Academic Leadership - Hate and Racism to Tolerance and Respect (Diego Blank)

"What does it take for someone to move from a position of hate and racism to a position of tolerance and respect like the transformation that occurred in Derek?" 

      What it takes to move from a position of hate and racism to a position of tolerance and respect is a discussable case. The main reason for this change in perception would be having the experience. Hating a race with no previous true interaction or understanding would obviously lead to nowhere but to a fixed mind state. For example, a kid is born in a racist family, and grows up knowing that he must hate a certain race. There will be no questioning until the individual recieves proper experience, so he can set his perspective in other's shoes.  So, resuming, it does not take much to move from hate and racism to a position or repsect and tolerance. 
      Ignorance is really the main blockade between that change in perseption, not allowing the person to visualize why they are being against each other. Ignorance also doesn't allow someone to realize for what reason they hate that certain race, so, in conclusion, having the experience will allow someone to bypass that ignorance "blockade" and realize the meaining of their rivality. That is, all considering what was said throughout the movie.  

American History X - Trailer

      In the film "American History X", Derek, the protagonist, started off as a race hater. He completely changed his mind later on as the plot developed only because he met a black laundry worker, also describable as his co-worker. Daily interaction with that person was self-sufficient to convince him that the black community were not supposed to be discriminated that way, and that made Derek totally consider his family's point of view into his own pespective, distinguishing what was right and what was wrong.


The link below will lead you to the Rotten Tomatoes review of "American History X"
Click here

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Diego Blank

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Academic Leadership - Seattle Boycott Article Response (Diego Blank)

In response to the Seattle Boycott article
(http://processofliving.com/2013/01/27/under-pressure)

      The current mood that any student would be on a particular day would essentially affect a test grade. The idea behind all the standardized testing, as of my opinion, should be diminished and the use of personal portfolios would be best.  Why? The use of these portfolios would bring widely more accurate results than a standardized test, and as for the student they could have the chance to demonstrate their full potential.  I would agree with the High School Garfield teachers for bringing up a valid point, that not only certain students should think for standardized testing to be reduced but also for teachers to say that this kind of testing does not make the student academically progress through their learning career.
      Thus, bringing all the academic results from each individual student, that would be assembling all pieces of valid information in each's individual portfolios, could be harder to assemble than it would be as a standardized test. As standardized tests would be easier for the administrators to manage to bring everything to average, portfolios would be better for the student's true overview and also affect how somebody would look upon that individual.
      The best thing to do would be integrate a little bit of both into one system that would permit the student to still reveal their full potential trough an academic portfolio. Finding a good way to stop conflict amongst teacher, parents and students themselves would be essential but somewhat challenging, so more time and more thought should still be put in this in order to develop a new MAP testing.
      Of course this does not go as far as only my opinion. I am aware that certain schools will defend standardized testing and keep it that way, thus if there would be an alternative that approaches a student's accurate abilities it would be academically better to integrate that to more schools.  

This is the link to the article.
http://processofliving.com/2013/01/27/under-pressure/

Diego Blank