't get angry at her much. I think the parents molded her into the society by cuddling, providing her books... quite a lot of books, and a lot of supervision, more than the other three babies. And so, she was able to say mom and dad earlier and able to differentiate the not tasty part of the banana when she peeled it, ate it, spit it out, re-ate it and then split it out again. I think this is a good way of parenting, to allow the child to experience the problem first before having the parents to tell them what they are doing.

I think the babies can transfer successfully to another environment but mostly if the parents are able to transfer successfully as well. Since the parents are the closest people to the babies when they are born, they would bond with them deeply and feel their emotions, and so, if the parents do not feel uncomfortable, then the babies would feel uncomfortable. The parents would have their own culture but since they moved, they would have to add the culture that is there to fit the babies into the society. This I think would have the babies split their culture in half, the half is from their parents, and the other half is from the environment/society that they are living in.

Two things that I noticed was that besides mainly focusing on the babies, they focused on the mom and babies a lot, and so when the babies learn to speak their words, like Ponijao's mom, she would tell him to say "mom" first, then other words. I think it is that the mother are closer to them that they want to have a first place in their babies' minds.

HW #58 Parenting 102

Part 3:

From interviewing the parents, Mrs. Plaza and Mr. Marks, it had seem that they want to raise their child with their babies inner personalities/identities develop and having their children become their own selves. However, they still apply rules and certain "dream" and ideas of theirs onto their children. I always wonder why do parents always put their dreams and ideas onto their children? And then the children would feel pressure and things will change, either rebel against it or etc. When Mr. Marks said he is picking for the conservation cultivation, which is to "coach them how to interact" and to gain different reasoning abilities, I thought that was cool. However, one thing that Mr. Marks said about that I did not think of was that to treat the babies as "science project[s]". We can do research about it and find all the equations into guessing what the babies needs are during that single moment, but because all babies are quite different, many of the results are still unknown. Therefore, doing research can only help us this far into parenting and that we must be prepare with tests and stuff, like what Mr. Marks and his wife did and the depression period after birth might do to the parents. After hearing about his and his wife's experience, and remembering from last year's birth unit, we cannot really say that birth is a good thing until we pass all the obstacles in getting the baby out into the world.

Questions that classmates ask about parenting is what sort of parenting helps a kid become a differentiated self? And I think during the interviews, Mrs. Plaza and Mr. Marks answered the questions in their own ways and their thoughts during their research on their kids. Mrs. Plaza is a person that lets her child learn on their own, and not to be constantly corrected and walk away to let the child cry all she wants. (By the way, both of their kids are girls ^-~) Additionally, she's one of those parents who mind their own business because during the interview, she said, she interact with other parents by "their house, their rules" and "I don't critique their style [of parenting] unless abusive [blah blah blah]". But how do parents create these rules and why they mind their own business when parents go research on other parents' styles of things? Is it more helpful that way for parents to understand but once the child is out, and growing, the parents begins to experienced more of what it is like to be a parent, and create their own rules by their standards. Or is it by how they were raised and and how their parents treat them, does how the parents were parented affect how they parent?

Part 4:

Through the parenting mini unit, I learned that we do not know what it is like to be a parent or how to do the parenting until we become parents. It is difficult to become one and those who are still being parented would not be able to understand what parents go through until we fully become parents. Even with all the research we do to provide a good care to our babies, we are probably still fifty percent unsure whether it will work the way we want because babies are all different and it is not easy for the first or second or third time to succeed. That is why parents are becoming scientists in a way, to view like their babies similar to "science projects" (Mr. Marks). It is helpful to think that way because it is to improve the parents observance on their babies closer than researching. By observing our babies closer, us parents can discover more sides to our babies and the parent-child relationship would be closer and balance as well. We might become slaves to our children's needs but then when the children begin to grow up, they would be partially slaves to our hopes and needs. Additionally, it is not about the ways that we do can make the babies feel better but it is how much feelings we put into the ways and our love for our babies that can make the babies feel happy. Then in return, we feel happy than frustrated.

Listening from the parents and other classmates' ideas on their parenting styles, I started thinking about how much can I provide to my child that can let the child grow up their own ways without too much of my interference. But I wonder how little interference can I do that would not make my child feel lonely and not feel stressed. Of course, I have hopes for my child but listening to Mr. Marks and Mrs. Plaza that they would optimize their children's strengths and let them learn what they are going through, it is possible that differentiated children would grow more from their children. And that is what is an insight that I want and hope that it will work once I have a child. Besides that, influences would occur as children begin to grow and change them but it will be helpful for myself to remind myself that I should keep telling my child to be his/her self. This also help me teach myself to learn to give more comfort and patience because it is not easy for the children to go through all by themselves. Another insight that I found is that having a child is like splitting from the mother, or from both the parent and so, the parents have to care for their child like they care for themselves. They may act badly sometimes to their children but it is a way to tell or reflect on how they are taking care of their children. If both the parents and the child can live happily together without judging whether each of them are doing something bad, but listen and understand each other more through both of their own inner selves and for both of them to have more conversation can lead to a closer, more trustworthy and lighter load on the intertwining relationship of parent and child.

HW #57 Parenting 101

I am not sure how kids should be parented because I think it is hard to be parented and parent someone. Everybody has different ways and I do not have a clue to what is the best way to take care of a child. But one thing that I would let my kid do is do what she/he wants, and I will provide the support as best as I could and set some standards for myself for both of us to be equal. I think the first guiding principle in parenting is love because if a parent do not love the child, what is the point of having one? There may be circumstances that led to having a child even though the parent do not want one but then, I think there needs to be love between the parent and child. I think once the parent provides enough love to the child, as the child grow up, the relationship between the parent and the child would balance. Once the love is constructed, then the rest of the parenting road will become easy, I think... Like the child would listen or obey the parent better and it would become both child-centered and parent-centered. Because a parent is once a kid and parents do act like kids once in a while and the kid would act like an adult once in a while so both have to put up with each other and help each other. I think co-sleeping is an important thing that parents have to do with their child because it would make the child feel that his/her parents are there if something happens at night, like the child having a nightmare. Another thought that I had was that the child like to sleep near the stomach because he/she was in the mother's womb and I think the child would feel closer to the mom or dad like the child had when he/she was in the mother's womb. Additionally, I think there are more warmth, which all the children need from their parents.

If I am put in the situation of parenting someone, I would be having a hard time and think how my parents had parent my sister and I. I think many children think that their parents do not care about them if they neglect them long or yell at them for a little thing they had done but I believe that parents have their reasons for yelling or neglecting them. They had their frustration time taking care of us when we were little and still taking care of us when we get old. But sometimes the kids get yelled at for no reason and I think that needs to be changed. If I parent, I would listen to my child more carefully and hold my temper down even if they did something outrageous because it is the parent's responsibility to protect their child and tried to make the child see whether he/she did something wrong or that it is not his/her fault. But anyhow, I think it all depends how well the relationship is between the child and I. Sometimes, the relationship will flow and sometimes it would go badly and then I would feel that I am not suited for parenting, which I think everybody would feel like that once they become a parent.

I do not think parenting will "come naturally" for many of us but we would research on multiply perspectives or talk about it with our family members. I think it is a nervous situation at first when thinking of having a child but it is a joy to think about having a child and the parents would begin planning all these events that they would put in their child's life. I think it is better to talk to someone who had a child than reading books because I think we would get the feelings more looking at the parent and her/his child. I find that informal research such as talking with family members or other parents with children are better as it could create better experiences in talking out with them, expressing the feelings inside of us and they could give suggestions, maybe better. Research formally might help but it would only provide a few answers as to what we really want to know and its rather concrete, and we can follow it, but I rather create my own ways. (Hope you understand what I mean...)

I think babies should be treated like puppies because they are cute and fragile. And I do not think they would understand adult words and neither would we understand them with their baby languages. So, I think we should go by the baby languages instead of the adult languages.

When I finished reading "Diana Baumrind & Parenting Styles", I thought that all the parents have some of the 3 of the parenting styles, permissive, authoritarian and authoritative but they would like to be the authoritative parents the most because they would want their children to become "lively and happy disposition", "self-confident about ability to master tasks", "well developed emotion regulation" and etc. I would want to be an authoritative parent after reading about the child qualities but I think that creates many of responsibilities on me and on the child. I would try to be an authoritative parent but also creating a good relationship with my child but my child would grow up the way he/she is and also setting some rules in the house for both of us to follow, or mostly for the child so I guess, to help her learn some manners and for her own responsibilities when she grew up. I do not just want to be an authoritative parent but I also want to be a friend of my child and "authoritative" sounds like the parents are on the top of the child instead of both at the same level. I would try to create that kind of parenting as best as I could and to have myself to cope with my child because it was my responsibility that I had the child and so, I had to respect my child. I do not want her to feel that she is here not loved or to have her be my subordinate. I am here for her to use as well as I use her and that I am here to support her anyway that I could is what I would imagine my parenting to be like.

In the Attachment Parenting, I thought that connects to what I had said in my thoughts, that it is better to do informal research than formal research. It is better to do research on our own babies than go online or as experts because they are not the experts of our babies. We have to be observant if we want to attach ourselves better with our babies and understand our babies more. The first thing on attachment parenting is birth bonding and that is similar to showing love to the babies by being near them more and coming together of the parent and the child. It is all about closeness that lets the parent and child understand and feel each other more. But I wonder when does this attachment ends? How would the baby or as he begins to grow up begins to drift away from the attachment and would he feel really sad during the period he drifts away or is it different with genders?

HW #56 Interviews and Survey Questions

Interview Questions (May 13, 2010):

1) What do you think change a friend to a best friend? Do there need to be a big experience for that to happen?

2) What are the important qualities that you seek in a best friend?

3) What things that you would tell your best friend that you would not tell to a normal friend? How comfortable do you feel telling those things?

4) How do you think you act differently in front of your best friend than when you were just a friend with that person? What actions/things would you not do to a best friend compare to a normal friend?

5) How do you know whether you can be best friend with that friend/acquaintance/just first met person? And what do you do to make a best-friend-connection with that person or how do you develop that best-friend-connection?

6) Would you treat yourself the same as you treat your best friend?

Person #1

1) "I am not too sure what change a friend to a best friend. I don't believe that big experience is needed. However, communications and learning more about each other is what change a friend to become a best friend."

2) The initial question is what are qualities or need that you have for/in a best friend, but then I changed it to the question now. She answered, "I look for cheerful personality, they respect everybody and could be very supportive to one another is what I look for as a friend". Then I asked her if good listener is one and she said, "Yes, definitely, a good audience".

3) "I would tell very personal feelings to my best friend than a normal friend such as personal crush, family events that happened, or just anything that I feel that I want to express". Then I asked her about how comfortable she would be and she said, "I am very comfortable to tell those personal stuff to my best friend because I know that she will be a great listener and would support me in any way she can".

4) "I don't think I would act that much different, maybe just the topic of the conversation would be different. I wouldn't say that much personal stuff to a friend."

5) "I am not too sure if I can answer that correctly, but I believed to develop best friend connection, lots of communication is needed and tolerance as well, you never know who is your best friend until you met that person and have a very good conversation with them". Since she said she wasn't too sure, I asked her what percentage does she think you have to connect with that friend to turn them into a best friend? She answered that she "share common interests around 50-75% in order to "turn" them into a best friend".

6) This question got her thinking since she said, "uh...hm... I think I would treat my friend better meaning that I would sacrifice what I can for my friend". Then I asked her how big her sacrifice would be but she said she's "not that sure, depends on the situation" and she gave an example that she will "sacrifice [her] time for this friend".

Edit on Question (May 14, 2010): Does having a best friend help reduce loneliness?

New Interview Questions:

1) Do you have a best friend? If not, why?

2) On a scale of 1-10, how lonely do you feel not having a best friend and on a scale of 1-10, how happier do you feel when your best friend is around?

3) Why do you think many of us need a best or close friend?

4) Why do you think you feel happier than lonely when talking with your best friend?

5) How does it feel expressing your problems to your best friend and do you feel better after talking especially when that person is your best friend?

6) What makes your loneliness go down when you have a best friend?

Person #2

"I feel like if you just have 1 friend, then you can call that person your best friend but if you have a little group, then you can have 'favorites' so no best friend."

1) No, she does not have a best friend. She said it is "because I tend to hang out in groups of four and if I did, other people would get offended". So I asked her why do you think they would get offended and she answered it was "because they are not the ones getting special treatment and the ones who do not have that special connection". I was like okay...

---And so the next few questions, I had her feel or guess what it is like, at least that can be a predictable answer for a person who don't want to create a best friend-relation

2) Loneliness: 5, Happiness: 10, but she said for the loneliness it is if she has friends so I told her to elaborate and she said, if I have friends, it would be 5, but if I am a loner, then it is 3.

3) "Hm.... To feel special". And then I asked if she want to feel special. She replied, "I do, I used to have a special with each person in the group"

4) "Because.... you're with someone you know who cares about you and every human being needs to feel loved..."

5) "Eh, I guess I would... because you know that the person genuinely cares so you know that whatever you tell that person is between the you two."

6) "Hm, having someone to share your experiences with you and someone to be there when you need someone."

Person #3

1) Yes, more than one

2) Loneliness: 8, Happiness: 9 when with friends

3) "Because they can feel less lonely" and since I needed more answer, I asked him why do you think they would feel less lonely? He answered that "they have someone to talk too". I told him that he seems to the extroverted type, where he likes to talk with others but he said, "sometimes because it goes both ways. I mostly help myself and others but if they want to help me, I don't mind".

4) "You are happier because you are with your friend and there is someone to talk too".

5) "It will make me feel better if I told my friend what is happening but sometimes I don't want to get them involved if there is a situation like that" and I asked him what kind of situations and he said, "something that is going to involve them in".

6) "Just having someone around you will make you feel less lonely."

Person #4

1) "Yes I do have a best friend."

2) "Lonely 10, happy 10." o.o... I thought he is a nice person to feel like that and when I said "you're nice", he replied, "I am".

3) "We all need someone for support because that person understands you better than most".

4) "The fact that he or she is your friend" because "It's like having a family member you trust with everything" and "I trust them with everything, no secrets".

5) "Expressing my problems are difficult but helpful."

6) "Just their presence and seeing them happy." A very cheerful guy~

Analyzing

I thought many of their answers are similar and that having best friend(s), or even friends help reduce the loneliness because there is someone to talk to, which for best friends are more trustworthy, have a special connection with the best friend and his/her support when something happens. I think that is the general patterns in which deeper relationships work so I did not really ask for elaboration on many of the questions unless needed because it just seems natural that like those questions and I think others as well, we almost only have one answer. It is different for people who do not create a best-friend connection, and so person #2 has more to say, and I think, more thoughts into why having best friend might distant other friendships. And seeing the second question where it is the 1-10 scale of loneliness and happiness, all of them answer they are happier when there best friends are around and lonelier when they are not. Reasons that reduce the loneliness is the large and deep connection with another person that we can share our most, or at least deeper than the surface of our thoughts/feelings to others. When we have that deep link, like a bright lit light bulb, we feel happier but then when our link is quite on the surface, the light is not that bright. I am not sure about those who have no best friends but think that all their friends are equal, whether they would feel lonelier or so, or that they are okay with not having best friends.

Extra thought: I wonder if I can find deeper reasons into why connections with each other, especially in the best-friend connection, help reduce loneliness but are there more loneliness when there is a fight? .... I think I will research more on that.

Website sources on loneliness:

http://overcomeloneliness.com/blog/

http://psychology.suite101.com/article.cfm/fear_of_intimacy

http://www.relationshipmatters.com/index.php?/archives/2931-How-to-deal-with-loneliness.html

Survey Question:

Having the presence of your best friend in anytime and greater in worst situations/circumstances help you reduce your loneliness?

HW #55 Research Question/Topic

I have a few research questions/topics that I would like to focus in on in the friendship domain. The first question that I have is what kind of aspects/personalities/things that we see in people to call them our friends? The closer-er aspect after I get somewhat of an answer for the friend stage is the best friend. How is that friends are promote to best friends; what requires for one to change into a best friend, what responsibilities or changes? How does one feel to be a best friend and how many boundaries does one need to cross to be that best friends?

And that is what I am mainly focusing on... Please help me fix or change it to a complete question or so... or which one should I focus on?

Fixed question (thank yous to Maggie and Rachel): On what requirements and boundaries does a friend have to cross in order to promote to a best friend?

Part 2

Rachel,

I like your topic as it connects with what we were doing it class and similar to the personality tests, how much can they accurately predict about relationships. Are you also comparing if the relationship becomes lasting, how do the couples live with each other? Or if not that lasting, how accurate are the online dating and compatibility matches? (lol, I am not that sure on what I am saying either...I'm sorry)

I think your question can be rephrased as: How accurate are the online dating and compatibility matches in creating a lasting relationship?

Maggie:

I think your question is good... I think you can choose either social or emotional need to focus on because once you start talking about them, I think they are both the same and connect to each other. I think you can also narrow the emotional category down too, like attention needs, talking needs so we won't become too introverted or so, and connection needs and etc... Nicely chosen mAggIE!~ and thank you for your comment =D

Part 3

"Latest Survey Results: Best Friend Tell All Summary."SmartGirl (1996-2000): n. pag. Web. 11 May 2010. http://www.smartgirl.org/reports/4059796.html .

It is a survey result about who has best friend(s) and how do best friends treat each other and etc. There were many girls who have taken the survey and only a number of boys and looking at the answers, that should be in their own opinions, I believe the results are quite reliable and useful. There are many questions in the survey that tells about the relationship between the best friends and there are graphs representing the answers of those who took the surveys. The survey and results post both side of the faces of best friends, whether they are nice or they are mean to each other but doesn't that show more love and closer relationship to each other?

Spen, Katie. "How to Be the Best Friend." EHow (2008): n. pag. Web. 11 May 2010. http://www.ehow.com/how_2220827_be-best-friend.html.

EHow website has articles of how to do this and suggests advices to the readers. In "How to Be the Best Friend", Katie Spen gives five advices in how we should be the best friend because as she said, "Our relationships are what make us the kind of people we are" and it is "important to truly cultivate these relationships and be a good friend in return". Two of the five advices she gives are exercising the give and take strategy, to treat each other equally and not just one sided and to be a good listener, which all of us needs one. I think her suggestions are reliable as I read it, I yearn for friends who would have the preferences she had given. And it relates to my topic to understand the process and necessaries jobs that friends have to do to become a best friend/close friend.

Mikrut, Sharon . "Top Eight Characteristics of True Friends." Ezine Articles (2010): n. pag. Web. 11 May 2010. http://ezinearticles.com/?Top-Eight-Characteristics-of-True-Friends&id=3947119.

Sharon Mikrut gives eight characteristics in how to become true friends that she theorized as she had gotten older. The characteristics that she gave comprises of friends conversing and give and take for the friends to be balance and happy. In many of the characteristics, she has the theme of that friends do not look down on each other but feel for each others' needs and happiness. I think her characteristics are reliable because it only suggests that to become a "true" friend takes a lot of work and she observed for many years that to have a true friend is hard, and I think these characteristics are what we all desire to have a true friend and achieved to be a true friend. It can even be more than the eight characteristics in the page but to have real relationships, almost all the characteristics have to be fulfill.

Anonymous, et. al.. "How to Be a Great Best Friend."wikiHow (2010): n. pag. Web. 11 May 2010. http://www.wikihow.com/Be-a-Great-Best-Friend.

Number of people come to edit this article and there are steps, tips and warnings on how to be a great best friend. The first step, which I believe is good and reliable is that we have to become our own best friend first to understand and respect ourselves. If we know what boundaries we want, we can respect those boundaries. As many people edited this page, I believe it is reliable because best friends are not something that are one answer type but many types. Therefore, it is reliable to understand them as I understand that is how everybody thinks about becoming and getting a "great best friend". In the article, it even said that having a best friend can be hard but if the two friends can be open and honest with each other, it won't be hard. Many of the steps, tips and warnings are useful but it is hard to accomplish all them as we are not perfect but I think if we are able to complete some, the friendship would be great. I like the article because it gives an explanation in all the steps and the suggestions are accurate in how I want to be treated or how to treat others, like my own thinking in how best friends should be.

Other Articles:

http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?t=6342 -> Friends vs. Best Friends

http://www.helium.com/items/175150-best-girlfriends-unwritten-rules-of-friendship -> Know what to do and know what not to do in order to keep a balance best friend.

HW #54 Surveys

Similar Minds - Jung Test Results:

Type: INFJ

ntroverted (I) 63.33% Extroverted (E) 36.67%
Intuitive (N) 53.85% Sensing (S) 46.15%
Feeling (F) 51.61% Thinking (T) 48.39%
Judging (J) 56.67% Perceiving (P) 43.33%

INFJ - "Author". Strong drive and enjoyment to help others. Complex personality. 1.5% of total population.

Free Jung Personality Test (similar to Myers-Briggs/MBTI)

I kind of feel special and proud to be in the 1.5% but somehow like a outsider. Is that a bad or a good preference? .... I find it funny.

Big Five Test Result:

Extroversion	||||||	24%
Orderliness	||||||||||||||	55%
Emotional Stability	||||||||||||	47%
Accommodation	||||||||||	38%
Inquisitiveness	||||||||||||||	55%

Big Five Word Test Results

Extroversion (24%) low which suggests you are very reclusive, quiet, unassertive, and secretive. Accommodation (38%) moderately low which suggests you are, at times, overly selfish, uncooperative, and difficult at the expense of the well being of others. Orderliness (55%) medium which suggests you are moderately organized, structured, and self controlled while still remaining flexible, varied, and fun. Emotional Stability (47%) medium which suggests you are moderately relaxed, calm, secure, and optimistic. Inquisitiveness (55%) medium which suggests you are moderately intellectual, curious, and imaginative.

Take Free Big Five Word Choice Test
personality tests by similarminds.com

Your Global5/SLOAN type is RLOEI
Your Primary type is Organized

The reliability and usefulness of the two tests are pretty accurate and now that I know about what letters I was, I would agree that INFJ is pretty much my preference. Though my conclusion would be about these personality tests is that the answers given by the tests are the major preference for everybody, but not the complete preference for everybody. We can change our answers because we grow and get new ideas. Like Andy S.'s relative said, "we are all different" but we all have as many values and importance as any other people so I think that is how we have similarities and differences. Looking at the different letter combinations at class today, there are many different kinds of preferences/personalities that we have but I find that there is more. When reading the answers and the descriptions for those answers, they were pretty funny because I didn't think about some of the descriptions in there. I had to stop and think about whether I do this, react like that and feel like that. One thing that I noticed is that for the similar minds test, the result details are quite positive and does not explain much unless I pressed the INFJ explanation. However, for the Big Five test, the results, for me, was quite depressing though I agree with many of the preferences in the answer.

Learning about the E, I, S, N, T, F, J, and P, I think when I look at someone, I can be pretty sure which one they are starting at E, but once I get into the J and P, that might be harder. I thought it was fun guessing what people are and it is interesting when I got it right or not because it shows how much care or understanding we feel towards each other. I think we feel more connected with each other when we got it correct so to think we know who everybody is, but once we got it incorrect, it feels distant and embarrassed.

HW #53 Survey Analysis

Part 1

Took the survey....

Part 2

I felt awkward taking the survey as it involves my personal life and even though I do not have to put the actual answer, it made me realize things about the world and relationships and I tried to put the answer as much s possible. I thought the survey has given a lot of views about different categories of relationship but I find that the questions are personal in a way that people might know the answer but might not know the answer. There are questions put in the survey that involves a bigger topic yet complete answers are not available to answer fully as to why these relationships occur and thus the questions are created in the survey. But I wonder if we can achieve to the understanding of those questions and relationships.

Questions that made me stop and think was the friendship and parent categories because out of the categories in the survey, those two are the biggest relationships in my life right now. There were some questions that I know the answer to but when I want to answer it in the survey, I wasn't sure what to pick because some answers were in the middle between the choices. There were some questions that was common with each other but phrased differently but even though it is phrased differently, I still had to think about it before answering or how awkwardly I felt in thinking about the questions. Some questions I felt it was useless because I would not do it or in my life but then I thought how it is important in other people's lives as it affects them more than it would to me. The short answer questions was hard to answer because it involves more answering and it was general, big topic questions that made me think about in how to phrase them. Overall, the survey was interesting and I thought differently about the relationships in my life and how it affected me in ways I did and did not think about.

Part 3

I am surprised that there are answer for all the choices and I thought that was nice, thinking that everybody is answering honestly (hoping they are honest but in a way, intruding in other people's privacies). One thing that I noticed was that the most "not applicable" answers were in the partnering - romance - sexuality category and the sex questions were quite surprising because even though we took health class, not many use protections. Another interesting pattern that I noticed is that with questions that involve trust, value and acceptance in family, it mostly yes answer choices but with questions that involve cut off family members, its always near the no answer choices. In the friendship categories, none of the popular answers were in the no answer choices but always within the yes-very much to neutral.

I think I feel similar to many people in the friendship categories with the popular answers but as for the other categories, it is different because if I think about it deeply, it is always near the middle or to the no (mostly towards family and self, politics, etc.), not as optimistic as the popular answers said. I believe the other differences are from the way we live, the environment we are raised in, how we are treated and how we think about the views would be different. There are some urges that we have that made us act the way and thus we chose that answer choice but the relationships that we have can oppressed or free us in a way that we either lose or gain urges so the outcome of the whole survey becomes like what we have. Everybody's minds are different in a way but when looking at it generally, there is always a category that we can be in that makes everybody look like they have one view. I say look like because it is not always the answer choice that we chose in the survey but it was the best answer that we can find to answer that question. I think in relationships, it is hard to explain something is what I found out because I can feel one way about this question but feel another way. I may have a complete answer for this question but I find that it can be the other answer depending on how I stand in my view. So it is confusing and we can not really say a 100% of what we feel in these relationships. I guess feelings do not always equal to words.

Part 4

I should say that I like the survey that we did better because it is easier to see what people answered in a table/chart way and to see how many people have taken the survey. In the professional surveys, they have percentages for their surveys too but cannot really tell how many people have taken it but since they are professional surveys, and perhaps more accurate, it is more easily use to show the larger population of what the survey is asking about. There are more explanations on the professional one, especially the 2007 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey Overview because it explains all the percentages of what the answers are, and it provides bar graphs to show about the genders. I thought it was interesting but at the same time, there was a lot of information going on that my head was spinning with the results of the survey. Although the other one was easier because it had less information but is not as detailed as the 2007 one.

I think surveys are useful to tell the relationships and connections between what people think about in the form of different answer choices but it just says that it is a very complicated thinking and even one issue is already a complicated webbing of different questions and then another webbing of complicated answers. I think surveys are there to make the answers easier even though there can be other answers. But I always have the question as to whether the results are accurate or not because not everyone can be honest about answers, maybe a bit more comfortable in a survey as it is anonymous but still, a relationship with a survey is not that close. Another question that I have is whether we are more close to anonymous relationships or closer relationships/revealing relationships? Does it depend on how good the link/connection between the two people are or how much one can accept the other (because even if the connection is good does not mean they might accept each other)?

HW #52 Initial Theories of Human Relationships

To me, relationships are similar to links, chains and threads and which the three of them will never break even if the feelings in the relationship has ended or cut off. Because links, chains and threads are bonding materials between two person and even though those materials are fragile, in relationship terms, I think they are like immortals that would never die even if the bonds are forgotten. Relationship between two person is like trying to reveal to each other their existences and if that relationship creates a deeper one, then they are trying to reveal to each other their selves, their selves that is truer than when they just met.

I think humans are dummies (sorry to be rude and I admit I am one too as I am living in this world) but as to why all these complicated relationships have built to this stage of confusion is because, I think, we are living to yearn for something and as for that something, I am trying to figure that out too and what it is that I, myself, am yearning for. It might be a huge amount of things but it might be only a few. There are many things in life that we cannot choose such as choosing our gender, where we are born, why we are not born and what kind of family to be in. And I think for those things that we cannot choose, we create relationships with other people to find what we lack and want. However, with the huge amount of feelings we have and actions that we take that results in negative results like lying, jealousy, destruction, sadness, complications occurs, that creates strands of complicated relationships in this world and that only bothers us, backfiring back at us. Doesn't that look like shooting a ball in the wall and hits you back in the face?

I think we are born to do something or maybe we are not, who seriously would know that? Because if someone does know, that someone's species is not the human species. So if there is something that we need to do, a path that we have constructed ourselves, we would tend to follow it. If we get lost, we either give up or like the word "fate", someone would come to us and help us stand up on our feet. I think that is one of the yearning feelings that we have and which we need before more complicated relationships are created, which already did for many people. I think everybody needs to have complicated relationships to grow, but to grow in what ways, I'm not sure. It is also part of our motivation in what we want to search and aim for. I have grown in some ways now, with having all these friendship relationships, family relationships, stranger relationships and etc, that made me questions about what is our living for? Why am I here and for what reason? I am learning this unit to what extent can I gather the answers for these questions. What is the point of having these questions? Now you see, how these questions are created and how throughout the history, all these random, or insightful questions are created? I find that a lot of the times, when we don't have things to do, we find things to do or things to think about. And complicated relationships are one of those things.

Trust and truth are the two purest feeling and being that I believe is the cause of human relationships. I say they are the purest is because they involve in having the existence of a person to be revealed entirely to another person, where the chains of the links or threads would be tight, strong, pure or shiny-looking and a never-ending cycle between the two person. But if both are not given or balanced, well, I guess the relationship cannot be completely complete. If trust is not build correctly or the relationship becomes unstable such as if A person lies to B person and B person got mad, the relationship would not go that well. But that is only one scenario but other scenario can be that A person sincerely apologizes to B person, and if B person is willing to accept A person's apology, then their relationship are back together. However, for me, I think the relationship can either get deeper through a difficult situation but if it was from a fight between the two person, I would begin losing trust in them and backing away from telling the other person the truth. Things such as what I want to reveal to them, or what they want to know, I would stop that too, which is ridiculous. Because we say we want to create relationships is because we want to be safe and to be around the warmths of others.

But then parents, teachers, and adults would tell the little ones to be careful of strangers because they might eat you. One side tells you, or your inner self tells you when you are young that you want to be near others but then as you grow up, the trust lessen because you heard from other people that it is better to not trust others until you seen or believe if you can trust them. It is one way to grow up, getting influenced by others but it is another way to close your connection around you. Depending on the situation of what kind of family we have and how we are treated and our environment, opinions and answers are viewed and answered differently. I don't blame anyone for having the situations they are in or how they grew up but with their complicated relationships and I, having a connection with them, adds more relationships in their cases and my case. I think that is why people tell others to mind their own business such as in families so to not get themselves in a more complex web of links. However, I wonder if there is a 100% of trust and truth in a relationship but with the word, "complicated", I don't really think so. But is there? Wouldn't it be nice if there is? I guess thats why people called that almost all of the relationships are fragile?

Psychology, sociology, philosophy and politics, the four connect with one another when thinking about human relationships but I think that is how all these still unanswered questions come from and complicated relationships form. I kind of blame us for this but glad for it because with seeing people each day, its like a subconscious handbook since we know some from each of the four categories to help us understand, or try to understand others. I guess we may never understand each other well if we just go buy the science facts and what people found through experiments because that is, this might sound sad but betraying in a way, to figure out people through using instruments rather than talking, without any recording device or machines, to understand others. But in another way, if we don't do all these tests, I don't think we feel safe enough, to actually have something to proof to us that that is how we are.

Politics, its all about the "leader", "power" and "control" words. We pick a leader because we feel safe and feel that he is going to be a good father that protects all the underlings. I think that is how the structure of the world, the countries and tinier places are build, that there needs to be a leader or IF we can all trust each other, all of the people can be leaders (?). Power and control are two desires that we want but once we have some, we always want more. But to have those, we need other people under us to complete the structure. To have power and control are what leaders need but the word "rely" appears when I think about it. Those under the leaders rely on the leaders but those who are leaders rely on those who are under them. If not, why have leaders? Both relationships connect to one another and both rely on each other to get the outcome. But I wonder why we want and need these desires and needs? I ask not in a way that the answer is that we want peace and safety, we want to have people besides us, in our side but the extent to why we got to have these feelings, desires and needs? If God does exist, like really appearing in front of us, and God and other gods gave us these things, why are they giving us these things that can be named, such as the seven deadly sins (greed, lust, wrath, envy, gluttony, sloth, and pride)? Are they playing a game involving humans? Maybe I'm thinking too much but aren't we all thinking too much?

Communication comes from language, and English comes from words, letters that we made up to suit our own purposes. Even though it is to communicate with each other, to tell each other about things such as secrets, to express the truth, we are told to be aware of what words we use when speaking to others. I think words such as respect, polite, and the way we speak the words have an effect in how we present ourselves. If we are "rude", either people would not bother to come near us or we might get beaten up. But if we are strong, we can protect ourselves but that does not mean we can get others to come near us, to have the relationships such as friends and which then, we become the outcasts (and I think that is still a relationship, thought a sad one). There are so many scenarios, situations, problems that can occur with just language that we have to make rules up on how to treat others that I find it silly. True, I think if we speak politely or nicely, we might get what we want but it only affects those who are similar to us, an equal exchange of information.

Human are selfish and in a way that if we say something, we might not mean it or that we don't do what we say. I want respect from others and I will show it to show who show me respects. If they treat me how, I'll treat them back the same is something, or ethic that I follow. If I have people who is close to me, I rather say the truth in a confusing way than not say the truth. If I have to lie, I'll lie and if they found out, and don't like it, they can leave me. I find that links, threads of relationships are important to how we construct our lives but in a non-predictable way. I'll be sad if I lose them even though they are there, just in invisible mode and relationships are indeed fragile because it is harder to fix it up than create one.

I have many questions but in the form of feelings right now so I am not that sure as to what I want to ask so I will leave it here for now...

HW #51 School As Salvation

Introduction:

Salvation is the act of saving or protecting someone from harm or danger. Salvation in school is where the teachers and adults teach students things they need to learn to go to the next grade and advices for when they get into society. Salvation is when the teachers help the students through difficult times that relates to school and better help them in increasing their education. However, students are being oppressed as the administrators and teachers have more power and control. The relationship between the teachers, adults in school and the students are in need to be balance in order to create equality, meaningful, mutual conversation and sharing of experiences. Therefore, more salvation is needed in school to increase the students' freedom in how they can control their school life to create meaningful period of schooling and that the culture/race and power in schools need be more balanced.

Argument 1:

Teachers should not fill the minds of students' with just "contents" that are "detached from reality, disconnected from the totality that engendered them and could give them significance" (Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed). Engage the students in meaningful conversations with each other rather than the teachers "depositing" information into the students, who are the "containers". With the "banking" concept of education as Freire calls it, which is "the scope of action allowed to the students extends only as far as receiving, filing, and storing the deposits", the students are similar to an empty containers that need to be filled, which reduces their ability to think critically and creatively. Similar to that banking system, E.D. Hirsch believes it is better that the students should learn about the background knowledge to increase their comprehension skills (E.D. Hirsch's Curriculum for democracy). However, with the students receiving and memorizing the information given by the teachers, the students are being seen as machines rather than productive learners.

There needs to be a change in the banking system because it is oppressing the students into thinking that the information the teachers are giving are mostly true and the teachers are more the important role than the students. Changes that can be salvation towards the students are to awake their consciousness and tell them to think outside the boxes so they can try to become "fully human" as Freire thinks that the banking system is neglecting the critical thinking for the students. Students need to be critically thinking in order to widen their horizons at many aspects and point of views to help them achieve the reality that is going to be in front of them when entering society. When the students are able to think beyond what the teachers are telling them, then they would leap out of the cage of boxes and be able to stand for their own purposes.

Not only the students need to be aware of the oppression, the teachers need to be aware as well. Students might be easily influenced but it is the teachers job to help save them from the illusions that the society is showing the students. Teachers should use their experiences and inviting outside activities, which works for any subjects, and would be more fun for the students instead of sitting in the classrooms. This also give the students more chances to enjoy the good things about the world but also the bad aspects of the world and thus, that can create a meaningful period for the students to enjoy school if in their personal lives, they are in a bad mood. Additionally, the relationship between the students and the teachers can increase in trust, and the students can begin to think critically.

Argument 2:

Students should tried to understand the teachers' situation and the teachers' should tried to understand the students' situations too to create a balance relationship. If there is a lack of communication between the teacher and the student, then the connection between the two would lessen and creates an uncomfortable conversation when they both talk to each other. Additionally, if the teacher-student relationship became balance, then there would not be a need for the teachers being the oppressors. For example, in "Freedom Writers", the new English teacher, Mrs. Erin Gruwell comes into the class ready to teach her new students but when she sees the situations that her students are at, the way they sit with their own groups left her feeling not connected. The students have problems with Mrs. Gruwell because of her lack of understanding in the environment they live in. Then, Mrs. Gruwell teaches the students Homer and Odysseus even though the students did not have the provided education to learn that level of reading yet. So Mrs. Gruwell started to learn about the students' situations by visiting their houses to get a better understanding in her students' lives. Then in return, towards the end of the movie, Mrs. Gruwell and her students were able to share and have a good relationship through that the teachers were able to be courageous and wanting to care about her students.

Rather than learning about mechanical information, students should also learn "how to" skills from teachers and adults in their lives. Even though Hirsch believes that basic knowledge are need to be learned and used to provide them a good comprehension level but there needs to be more salvation towards the students to have a deeper understanding about the world as I had said in the above argument. Besides Hirsch, there is professor Pub Ted Sizer who thinks that students should "use their minds", to have the adults "provoke young people to grow up intellectually, to think hard and resourcefully and imaginatively about important things" (Pub Ted Sizer Speech). This is a way to break out the boxes and the machines that the school system is providing to the students and let the students have a mind of their own, to produce intellectual or creative thoughts in where they can debate for their own judgments and for their own truth.

Students should be immerse more in finding their own interests and to be aware of their surroundings to better educate and protect themselves. All of us want to find the truth and be smart about things so they would not fall into traps. This is similar to Weller Embler's "Language and Truth" (or the Use and Misuse of Language), where he talks about the abuse or distortion of language and how it is use to cover up or hide the truth to deceive people. He said, "It is the purpose of higher education, and the purpose of the humane studies especially, to help all students to learn to distinguish between that which is good and that which is not so good, so that they may participate in the universal judging of the best" (Embler 229). If the students are able to learn to judge and evaluate between the good and bad, they are going to be more attentive to what they are concentrating on and at their environment in return. There are a lot of ways for the students to receive and dissect the knowledge but if the adults are tempting to reduce and oppress the students for the high authoritative society's control, I believe it is up to the students, the teachers and others who are willingly to care about it to fight for it. The students would be able to begin having interesting conversation as they learn about the truth and in a lot of way, as well as the teachers to encourage them to change the educational system that the students are in. With learning the truth, the students can break out their minds emotionally and physically if they are able to control themselves in handling the rules that they want to change and if changed, it would prove that the students are intellectual beings rather than mindless sheeps.

Argument 3:

School should provide the equal "power" to all students with different cultures to ensure a balance and fulfilling education for the students. For Lisa Delpit, the "culture of power" is what is affecting the students' chances for education, because the dominant race in America is mostly White and they have better education than the other races such as Black, and Hispanic (Snyder). Delpit suggests that "students must be taught the codes needed to participate fully in the mainstream of American life" and the resources that the students learned from the "teacher's expert knowledge", the students are able to create their "own 'expertness'" (Lisa Delpit on Power and Pedagogy). If the expertness is created, then the students are able to learn about the codes given in what they are learning and the "power relationships they present" and have a fair chance to decrease the culture of power.

Lack of resources and consultations are some reasons that different student cultures are not getting the full education that are needed. Delpit thinks that school should ensure that "each classroom incorporate strtegies appropriate for all the children in its confines" and that for the poor communities and for parents, they should "participate fully in the discussion of what kind of instruction is in their children's best interest" (Lisa Delpit on power and pedagogy). Parents are busy with work and that causes the parents to neglect the children, leaving the responsibilities to the teachers. However, as more parents are willing to participate to talk about the interests of the students (mainly) then their own, and with the teachers placing their hands together to combine the parents into a closer, diverse community, then there would be hope for the students to get a better education. I do not think it is only the students who need to do the work, but also the adults that surrounds and shapes the students. If the parents and the school are able to come up with a way that students with different level of power can learn equally, the same with the people in the culture of power, then there is a chance that a "positive vision of the future" can occur for the poor communities and the students (For Better or Worse: Building Inclusive Schools in Poor Communities).

Alternative:

"Dead Poets Society"

Would limiting the students' freedom and having them abide to the number of rules allow the students to listen to the controllers better? In the movie the "Dead Poets Society" is about an all boys Christian school where the students there are being oppressed and listen to the teachers' words and rules of the schools. It is a very strict school with a lot of mechanical old teachers. Each day, they have a lot of homework and there is a time limit in what they can do and what they can choose to do; the teachers are always watching them and if they get into trouble, they get punished by having a spatula-like instrument smack on their behinds. With the enormous amount of work that the boys have to do, stress builds up and the movie focuses on this group of boys who revives the Dead Poets Society club from this new English teacher who is different and tells the boys to express their thoughts and be outside the box. The bad thing is, the boys began smoking, drinking and with the discovery of the club, the boy named Charley was punished as that club was not a good thing... and the good English teacher who is trying to free the students' minds gets fired. Isn't that a bad thing? To fired a good teacher over a mechanical teacher. And lastly, with the parents constantly forcing one of the students, named Neal to follow the path of the smart and rich people even though Neal is interested in acting, that pressure had made him suicide.

Students are still ignorant children and by applying too many rules on them, it will only backfire them but if there is not enough fun in what they are learning, they would only back out. I find that schools are build for the students and parents sake as well as jobs for the teachers who want to pass their knowledge and experiences onto the students. However, to have school as salvation, it needs to think better of the students, to make priority of the students better instead of fame or whatever reputation there is. Because if the adults and that school are able to connect and understand the students well, then the students would not be as ignorant as they are seen. Then the students are able to willingly follow and have their own thoughts. Therefore, the school need to go by the students' lives and their rules in a way to fully develop the students into fully humans.

Significance/connection:

I find that S.O.F. develops the students into critical thinkers and is one of the example of school as salvation. My class got to interview the principle, Mr. Fanning and one of the classmates ask him what are his goals for this school? Goals that he said was "to develop the students into critical thinkers", to have the seniors graduate, and for the students to learn in their owns ways plus become life long learners. I am not sure about other schools but I think in this school, we are learning and sharing ideas about our opinions; to reveal the truths that lies between literatures and of course, the teachers' knowledge and experiences. Like writing this paper let me think about school in many ways that I have not really think about. I come to school because I was taught conditionally that school is what benefits me the most and to get a college diploma is the complete target of what I need to get a good job in society. In that case, school can be a salvation for whoever wants an education that can get them the goals they need. I believe if the teachers have the dedication and the students have the purpose in finding their own interests and path through education and from school, then it is a good combination.

Additionally, Mr. Fanning said goals are very important as it shows the students progress but he created this goal plan to have the teachers and students connect with each other more, where the teachers can help with the students' goals. Mr. Fanning wanted to produce "individuals than old factory producing clones" so it showed that he is not siding with the banking system that much, which I think is a good thinking for a school. However, there still needs more improvement in school but as for what kind of improvements, it is hard for me to say because there can be improvement for everything. One improvement that can be made is if students can made their own curriculum plan and their own rules, with the exception that the teachers are there to keep at least minimal control over the students (because we are still ignorant and want to be free). To be free is like a fish being bigger than a pond and finding their own created space, rather than a "pond" to exist in is a salvation for one self and in school. (:p A rather bad simile but it was what I was thinking about.)

Fish cartoons:

http://www.offthemark.com/send.php?pdate=1999-08-12

http://www.offthemark.com/send.php?pdate=1999-04-02

Conclusion:

Improvements can be made to make school as salvation. Reducing the inequality, anti-intellectualism and meaninglessness in society, which also infects the schools helps retain back the freedom the students get to have and the change for equality of the "culture of power". Relationship between students, teachers and adults are important to have an efficient, balance, respectable and meaningful conversation and understanding of each others' situations/environments. I believe school is not a place for rules and regulations to be bought to oppress the learners but it is for the learners to come together to learn from each other, to derive the truth from the world and to combine powers to help each other plus understanding each others' cultures.

Sources:

- Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed

- E.D. Hirsch's Curriculum for democracy

- Lisa Delpit on Power and Pedagogy

- Pub Ted Sizer Speech (this link was taken off, I'm sorry)

- For Better or Worse: Building Inclusive Schools in Poor Communities

- Wellers Embler, "The Use and Misuse of Language" - "Language and Truth"

- "Freedom Writers"

- "Dead Poets Society"

- J. Fanning

- A. Snyder