Turkle vs Wesch

After reading Sherry Turkle's article, "The Flight from Conversation," and watching Wesch's TED talk it is my opinion that they have opposing points of view. I happen to agree with both of them. It is an all too often occurrence see people sitting at a restaurant on their cell phones, texting. It makes me sad when I see families sitting together and there is no conversation, just texting going on. I have been at family gatherings where some of the younger family members are present and they never engage any conversation, they spend the entire time on their devices pretty much oblivious to those around them.
When I was growing up family gatherings were such special times for me. I loved to listen to the stories the adults told and then when I was old enough, taking part in the conversations and debates with my aunts and uncles. I feel that this was an important part of my development. Those experiences and conversations helped to shape the person who I am today. I know that my own children also experienced this growing up and they have fond memories of family gatherings as well.
I agree with Turkle when she states that we "have sacrificed conversation for connection." It is  healthy to experience the "messiness" of relationships. The successes and failures of conversing with an actual person.
On the other hand, I am always inspired by Wesch. As an educator I know that it is my responsibility to teach my students in a different environment from the one that I was taught. Wesch talks about how technology opens the lines of communication and there is such power in that. The example of the "Free Hugs" video going viral was amazing. Also the effect the Rainforest ad had on the makers of Dove products is significant. I can see how the proper use of media can empower students. I would like to be a part of this experience.
In my opinion the point of view of both authors is equally important.

Looking for the Girls

A few years ago some of my students asked me if I liked Chris Brown. This was in February 2009, right after He had been arrested for beating Rihanna to a pulp. I told them that even if I did like his music I would never listen to him again. They were surprised at my response. I told them that I could never listen or support someone who beat women. This opened up a rather alarming conversation. First of all it was the girls that were coming to his defense, the boys were pretty quiet. A few of the girls said that they knew what he did was wrong but that he was so cute and so hot they would still be fans and listen to his music and watch his videos. Some of them said that it probably only happened that one time and he was sorry and he would never hit Rihanna again. The most disturbing remark came from one girl who said that we didn't know what Rihanna had done to provoke the beating. Some of it might be her fault. I asked her if she was saying that Rihanna deserved the beating; she shrugged her shoulders and replied that we didn't know Chris Brown's side. We had a pretty intense conversation about respect and how women should be treated. We talked about how women are portrayed in most of the songs and music videos that they watch. Sadly, I really didn't change their minds.

When I read Looking  for the Girls by Andrea Brown Thirston, I thought of that conversation with mt students. I looked up some of Chris Brown's videos on Youtube and even after the Rihanna incident and even doing some jail time, Chris Brown is still the same. Much of what he is singing about is still demeaning to women. This is a dangerous message we are sending to our youth.

                                                                    

In the article Thurston, an African American women herself spent a day watching music videos to get an idea of what young people are watching on a daily basis. What were the messages and images being conveyed? She was particularly interested in the way that African American women were being portrayed. Thurston makes some rather disturbing discoveries. She writes about the potential effects that these videos are having on black youth and the African American community as a whole.
The videos are promoting a lifestyle of extreme material wealth and with that comes power, respect and beautiful women. Healthy respectful relationships between men and women are not evident. Thurston writes "Young black women are present more as ornaments and objects than human beings. They are often in the background and virtually never have anything to contribute besides big breasts and butts." These images were consistently portrayed though out every video that Thurston watched. I also spent a few hours watching the videos last night and found the same thing. 
She writes that this is sending a message to black males that money can buy you sexy black females. The reason that these women were attracted to these men was not because of their intelligence and humor, but because of their wealth. If you have money you can take whatever and whomever you want.
The videos are teaching young women that it is acceptable to be thought of as sex objects, trophies of wealthy men. They show women who are willing to anything for money. They are not showing healthy relationships with men where there is mutual respect.
Thurston warns that these messages are especially dangerous to the black culture. She writes about the "racist, classist, and sexist" nature of our society. As a result it is a strong possibility that black youth will try to achieve the goal of material wealth by ant means necessary even illegally.  
It is up to all of us to rectify this problem. First of all we need to accept how powerful these images are. I think about my students who were willing to overlook the beating that Rihanna took because of the strong appeal of Chris Brown and the acceptance of that lifestyle. It is up to us as parents and educators, society as a whole to show that the good life is not about achieving material wealth and the collection of things. True power comes from within.

 


 

The Disney Phenomenon

       

I have watched almost every Disney movie ever made. When I was a little girl, it was Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. I loved them all. However, I never wanted to be them. When I read The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson  I remember thinking that I didn't understand why she wanted to leave the ocean...I had always wanted to be a mermaid.
My parents took my sisters and I to all the Disney movies and every Sunday night we all sat down and watched the Wonderful World of Disney on TV.
The tradition was continued when I had my first son. It wasn't until I had my daughters that I began to rethink my views on Disney. I think that it was The Little Mermaid that first started to make me uncomfortable showing this to my daughters, then it was Belle in Beauty and the Beast and others. The messages were clear; wait for your "prince." A man will make you happy and complete. A man will save you. The heroine was always beautiful and the princes were always handsome so beauty belongs with beauty. This is not the type of women my husband and I were raising our daughters to be. This was not the message we wanted our sons to hear either. Even though I disagreed with the messages that were conveyed in these movies, I still let my kids watch them....I even bought them.  I didn't go overboard with the Disney thing but they did watch them all the same.
My husband and I took our kids to Disney World one year. It was interesting, my kids liked Disney for a few days but they enjoyed the water parks more and the other excursions that we took along the Gulf Coast way outside of the Disney influence.We never even finished using up our tickets. When we asked our kids if they had a good time they said yes but once was enough. They would rather not go back. For myself, the Disney experience left me again with mixed feelings.
Now that I am older and my children are pretty much grown, my kids and I have had discussions on the Disney Phenomenon. They see the wrong messages given in many of the movies. Other messages are communicated as well such as how ugly people are bad. Many of the movies are racially biased like Linda Christensen points out. I also agree with Christensen when she points out these problems to her students and she encourages them to do something about it.
Today I watched Brave for the first time and I was surprised and encouraged by what I saw. This was a different Disney movie. Merida is a different type princess. She is not waiting for her prince to come and save her, she is happy with who she is. I found it refreshing that Merida was kind of messy and disheveled. I also liked the fact that this was a conflict between mother and daughter....and they worked it out. I was hoping that they were not going to pull out a handsome prince at the last minute and ruin the whole thing. I am still not a Disney fan but Brave was a step in the right direction.

                                                                
                         
                                       

Digital Natives

I have watched a few of Mike Wesche's videos on YouTube and I have seen his TED talk. He is at the very least, inspirational. When I watched this video I did feel inspired but also I felt anxious. I am not a digital native, in fact I have a long long way to go. Technology is moving at such a rapid pace and I am just trying to get in the game. However, I know that I have no choice but to pick up the pace and catch up. Wesche expresses the fact that the web is constantly changing and all this information is so accessible. He explains that the web is not just a source of information but it is a way to collaborate with others. It is a place where people can share knowledge and ideas. This can be a new and exciting way for students to learn, but it is my responsibility as a teacher to guide my students through this process. It is essential that I know what I am doing so they do not miss out on this way of learning.

Prensky writes about how much better digital natives are at multitasking. I do agree with this idea. Every year our school has an 8th grade dance, a semi formal. This year the decorations committee was run in an entirely different way. As soon as the theme was chosen, students had their phones out and were on Pinterest choosing decorations, they were sending pictures to each other, some students were checking out prices from stores and warehouses. It was so organized! They had everything ordered and completed in two days. They blew my mind.

However, Danah Boyd questions the validity of the term "natives." I must agree with her. I do think that we must not assume that all youth are natives. Socioeconomics plays a big part in this. The students who have the technology at home and who have been brought up using it are more advanced. The students who do not have access to technology outside of school are at a clear disadvantage. I am always surprised when I ask students if they know how to do basic things on the computer like cut and paste, or send an attachment and they do not know how. Research is a big problem also. I am one of those teachers who does not allow my students to use Wikipedia but for different reasons. I want my students to learn to research on the web and not stop at what they are familiar with. I do let them use it for certain things.  I think that sometimes we are fooled into thinking that just because students spend a great deal of time on a computer they know how to use one.....many times this is not the case.  

I am a total immigrant. I am very uncomfortable with technology but I am getting better. I am afraid of making mistakes which is not really me normally. Normally I stay pretty calm.

When I have to work with technology.....I become extremely stressed. One of my goals is to get better at this. I am a pretty independent person and I don't like depending on people for help. Another important reason that I need to become less of an immigrant is for my students. My students do not have a great deal of experience with technology. I need to help them become more savvy as well. I think that becoming more technology literate will make me a more effective teacher.
 

My name is Mary Colannino. I am an 8th grade science teacher at Hugh B. Bain Middle School in Cranston. I am a science teacher but this year I am getting a new job. Cranston is piloting a new ELL format. I will be the content teacher for a sheltered ELL program in 7th and 8th grade. I am looking forward to this challenge.
I am also looking forward to the summer. We have a house in NH and I also spend a great deal of time at the beach in Narragansett. I now that the summer is going to go by too quickly.....

Final Project Hugh B. Bain Student School Improvement Team

 

A Brief History:
    The Student School Improvement Team was formed five years ago. We would meet once a month
and discuss student concerns. Some of the students would then report back to the School Improvement Team. Two years ago we began meeting twice a month. At the end of last school year I asked my Principal if the student SIT team could play a more active role in the school and she agreed. I went to our school social worker and I asked her if the student SIT could be attached to the school climate committee and she was very enthusiastic. She and I laid out a tentative plan for the new school year. My principal spoke with me over the summer and it was decided that student SIT kids would be in my advisory/homeroom so I have both 7th and 8th graders. My principal and I decided that it would be best if I didn't have students until the second week of September. The first day of school I met with all the team leaders. I laid out the plan for the student SIT committee. The 7th grade team leaders were told that they would be going back to their teams and choosing the SIT students. This was because they knew the incoming 8th graders better having had them the year before, and they hopefully know which new 7th graders to pick after three weeks of school. The teams chose 19 students and my advisory was successfully up and running by the third week of September.

Criteria on How Students are chosen:
     We try to choose students who show leadership qualities but who  are not normally the ones that are picked by other students. They have to have an A/ B average and be a good student. They should have a very low absenteeism rate and be on time for school. The teachers should choose students who will be good role models for the other students. Another important factor is that the team  should be made up of students that represent the diverse population all the students in our school.

My Student School Improvement Team:
    This year's school improvement team is made up of 19 students, 10 eighth graders and 9 seventh.
There are 8 boys and 11 girls. Most of the students on the team are Hispanic along with 1 Haitian student, 1 Jamaican student and 5 white students. We also have students on the team who have IEP's and are in inclusion classes. The 7th graders will be on the team for two years.

How the School Improvement team is run:
      We have advisory Monday,Wednesday,and Friday first period of the day. We try to have a whole group meeting on Monday. Most of the time this is student run. Wednesdays are for the subcommittees to meet. At this time committee chairs and co-chairs meet with the principal if needed. Most Fridays the students are helping the school social worker with school improvement activities for the whole school. In addition to this three students come before school every other month to attend the SIT committee meeting. The students decide who will be going and  what they will be speaking about. I submit this to the SIT chair and they put it on the agenda.

Subcommittees: The students have formed three subcommittees that they feel is important to the school this year. They created a peer tutoring team to help tutor students in homework club after school. The team is made up of 25 students both 7th and 8th graders. There is also a peer mediation group. Another group is raising money for new auditorium chairs. They have found an organization that has schools recycle items for money. That is a win win for the fundraising as well as the environment.

Reflection: Although I was on board to have this advisory before this class began, I do believe that I am running it differently because of it. I have become more aware of how this advisory should be run. I have become more of a facilitator and an observer. I do much less talking and for the most part, I am not in charge. This was a bit unnerving at the beginning but now I am amazed at how well they do without me! I love to see how enthusiastic these kids have become. They are a great group of kids that kids that didn't have a place to show their skills as a leader. I think that now they have found that place and I hope that this experience gives them the confidence to do so in their future endeavors.