Plastic, rubber, and chemical protectresses,all I have to offer is this awkward song.Across the trajectory of my childless life,I call out to you now, name you and praise you.I owe you all I've tried to be.I 13
I really like how the author closed the poem with this last stanza. The last line, "I owe you all I've tried to be' specifically, emphasizes that the writer owes these influences appreciation for helping to shape their identity. It conveys a sense of reflection.
African Americans had to continually battle for concessionsto allow them to reconstruct their families to meet their desires and needsas freedpeople.
I like this particular quote because it underscores the hardship that African Americans have faced ever since they were freed. They had to put up a constant fight for the rights and opportunities that would let them mold their families in ways that matched their needs and goals as free people. In the post-slavery era, this highlights the tenacity and perseverance needed to win fundamental family rights and agency.
The grandmothers were my tribal gods.They were therewhen I was born. Their songsrose out of wet laborand the woman smell of birth.
The use of the personal pronoun to reference of the grandmothers as 'tribal gods' signifies the poets deep reverence for their grandmothers. It also highlights the grandmothers' presence during the poet's birth, underlining their vital role, and highlighting the kinship between them.
Improving Grading: A Fool’s Errand? “I had been advocating standards-based grading, which is a very important movement in its own right, but it took a push from some great educators to make me realize that if I wanted to focus my assessment around authentic feedback, then I should just abandon grades altogether.” — New Jersey middle school teacher Jason Bedell (2010)
Jason Bedell's viewpoint on replacing traditional grades with genuine feedback is in line with the emerging idea that learning should be about comprehension and growth rather than only achieving predetermined marks. Abandoning grades altogether is a rather striking move, and actually reminded me of a comment one of my classmates left that said "good news is you came a long way, bad news is you went the wrong way'
BrandeisUniversityhas set itselfto developthe wholem h .. It d . d d . . an, t e sens1-ttve,cu ure , open-mm e c1hzenwhogroundshisth' k' • f:. • 11 11 d . . m mgm actswho1smte ectua y an spmtuallyaware whobelieveth t 1·r • . '· d h · ' s a 11e1ss1g-~i~cant,an w o 1sconcernedwithsocietyandthe rolehe willplayin1t.This is no sen:ianticgameor trivial accidentof language.What wehaveat present 1s a man-centered university, a breedingground notof humanism, but of masculine privilege.As women have graduallyand reluctantly been admitted into the mainstreamof highereduca-tion, they have been made participantsin a systemthat preparesmento take up roles of power in a man-centered society,that asksques-tions and teaches "facts" generated by a male intellectualtradition,and that both subtly and openly confirms men as the leadersandshapersof human destiny both within and outside academia.
The passage emphasizes a crucial viewpoint on the historical background of American higher education, notably inside Brandeis University. It emphasizes the idea that colleges, which have historically been built on a paradigm that is male-centric, have established a masculine privilege. As more women were able to enroll in higher school, they were frequently absorbed into a system that was already in place and primarily intended to groom men for influential roles. This passage urges a reevaluation of the university's mission, highlighting the need for a more diverse and inclusive learning environment that actively encourages women's intellectual contributions and social roles.