Tribblicate
I'm a writer with a gay agenda. 18 and liberal as fuck. Sometimes, amidst the constant flow of reblogs, I post some insightful wisdom. Stick around and see. :]
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Quote reblogged from Libraryland
How, then, should we measure students and teachers? In ninth grade, my students learn about the scientific method. They learn that in order to collect good data, scientists control for specific variables and test their impact on otherwise identical environments. If you give some students green fields, glossy textbooks and lots of attention, you can’t measure them against another group of students who lack all of these things. It’s bad science.
Until we provide equal educational resources to all students and teachers, no matter where they come from, we can’t say — with any scientific accuracy — how well or poorly they’re performing. Perhaps if we start the conversation there, things will start making a bit more sense.
Confessions of a ‘Bad’ Teacher - NYTimes.com (via rachelfershleiser)
That’s…an interesting perspective. I’ve never thought of it that way before. -
Link reblogged from GayWrites.
It’s well-known (and quite unfortunate) that some universities, namely private religious schools, aren’t exceptionally friendly to their LGBT students. But Shane Windmeyer of nationally recognized Campus Pride says it’s time for these schools to shed their discriminatory policies and welcome all their students with open arms.
The central news story here is that Pepperdine University, a school affiliated with the Churches of Christ, this week denied the creation of an LGBT support group - the fourth time they’ve rejected such an idea. Likewise, the University of Notre Dame has refused to allow the formation of gay-straight alliances since 2007.
The schools say LGBT organizations conflict with religious teachings and ideas of sexual morality. Pepperdine claims students involved in LGBT organizations cannot stay neutral, and Notre Dame goes as far as to say it “cannot distinguish between sexual orientation and behavior.” I wish I were kidding.
But Windmeyer steps in with the argument that seems obvious to most of us: love thy neighbor. LGBT kids come from all walks of life, including religious backgrounds, that lead them to attend schools like Pepperdine and Notre Dame. Because these schools are private, they have the right to enact such policies, but they have a greater responsibility to provide a safe and supportive campus for students.
With visibility comes a moral responsibility for administrators to create a safe learning environment, regardless of sexual or gender identity. Public and private colleges are held responsible for the safety of all their students. It is not a surprise that the LGBT and ally students at both Pepperdine and Notre Dame give their negative experiences of bias and prejudice as reasons for forming a student group on campus. Ignoring these anti-LGBT incidents will only hurt the university and its students.
Windmeyer rocks it in this column - activists at these schools should really take note and pass it along.
I’ll seriously never attend a religious university, and this is just one of the reasons. It’s unfortunate that institutions that are supposed to promote good will, spirituality, and uphold the morality (whatever that means) can’t even allow for diversity amongst their students, can’t see that sexuality is a part of human nature. I wish every lgbt student could just transfer, and every Ally with them. Then maybe these places would see that they’re hurting real people, not just “protecting moral sex” or whateverthefuck.
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I just finished watching the 2010 documentary “Waiting for Superman.” And I have to say, my mind was fucking blown. I’ve never felt so depressed about my education, and about the American Public School System as a whole. I feel like I want to go back in time and go to a boarding school or a charter school or something. Maybe specialize in writing.
But anyway, I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend it. It’s not just informative, it’s just an excellent documentary. It kind of changed my perspective on certain things. I think if I ever get to a place where I’m influential (a man can dream right?) I might look into education and what I can do, personally (RE: Nothing).
But yeah. Check it out. :] -
Link reblogged from GayWrites.
A new study by the Family Acceptance Project found students who go to high schools with gay-straight alliances (GSAs) reap several benefits from the club’s presence at their school.
According to the study, LGBT teenagers who attended a school with a GSA were less likely to have depression, had higher self esteem, were less likely to drop out and were more likely to succeed in higher education. These effects were apparent even in LGBT students who weren’t involved with the GSA.
However, the Huffington Post pointed out an interesting side note:
GSA clubs can have a significant impact on students’ lives — both in the classroom and outside of school — but bullying against LGBT students remains a problem in many schools that the GSA is not equipped to handle alone. GSAs can only do so much: at schools with higher levels of victimization of LGBT students, the harassment, bullying, and violence that these students experienced cancelled out many of the GSAs’ positive effects.
I totally buy all of this. As LGBT youth make headlines more frequently for reasons good and bad, GSAs are becoming a staple in high schools and controversy breaks out when something stands in the way of a GSA developing. Having a safe space at school can’t be a bad thing, whether or not you’re involved.
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This year’s actually going well. My surprise is…astronomical. I’ve just been trying to actually do my homework so I can actually go to college. It’s actually kind of easy.
I now have an even 4/4 split of A’s and B’s for my first six weeks grade-check bullshit. It’s strange that just last year I was having an annual nervous breakdown every time grades were coming out, and now I’m getting pissed off over an eighty-five percent not being five percent higher.
But they’ll rise up. I know because my B in AP Composition only exists because I didn’t do the summer assignment. I’ve gotten full credit on everything so far and that one little assignment sets me back. Because this is English. This isn’t just my forte, it’s my fucking art.
I was absent for one day and I have an eighty-five percent in US History. That’s because Mr. Martin puts “movie notes” in the gradebook as a hundred points, some homework assignments as ten and twenty points. So naturally, this random, great outlier tossed me into the flames. But more on that asshole later.
The B in Science is my fault. I half-ass all the assignments because, quite frankly, they’re rather stupid. The curriculum is designed so that ANYONE with a functioning brain stem can pass it—but more on the failings of the California Education System in another blog post.
The B in gym is also my fault, because one day I just didn’t feel like dressing out, and another day I had to miss school. This is how fragile the first six weeks of grades are. Miss one thing, step out of line, and suddenly you’re getting FUCKED by the GIANT COCK of education.
But I’m not bitter. I’m rather satisfied. Four B’s, four A’s that’s nothing to be ashamed of. Unless your philosophy is “Get A’s and fuck boys.” Then you’re kinda miffed. Because now that I’ve kinda got Skyler, and now that we kinda had this amazing date, and now that I kinda have four B’s and not eight A’s…ugh. Upsetting. Very, very upsetting.
But more on my new philosophy later. Now, I’ll leave you with this. I’m happy. My life is spinning its way onto the track. I will not end up in the same place I was last year. And when I graduate, and when I step into the fucking dorm room of whatever fucking university was fool enough to accept me, I’ll fucking smile because I’ll know that I earned this by fighting every step of the way.
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I am a strong proponent for the legalization of most recreational drugs. Especially marijuana.
However, I would like the highly addictive and unreasonably hazardous drugs to remain illegal, just for the safety of your modern citizens.
And yes, I know I’m being too vague.
I’d probably keep PCP, Heroin, Speed and Meth illegal, to name a few. But I’d probably allow ecstasy and marijuana (among others). HOWEVER. There would have to be education. The biggest threat to a drug user isn’t the drug, but ignorance. Advil is cool, but if you down the whole bottle, shits gonna get real. The same goes for recreational drugs. Good things only remain good in moderation, and it’s important for people to know the possible effects of EVERY drug they come into contact with (legal or otherwise).
The key is to educate people who, when they know the facts, will often make the right decision. Not always, but we have to try to get that knowledge into peoples head.
So just remember that; education and moderation.
