BE YOUR OWN PRINCESS

Seventh Graders and Sexism

Being that I am a 7^th grade teacher I thought that reading Seventh Graders and Sexism by Lisa Espinosa would be a fitting idea. As I was reading, I was realizing that her struggles with her students are the same that I experience daily. The idea that not only do they struggle with gender roles here in the United States but the gender roles that they experience within their own cultures are sometimes far different. Boys everywhere are expected to grow up and be heads of households, be the moneymakers, and in some cultures they are the only “educated ones”. Girls on the other hand are taught to cook, clean, take care of the home and in some cultures they are to obey the man in their life (either a father or husband). While reading her article I felt that she and I are at a complete disadvantage. How are we supposed to teach them about sexism and about gender equality when their cultures are telling them otherwise?

One piece that struck home with me was when she discussed about why 7^th graders should learn about sexism. I have been teaching 10 years, and I have experienced many situations that were good and some were horrendous. This year I had 2 girls accuse 2 boys of inappropriately touching them. Sadly both cases turned out that the girl was lying and each incident had its own story. However, Lisa Espinosa also experienced this and it made me fell like I wasn’t doing wrong by my kids, that someone else was “feeling it too”.

After hearing Tina talk about her lesson and reading this article I have begun the framework to incorporating the topic of gender and sexism in my curriculum.  I plan on finding children’s books, articles and a novel (hopefully) to help drive the topic home. I will then have them do some type of persuasive piece. I know that this topic may ruffle some feathers, but it’s like the giant elephant in the room that no one wants to address. I’m grateful that I have the freedom to teach topics that will impact the students at Woonsocket Middle.

Hidden Connections in Disney's Frozen

Like I said...

1st bed with Sophia and her "Princess Babies"

 Madison's birthday cake

 Halloween as Sophia the First

The Magical World of Disney

 

            Currently I eat, sleep and breathe Disney Princesses’. If someone entered my daughter’s room they would think that she was slightly obsessed. Bedspread, stuffed animals, Barbie’s, costumes; she has it all.  Some parents may feel that the Disney Princess culture sends a message to our daughters of perfection, reliance on a man or racism.  I believe that it leaves room for conversation. Conversation about what its real and what is a story. What makes them beautiful, and what makes her beautiful.

             Madison’s favorite princesses have no color in her eyes. Her favorites include Sofia the First (Hispanic) and Tiana (African American). At four years old she doesn’t give their skin color a second thought, she finds them beautiful. She loves Tiana so much that she often gets upset when she is not represented in pictures (be on her bedspread, sippy cups and posters). She does notice that she is not with the other Princesses. I do believe that the Disney ideals are somewhat magical. The idea that no matter what, if you wish it, it will come true is warming to the heart.  Disney evokes the imagination, promotes the ideas of hope, laughter and happiness.  

            Linda Christensen’s Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us tore me if two different directions. On one side I agree that diversity needs to be discussed and represented better in the Disney franchise. Princesses and characters need to display real world people or all sizes, shapes and colors.

            However, I watch Disney Jr. on a daily basis and feel that changes have already begun. For example, Doc McStuffins is an African American female toy doctor, her mother is the breadwinner and her father stays home and takes care of the kids. Kate and Mim-mim is a story about a little girl and her imaginary toy stuffed bunny. Her bunny however represents a gay male.

            Christensen purposed the idea of a black Cinderella on page 194. Where I see the need to add diversity, I don’t think that we need to re-write classics to push for diversity. I do however think that stories like Princess and the Frog are important. They are their own story, and have its own happy ending.

            Disney’s Brave is one of the stories that I enjoy the most. Maybe its because its about a bond between a mother and daughter rather then the need for a man to rescue his beloved. Tonight I watched the movie with my daughter. She didn’t ask the deep questions about body image or race but rather, “ Why are they trying to kill that bear?”  and  “why is she crying?” We talk often about girls can do anything that boys can, and use Merida as an example. Madison wants to play golf.  We don’t discourage her curiosity, however we support her beginning passion for the highly male dominated sport. She knows she can do anything a boy can do, and boys can do anything girls can. 

Practice makes practice with Robert Frost

Road Not Taken
Robert Frost reads A Road Not Taken

Boyd vs. Wesch and the Digital Native

Dana Boyd and Mike Wesch both take interesting directions, regarding the importance of technology in our classrooms, and the social revolution it is creating. Boyd comments about the generational gap in regards to technology and why youths are considered as “digital natives”. There is this idea that all teens understand technology because they “learn faster” or “grew up with it”, however they also need to be taught to evaluate information.

On the flip side, Wesch feels that participation, and collaboration is more important than technology when thinking in terms of engaging our students. He believes that we need to move from making our students knowledgeable to knowledge-able, and that by doing so takes knowledge-ability, which is a result of practice. I agree wholeheartedly that this idea of social-technology takes social movements and makes them worldwide movements in days. The ALS ice-bucket challenge last summer is one example of a small movement brought “alive” by digital technology.

I feel that both of these authors’ views are valid in their own rights. Depending on the climate and culture of your school depends on if these ideas could be successful. I agree with Welch’s statement about social revolution. This type of social technology is allowing us to collaborate through sites like Facebook, and twitter as well as academically through sites like Wikipedia.  I think that technology is only going to become more and more important for our students and embracing the change is going to help our students be successful.

Boyd continues to talk about the idea of "digital wisdom" and teaching our students how to sift through revelant and appropriate information they find on the web rather than censoring it. I understood this idea clearly because I am experiencing it in my own school with censoring things rather then creating “teachable moments”. Wikipedia was an idea that I had trouble with in the Boyd piece. I was always told that information from Wikipedia wasn’t a reliable source for information, so in turn I did the same to my students. Wesch also believed that Wikipedia is a place in which people can collaborate and learn from one another. I understand and appreciate the idea of collaboration and learning from each other, however I still do not think it should be the only means of research for students.

Where do you stand on the “digital native” terminology?

I think that I stand on the side of Marc Prensky. I think that in some ways I am a digital immigrant because I have grown up with various different types of technology. However I do feel that personal interaction is just as important. I learned people skills by talking to people, todays’ digital natives sometimes only communicate with a screen in front of them.

 I remember life with out a cellphone and a computer; I still remember how it changed my life when it first came out and how I can’t live with out them today.  When I tell my students what my first cell phone looked like and that it was a black and green screen, it is unimaginable to them. However they have experienced this “digital life” since the day they were born. They are able to figure their way about the school firewall and bring up anything that I need that is blocked. Sometimes I don’t feel that I am neither supported nor capable to meet the needs of their capabilities.  

In my school there are teachers that still will not allow students to type papers with the notion that they will “plagiarize”. Prensky makes the point that our Digital Immigrant teachers, who speak an outdated language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language. Those moments need to be teachable and not censored. Unfortunately not keeping up with the times teaches our students nothing about skills that are now needed in the 21^st century- therefore, they lag behind their peers.