still separate,still unequal

Joseph Palagonia

ENGW_1100_34

Professor Young

26 October 2015

      "One of the most disheartening experiences for those who grew up in the years when Martin Luther King Jr. and Thurgood Marshall were alive is to visit public schools today that bear their names, or names of other honored leaders of the integration struggles that produced the temporary progress that took place in the three decades after Brown v. Board of Education, and to find out how many of these schools are bastions of contemporary segregation. " I found this quote to be ironic, because both these individuals started movements on freedom, and making all individuals equal within the United States. If these individuals were alive today, they would be completely disheveled about the fact that there are school that take these individuals names, and are completely segregated with black and hispanic students. My second is a demonstration of how students feel about attending underprivileged schools such as the one in South Bronx,  "'Dear Mr. Kozol,' wrote the eight-year-old, 'we do not have the things you have. You have Clean things. We do not have. You have a clean bathroom. We do not have that. You have Parks and we do not have Parks.You have all the thing and we do not have all the thing. Can you help us?'". These school lack specific resources for students to feel comfortable in this specific learning environment, which can then lead to students lacking the will to succeed in school. My third quotation, "In another elementary school, which had been built to hold 1,000 children hut was packed to bursting with some 1,500, the principal poured out his feelings to me in a room in which a plastic garbage hag had been attached somehow to cover part of the collapsing ceiling. 'This,' he told me, pointing to the garbage bag, then gesturing around him at the other indications of decay and disrepair one sees in ghetto schools much like it elsewhere, 'would not happen to white children.' It is upsetting to think that white schools may gain more concetration or attention when it comes to helping with problems the school is facing. It is a form of segregation when thinking about it that all black schools do not receive the same sort of care that all whites do. This country is backwards, we should all be equal not separate but still unequal!

"social class and the hidden curriculum of work"

Joseph Palagonia
Professor Young
ENGW_1100_34
October 3 2015

     In Jane Anyon's essay, "Social class and the hidden curriculum of work," education is portrayed differently based on different social economical backgrounds. I feel Anyon's position is arguable in today's era. I feel different schools, such as the one's portrayed in Anyon's essay, often teach different curriculum to their students. I agree that the type of school a student attends can affect the future profession, because more specific schools have higher learning standards set for their students. But I also feel, that schools do not offer the same type of curriculum to their students as other schools of different social classes. For example, I have attended Catholic school for majority of my educational experience, and I have been given the privilege of a higher education. But during 

my first year of high school, I decided to attend a local public school, Susan Wagner High School  similar to the working class school described in Anyon's essay. What surprised me was the difference in curriculum that teachers gave to their classes. The teachers in Wagner rarely gave tests on the class material, and when they were reviewing material they quickly went through topic after topic without vague explanation on how to complete the assignment. To illustrate, during my first history class of 

Wagner the teacher assigned several DBQ reading assignments during class time had an expectation and had the expectation that students were aware how to complete these types of assignments. Moreover, when I stated that I was unaware what the task was, the professor gave me an attitude and told me to "read the assignment and simply follow the direction carefully." Similar to Anyon's description of the working class teacher,"A group of students 'still didn't get it,' and she made no attempt to explain the concept of dividing things into groups or to give them manipulables for their own investigation. Rather, she went over the steps with them again and told them that they 'needed more practice,'" I found new style of learning difficult, because I was basically teaching myself the material. While attending Catholic school I experienced a different approach to learning, the teachers were more involved with their students and were concerned if their students didn't not understand the topic that was being taught. Such as Anyon stated, " There is recognition that cognitive process is involved; 'I want to make sure you understand what you are doing-so you get it right'," the students ability is important to the teacher, and the approach of how the teacher presents the curriculum can truly affect the preparation of the student's future.

student's right to their own language

Joseph Palagonia
Professor Young
ENGW_1100_34
    
          Students definitely deserve the right to express themselves through their own language within

the classroom. The hardest thing about being a writer in my previous years in high school, was not

getting the ability to show expression and personality throughout the content of my writing. In my

high school, teachers were very specific with their details when working on our writing ability: state

your point, and be short and concise. Sometimes, as a writer I find it difficult trying to hit my main

point when following the guidelines of concise writing. What I enjoy about the ENGW_1100 writing

course is that it allows my ability for expression, and to enjoy my works of writing. It becomes a lot

easier as a writer when I enjoy my works because I'm using my own type of language within the

course.

What Makes Me, Me?

Joseph Palagonia

ENGW_1100_34

Professor Young

September, 2, 2015



        Identity is in the best term, the perception of others and thyself on what makes a person a unique

individual. There are multiple contributions that affect a person's uniqueness. My identity to me, is

everything I have going for me. A person's name is most important to me, because that distinguishes

one individual from another. A person's name has great meaning behind the title; My name represents

who I am, where I am from, and what I stand for! There are multiple factors that affect what a person

identity is. Therefore, A person can have multiple identities. Identity can be categorized from a

person's culture, gender, race, presentation, religion, language, and even education. Identification is

the concept as to what makes me, me! When the thought of identity comes to play, the questions

"Who exactly am I?" often pops up. The first thought that spurs is my family heritage. My culture is

what truly distinguishes me from another individual.  A person's name can also explain a lot about a

person ethnicity. Identity has a vast meaning behind it; identity can be how other individuals perceive

another person's actions and or pride. You can distinguish a lot about a person based on their actions,

for example a person's tendencies or passions can be determined based on action. By viewing one's

actions, this may answer the question " what exactly does this person do?" Which can eventually lead

to answer "who exactly is this person?"Therefore, identity to me is the qualities which make one

individual unique from the other; Identity can only be determined by examining an individuals

characteristics, or beliefs!

linguistic identity

Joseph Palagonia
ENGW_1100_34
Professor Young
August, 30, 2015


             I have selected three meaningful quotes from How to Tame a Wild Tongue, which connect linguistics to culture. My first quote states, "Ethnic identity id twin skin to linguistic identity- I am my language. Until I can take pride in my language, I cannot take pride in myself." My next proceeding quote, "Pachuco is a language of rebellion, both against Standard Spanish and Standard English. It is a secret language. Adults of the culture and outsiders cannot understand it. It is made up of slang words from both English and Spanish." My last quote chosen states, " There is no one Chicano language just as there is no one Chicano experience. A monolingual Chicana whose first language is English or Spanish is just as much a Chicana from Michigan or Chicago or Detroit is just as the Southwest. Chicano Spanish is as diverse linguistically as it is regionally." The opening scene begins with the doctor stating, " We're going to have to control your tongue." This is ironic because the overall message of this essay, is linguistic defines who a person is entirely. Personally, I do not know much Spanish, therefore the writing was difficult to understand. I think Anzaldua used spanish in her writing to represent the degree of difficulty it takes to understand a different language. Academic English can be defined as Spanish (standard) due to it's specific focus of one language. Chicano Spanish integrates multiple different spanish dialects mixed with a secret form of the language which causes it to be classified as nonstandard. Speaking and writing is a big part of the person I am today. A person's accent or dialect alone, can explain a lot about their personality or culture. Like Anzaldua, in English there are forms of secret languages as well. To most it is just considered slang talk, but two or more people can relate to a hidden statement through slang code, for example inside jokes or statements most people will be confused by the meaning. When I am speaking with my friends we usually talk in a more relaxed slang dialect of English, but when I am around my parents or a professor I speak more respectfully and professional due to the formal position they hold before me. The quote, "I am my language," means we are how we talk. There are plenty of revealing facts about a persons identity that can be distinguished through language alone, for example race and or culture. The introduction of this essay connects to the conclusion because it discusses how other ethnicities are willingly able to give up their tongues, but Chicana language is far more important to the Chicana culture for it to be denied. The language we speak identifies cultural background of family heritage. Without identity it is impossible to be unique. My identity is the most important thing going for me, because my name is what classifies me different from the man next to me. For example, How to Tame A Wild Tongue states, " With that recognition, we became a distinct people, we became aware of our reality and acquired a name and a language."

Joseph Palagonia

Joseph Palagonia
ENGW1100-34
Professor Young
August, 26, 2015
                                                          Getting to Know You
1) I would consider myself to be a bit of a sports head, I love the game of basketball most specially but I am big on baseball and football as well. I find sports to be a natural stress relieving therapy; its like I am in my sanctuary on the basketball court.
2)I have a great passion for keeping fit and staying healthy. It may be a daily regime my high school basketball coach imbedded into my brain, but I definitely enjoy the grind the most, and the success which results from that.
3) Back home in New York, my good friends gave me the nickname Palo. I think this nickname is ironic being that my last name is Palagonia. My friends simply added the first three letters of my last name and the letter o which comes after the letter g. Now, I am forever known in New York as Palo.
4) I like to allow my mind to flow while writing, but I do believe in preparation. I personally find it easier to generate thoughts when my mind tends to flow.
5) My high school english class definitely spent less time reviewing then most schools. My school had English for only half of a semester during my senior year, but it was an advanced writing class which focused primarily on draft and paper work. My teacher did prep us on the five paragraph structure, and other rules of grammar.
6) I am a fan of all types of music, I love music in general but if I had to choose one genre I would choose Hip-Hop. Unlike most, I am behind my time with music; I like old school artists like Biggie Smalls, Nas, and Tupac but I do like new style artists as well.
7)I do use Social Media, but I hate thinking about how it is destroying society. My favorite app would have to be SnapChat, only because you can actually be somewhat SOCIAL and interact with others.
8)My most important  lesson I learned as a freshman is not to fear failure. There is only one option for failure: TRY, TRY, TRY AGAIN! The effort will lead to success.
9) I have a lot of confidence in myself, because I like the man I am becoming today. If i had to rate myself I would rate myself a A but I know theres always room for success. I consider myself an A, because I understand that adversity is conquerable, and you can do anything that you set your mind too in this life and thats the key.