The colonization of Virginia has a much darker past than I would have imagined. In this book specifically, the violence between Natives and the English was strongly emphasized. What shocked me most was how the hatred between differences of one another brought about disunity, murder, and trauma to the people who lived in Virginia. It makes you consider how different events would have panned out if settlers and natives were able to coexist peacefully or even unite as one. The most intense scene that displayed hatred and tension between both parties was when the Natives scalped hundreds of English settlers. People weren’t just dying in war by gunshots, but instead the most grueling ways possible, being decapitated, hanged, or tortured. Something else I thought was interesting were the laws of Henrico. The fact that settlers went against each other and such strict laws were enforced on settlers is hard to wrap my mind around. Not only were settlers treating Natives poorly but they were also enforcing cruel punishment to each other.
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Julie Ellen McConnell: What role do your students take in running programs such as the PASS docket program?
Bon Aire Atlantic Video:
In this video, juveniles are viewed as teenagers who need rehabilitation rather than punishment. Although the facility gives juveniles the opportunity to reflect and change their behavior there are many flaws with the facility/program itself. The first being that the building is outdated and for the most part feels just like a prison. Leaders of the JDC are looking to renovate and move the facilities closer the juveniles home town rather than far away. The far distance from home creates another program for juveniles as well as their parents. If centers were closer to home, parents would be able to more frequently participate in workshops and constructing new relationships with their children. Juveniles take a far different perspective than others may assume. They are aware of their harsher environments growing up but believe there are too high of expectations for them to behave when brought up in reckless childhoods. They believe they’re not as well understood but are thankful for the opportunity to have a second chance and connect with their families.
Conversation Article:
I’ve taken on a new perspective on juvenile convictions. It does seem ridiculous to sentence the youth to life in prison when their decision making isn’t fully developed. As the saying goes, “Time heals all wounds.” Through rehabilitation services and a mixture of jail time, juvenilles will have a better chance of behaving in the future. Of course the seriousness of the crime plays a crucial role in jail time because being a 17 year old and having 4 years apart from an adult shouldn’t excuse you from serving justice. For many juvenile cases however, the lack of rehabilitation services is not ideal and should be provided for prisoners despite how long they are sentenced in jail.
I think Julie McConnell’s piece on the decrease in life without parole sentences was really interesting, and I’m looking forward to hearing her talk more about it. I also think the mission statement was intriguing because so much of it focused on education as a means of “learning” their way out of a bad situation (anger management, psychological services, substance abuse education, etc.). And the contrast between the focus on education/rehabilitation at the Richmond jail and the various barriers present at Bon Air makes me glad that we can help out at Richmond but also sad that we aren’t able to do anything with Bon Air.
My questions for Julie McConnell:
You mentioned that you made a switch from being a prosecutor to a defense attorney. Was there a specific moment that prompted that switch? What moments have reinforced that switch, in your mind?
And my responses to Professor Dolson’s challenge:
I feel like I’ve learned so much from hearing everyone’s stories, whether in traditional “story” form or in bits and pieces that come from the different responses people have to the things we’ve talked about. Reading Writing Our Way Out opened my eyes to some of society’s narratives. As far as composing a college-level analytical essay… well, I’m not 100% sure I’ve done that yet! But with any luck, I’ll cross that one off the list eventually.
I think this class balances self-efficacy and community in a way that strengthens both elements – we work on our own to prepare for our time together (which shows our respect for each other and the class, right?) in order to grow both as individuals and as a community. As far as intellectual engagement, though, I think I’m doing really well. I’m somewhat (pleasantly) surprised at my time management, because I struggled with that a little in high school. But with my schedule here, I don’t really have any choice except to use any piece of time I can to study and do homework. And I think regarding ethical understanding, I believe that at the very least, I’m more open-minded after reading Writing Our Way Out.
I believe that everything worth doing is worth doing with 100% effort, and that’s pretty indicative of my approach to learning. I really value effort and engagement in learning communities. And in my mind, there’s nothing cooler than learning something awesome and looking over and seeing my peers smiling because they think it’s cool too. Learning cool stuff just brings me so much happiness, and I don’t know exactly why! But it happens.
When I read the class notes from Thursday, I realized it was a good time to clarify and follow up on something that was mentioned as an aside. I was commenting on stylistic difference between Coogan and me, but being tired and stressed that day, I don’t think I explained it well, or why it mattered to our conversation. So I’m taking the opportunity to say more here, on the blog.
Coogan teaches at a large university with a different set of expectations and opportunities. He sometimes has 75 students in a class! And he teaches more upper-level rhetoric and writing classes. And when he started the project that resulted in Writing Our Way Out, he did not have any VCU students in the class, and the participants in the jail did not get academic credit. Since he first started the writing project, he has grown and transformed the program as well as educating many other educators on how to create similar projects. Currently, Richmond judges can, at their discretion, “sentence” non-violent adult offenders to take Coogan’s writing class and if they successfully complete their memoir, they will have no criminal record.
Our project in the spring will be different. I have always worked with juvenile offenders, and from the beginning I wanted the project to include university students AND incarcerated youth. My interest is in the way stories build bridges between strangers. And I have developed this project because of who I am and what I teach. I specialize in teaching first-year college students, helping them to gain skills in academic writing and research that will help them meet college-level requirements across all the disciplines. Here is my teaching philosophy statement:
I believe people are born curious and ready to learn. We learn our language and how to take care of ourselves and many complex skills before we ever enter “school.” I like to find ways to minimize the amount that school makes us doubt, and maybe even forget, our natural abilities. My method for doing this is to create learning communities that engage all the members in wondering, discovering, connecting ideas in new ways, trying things out, reflecting, transforming, and leading. My classes always engage with the world outside of school in some way, which makes for a degree of unpredictability that causes some students discomfort. I don’t think discomfort is always a bad thing.
I design every class I teach with learning goals in mind. This class has student learning goals related to this specific course in the policy/syllabus statement. And I also based the design on these goals for the Endeavor program:
self-efficacy, community, intellectual engagement, and ethical understanding
I challenge you to re-read the policy statement and also the definition of the Endeavor goals and write/reflect about:
1. what progress are you making toward the class goals so far?
2. what progress are you making toward the Endeavor goals?
3. what is your learning philosophy statement? What do you believe and value related to learning?
Is there any part of these reflections you would feel comfortable sharing with the class? Post it to the blog : )
Doing these reflections will be great learning which will prepare you for your portfolios.
After the interview, I spent some time reflecting and these are some of the main takeaways:
- I am extremely privileged
- No matter how hard it is to be vulnerable, it is totally ok to
- Share your experiences with your peers, both of parties get rewarded
- The book is a serious demonstration of their lives, not function
In preparation for the next class, I did the following steps:
- I listed all the interesting quotes from Naji’s story
- I connected them by theme
- I analysed them and gave them meaning
- Starting writing paragraphs and raising bigger ideas
(Kelvin or Terrance) “In many states, up to 80 percent of the youth who are incarcerated are rearrested within 3 years of release” (CSG Justice Center). What are two pieces of advice you would give to a juvenile?
(Dr. Coogan) It’s discussed in the book that many ex-convicts are stigmatized and very disadvantaged when it comes to being employed. How do you look to change the narrative through these writing workshops?
https://blog.richmond.edu/storytelling2023/class-commitments/
I agree to the class commitments.
I agree to the class commitments.
Character Analyzed: Stanley Craddock
Major Themes: Identity, Faith, Control, Abandonment
Task: Choose one quote to start with, and write a paragraph in which you analyze the language in the quote, looking for metaphors, resonance and meaning. What is happening in that quote? Do this for several more quotes. Do you see a pattern? What are you learning about how the writer is creating meaning?
Quotes:
- Chapter 1
- “Everyone laughs when a new man come through quartermaster here… We all were. You just forgot!” (14)
- Although not necessarily integral in terms of language or analysis, in terms of understanding Stan at his current point in which the project starts, it is important to understand: He initially does not believe Doctor Coogan is doing it out of the goodness of his heart (asks earlier in Chapter about motives), but he is one of the first to embrace the project in a sense.
- “My story starts in Egypt… I remember all that I’m not supposed to remember…” (18-19)
- As discussed in the previous class, Stan uses a fair amount of allusions as well as metaphors, especially those pertaining to the Bible. His faith is a defining attribute from the start of his story, but the real question dives deeper into how he arrived here. Naji is often the most iconic when we think of religious elements or presence in the book, but Stan’s story has much to be told. The author is constructing an element of love present.
- “You’re asking us to write about our lives, who we’ve been and who we want to be. Right?… I don’t know my birthday… I don’t have an identity!”
- This interesting component instantly introduces us to the struggles that become part of Stanley’s story- his adoption, which likely is accompanied (generally) by fears of abandonment and other features that might have landed him in his lifestyle. His lack of identity, and how even at the start of the project, he is looking for it.
- “Everyone laughs when a new man come through quartermaster here… We all were. You just forgot!” (14)
- CRY – LOST SEVERAL MORE QUOTES
You might like to check out the website for Coogan’s project: https://writingourwayout.com/mission/
Notice the podcast.