Wednesday, October 12, 2016

october 12

I won't be in class today.  Since we talked yesterday about creating community online and offline, and since this course is all about the stories we Americans tell, and since the best way to help other people feel comfortable to disclose their thoughts and feelings is to disclose our own, I'm suggesting that today we do something a little different.  Below is a prompt designed to get you thinking by sharing something I'm thinking.  I'm asking that you do three things with it:

  1. Please write about it in your journal.
  2. Please comment to this post (you can use what you write in your journal, or share a shorter version)
  3. Please post to your blog about it (title: MY AMERICAN VOICE) -- you can share what you wrote in your journal, you can think out loud about the democratic process we use in this course, you can think about other situations in which you have had to decide whether to speak up or stay silent, or you can add to the topic by adding your own flavor.  Please make sure to use at least three of the principles you learned by reading "The Art of Hosting Good Conversations Online" and please get at least five people to comment to your post.  You can share your blog link via text/email/social media, you can find other members' blogs and comment to theirs with a link to your own, or you can invite people the old-fashioned way-- walk up and ask them in person! :)

MY AMERICAN VOICE
When is it important to speak up, and when is it important to observe quietly?

I'm feeling conflicted and I'm interested in your perspectives.  I noticed that the course blog just tipped 30k page views.  I feel a responsibility as an American teaching a course with the word "American" in the title.  Much of the literature we read focuses on political action and self-actualization.  I am aware that we are in the final month of a presidential election that has very big consequences.  I am also aware that public school teachers are discouraged from expressing opinions about politics in view of students.

So: when do you speak up?  Do you consider it a responsibility or an inconvenience?  Do you speak up when you see someone weak being bullied or abused by someone strong?  Do you speak up when you see someone taking out their temper on another person?  Do you speak up when you see someone cheating (in school or in a relationship)?  Do you speak up when you see someone being unkind?

How do you speak up?  Are your words necessary, true, kind, and timely?  Do you think before you speak?  Do you reflect on your words after you say them?  How would other people describe the way you talk?

There is no right or wrong here.  There is no "how to" lesson.  This is an opportunity for all of us to learn from each other.  I'm interested in your thoughts.  My prediction is that we will all learn something important.  

40 comments:

  1. From what I've come to understand Public School Teachers aren't just discouraged, If I remember my 8th grade English Teacher Mrs. Correy correctly, she said she wasn't allowed to speak about her age, religion, or Political Opinion, as it wasn't allowed by her contract. Fesler was a strange time for me, as it was my first time in a public School System.

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  2. when i speak up it's when someone needs help or when i need to say the information i know to put that other person i'm arguing with in their place, i usually tend not to speak up because i like letting the other person embarrass themselves but when i do i'm usually just honest, i can be rude and i can get out of hand with information.

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  3. It's important to speak up when you see an injustice happening to someone who doesn't have the resources to defend thenselves. After all standing up for the little guy when the big guy is too strong is something all humans should do. Whether you face backlash from society or are revered as a good samaritan. In time, you will be on the right side of history but it won't be for this reason that you spoke up. I also believe there is a time to speak up and when you don't do it right it your voice won't be heard and your message will not get across.

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  5. when I speak up I only say what I need to say so they can get the point, but I usually don't speak up out of the ordinary, i speak up when they ask me a question or my opinion.

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  6. I speak up when people or animals need help or at least I think they need help. It depends on the situation if my words are kind and I do reflect on what I said to that person and whether or not I was thinking before I said what I said it. Other than that I'm usually quiet.

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  7. I speak up when I think someone in danger or if something doesnt seem right or if someone getting bullied and I think I should speak up. With out speaking up then no one ever going to know what going on and will think everything okay.I reflect on the words I say to make sure I an nit missing something important or said something wrong.The words i would use would be kind to a point.

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  8. I speak up when I feel the need to when someone is being talked to unkindly or when someone is being bullied or just simply when they ask for my opinion.

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  9. I speak up when I feel the need to, or when nobody else is talking to break the ice.

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  10. The question truly is when is the purpose and time to define when we can speak of anything.Anything can be spoken about such as politics,multiculturaism, economics all have a voice in each and every person. We as human have so much potential to change an opinion of others because we speak up about problems we humans face.We a human race speak up about problems not because of relgion,age,gender but because we believe we can truly control the situation into a better one.

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  11. I'm not that girl who is outgoing, I'm more of the quiet one. But still when I see injustice going on I speak up. But if some tries to offend me or say something about me without knowing the reason that's when I denfend myself.

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  12. Speaking up is a good thing when it comes into circumstances where you don't have a clue of what is going on or if there is a problem where speaking is the solution. Speaking up also gets you in a position you want to be in, speaking up makes changes in society and in school it just depends how you speak up.

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  13. Talking, and speaking up is a great things to do. Its good a thing to listen, when a person is listening to someone about their problems, it shows how much a person is caring for the other. And speaking up gets a person out of their comfort zone. It makes them feel like they can talk to someone and feel comfortable about as well.

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  14. I can be a quiet person time to time but i will speak up when I believe if it's worth saying something. i always try to understand both points of the people's story or beliefs to whatever they are arguing about. Then I think about what i am going to say because I don't want them to misunderstand me to what I have to say.

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  15. when I speak up I only say what I need to say so they can get the point, but I usually don't speak up out of the ordinary, i speak up when they ask me a question or for
    my opinion.

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  16. when I speak up I only say what I need to say so they can get the point, but I usually don't speak up out of the ordinary, i speak up when they ask me a question or for
    my opinion.

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  17. I would only speak up when its necessary, when someone asked me a question or answer I will answer them Or if I get asked a question I will answer to them and if I'm talking to someone I'll think before I speak and tell them what I think.

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  18. I would only speak up when its necessary, when someone asked me a question or answer I will answer them Or if I get asked a question I will answer to them and if I'm talking to someone I'll think before I speak and tell them what I think.

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  19. When I speak up is when they but me on blast or when they call on me to give my opinion I speak up when there's something going on i just dont do it at random because i feel weird

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    1. I speak up all the time if someone is talking shit I will tell them off if someone isn't giving me respect ill tell them off too I don't deal with that's.

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  22. Depends on the situation. Sometimes it really isn't my business but I will stand up when I feel like someone's comments are just ignorant or dumb.

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  23. Sometimes its not necessary and sometimes its not.But if need to i would stand up if i need to. I wont if its not for something dumb.

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  24. I would speak up for someone but i also depend to the situation and sometimes they will say that it is none of your business. But if someone is getting bullied I would stand up because I don't like when people mess with others.

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  27. I only do something when it directly effects me

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  28. I only do something when it directly effects me

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  29. it is important to speak up when being spoken too. it is also important to speak up to stick up for somebody when they are getting picked on or messed with. it is always okay to speak your mind and say what you feel at anytime.

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  30. I speak up when people bug or bullied that person. Sometimes it's depends on the situation too. But i always speak up when something is not right.

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  31. It's important to speak up because when you see someone that is being bullied many people just stand there watching and they don't do anything to help out the other person or stop the bully. No one should be afraid to say what is on their mind everyone has a voice and they need to speak up and don't let nobody tell them what to do or what to think.

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  32. It's important to speak up because when you see someone that is being bullied many people just stand there watching and they don't do anything to help out the other person or stop the bully. No one should be afraid to say what is on their mind everyone has a voice and they need to speak up and don't let nobody tell them what to do or what to think.

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  33. Its right to speak up when you see someone being in danger because of another person, when you feel like there is an injustice, when someone is talking crap about you, when you're being attacked, I mean there's so many reasons for you to speak up. I speak up when I feel like I am being attacked or when someone's judging someone else or when I am being disrespected. When I speak up, I speak with decency (if I am not mad, if I am mad I bring the whole cursing book out), I speak with my loud voice and I talk fast. I also give them a look to scare them a little so they know that I am being dead serious and its not something to joke with. I do think before I speak, I don't want to offend the person but I do want them to see what they are doing wrong, I want them to see things the way that myself or the other person sees it. I always look for the right words to say and I TRY to be as polite as I can, its hard to be polite to a jerk face but when I think about it you have to show that guy or girl who the bigger person is and not get on their level because then you'll be just like them.

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  34. I speak up when I feel like I need to

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  35. It honestly depends on the situation cause you never know what's actually happening but if it's something wrong or isn't right best believe I'm going to speak up

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  36. I speak up when I have to say something or when it's necessary.

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  37. I speak up when things are getting out of hand like bulling, some sort of mistreat, etc.. I'd be lying if I said I speak up ALL the time when something is wrong. Also when people ask for an opinion I speak up. When I have some sort of knowledge on the topic or circumstance, other times I'd probably observe and say nothing until I have good background about it.

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