Links to short film reviews

http://www.salon.com/2010/05/03/tff_lottery/

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117942939?refcatid=31

http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/movies/the_lottery_Lyw9SPH4m2kSMFvxeI8TeI

http://movies.nytimes.com/2010/06/11/movies/11lottery.html

Here's some reviews to read on The Lottery if you are interested.

All best,

Mike

Cast of The Lottery

Students, here are the credited cast of the documentary we watched today.  Please also see these reviews if you want to read some praise and criticism from others:

Credited cast:

Cory Booker

...

Himself

Geoffrey Canada

...

Himself

Candice Fryer

...

Herself

Gregory Goodwine Jr.

...

Himself - Student

Gregory Goodwine Sr.

...

Himself - Father

Laurie Goodwine

...

Herself - Mother

Betsy Gotbaum

...

Herself - NYC Elected Public Advocate

Meredith Gotlin

...

Herself - Principal

Ameenah Horne

...

Herself - Student

Nadiyah Horne

...

Herself - Mother

Joel Klein

...

Himself

Jim Manly

...

Himself

Eva Moskowitz

...

Herself

Eric Roachford Jr.

...

Himself - Student

Eric Roachford Sr.

...

Himself - Father

Confernce times for Monday with Mike

3:25_Andrew__________________

3:33__Brandon_________________

3:41__Kristen__________________

3:49__Ashley__________________

3:57__Dillon__________________

4:01__Stephanie__________________

4:09__Logan__________________

4:24___Michael_________________

4:32__Mitch__________________

4:40__Danielle__________________

4:48__Will__________________

4:56___Paul_________________

5:02___TeNiyah_________________

journal 7

One thing Sandra Cisneros does extraordinar"ily well in her book, The House on Mango Street, is her use of metaphors. She compares things that I never would have thought to, but she does it so they come together so well. One really great metaphor that stands out to me in the book is on page 17 from the chapter Laughter, "Our laughter for example. Not the shy ice cream bells' giggle of Rachel and Lucy's family, but all of a sudden and surprised like a pile of dishes breaking". I thought her use of imagery here was phenomenal. When you read her writings you feel like you can hear what she hears or see what she sees. A major theme that struck me in this book is to never judge a person or place based on appearances. Esperanza first judges Mango Street before she got to know the neighborhood and people in the neighborhood. She thinks it's low class, and she wants more for her life. Once she gets old enough to leave Mango street, she realizes how much the neighborhood  and people had grown on her. She had made friends with the neighbors and realizes that she wants to come back for those people.

A major educational factor that I feel influences kids in school is their use of technology. Technology is such a growing factor in the world, and children need to learn to use it properly. The use of computers and other technology is also good for the children to feel more interactive in class. They like to use new and cool "toys". I don't just mean computers. This could refer to a long list of different technology that kids would pay more attention to in class rather than a teacher lecturing and reading from a textbook.
http://www.edutopia.org/stw-differentiated-instruction-technology-integration

These students are interacting with eachother and enjoyijng the use of laptops in the classroom

Journal 7

what i think sandra cisneros does best in her book The House on Mango Street is that she uses metaphors in there a bunch and she does a very good job in useing them metaphors in a right spot. a good example of that would be in the beginning almost pg 6. the chapter hairs. she says my fathers hair is like a broom it stands straight up. some themes that stood out to me were the whole ook was about her life and in it she made alot of different friends through out her book.

what i think influences kids in doing there school work or anything else following school is the parents. i think that if the parents are involved in there kids school work and there school the kids will have a better chance of getting good grades and possibly graduateing. if the parents are involved in the kids homework they will make sure the kids get it done and get it done right. helping them so they understand it. if the kids didnt have there parents in there to help them the kids might not care to do it or to pay attention about it and it could possibly lead them to drop out of school or something else thats bad.

Jornal 7

As a writer, Sandra Cisneros strong point in writing is her use of metaphors and similes.  When she uses them it allows her readers to be able to visualize the scene better in their minds.  On page 20 in The House on Mango Street Cisnero's tells about Esperanza and Nenny when they go in Gill's Furniture store.  Nenny spots a music box.  When the owner starts the music box up, Cisnero's describes it as,"It's like all of the sudden he let go a million moths all over the dusty furniture and swan neck shadows and in our bones.  It's like drops of water.  Or like marimbas only with a funny little plucked sound to it like if you were running your fingers across the teeth of a metal comb."  The theme that stands out to me the most is how Esperanza first viewed her new house on Mango Street.  At first she hated it and thought it was a piece of crap.  Now she thinks its a piece of crap but she has grown to accept it as a piece of her childhood that she will never forget and will always be in her heart and when she leaves she will one day come back.

An educational factor that effects a lot of kids today is the technological factors.  Many students come from poor families who cant afford to send them to wealthy, technological advanced schools.  At Bronzevilles Scholastic Institute there are only 24 computers which are slow and not advanced for the thousands of students who attend here.  At my school, there were at least one computer for each student to use whenever they wanted.  I couldn't have imagined now not having computers available for use whenever I wanted to use one.  I know how negatively this would have affected my learning not to have computers like what the students are facing now at Bronzevilles and many other schools throughout the world. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-01-25/news/ct-x-digital-divide-0125-20120125_1_computers-consortium-for-school-networking-poor-schools

A very technologically advanced class with a computer for each student

African school with zero technology, which will affect their advancement in learning dramatically.

Journal 7

     I think that Sandra Cisneros does a great job of sense detail and metaphors. She has a way with putting you there inside of her neighborhood. one example is from page five "But the house on mango street is not the way they told it at all. It's small and red with tight steps in front and windows so small you'd think they were holding their breath." you can see the small house with extra small windows in your mind.
The themes that stand out to me are she wants to help the community she is in. That is why she wrote this book. She tells the stories of people that are less fortunate than her and cannot escape the neighborhood.

 

A younger child uneasy about his class.

  The education factor i think is important is Acceleration. Many children go to school to learn and many do so at a higher rate that others. With the ability to advance in classes, it allows children that have a higher learning ability to test out and advance to a more challenging class. Many important social characters have done this including Dr. Martin Luther Kind JR. There are downfalls to this factor tho. Many students that do advance are the center of many bullies for being smarter, smaller and younger in the class.http://www.ehow.com/info_8612718_grade-skipping-factors-elementary-students.html

Journal 7

 What Sandra Cisneros does best as a writer is that she is able to use metaphors and describes in detail as to what she see and hears to the person reading the book. An example would be on page 20, middle of the second paragraph where she says "Then he starts it up and all sorts of thing start happening. It's like all of a sudden he let go a million moths all over the dusty furniture and swan-neck shadows and in our bones. It's like drops of water. Or like marimabas only with a funny little plucked sound to it like if your were running your fingers across the teeth of a metal comb". The main theme or idea of this book I would have to say is that you should be grateful for what you have. At the end of the book she was able to get what she wanted and was able to leave the neighborhood while other people were not able to.

I believe that the environment that you live in can have a huge impact on a child's education. If a child grows up where their is alot of poverty it will stress the child and have him or her focus on the situation at home instead of school work. Also if a child grows up where there is alot of violence this could affect them and some of these kids are likely to make a wrong decision. http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=psycd_fac

A child learning to count.

Journal 7

Sandra Cisneros's best attribute as a writer, at least in House on Mango Street, is her creativity and originality in sentence structure, description and metaphor. The way she structured her sentences, often grammatically incorrect, really gave a voice to her character Esperanza, allowing readers to put themselves in the state of mind of a child, as opposed to an adult writing about a child. To top off this creative expression, she constantly interjects original and creative descriptive language and metaphors, transforming the perception of otherwise ordinary expressions. She doesn't just say there is a large tree with squirrels living in it, she says: "But what you remember most is this tree, huge, with fat arms and mighty families of squirrels in the higher branches." In my opinion, this ability to transform the ordinary into extraordinary with a few creative adjectives is what makes a proficient writer into a master writer.

At the end of the book, Esperanza reconciles herself with the community she grew up in, recognizing that not everyone has the opportunity to leave the environment she has been striving to separate herself from, physically and emotionally. With the aid of the three old ladies she talks to at the funeral near the end of the book, she finally begins to see Mango Street as her home, albeit a reluctant one. This idea of accepting who you are and where you came from, of not being ashamed of your roots, is powerful, especially in such a judgmental society. And the vow she makes to return to Mango Street for the ones who can't escape demonstrates a level of maturity, an unselfish, communal view, that is lacking in today's overwhelmingly self-centered ideology in America.

In researching the effects of art programs in curriculum on academic performance, I came across some controversial information. On one hand, there are experts claiming evidence of a strong correlation between high SAT and other standardized test scores and participation in arts programs in school; on the other hand, there are experts claiming that these studies on the correlation are not scientifically sound, that there are other variables that could be contributing to the rise in test scores, such as the overall excitement that new programs generate in students and teachers, or the fact that a school can afford arts programs at all may indicate a better faculty and curriculum. The idea that the evidence of correlation may not be credible was disheartening because I believe that arts programs are important in education; but then I read another article that made the argument that focusing on standardized test score result as the sole justification for arts programs is a mistake. This article attempts to convince readers that creativity and analytical skills learned in arts classes at a young age, and simply having fun at school, are just as important as test scores in producing individuals who can think creatively and solve problems. Further strengthening this argument, the article uses as example other countries that outperform us in test scores and who also require extensive education in arts.

http://www.parenting.com/article/why-art-makes-kids-smarter

Mother and Daughter in an Art Class

Journal 7

I believe that what Sandra Cisneros does best as a writer is her ability to bring her words to life.  She uses many metaphors that makes it seem as if your really there when she's describing something.  The use of her short, choppy sentences is also good because it makes you remember that this book is from a child's point of view and that's how they think/talk.  She brings all of her words to life with such creativity.  She is very good at making you see everything she's talking about.  An example from the book is is the first chapter on page four, "But the house on Mango Street is not the way they told it at all.  It's small and red with tight steps in front and windows so small you'd think they were holding their breath.  Bricks are crumbling in places, and the front door is so swollen you have to push hard to get in."  I really like that quote because she's describing the place where she grew up, which played a big part in the book, and she uses a lot of methaphors, making the house seem as if it's alive.  The theme or idea that stood out to me the most as I finished the book was that standing up for what you believe in is the most important thing you can do for yourself.  Esperanza was so eager to start a new life somewhere else, but eventually found her way back home and realized she didn't have to be like everyone else who lived there and she could still be happy.

An educational or social factor that I think really influences the performance of children in school is their environment at home.  Lack of parenting at home can really hurt a child's performance in school, because if they don't have the motivation to do anything at home and don't have good role models, then they're going to think that they never have to do anything.  Parents who are really involved in their child's education and learning process tend to bring up children who get good grades and are well behaved.  It's important for children to have good role models at home so they are constantly reminded of how to behave.  Children who don't have involved parents tend to lack motivation and don't do as well in school.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/537890-how-does-lack-of-parenting-at-home-affect-childrens-grades-in-school/

Parent being involved in child's education.

Journal 7

I think what Sandra Cisneros did best was her ability to use her words so the reader can see what she saw. I thought that some of the ways that she said things were almost poetic. My favorite line passage from the book was when Esperanza was describing her mother’s hair, ‘But my mother’s hair, my mother’s hair, like little rosettes, like little candy circles all curly and pretty because she pinned it in pincurls all day, sweet to put your nose into when she is holding you, holding you and you feel safe, is the warm smell of bread before you bake it, is the smell when she makes room for you on her side of the bed still warm with her skin, and you sleeping near her, the rain outside falling and Papa snoring. The snoring, the rain, and Mama’s hair that smells like bread.’ I liked this passage because it stuck with me, I liked the way that the language seemed to flow and you can visualize and smell the hair of Esperanza’s mother. The theme that stuck out to me at the end of the book was the foil. Towards the end of the book there were a lot of stories that were about other people that were unhappy, especially Sally. I thought Sally most stood out because the reader understands that the neighborhood that the book takes place in isn’t the best, and Sally is what could have happened to Esperanza if she would have made other decisions. It’s important to me also because it shows that not everyone from a bad neighborhood is restricted to only living in that place.

I really believe that poverty is a big influence on children in schools because the lack of money can have many different effects. Children may change schools a lot because they are trying to find a better education or a higher chance at receiving higher education. Some children that live in poverty are stressed about more adult problems and then may find that school isn’t a high priority. A big problem with poverty and schools is that the funding from school comes from taxes, so a poor neighborhood would have less funds for schools than a rich neighborhood. Not having the funds of wealthier schools results in not giving children opportunities like preschool or the ability to take different classes that might catch the students interest and want to make them work to go farther in school.

sitemaker.umich.edu/rosman.356/funding_

These are the demographics for poverty rates of Hispanics, black people, and white people over the years of 1970-2001

Journal 7

  I think that Sandra Cisneros does a nice job of providing metaphors and setting up images in your head to really get the feel of how her life was as a child. An example of this is 21, to get an image of how big the dog was Cisneros says, "The dog is big,like a man dressed in a dog suit, and runs the same way its owner does, clumsy and wild and with the limbs flopping all over the place like untied shoes."  The idea that stood out to me the most is toward the end of the book, the chapter Red Clowns.  I think that this chapter would have been really hard to write because it takes her her back to a time she most likely tries not to think about.  I think this was an important chapter to have in the book, because the idea ged it in the chapter was a major event in her life that changed her forever.



I believe a major educational factor that really influences children is their home life, and environment that surrounds them.  It's proven that even reading to your child can affect them.  A parent who is involved in their child's life has a better chance of their child getting good grades and  bee=ing disciplined. A parent that works a lot of away from home, their child most likely misbehaves and preforms poorly in schoool. This happens more in single parent homes.  Parents should set high goals for their children making them want to learn. If a child is in a home where his/her parents don't care how their child preforms in school, that child isn't going to want to care either.  They will also think school isn't important, but really it's almost the most important think in their life.  A parent that lets their child live in front of the television for long hours can affect a child's abilityto learn.  Children need to be pushed in their life to reach success.  Having a good home life environment allows children to ask their parents for help when needed, instead of blowing off the work and failing.


A mother reading her daughter a book at home

http://www.livestrong.com/article/537890-how-does-lack-of-parenting-at-home-affect-childrens-grades-in-school/

Journal 7 and Research

I think that Sandra Cisneros does a good job of making things pop out and gives you a good visual of what’s going on in the book. The use of lots of similes and metaphors help with this. An example of this is on page four when Esperanza is describing Mango Street and says “The house on Mango Street is not the way they told it at all. It’s small and red with tight steps in front and windows so small you’d think they were holding their breath. Bricks are crumbling in places, and the front door is so swollen you have to push hard to get in.” This shows how she can make her writing stand out and you can really picture it. An idea that stood out to me as I finished the book was just be content with where you are and what you have. The house you live in is not that big of a deal and it is still “home” even if it’s not your dream home.

An educational or social factor that I think influences children in school is the number of children in each class. Class size plays a key role in children’s learning at school. I feel that the smaller class sizes give children more one on one time with the teacher and not just lost in the crowed. This allows them to ask more questions and become more involved in the class. There are lots of different views on this subject and people that are for and against it. I but really think this influences children’s learning in school.

http://www.ehow.com/info_8000997_effects-classroom-size-children.html 

This picture shows children working in a smaller group 

Journal 7 - Cisneros + Research

Sandra Cisneros does some of the most honest writing I've ever came acrossed and read. The way she details things and scenes is just great because she makes you feel as if you were there with her experiencing her real life experiences, some of which were funny, scary, uplifting, and upsetting. A major theme that stands out to me with Cisneros is how much of a writer-poet she really is. She uses similies, metaphors, and lots more hroughout her entire writings. She switches up scenes and moods perfect. I enjoyed reading The house on Mango Street.

An educational or social factor that I think really influences the performaces of children in school is definetly found within their home life. Each individuals home life can greatly impact educational skills and progress. From money issues to parental support, it can make a difference between a childs success or failure in life. A lot grow up to be what they grew up around. A child usually first learns to talk, read, and start to write with their parents, at least I did. Most parents would read stories to their child before bed at an early age or even teach them how to spell and write their first name, so around kindergarten time, they are pre-pared. Some children may not get half the attention others do at home, and thats not the child to blame or have suffer the consequence. These kind of kids will  most likely have difficulty catching on to things quickly, or pronouncing words correctly. Every child needs and deserves a healthy relationship, with at least one parent.
For example, here is a photo of a healthy relationship...

http://www.ehow.com/info_8151642_home-influence-learning-achievement-children.html

Example of research link and caption

I did some research on the idea of using prescription drugs in the classroom, and I found a TON of information about his subject.  It seems to be a topic people really have a hard time agreeing upon.  Many claim it is a big help in the classroom, yet at the same time almost everyone has the notion that these drugs can be overused or can serve as a crutch for students who are simply not doing very well in school.

This link shows a photo slide show about a family where the father and mother did not have ADHD but the children seem to all have it.  It gives an insight into the struggles of the family and their hopes and dreams.  Here is the link http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2012/10/09/health/STIMULANT.html

Here is a picture that goes with the subject, and the caption to explain what is going on in the picture or how it relates. 

Amanda Rocafort and her son Quintn in Woodstock, Ga. Quintn takes the medication Risperdal.