A much-needed critique (2 parts)

This is my second class as a preservice teacher in which I'm asked to think about the "secret education" embedded in cartons and movies. It makes me consider the kind of information my current students and future kids are receiving. I don't believe in remaining passive, especially after reading this profound quote I read:
True death equals a generation living by rules and attitudes they never questioned and producing more children who do the same.

The truth is never easy to face, but we all must confront reality at some point. Santa isn't real, yet we don't hear adults explaining the sad story of St. Nicholas until they are old enough. Critiquing cartoons and society with students requires the teacher to use discretion. I hope that everyone who enjoyed what they watched as a child will be wise enough to reflect. I probably wouldn't stand over a girl watching Sleeping Beauty and point out the negatives messages she's receiving. Can you imagine how angry I'd react if someone told me to stop watching Real Housewives of Atlanta because I was feeding myself trash? Yes, women were portrayed as helpless damsels in distress while looking good for a male hero. On the other hand, they all had admirable traits of being friendly, optimistic, and emotionally strong.

I like how this author encouraged her own students to take action by having them write publicly to teach them the power of writing, too. She emphasized that they couldn't vent and needed to have strong supporting evidence. I came across a situation in which I'm compelled to act upon but don't know how:
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I've been thinking about the power of visual communication ever since I started evaluating textbook images. The first-grade classroom I'm observing is doing a LA/Social Studies unit on different occupations. Their illustrated story about "The Night Worker" depicts a blue-collar father and son who are racially ambiguous. I think the artist and publisher made a good choice, though I would have liked to seen a girl following her dad to work. However, the next visual in the lesson was a large photograph of a white male doctor, while smaller pictures were of minority women in technician or nurse roles. Later, the students listened to a tape while reading through a new book on jobs. The sole photograph of a black man showed him as the school-crossing guard!

Also on display this week is a set of books on different jobs and upon further inspection, 9 out of 12 books were on blue-collar jobs. An entire book was devoted to the school-crossing guard position and the cover model was another middle-aged black man! They could have used that book to discuss a job involving full-time employment? Another curriculum-based storybook I found on the shelf showed a black teen serving popcorn to a white family at the movie theater. Half our class is comprised of African-American children and I wonder if the subtle messages in these images will affect them. Furthermore, what are these books conveying to readers?

I'm not an elitist as my family is mainly working-class, so I have nothing against anyone's way of living. I am against setting low expectations for children because of their race and background. I looked at the sticker on each book and noticed that it came from a special grant. From my understanding, Title 1 schools receive funding because they have low literacy rates as some students come from families who don't offer academic support in the home. Basically, I see all this as "CHILDREN AT THIS SCHOOL NEED NOT WORRY ABOUT BECOMING ARTISTS, DOCTORS, BUSINESSMEN, OR LAWYERS. LEARN HOW TO READ SO THAT YOU CAN GET A JOB."

With the class issue, maybe this was the publisher's effort to reduce marginalization rather than enforce it. Perhaps they wanted to pick jobs children could identify their parents in? A little girl proudly announced that her dad was a construction worker. I am offended by the three different publishing companies who did not feature Asian-looking characters in their books, who instead mirrored Hollywood by making the black man a crossing guard multiple times.

Stirred Up Reactions!

The introduction to an article on multimodal literacy evoked some strong memories and opinions from me. It talked about the need to present information through various forms for our 21st century learners. There was even a survey conducted in classroom in which most children prefered to watch TV or get on the computer after school. Unfortunately, I enjoy my daily dose of "screen time", too. As a famous school of ed. professor stated, "Teachers have to compete with ________________." Fill in the blank with whatever the hottest fad is (xbox, rock band, Wii). Sadly, I also learn best when my senses are activated, so my professors are competing with Dancing with the Stars. The author's emphasis on technology reminded me of my nephew's teacher last year. The individual refused to use any kind of equipment or visual aids besides the whiteboard. Even with that, he only wrote questions from the book and the daily schedule. The only time students used technology was to watch DVDs of the Andy Griffith show. This teacher retired because of health problems and I am sad to see a role model depart from that high-needs school. However, this individual needed to leave the teaching field if s/he wasn't even willing to meet students half way. Imagine a doctor trying to practice medicene if she refused to use the latest treatment to cure her AIDS patients... why is she still working at the hospital? I come off as harsh, but I'm being real here. Being a teacher requires me to be open-minded about acquiring new skills or changing methods if it means helping my students learn more effectively.

From an academic perspective, I can't form any opinions on the immigrant article yet. Did anyone think the article to be outdated? Perhaps no one else has written on this matter, so kudos to her for discussing it! I find it extremely important that teachers read about the struggles of child immigrants. The majority of people in the teaching force do not represent a minority or immigrant group, which may cause misunderstandings in the classroom. From a personal standpoint, I do think the author made many valid points and I will take into consideration some of the advice she gave. However, I was thoroughly distracted by some of her statements. Were they outlandish to just me? To protect this author's privacy, I won't be scanning my notes of indignation I've written on the margins. Instead, I'll be speaking up within the confines of my own class next Monday.

MGP debrief

Dislike: I am rather embarrassed to be presenting my inquiry and findings tomorrow. Compared to everyone else, my topic is rather generic and straightforward. I think preservice teachers will gain valuable information in what I have to say, but it is also ideas they will eventually come across. I would have liked to pick something intriguing and out-of-the-box.

Like: I am a huge fan of my own genre pieces. I devoted a lot of thought, time, and energy into all five pieces. They all looked like projects I could have whipped up in 30 minutes, but my behind-the-scenes strategies I used for each piece appears effortless. In doing my videos, I enjoyed writing like a script writer. I only had so many sentences to choose my words wisely to convey my message. Using my friends as fictional students, parents, and administrators was fun, too! It made the entire process feel real.