Category Archives: 2 Government

Come and visit with Beenish and Khan.

If you would like to visit Mr. Wood’s class first or second hour on Friday April 12 please go here to download a letter to take your regular first hour teacher.  Anybody is invited to come.  Talk to your teacher ASAP, see if it is alright, download this letter, have your teacher sign it, and bring it to Mr. Wood’s class on Friday.

Khan is 31 years old.  He is a college professor of gender studies in Pakistan.  Although he lives in Pakistan, Khan is Pashtoon and considers himself an Afghan.  He lives in an area that is dominated by the Taliban.  It makes life dangerous for he and his family, since his political views are liberal and supportive of the United States and Kabul government in Afghanistan.  Khan has three small children, one who was born last week who he has never even seen.  He is studying for a Phd in Political Science at Western Michigan University.  Khan will be flying home for a month in August to see his family, after which he will return for two more years to complete his studies at WMU in Kalamazoo.  Upon completion of his degree, Khan will return to Pakistan to teach or possibly to Kabul in Afghanistan  to work with Pashtoons to obtain their independence.  Khan hates the Pakistani military and the Taliban.

Beenish comes from the heart of Punjab in Pakistan which is located in the East bordering on India.  Her father and her grandfather served in the Pakistani military.  She has worked at a number NGO’s – Nongovernmental Organizations – in Pakistan that help marginalized communities affected by natural disasters. She earned an MA in Development Studies from the school Oriental and African Studies in London.    Her efforts have been critical in helping Pakistanis to help themselves out of poverty.   She comes from a big family and she LOVES movies – Indian, Pakistani, and American made.  She also loved my mom – and so did Khan.  Beenish is in her second year of a five year Phd Program at WMU with the goal of earning a Phd in Political Science.  Ultimately she hopes to return to Pakistan and to teach Political Science.

These are two very good people.  And I think you would really enjoying meeting each of them.  So, if you can join us…we’ll just talk for a few hours.  So please stop by and join us!

Active Reading…

Go here to access three examples of Oakridge student Active Reading.

First, however, let’s talk a bit about active reading in regards to a selection for study.  If you are going to really dig into a passage, you must do it not only with your eyes but with your brain and your pen.  In order to do that, you must make that passage bleed….

What I mean by that is write all over it….

Underline, circle, star – draw a picture – whatever it takes for you to take this reading to a deeper place – do it. This should help you tremendously in understanding the specific passage.  It will also assist you in writing – whether it is an RWE or an IOW or an ACT assignment – more effectively.  It only stands to reason, that if you fully understand the passage then your reflection will be better.  Consequently your grade should rise.  And that’s not just in my class; I think you can use this skill effectively in other courses as well.  At Oakridge and in college.

And don’t forget, it is what you’ll have to do at the next level.  So why not start NOW!

In regards to the assignments in my class, whether it is in Economics or Government or Senior Current Issues – I expect you to attack your reading assignments in this manner.  You will be required with each assignment to turn in your active reading passage for a ten point grade.

Take a look at the three examples that I’ve linked above.

Number one is Sylvia Garza (c/o 2014)  – I know that some of you are anal about messing up the paper, Sylvia has fixed this.  By using the margins and writing legibly she can go back easily and find her notes when writing her reflection; and it’s not a mess.  Take a look at her last post at the bottom of the page – she clearly takes on Wall Mart and labor in the factories – when she goes back to write her reflection she absolutely knows where to go – in order to re-read the passage.

#2 is from Brooke Wilde (c/o 2014) – what I like about Brooke’s post is the emotion.   Look at the end – where she is addressing the quote, “Come on Brothers be real men, kill a school girl,” in regards to Taliban executions of young Pakistani girls… Brooke’s shouting her disgust with the perpetrators – PIG!  She’s read this thing…and she is passionate about it.  Don’t you think she’ll do a good job on the reflection because of that?

The last example is from Emilia Lang (c/o 2014).  She has a cerebral take on the whole thing..some of it is not legible because of the quality of the scan.  That being said – look at what you can read – “education! education! education!”  Pretty clear.  Go up a paragraph where she outlines the problems that a Indian girl going through menstruation has trying to stay in school – “period  = no school = no education – nothing.”   With this kind of input its pretty clear that she’s digging deep into the article?

This is the kind of insight that I want you to bring to your reading – this active reading – this is what you’ll be expected to do at the University.   So…let’s get moving on it today.