Monthly Archives: May 2009

Ferguson: Potato Chips & Jail Cells

Ferguson’s article struck several cords in that I understand her point from a detached, academic way as well as from a more frustratingly personal viewpoint.  She mentions that studies have shown that African American males in schools all over the…

Believe The Hype

“don’t believe the hype” (by Ann Ferguson, early 1990’s) This article is an ethnographic analysis of racism, but it is also an ethnographic “memoir.” Ferguson gives an account of the interplay between the “institution” (Rosa Parks Elementary), and the black…

Commentary #9

Adam Russell Poverty Institutes the Division   Probably the most disturbing observation Ferguson makes in “Don’t Believe the Hype,” is when she points out the disparity between students at the Elementary level that continue onto high school: “Many of the…

Hip-hop and “The Creature”

In the first chapter, titled “Don’t believe the hype,” of her book author Ann Ferguson confirms my belief that students live up or down to the expectations placed on them by the school system and larger society.  I remember from…

Vico Commentary

This chapter begins with a chastisement of  the thoughts of Francis Bacon, who according to Vico acted like  a “potentate of [a] mighty empire” that upon reaching the highest  ranking available lost all sense of reason and practicality in a…

Commentary # Emig

In her article, “Writing as a Mode of Learning” author Janet Emig argues that the writing process helps “higher cognitive functions develop most fully only with the support system of verbal language” (Emig 122).  This article seems to be in…

JUST VIEW IT AND FORWARD IT!–NOT!

In our last class meeting Mike suggested that the “light bulb” should be coming on for us by this time in the semester and Dr. Devries responded, “We would hope”.  That got me thinking about what I have learned from…

Emig, Flowers, and Hayes – 3D+

After reading Janet Emig’s article “Writing as a Mode of Learning” and Linda Flower and John R. Hayes’ article, “A Cognitive process Theory of Writing”, I feel like I’ve finally put on my 3-D glasses at “A Bug’s Life” at…