Leite,Tatyana+Lima

Tatyana Leite Professor Nancy Noonan EDC 102 15 September 2014


 * Expertise Statement: Make-Up **

Something I can confidently say that I know very much about is make-up. Before high school, I never showed much interest in wearing make up, with the exception of the occasional coat of lip-gloss. It wasn’t until I noticed how good my best friend was at applying her make-up that I had a sudden desire to start wearing make-up, and learn how to be just as good as she was at applying it.

I started my make-up journey with a quick trip to the local drug store and bought concealer and foundation that looked like it matched my skin tone. I found myself shopping for make-up whenever I had the chance, and it wasn’t long before I accumulated quite the variety of products and color palettes to experiment with.

When I first began doing my make-up, I was clueless so I just did what seemed right. I looked at photos online and in magazines, watched tutorials on YouTube, and had my best friend teach me one-on-one what to do and how to do it. 6 years later, nearly all of my spending money goes towards buying the best (which many times means the most expensive) make-up available to me, and so much of my time is spent not only doing my own make-up but also doing the make-up of my friends for special occasions.

Many people view make-up as a superficial way to hide who you really are from the world, but to me make-up is an art form. It is not a necessity by any means, but can easily enhance anyone’s natural beauty when applied well. While I have had many role models to learn about make-up from, I owe most of my skills to practice. Today, I look at pictures of myself in high school, before I really knew what I was doing, and I am proud of how far I have come. I used to be indifferent towards make-up, but now my favorite compliment to get is “your make-up looks so good!”

Tatyana Leite Professor Nancy Noonan EDC 102 22 September 2014


 * Reflection: School Experience **

The school that I chose for my context statement is Peacedale Elementary School, which has 400 students enrolled in grades K through 4. Looking back to when I was in those grades, I can recall many details. One important aspect of my elementary school experience was the fact that I went to a small Catholic school. Of course education was very important, but discipline and morals were just as crucial. Every lesson taught involved some insight on how to be a better Catholic or better person overall.

Aside from the religious influence of my Catholic elementary school, I can recall that it was a positive and safe learning environment. I can remember my teacher’s names from grades K through 4, as well as picture their faces. They were young, for the most part, and made learning fun. I remember excelling in school curriculum, especially in reading and math. I also remember how much I looked forward to lunch and recess, where there were daily contests and raffle opportunities to win prizes. My favorite thing about my elementary school experience was how small it was because the school became more like a family. We even held morning meetings every day as a school, where we would say our prayers and the pledge of allegiance, as well as share things we were thankful for that day.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Comparing my elementary school experience to the narratives in Savage Inequalities makes me so grateful for how fortunate I was as a child. It also makes me sad to think that the conditions that exist in the stories told in Savage Inequalities even exist. It is eye opening, and extremely humbling, to become more aware of these conditions. Having a reminder that not all children in the world are as fortunate to have a great childhood education like I did makes me appreciate what I had more, and inspires me to help make a change.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Tatyana Leite <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Professor Nancy Noonan <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">EDC 102 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">29 September 2014


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Reflection: FAE Chapters 2 & 3 **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">After reading Chapters 2 and 3 of Foundations of American Education, I realized that it is important to understand the history of education before becoming a teacher. It was interesting to read about the development of elementary schools and the creation of middle and high schools as a result. I was also surprised to learn that much of early education was provided by private school because I would not have expected that to be the case.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">After reading these two chapters, it came to my attention that education is somewhat a chain of events. As the population increased, there were more students, and in turn more teachers and schools were needed. It was because of this that the government began funding educational programs, but only under the condition that their educational and testing regulations were fulfilled. This put teachers under more scrutiny and pressure, as they were held more accountable.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The history of education as well as the topic of teacher vs. student accountability are two things that I believe are very relevant and I would love to further educate myself about them.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Tatyana Leite <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Professor Nancy Noonan <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">EDC 102 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">6 October 2014


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Reflection: FAE Chapter 4 **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Before reading Chapter 4, I had never really thought about philosophy in relation to education. This chapter made me more aware of how the philosophy of a certain culture can affect what is taught in school. I learned of many philosophical “isms” that influence education worldwide. It was also interesting to learn things like the fact that The East focuses on working on one’s inner self rather than worrying about the outside world. Philosophy is something that I had not considered much before reading about it in Chapter 4 of Fundamental American Education, but I now understand how relevant it actually is.

Tatyana Leite

Professor Nancy Noonan

EDC 102

20 October 2014


 * FAE Chapter 5: Philosophers and Schools of Thought **

After reading chapter 5, there was each a philosopher and a school of thought that stood out to me. The philosopher, John Dewey, extended what was once //pragmatism// and created what is known as progressivism. Progressivism is an educational theory that emphasizes that ideas should be tested by experimentation and that learning is rooted in questions developed by learners. This philosophy teaches its students how to think rather than what to think. Progressivism resonated with because it relates to the way I learn best, through hands-on experiments and experiences that will prepare me to make my own decisions in the future. Progressivism also matches my feelings that students should also be able to bring their own opinions to class and have a say in what they learn, and that it should not be entirely up to the teacher to decide.

However, some people disagree with Progressivism because they believe it allows for too much freedom, and focuses more on the process of education than it does on the end result. Progressivism critics believe that this philosophy does not do an efficient job of making well-rounded and responsible future-adults because they have no guide or path, and are not committed to anything. While I do see why this can be true about Progressivism, I still agree with the core aspects of this philosophy, mostly because I realized that it is one of the ways I personally learn best.

On the other hand, a school of thought that appealed to me was the American Psychological Association, otherwise known as APA. The reason APA got my attention was because of their belief in the philosophy of Constructivism, an educational philosophy that emphasizes developing personal meaning through hands-on, activity-based teaching and learning. The APA believed that teachers should spend more time creating scenarios and situations in which students have opportunities to answer important questions on their own, instead of just telling them what they should know. Again, I feel as if I can relate to this philosophy because I am someone who values self-growth and learning to understand the world through personal experiences, rather than having someone lecture me about what is right and wrong. It is evident that I am someone who values student-centered philosophies, as both Progressivism and Constructivism are very similar in their democratic focus on the student creating their own learning experiences.