Smartphones have been a great advancement in technology and in society. Like any other tool they help us with our daily tasks such as keeping us close to public safety officials, allowing us the ability to transfer money that helps us manage our lifestyles, and being able to check the safety of our families with a push of a button. Having the ability to talk to someone miles away has made life convenient and full of contentment for modern day people. It is safe to say that the phone is one of the most important tools ever made along with electricity, the telescope, and the wheel. The practice of sending information has been a valuable assist to forming society since the renaissance. To be able to inform people can be the difference between life and death in a state of war. The phone is another staple to humanity such as U.S presidents are to the development of America.

However, not all presidents are helpful -to the well-being of the country as such not all uses of phones are beneficial to our daily lives. Recently phones have been the bane of our daily progression as we constantly check our phones as we work. Our phones have been given as much responsibility to their owners as their owners’ function in society. Moreover phones help us get things done. Now think for a moment about how someone could use that tool that helps you with getting things done with different intentions for its uses than to its owner’s purpose.

There you have an issue; the privacy of one’s belongings is one of the most sought-after luxuries humanity has set for itself. The foundation of America was fought for the individual privacy to practice any religion. Forward two hundred and forty years into the future and we find us with a similar conflict with individual ownership boundaries.

Most recently this conflict has been brought to light with news of terrorism in America. In 2015, a terrorist attack occurred in San Bernardino, California. The terrorist attack was a mass shooting carried out by a Pakistani couple that aimed their sights at a San Bernardino county department of public health Christmas party, where 16 people were killed and 24 people suffered non-fatal injuries. After being pursued the couples were killed in a shootout with police. In all, a total of 40 people were harmed with the intent of causing terror in America. While investigating the remains of the couple, the FBI found an Apple IPhone that is understood to hold information on the couples’ activities.

The modern day conflict with privacy was that the FBI wanted Apple to open the IPhone encrypted system to investigate the information that it holds. How does one feel when their government pursues access to one of the most powerful tools in the current age? Giving the FBI that kind of power is a serious bridge of trust. The FBI has made a case with the Department of Justice that would put Apple in the position to hold responsibility of the phones property having been the manufacturer. Apple being the entity that it is was adamant to allow the case to follow through without debate first. The company stands against the FBI when considering how much power they could give the government with just one case to decrypt a single iPhone.

Beyond this instance the government can use this knowledge to perform whatever surveillance deemed useful, which is a lot of power. The debate over whether Apple can be held accountable for its products second party uses after developing an issue with a third party can show the conflict of interest between the American people and the consumers of technology.

Yaozong Ma. “Apple’s Conundrum: The Immutability of Liberty vs. Security.” International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Review | IJHSSR. 8 Oct 2016. Web. 8 Nov 2016. <http://www.ijhssrnet.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/2.pdf >

 Black Lives Matter

Black lives matter was created because of the the racism that African Americans are faced . Black lives matter is a non violence movement that was created based on the killings of African American of society over the past years by whites.  Over the past couple of years there has been a dramatic increase of police brutality. We know that the police are suppose to protect us not to kill us.  This has been a major problem in today’s society and in the African American community   , mainly the males are more target then the females.

Because of the increase of African American killing had cause a lot of fear with in the community. In many cases, the police are founded not guilty even if its evidence pointing towards a officer. For example, Sandra Bland was killed by police officer while incarcerated. Bland was pulled over because she failed to signal when she was changing lanes.in the video when he first pulled her and was telling her to get out the car, he was being aggressive. Her death was mysterious because she only spend 3 nights in jail and was alive when booking but she all of sudden died in police custody. The news showed a video of her dead in a suppose to be mugshot that was next to the one she took when she first arrived at the sight.  When the case went to trial the officer who pulled her over   and other in the jail was trailed. It was evidence against each of the officers, but when it came to determine whether or not if the officers guilty or innocent .  The court came up with letting the officers off and they can go back to work.

This made the African American community outrage and riots starts to break out world wide because of the decision that was made even with the evidence they had. That’s where Black lives matter came about because they understand that people are up set but starting riots will not make this go away. The Black live matter movement made people understand that the justice system is unfair but we have to remain together in order to stand strong.

2.”Sandra Bland’s Death: What We Know.” CNN. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.

Does Aggression Equal Violence?

Aggressive behavior does not necessarily mean violence. For decades, politicians and parents have been blaming violent video games as the catalyst for violent behavior in those who play them. A year ago, the American Psychological Association released a study indicating that video games do increase aggression and decrease empathy and sensitivity. At face value, one might think that this proves the claims correct, and that video games do incite violence out of its audience. However, this study does not quite prove that. The study says violent video games increase aggressive behavior, but there is still no correlation between this changed behavior and outright violence.

To better understand what I mean, one must better understand what aggressive behavior entails. According to the University of North Carolina, aggressive behavior is a persistent pattern of behavior that causes or threatens harm to people. Aggression is seen in many forms. There are verbal forms such as taunts and threats. Physical forms such as tantrums, throwing, and fights. Covert forms such as lying, stealing and drug use. Besides, these there are many other types. The fact of the matter is that some forms of aggression are less severe than others. Without a doubt, any form of physical aggression can easily lead to violence, but other forms such as lying or taunting are less clear. With such a broad spectrum of what is considered aggression, saying violent video games causes aggressive activities is a weak argument in blaming them for violent crimes.

To elaborate, someone who plays violent video games might end up being more prone to taunt others. They may even lie or steal more often. There is even the potential that these games could lead to a violent crime, but each form of aggression listed above is very different. Whether it be verbal or physical, noticeable or subtle. There is nothing that truly links one form of aggression to another, besides them just being a form of aggression. Violent video games may only increase one form of aggressive behavior, or it could increase all of them. Despite the research done, there is not enough to pinpoint violent behavior as an effect of increased aggression. In turn, this also means there is not enough to indicate violent behavior as an effect of video games.

Works Cited

American Psychological Association. American Psychological Association, 13 Aug. 2015. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

Fraser, Mark W., James K. Nash, Maeda J. Galinsky, and Kathleen M. Darwin. “The Making Choices Program: Social Problem- Solving Skills …” University of North Carolina. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

Racial profiling and police brutality has been an issue for African Americans as well as other races for decades. In the last couple of years we have seen a large spike in coverage about this issue. Race tensions have always been around and made out to be something larger than what it is, however modern day social media and the internet have made it much easier and accessible to everyone around the world. When we sit down and look at our devices and immediately see a new case of police brutality on a person of difference race we begin to believe that maybe these other races are being targeted. Is this all true? The simple fact is when you look at the statistics of these cases and the definitions of the acts those officers are being held accountable for, we can see the media just may in fact be stirring the pot on purpose.  When we look at the definition of racial profiling it is said to be, “the discriminatory practice by law enforcement officials of targeting individuals for suspicion of crime based on the individual’s race, ethnicity, religion or national origin.” The definition proposes the argument that officers arrest and/or kill certain citizens purely based off the color of their skin and beliefs. However, it is hard to single out a pure racial profiling case, and I believe if their is one it will be so blatant there shouldn’t be room for argument. Think of it this way, yes most police departments are dominantly Caucasian with a small percentage being another ethnic group. Although, then look at the areas with the most crime and you get a dominantly African American community. Therefore it is hard to say an officer that is white is always racially profiling a certain group when that group makes up the majority of the crime and majority of the areas population. When we begin to look deeper into the arrests and killings involved with police officers some interesting statistics show up. First, lets look at where the common everyday African American citizen lives. According to pbs.org, since 1999 it has been recorded that close to 70 percent of black families or individuals live in the cities or inner-ring suburbs of America. Next, when we begin to look at crime rate in America we find out that most of the United States crime takes place in the Cities of the United States. According to the “New Observer” the worst murder rates take place in Detroit , New Orleans, Newark, St. Louis, and Baltimore; these all being majority black communities at an average of 62%. Therefore, is it fair to say that cops are racially profiling these areas because of race, or are these people just looking at the facts and doing their job? The most interesting fact is that of the arrests themselves. Even though these communities are dominantly black statistics presented by the FBI say, “In 2013, 68.9 percent of all individuals arrested were “white,” 28.3 percent were black, and 2.9 percent were of other races. Furthermore, the FBI report claimed, “white” individuals were arrested more often for violent crimes than individuals of any other race and accounted for 58.4 percent of those arrests.” The article goes on to say that whites account for the most juveniles as well. So if more non-African Americans are being arrested each day how is discrimination, racism and racial profiling such immense topics of conversation? The answer is the media.

The media loves to cover stories involving race.  The perception of the public is highly influenced by the media. If the media is always showing the wrong from officers or stories involving a white cop and a black criminal, of course the public will grow a an image of racist police officers. Public perception is everything. This was imminent in the financial crisis of 2008. The public perception began to dwindle as more media coverage bashed the banks for losing money. People began to get scared and pulled out of their shares based off pure fear presented by negative coverage. According to Salvatore Colleluori and Daniel Angster,   over 70 percent of crime coverage is based around African American arrests or killings. Like the famous actor Morgan Freeman said in an interview on 60 Minutes, “the reason there is still racism is because we keep talking about it.” Think about that, if we simply stop talking about racism it will slowly go away. African Americans have the same rights as whites, they are recognized as everyday citizens with the same opportunities. So when we go back to thinking about racial profiling and discrimination, is it the police that are targeting black or is it the media itself looking for stories and ratings?

Works Cited:

https://mediapromotesracism.wordpress.com/

http://newobserveronline.com/new-fbi-crime-figures-confirm-black-towns-dangerous-white-areas-safest/

A music educator is one of the greatest and well equipped entrepreneurs the school system has at their disposal. From the start music educators are put into a circumstance of having to be in strict competition with other educators as well as within themselves. What I mean by this is that being a music educator in order to have a higher rate of success it falls on the shoulders of the individual to be well rehearsed in many fields not only those of music. I myself know this first hand being a music education major at Rowan University. An entrepreneur is someone who takes on the a job or task that has considerable risks with no guarantee of a certain outcome. A music educator is the epitome of an entrepreneur.

One may ask how is it that a music educator can be seen as an entrepreneur? But they are actually one in the same when put on a panel. Being a music educator there are many obstacles your forced to overcome if you plan to be successful. Initially before becoming an educator we are first be music education major getting into the program we are put to the test not only to see if we are academically proficient but after an audition if were well versed in our primary instrument. As a music education major one is stretched well across the field of what makes someone successful. At a given time a music education major will be taking between 6 to 8 classes, due to having to not only take general education classes but music course such as theory and performance based classes as well. Just as an entrepreneur a music educator must be well versatile in time management, finding time to complete task even if it means losing out on sleep or taking a cut in pay in order to keep your business running.

Not only is it important that as a music educator they be well-trained in their field of music but must have a background of marketing themselves and their product. An Entrepreneurs job is to push what he or she is selling meaning they must have a plan in order to give them the best odds. An educator has the same job our job not only entails on having the music and performance on our minds but we must be able to advocate for our programs whether that be for funding or recruitment. Graduating with a music education major gives the opportunity to work within the school system but able to do private business as well which can range from private lessons to working for a music store that does lessons of their own. It is of utmost importance that being in the field of music and being an entrepreneur one must but self-motivated and willing to fail because failures will come along the way. With the failure it is important to be able to self evaluate to fix the things that went wrong.

Taking a look at all the similarities that each of these occupations shows that by being a music educator it puts them at advantage. Being that all throughout the time of schooling in the music education program its done nothing but prep individuals to be in charge of their own futures. Whether that be in the music field or not they have a vast skill set that comes with being a successful entrepreneur.

Works Cited

1. Sheldon, Deborah “7 Things Music Education Majors Can Do When Facing the Job Market.” Music Major Majoring in Music RSS2. N.p., 2016. Web. 20 Nov. 2016.
2. Jason. “8 Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs–Do You Have What It Takes?” The Minority Business Development Agency. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2016.

Is Tinder A Dating App? A Hot Debate

Human beings, or at least almost all human beings, require relationships for healthy and satisfactory lives, we are by nature, social creatures. Finding acquaintances that will help us to create our relationships and identities in this age of technology is becoming increasingly easy. The existence of dating services such as eHarmony and Tinder have made finding partners, whether romantic or merely sexual, as accessible as possible. At a first glance, eHarmony and Tinder belong on the same playing field, but actually these two different examples are playing for two different teams.

Both companies are online services that aim to bring single persons together to create some sort of partnership, whether it lasts for one vodka cranberry or one lifetime. It is the makeup of the dating services that leads to the different result of a first date and the resulting “I dos” and “I don’ts.” Tinder has become synonymous with quick and easy hookups that do not go much further beyond first names and one night stands.While eHarmony is more of a household name that your sister’s-friend’s-cousin met her fiance of 2 years with, and boy she couldn’t be happier. As Nick Bilton of the New York Times puts it, “And all that swiping has given Tinder the nickname “the hookup app,” for its reputation for one-night stands—though the company tries to distance itself from the label.” Whether the company enjoys being known as a hookup hub is irrelevant, because that is exactly what it is.

The differences between dating apps and dating sites is even more clear when discussing the methods used to create matches. Companies like eHarmony and Match.com utilize “love algorithms” while Tinder capitalizes on men and women’s mere physical attraction. Bilton characterizes Tinder in the same way someone would approach another in a bar-type setting; people do not walk in and fill out an application and wait for a message, if they see someone that they find visually appealing they will offer to buy them a drink or ask for a dance. The reason more hookups happen with Tinder is because it is rooted in physical desire while eHarmony makes attempts at establishing emotional connections between users. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic wrote a piece for The Guardian, and within it he sums up the difference between the face-based Tinder and emotion-centric dating site:

This has been an important lesson for data enthusiasts who have tried to sterilize the game of love by injecting rigorous decision-making and psychometric algorithms into the process. Well, it turns out that people are a lot more superficial than psychologists thought. They would rather judge 50 pictures in two minutes than spend 50 minutes assessing one potential partner.

Despite the target audience, one difference does prevail between dating services. Some are free and some cost money. Typically, people looking for a serious partnership, or even marriage, are more willing to pay for expensive dating services. Those looking for quick and easy hookups will opt for a free version. This phenomena is a play on the whole, buying-a-cow-or-getting-the-milk-for-free idea. eHarmony and its lesser known counterparts charge what is sometimes a hefty fee for its usage while Tinder and its counterparts are cost free (besides some gimmicky in-app purchase options). The users of expensive dating agencies are typically older and more invested in finding a serious relationship. A study was performed through Winthrop University’s psychology department in which the risk taking behavior, age, and gender were examined in users of free versus paid dating programs. Emily Grom reports the results generally stated that those not looking for long term relationships were more likely to use free dating services like Tinder and more men used free dating sites. In addition, “Sixty percent of paid site users expected to meet their perfect match and less than 1% expected to just hook up.” Despite these findings, there are those that disagree with defining Tinder as an app that is used by most for sexually driven purposes. At times, it is seen as a successful way to meet new people and potential long term partners. It would be impossible to dismiss that healthy long-lasting relationships can result from Tinder because many have. Despite this evident fact,  a clear trend is visible that forces Tinder into the new-age category of  as an app designed solely for inconsequential sexual relationships.

Conversations about dating services are commonplace for glitz magazines and ladies luncheons, but the nitty gritty about hooking up and hanging out, is a relatively new discussion. On a college campus, one can walk down the hallway of any given dorm room and hear buzzwords like “swipe left” or “new match.” From the perspective of a college student, the presence of social media and dating services is incredibly large and even distracting which is why open avenues of dialogue surrounding them are not only important but also beneficial. Understanding how to navigate this new world of technology is necessary for those being brought up in an age where it demands their attention. Knowing what sets Tinder apart from the rest may not aid in getting a college degree but it does help when it weaves its way into most dining hall conversations.

Works Cited

Bilton, Nick. “Tinder, the Fast-Growing Dating App, Taps an Age-Old Truth.” The New York Times. N.p., 29 Oct. 2014. Web.

Chamorro-Premuzic, Tomas. “The Tinder Effect: Psychology of Dating in the Technosexual Era.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 17 Jan. 2014. Web.

Grom, Emily E. “Love Me Tinder or Mis-Match.com: Free versus Paid Online Dating Sites.” Digital Commons @ Winthrop University. N.p., 22 Apr. 2016. Web.

The Misunderstanding of Rock ‘n’ Roll

Rock ‘n’ roll is often misunderstood due to how it is commonly portrayed in our society. This genre of music is almost always associated with dark forces and the occult, which in reality, is a prime example of “judging a book by its cover”.  As an unknown writer once said, “We live in a very superficial society. It is very easy to fall into the trap of looking only at the surface of people, things, and ideas without taking the time and effort to delve deeper into them.” A seemingly unrelated topic that works nicely as an analogy for this misjudgment is the treatment of Blacks throughout history.  At its surface, Rock ‘n’ roll does show signs of being solely based around darkness. However, underneath that surface is a wide collection of songs pertaining to the most eclectic of topics. Black people are judged because of their skin color, even though they are human beings just like everyone else. Until people open their minds (or their ears), and truly pay attention to who Black people are as individuals and what Rock ‘n’ roll truly signifies, they are left with demeaning and unfair images that are nowhere near the actuality.

An in depth look into Rock ‘n’ roll shows a melting pot of widely unrelated topics, most having nothing to do with dark forces and the occult. The anti-war and anti-violence sentiment of the 60’s can be heard through songs like Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son”, which attacked militant patriotic behavior and the individuals who supported the fight without getting their own hands dirty, and Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U. S. A.”, which addresses the harmful effects that the Vietnam War had on Americans. Rock ‘n’ roll also has quite few songs about love, some coming from bands that would not normally be associated with the theme- including “Forever” by Kiss (which details a man’s realization that his love for a certain girl will last forever), and “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses (which was inspired by a poem band mate Axl Rose wrote about his girlfriend at the time). And one of the best proofs that Rock ‘n’ roll was not centered on darkness is a little song by Jimmy Buffet called, “Cheeseburger in Paradise”. This song has no double meaning, and is entirely about a man’s love for cheeseburgers. There is absolutely nothing dark forces in it, which can be said for a majority of Rock ‘n’ roll songs.

The misunderstanding of Rock ‘n’ roll can be paralleled with the unfair treatment of Blacks throughout history.  Opinion on them is commonly based on their skin color instead of who they are as a person. Take Solomon Northup, the free African- American who had to endure twelve years as a slave. As a few writers from the Encyclopedia Britannica have said, “Solomon received some education and worked on his family’s farm as a child. He married Anne Hampton in 1828. In 1834, after selling their farm, the couple moved to Saratoga Springs, New York, where they worked odd jobs to support their three children. Northup also established a reputation as a talented fiddler.” Contrary to the popular belief of the time that African-Americans were savages and naturally inferior to White Americans, Solomon Northup was a hard worker who was able to create a mostly stable lifestyle for his family, and even became a renown musician. Unfortunately, he was lured by two men who judged him based off of his skin to travel to Washington DC, where he was drugged and sold into slavery. For the next twelve years he worked as a slave for different masters, who did not believe that he was a free and educated African-American. He was being judged by his skin, not his true self. After finally securing his freedom, Northup ended up writing his memoir, which revealed to the world his side of the story. Another Black individual who was much more than he appeared to be on the outside was Thomas-Alexandre Dumas. The father of famed writer Alexandre Dumas, Thomas-Alexandre Dumas defied expectations and led an adventure of a life. As Tom Reiss, author of The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal and the Real Count of Monte Cristo, says in an  interview with NPR’s Scott Simon , “He’s a black man, born into slavery, and then he rises higher than any black man rose in a white society before our own time,” and that, “He became a four-star general and challenges Napoleon, and he did it all 200 years ago, at the height of slavery.” In a time when Blacks were commonly found to be slaves, this one man was able to break expectations by becoming a respected general for the French army. And although his life story ended in an unfortunate manner, thanks in part to a ploy by Napoleon (who disliked Dumas for being successful and the opposite of him physically) to get rid of him, Dumas’ influence lived on, especially through some of his son’s most popular characters, such as Edmond Dantès and the musketeer d’Artagnan. Both Solomon Northup and Thomas-Alexandre Dumas highlight the “judging of a book by its cover” that took place in history,  which in turn mirrors the misunderstanding of Rock ‘n’ roll.

Rock ‘n’ roll is a Black person enduring the negative biases of people of different skin color. It is a misunderstood genre of music, incorrectly portrayed in society. And at its most basic level, Rock ‘n’ Roll is a book judged by its cover.

Works Cited

 Cole, Rachel, David Fiske, Rachel Seligman, and Clifford Brown. “Solomon Northup.” Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2016.

Simon, Scott, and Tom Reiss. “‘The Black Count,’ A Hero On The Field, And The Page.” NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2016.

Unknown. “Don’t Judge a Book By Its Cover.” Modern Day Adages. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

DBT Should Help, Not Hurt

In its original, most intensive form, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is very regimented and time consuming. Clive J. Robbins and Zachary Rosenthal describe the therapy, originally developed by Marsha Linehan, as requiring multiple group and individual therapy sessions weekly, skills training, phone coaching, and meetings among a person’s team of therapists. I do not subscribe to this definition, described in the DBT section of Acceptance and Mindfulness in Cognitive Behavior Therapy. DBT, when used most efficiently, is whatever dialectical behavior skills a person needs in order to improve her life.

Marsha Linehan (this information was relayed to me by clearviewtreatment on borderlinepersonalitytreatment.com) found that five different types of dysregulation occur in patients with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). These are emotion dysregulation, interpersonal dysregulation, self dysregulation, behavioral dysregulation, and cognitive dysregulation. Each type reveals some sort of dysfunction in each aspect of a person’s life. DBT was created to treat this dysregulation, which, though commonly found in patients with BPD, can affect anyone at any time.

The website of Sierra Tucson describes four main principles of DBT: “1. The primacy of the therapeutic relationship, 2. A non-judgmental approach, 3. Differentiating between effective and ineffective behaviors, and 4. Dialectical thinking.” These principles, specifically the first two, apply to both patient and therapist, assuring that all parties are comfortable with and prepared for what is to come. The third and fourth dictate what the patient will learn. Dialectical thinking leads to radical acceptance by teaching patients to become aware of their own judgments and accept them, according to Rachel Gill of ilovedbt.com.

Four treatment modules go along with DBT’s principles: “1. Mindfulness, 2. Distress Tolerance, 3. Emotion Regulation, and 4. Interpersonal Effectiveness.” These go hand in hand with the principles, teaching patients through various methods to accept and handle the reality in front of them. Mindfulness leads to learning distress tolerance and so on, each skill building on the next, teaching patients how to handle their life’s dysregulation.

The workbook Don’t Let Your Emotions Run Your Life for Teens breaks down DBT perfectly to fit most people’s lifestyle. The book teaches individual skills and outlines which situations call for which skills, giving exercises on how a person is going to apply said skills. It builds upon itself, starting with the basics that apply to everyday life and getting more specific as it goes. That is how DBT should be, and that is how I learned to apply it to my own life.

People with BPD struggle enough with everyday life. The disorder is almost entirely made up of life-interfering behaviors such as impulsive actions, dysregulated relationships and emotions, and some symptoms of depression such as lack of motivation. We cannot expect such individuals to keep up a schedule like Robbins and Rosenthal require. However, we should supply them with the skills necessary to improve their daily lives.

College students who show many signs of dysregulation lead incredibly busy lives. None of us have time for class, homework, and a social life in general let alone when paired with multiple therapy sessions a week with phone coaching in between. Along with the lack of time, society still stigmatizes going to therapy as a sign of weakness, which may deter many college students from such a regimented form of DBT. Students will still need to go to therapy, but at a more relaxed pace, giving them more time for it and welcoming less judgement.

A less intense form of DBT is an effective compromise for all recipients of the therapy. Going to therapy once a week and working from a book like Don’t Let Your Emotions Run Your Life for Teens was enough to make a difference in my life, and could do the same for many others. For BPD patients, it requires less effort and is not as overwhelming. For college students, it takes up less time and welcomes less stigma. DBT can be redefined, and this new definition will help many people.

Works Cited

@DbtPeers. “An Introduction to Dialectical Thinking According to DBT.” DBT Peer Connections. N.p., 18 Oct. 2013. Web. 21 Nov. 2016.

Clearviewtreatment. “Five Areas of Dysregulation in People with BPD – Borderline Personality Treatment.” Borderline Personality Treatment. N.p., 12 Oct. 2011. Web. 21 Nov. 2016.

“Dialectical Behavioral Therapy & Treatment – Clinical Excellence at Sierra Tucson.” Sierra Tucson. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2016.

Robbins, Clive J., and Zachary Rosenthal. “Dialectical Behavior Therapy.” Acceptance and Mindfulness in Cognitive Behavior Therapy. John Wiley & Sons, n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

Van Dijk, Sheri. “Don’t Let Your Emotions Run Your Life for Teens.” Google Books. Instant Help Books, n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

Equality and Equity

Debate over whether standardized testing is an adequate measure of student success is centered around the idea of test equity. Standardized testing has one main purpose and that is to compare and assess students based on one standard. If every student does not receive the same opportunity to receive a high score, then the test is not equitable. Therefore, if test equity is not achieved then the test scores are not valid for comparison and cannot be used to measure student achievement.

If some students face hurdles and disadvantages in testing that others do not, it is unjust to compare the two groups of scores. Students should take a test that matches their culture and lifestyle so that they have the ability to perform at their best. Robert Green’s “The Impact of Standardized Testing on Minority Students” demonstrates how test inequity has always harmed minority students. Green argues that the method of giving every single student the same standardized test with little to no exceptions is not fair. The method is equal but equitable. A minority student who speaks English as his or her second language is held to the same standard as a white child who has been exposed to only English since birth. A poor student is expected to have the same common knowledge as a wealthy student despite a clear difference in life experiences. James W. Popham’s “Using Standards and Assessments” gives a good example of common knowledge placing low income children at a disadvantage. The sixth grade test item reads “A plant’s fruit always contains seeds. Which of the items below is not a fruit?” The choices are orange, pumpkin, apple, and celery. The test item provides enough information to let the students know that they need to identify which of the choices does not have seeds. If a child has been exposed to all of these foods, then their outside knowledge would lead them to the answer easily. However, if a student for whatever reason, economic or just by chance, had never encountered one or more of the fruits, then they would be unable to answer that question. That is not their fault or their teacher’s fault yet they are being penalized for it. The questions on the page are equal  but the opportunity for every student to get the right answer is not.

Others, who claim that giving the same test to every student makes the tests equitable, often mistake test equity for test equality. James Aycock illustrates this misunderstanding in his article, “Teacher Voice: In Defense of Standardized Testing.” Aycock argues that every test and testing method has to be identical. This is because standardized tests are vital in determining what students know. The scores from tests give teachers the insight they need to determine what skills their students have mastered and which still need work. Since all students received the same test, teachers are able to make generalizations about the student body based on the scores.  According to this mindset, it is okay that minority students or lower class schools may produce lower scores than their wealthy  majority counterparts. He argues that the tests are equitable because they are identical but the education leading up to the tests is not. However, by Aycock’s own definition, the tests are not equitable. It is nearly impossible to give hundreds of thousands of students an identical test where no child has advantages or disadvantages due to factors such as class or race. The tests that Aycock describes as vital do achieve test equality but do not achieve test equity.

To further demonstrate the important different between equity and equality, take the Interaction Institute for Social Change’s “Equality vs. Equity Scenario.”  There are two people standing in front of a fence trying to watch a baseball game. They are both given one crate to stand on which makes one of them able to see over the fence while the other is still too short. This is equality since they are being given equal treatment. In the second image, the taller man keeps his one crate while the shorter man receives two crates. Now, both men are at the same height and able to view the game. This is equity because both men are receiving the same opportunity to watch the game. The treatment is fair and impartial. In the context of standardized testing, these definitions are upheld. Giving all students the same exact test, despite language, class, and other barriers that may help or hinder their scores, is test equality not test equity. Test equity is achieved when all students are given the same opportunity to receive a high score with their differences taken into account.

All in all, test equity and test equality are two completely different things and the importance and value of each will be important in determining the future of standardized testing. Having true test equity would mean ensuring that every student has the chance to receive a passing score with hard work. The test itself should not determine whether a student passes, the knowledge of the student should make that determination. Test equity also helps to lower the devastating effects of high stake testing. As of today, where test equality is achieved but not test equity, thousands of lower class and minority communities are suffering. Lower scores are more prevalent in those communities which means less funding and less academic progression for the students. Every community receives the same test, so the higher class communities prevail while the lower class minority communities suffer. With true test equity, tests would be more accommodating to the culture and dialect differences between groups. Therefore, all students would be capable of receiving the same score and only their knowledge would dictate the final grade.

Works Cited

Aycock, By James. “Teacher Voice: In Defense of Standardized Testing.” SCORE. N.p., 20 May 2014. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

Green, Robert L., and Robert J. Griffore. “The Impact of Standardized Testing on Minority Students.” The Journal of Negro Education, vol. 49, no. 3, 1980, pp. 238–252.

Macguire, Angus, and IISC. “Illustrating Equality VS Equity.” Interaction Institute for Social Change. IISC, 01 June 2016. Web. 21 Nov. 2016.

Popham, James W. Using Standards and Assessments. 6th ed. Vol. 56. Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1999. 8-15. Print.