After reading the article, I would like you to write your response to Harper High. What do you think of the podcast? And was is your response to the criticisms.
Please respond in the blog comment section below with a 150-300 word response.
You have just finished listening to Harper High on This American Life. There was backlash to the Harper High podcast. Here you will read this article Disappointed in Harper High School coverage.
After reading the article, I would like you to write your response to Harper High. What do you think of the podcast? And was is your response to the criticisms. Please respond in the blog comment section below with a 150-300 word response.
15 Comments
chet
2/28/2014 01:37:26 am
I believe that harper high is defiantly a school that needs help. With all the gang violence and education I believe that the gang violence and budget are some of the problems, I see that the school has tons of gangs and that could be why education there is slipping but I understand budget might be a thing that needs improving but it needs to be done in a good way and that means being careful about money and sometimes you have to lay off people or teachers you can’t have all the money in the world. Now the low expectations of students, I understand why this person is mad at this I really do but we have to understand that this school has tons of gang violence surrounding it and you need to think to yourself, if I was in that school how would my mood be, the thing is that if you were in that school you would be scared and you would maybe be sad, so the praising of the students and complementing them I can understand because in that environment you would be very scared of the inevitable gang violence and the school is a kind of safe haven and its nice to be in so I believe it just makes sense to complement the students on these things to make them feel safe, I also understand that they say they want the students to have normal school things but that doesn’t mean everything can be normal, their neighbor hoods aren’t normal they have gangs that are feared by everyone. I think that the niceness Is justified by this and that everything that he says about his gripes about harper high is justified as well I think that both the teacher and TAL are right
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Brooklyn McDowell
2/28/2014 01:40:20 am
Harper High Response (Podcast)
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Sarah Montanez
2/28/2014 01:44:58 am
I think that the Harper High Podcast was really interesting, but it’s kind of messed up that the podcast only talks about the negative things going on in the school, I mean I get that with all the violence it’s hard to be positive, but I feel that they could have put some positive spin in the podcast. Cause all the school mainly talks about is: Gun Violence and gangs and in the podcast it says, “whether or not you want to be in a gang, you’re in one.” When Linda Lutton asks Officer Washington how to avoid getting mixed up in gangs in Englewood, he says, simply, “You can’t.” But I don’t think that’s true. Just like it says in the article, “Disappointed in Harper High School coverage” the school could have policies that can eliminate gangs they make it seem like the teachers, staff, and kids in the school are totally powerless and can’t do anything to prevent the gangs and violence in and outside the school. The other thing is the expectations of the students and staff. Although the students at the school are going through tough times the teachers and staff act like, because of this the students can’t follow basic rules, that’s pretty messed up that they have such low expectations for their students For example in the podcast they say, “I thank you. For being in class on time, thank you. I love you!” and “Is that a pass in your hand? I’m so proud of you.” But despite all this I think the podcast was very hooking and kept me wanting to listen more, it was good.
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Isaac
2/28/2014 01:45:19 am
Isaac Alvarez 2/28/14
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Jacob Pacult
2/28/2014 01:48:51 am
I think the Harper High podcast was very interesting. From what I heard from the podcast, being here at Drummond is almost completely different from there. Instead of striving to get good grades, they have to try to stay alive. After listening, I realized that I took what I have here at Drummond for granted. The podcast made me feel bad for kids going there who have no choice but to be part of a gang; kids who have no choice but to risk their lives.
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Cesar Rodriguez
2/28/2014 01:49:32 am
Personally, I mostly agree with the criticism. The podcast took one of the worst schools in Chicago and used it to represent the city's schools. The podcast also took special notice to the worst students of the school, like Devante, who ran away from the cops after being on parole. The podcast seems so much different to me now that I have heard this criticism. throughout the podcast, I assumed that Harper was an average performing school, and now that I think about it, no education was shown; as well as that idea that gangs are completely in charge, and have nothing to fear from adults. Ray Swanson is also right about the lack of rules shown in the podcast. The criticism in itself was very insightful. The only argument I have with the criticism is the idea that there are many models of successful urban education. Only 38.5% of the 49.5% students who graduate from Harper get into a collage. My overall view of the podcast is that it took the worst part of one of the worst schools in Chicago and used it to represent all of CPS.
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Brandon Moreno
2/28/2014 01:49:45 am
Brandon Moreno
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Spencer Cody
2/28/2014 01:51:45 am
Harper High Questions Essay
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Mallory G.
2/28/2014 01:52:41 am
I recently finished listing to Harper High, a podcast on WEBEZ Chicago. It is basically about a high school where a tremendous amount of violence happens. But in the school, everyone seems to be suffering, not just the friends of the kids that got wounded or killed by a gun .I Think this topic doesn't really get addressed often and it needs to. Throughout the podcast, the staff seems to only care about the students feelings, which I think is important and I will explain why .It is better I believe that the kids feel like they can tell the staff, or each other everything. Some people might say that education comes first but it is very possible that the kids can’t focus because of all the violence that is happening in the school and they need people like social worker Anita or the security guard Marcel Smith to talk to them and calm them down so they can then focus on there education. I couldn't even imagine what my life would be like if I attended Harper High, surrounded by violence but if I did go there, my feelings would come first and once I feel able to I would focus on my grades and education more then ever. This is my opinion on the Harper High podcast.
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Ryan Staehle
2/28/2014 01:53:15 am
Harper high Q Response
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vanessa
2/28/2014 01:54:24 am
After listening to Harper High and reading the article, I agree with the article. They did do a good job with narrating the piece, but some of the stuff they said wasn’t helping their side. One thing that really stood out to me and persuaded me in the article was the part titled “Low Expectations of Students.” I heard some of the used example quotes in the article when we were listening to the podcast, and totally agree with the article. The teachers praise the kids for doing something they should be doing anyway, like being on time for class. Kids need to learn that this should happen automatically and they’re not going to get special treatment for doing something that they should be doing anyway. Also, they could at least TRY to do something about the gangs. They just let the kids tell them about how they have guns and don’t do anything about it. So, they shouldn’t be surprised that a bunch of kids are shooting and killing other kids.
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Jessica
2/28/2014 01:54:33 am
Harper High Response
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Zion
2/28/2014 01:54:36 am
Blog Response
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Nayelli
2/28/2014 02:02:17 am
Harper High, in my opinion was a great podcast; for the following reasons. One, because it showed how horrible the CPS system is. Showing how they are too busy doing “business” they can’t even pay attention to how poorly treated their schools actually are. Two, it shows people how they should respect the life they have. Some people worry about who they are going to go to the dance with. When they don’t even know that some schools can’t have a dance. Why well if it was like Lane Tech, they would’ve probably canceled it because of the weather or the school had to be closed or something of that nature. But the main point is that It wouldn’t have to do with any of the students safety. But on the contraire for Harper, they would have to cancel it because they worry that a kid might get shot or jumped; having to have cops surrounding the school. And three, just being grateful for the life that you have. I can’t even imagine being one of those kids. Being forced into a gang, not able to be outside other then walking to school and back, and most depressing; worrying if I am going to be alive tomorrow or if I was to get shot today. Not having even close to a normal high school life that all teens should have.
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2/28/2014 02:03:02 am
i think Harper high was a good school but it was in a bad neighborhood with a lot of gangs and people didn't go outside at night because of all the gang activity and a lot of drugs involved and guns and the school needed a lot of security for the homecoming dance and game.
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