Rigged Game

Rigged Game

Dylan Garity

Dylan Garity graduated in 2012 from Macalester College, where he participated in slam poetry competitions on teams that won national awards. This three-minute performance poem, “Rigged Game,” was distributed by the Huffington Post and Upworthy and received wide attention on social media. In this video, Garity energetically condemns current standardized methods for teaching nonnative speakers of English. He uses many vivid metaphors for “No Child Left Behind” policies and the effects he believes they have on children. As you listen, pay attention to his use of ethos, pathos, and logos (see Chapter 8) as he appeals to his listeners. What exactly does he think is wrong with the current system, and how does he propose we go about making changes?

Dylan Garity "Rigged Game" video by Button Poetry

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Reading as a Writer: Analyzing Rhetorical Choices

After watching Rigged Game, consider the questions below. Then “submit” your response.

Question 12.1

1. List some of the similes and metaphors Garity uses in this piece to describe what he believes is wrong with current educational requirements. Which ones strike you as most powerful? Why? How do these comparisons help him make his point about students, teachers, and school policies?

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Question 12.2

2. Garity mentions No Child Left Behind (NCLB) policies, starting in 2001. What do you know about these policies? Look up some information on NCLB and how it has evolved over the years. How did these policies affect your own educational experience? What conclusions can you draw about these policies, Garity’s perspective, and your own experiences?

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Writing as a Reader: Entering the Conversation of Ideas

After watching Rigged Game, consider the question below. Then “submit” your response.

Question 12.3

1. Brainstorm on paper about the relationship you see between Garity’s piece and one or two of the writers in the Education chapter. Diane Ravitch writes most explicitly about No Child Left Behind, but Jonathon Kozol’s or Beverly Tatum’s essays might also help you think about the “winners” and “losers” in what Garity calls the “rigged game” of education. Discuss your brainstorming with your peers. This informal writing could become the start of a more developed and researched essay on an aspect of education that you believe needs to be reformed.

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