Graffarticle Review

Graffarticle Points

1.) Makes a point where Street smarts are untapped in the education system because they are often times used towards anti-intellectual interests.

2.) Street smarts and intellectualism must join up in order to combat a boring education system. 

3.) Graff makes a point that he was making intellectual movements in ways he didn’t even know, for example his love for sports and how he knew so much about them as well as his arguments he would have with his friends regarding who was the toughest.

4.) Graff learned how to write intellectual sentences and partake in debate because of his early years with arguing about sports and it was from this that he was trained up into intellectualism. 

5.) Graff proposes various teaching ways where students can engage in a debate about school curriculum or a text without losing their own personal voice and way of speaking in the matter.

Critical Review

1.)    I agree with much of what he is saying here when it comes street smarts, because whereas in high school I had the ability to make friends pretty easily this in no way counted towards my GPA.

2.)    I think when bringing current fads or teenage media topics it will draw the students into the conversation more but there must be a line drawn where one does not take away too much from the other, after all school exists to educate.

3.)    I learned how to formulate my thoughts well and tell stories because of watching movies and sports and retelling the incidents to my friends and engaged in discussion from what I had just shared.  So I definitely agree with what he is saying here about learning how to share ideas and thoughts from the school yard.  I would find myself debating with friends over sports, people at school we disliked, or attractive women in the media, and this can definitely be argued to have helped shape our social abilities as well as sharpened the way our thinking process worked.

4.)    This is actually responding to number 5 because I feel I already answered 4, but how we read a text it is easy to show little interest in it because we don’t understand it completely, like Shakespeare.  I think it is important in schools to educate the individual without taking away their way of speaking, these texts have to be taught in a way that is relatable to the class.

The Homecoming Game (Football Field)

  The trumpets blasted, the choreographed chants from the cheerleaders on the sidelines were barely heard, and the hundreds of students decked out in their team's apparel screamed and shouted in anticipation for their school's team to charge the field.  It was the homecoming game.  I stood with my friends in the bleachers surrounded by my fellow classmates all wearing black and gold.  The other side of the stadium was occupied by the other hundred's of students from the opposing school, each side attempting to be louder than the other.  The crowd erupted when the teams stormed the field, our team may have only won a single game this season, but this was the homecoming game.  

  The coin toss was underway and our team ended up with the ball, the two sides lined up and the opposing team readied themselves to kick the ball away.  For that one moment, the crowd fell silent.  You could hear the faint coughs and hushed chatter from the drama queens who attended the games purely for a social outing.  I looked up at the stadium lights beaming down on the field and exposing my breath in the chilly night air.  I smiled, it was senior year and I had reached the social status that I wanted to be at, or what I thought I wanted to be at.  I looked around and laughed with my friends who made the same efforts as I to mask an insecurity and emptiness that came across in different ways in one another.  At this time, these small things didn't matter, I was accepted and having fun.

  The sound of shoe hitting pigskin immediately brought my attention back to the game.  The ball soared through the air and the student body cheered with excitement.  The game progressed and our team was losing terribly, but it didn't matter, my attention was with my friends.  In the midst of my laughing I felt a soft hand squeeze my shoulder.  I turned around and saw her, (we'll call her Ethel) Ethel, I had had the biggest crush on Ethel since Junior year.  I gave her a hug and continued talking with friends, Mark and Jordan, pretending to show little interest in Ethel's recent arrival.  "Hey!  What are you doing after this?"  My friend Chris yells to me a few people behind me.

"Hanging with my homeslices!"  I yell back in the whitest possible voice.

"Yessss!"  He says pumping his fist.

  We ventured out to our cars near the end of the third quarter due to the extreme difference in scoring not going in our favor.  The parking lot was packed and the students yelled at one another from their cars thinking that in some way this would solve the crisis of heavy car volume in a small lot.  Our entourage travelled in a caravan to our friend Trevor’s house, where we were greeted upon arrival by Trevor and a host of other people we had never met before as was usually the case at Trevor’s house.  Ethel was already there, and my heart soared. 

  We headed out into Trevor’s sun room where we sat down on some nice furniture and smoked hookah listening to various artists like The Expendables, Slightly Stoopid, and a selection of other stoner bands.  Ethel sat right next to me, I was on cloud nine. 

  The night went on and one by one our fellowship started on home.  “You need a ride Matt?”  Ethel asks as we walk out front.

I had ridden over with Chris but there was no way I was going to pass this up.  I was going to get in the car and tell her I liked her, simple as that.  “I would love a ride.”

Immediately upon entering the car, Ethel begins to pour out her heart to me, she tells me all about the issues at home, all about the problems with her best friend.  I just wanted to wrap an arm around her and say, “Its ok, I’m here and I won’t do any of that to you.” 

But those words never left my lips, instead I just listened.  And the more I listened, the more I wanted to be with her, but my perfect mural I was painting of her in my mind was shattered.  “I’m kinda crushing on this guy right now though….”

“Oh…….oh………..oh………..oh…….really?”  I spewed out awkwardly. 

“Yeah, you know Tyler?” 

Oh how I knew Tyler, and now, oh how I hated him.  “Yeah, yeah I know Tyler.  I mean he’s pretty cool, he’s kind of a douche, but yeah great guy, but kinda a douche, but….”

“Yeah don’t know why I’m even telling you this, you’re just a great friend.”

“I am aren’t I.”  I had never been friend zoned so painfully.

We pulled up to my house, I couldn’t wait to get out of the car.  “What’re you doing tomorrow?”  Ethel asked with a big smile.

Probably taking a toaster to the bathtub, I replied in my mind as I slammed the door and flew off to the moon, but in all honesty I mumbled out, “Hopefully hanging out with you guys.”

“Awwww, Buddy, yes let’s do it!”  She squealed.

I walked slowly up to my front door, stopped, banged my head against the wall just wishing I had dreamed up that entire car ride.  Why didn’t I just drive with Chris, why didn’t I just walk home?  I went straight to my bed, didn’t even take off my jacket.  Staring at the ceiling I thought of all the wonderful things Tyler would get to do with Ethel, the trips they would take, the adventures they would share.  I then began to think of what life would look like alone, maybe I would just move to New Zealand and become a Shepherd, or join a Latin American gang, or maybe I’d get dog.  Dogs are cool.

Barsch Learning Styles Inventory—ENG090-608

Please check the appropriate line after each statement.

		Often			Sometimes			Seldom
1.	Can remember more about a   subject through listening than reading.					x
2.	Follow written directions   better than oral directions.					x
3.	Like to write things down   or take notes for a visual review.		x
4.	Bear down extremely hard   with a pen or pencil when writing.					x
5.	Require explanations of   diagrams, graphs or visual directions.					x
6.	Enjoy working with tools.					x
7.	Are skillful with and enjoy   developing and making graphs and charts.					x
8.	Can tell if sounds match   when presented with pairs of sounds.		x
9.	Remember best by writing   things down several times.					x
10.	Can understand and follow   directions on maps.		x
11.	Do better at academic   subjects by listening to lectures and tapes.							x
12.	Play with coins or keys in   pocket.					x
13.	Learn to spell better by   repeating the letters out loud than by writing the word on paper.					x
14.	Can better understand a   news article by reading about it in the paper than by listening to radio.		x
15.	Chew gum, smoke or snack   during studies.							x
16.	Feel the best way to   remember is to picture it in your head.					x
17.	Learning spelling by   “finger spelling” the words.							x
18.	Would rather listen to a   good lecture or speech than read about the same material in a book.					x
19.	Are good at solving and   working on jigsaw puzzles and mazes.					x
20.	Grip objects in hands   during learning period.					x
21.	Prefer listening to the   news on the radio rather than reading about it in a newspaper.							x
22.	Obtain information on an   interesting subject by reading relevant materials.		x
23.	Feel very comfortable   touching others, hugging, handshaking, etc.		x
24.	Follow oral directions   better than written ones.					x

Barsch learning style inventory

Scoring procedures and expanations

Scoring procedures

Often = 5 points                          sometimes = 3 points                            seldom = 1 point

Place the point value on the line next to its corresponding item number.  Next add the points to obtain the preference scores under each heading.

Visual			Auditory			Kinesthetic
No.	points		No.	points		No.	points
2		_______6_______	1		______14_______	4		_________4_____
3			5			6
7			8			9
10			11			12
14			13			15
16			18			17
20			21			19
22			24			23
		TVPS			TAPS			TKPS

TVPS = Total Visual Preferences Score

TAPS = Total Auditory Preferences Score

TKPS = Total Kinesthetic Preferences Score

If you are a VISUAL LEARNER, that is, you have a high visual score, then by all means be sure you see all study materials.  Use charts, maps, filmstrips, notes and flashcards.  Practice visualizing or picturing spelling words, for example, in your head.  Write out everything for frequent and quick visual review.  It is obvious you learn best when you SEE things… make it a point to see things.

If you are an AUDITORY LEARNER, that is, have auditory score, then be sure to use tapes.  Sit in the front of the lecture hall or classroom where you can hear best and can review them frequently.  Tape your class or lecture notes.  After you read something, summarize it on tape or out loud.  Verbally review spelling words, lectures or test material with a friend.

If you are a Kinesthetic LEANER, that is, have a high tactile score, you need to involve your body in the process of learning. Trace words, for example, as you are saying them.  Facts that must be learned should be written several times.  Keep a supply of scratch paper just for that purpose.  Taking and keeping lecture notes will be very important. Take a walk and study your notes at the same time.

Barsch Learning Styles Explanations:

Learning Style	Clues	Learning Tips
Visual	Needs to see        it to know it.    Strong sense        of color.    May have        artistic ability.    Difficulty        with spoken directions.    May be easily        distracted by sounds.    trouble        following lectures.    Misinterpretation        of spoken words.	Use graphics        to reinforce.    Color coding        to organize notes and possessions.    Written        directions.    Use of flow        charts and diagrams for note-taking.    Visualize        spelling of words of facts to be memorized.
Auditory	Prefers to get        information by listening-needs to hear it or speak it to know it.    Written        directions more difficult to follow than spoken directions.    Prefers        listening to reading and writing.    Inability to        read body language and facial expression.	Use of tapes        for reading and for class lecture notes.    Learning by        interviewing or by participating in discussions.    Works well in        study groups.    Having test        questions or directions read aloud or put on tape.
Kinesthetic	Prefers        hands-on learning.    Can assemble        parts without reading directions.    Difficulty        sitting still.    Learns better        when physical activity is involved.    May be very        well coordinated and have athletic ability.	Experiential        learning (making models,, doing lab work, and role playing).    Frequent        breaks in study periods.    Tracing        letters and words to learn spelling and to remember facts.    Use computer        to reinforce learning through sense of touch.    Memorize or        drilling while walking or exercising.    Usually        involves some kind of movement while learning, i.e. tapping pencil,        shaking foot, and/or holding something.

As a result of this learning inventory what do you think you can do to strengthen your learning?  Give yourself some examples.

I tested out as an auditory learner, but I am I think definitely split down the middle with visual and auditory.  I need to take notes and read them aloud to myself.  Looking at lecture notes and often times taking notes myself are very helpful to remembering the essential information.