The Blogging Experience

December 9, 2004
Although it is sad to say, this is the last entry I will ever write in my blog. In closing this chapter of my life, I would like to say this has been a really positive experience for me. Writing about my thoughts has definitely allowed me to grasp a deeper understanding of the material in this course, and forced me to figure out where I stood on many controversial issues. Once you figure out your standpoint on many social issues as a teacher, it is easier to prevent your biases from sneaking into the classroom. This is something many teachers struggle with, but from where I stand, being aware of my weaknesses is the first step to overcoming them right?
The only downside to this assessment method is the reliance on technology. There were many times I tried to publish a blog, and it just disappeared. Luckily, I had these entries saved in Microsoft Word! However, I think I spent more time trying to publish my work on the net than actually writing it.
All glitches aside, being forced to work with computers did wonders for overcoming my fear of technology though. I now see the important role that technology can play in the classroom, and will make more of an effort to foster this frame of mind in my students. For example, if I decide to implement a reflective journal component in my evaluation of student learning, I will be more inclined to use the World Wide Web as my facilitating medium instead of the old-fashioned pen and paper. Chances are, the World Wide Web will facilitate more discussion, and produce greater feedback because one’s audience is dramatically increased.
I think this is a great assessment option that should continue to be used in the Society and Education class. It gives students a certain degree of freedom since you can make contributions to the blog at whatever time of day is convenient for you. As well, it definitely increases communication in the classroom setting, which helps foster the development of a sense of community. This sense of community is something I’ve come to cherish, as I get higher up in your years of study, and school takes up so much time.
In the future though, it might be worthwhile to consider decreasing the amount of entries students have to do to ensure that people actually make comments. I will admit that as the semester wore on, it was difficult to find the time to read what everyone else was writing; let alone comment on what was being said. Although I do not take personal offense, it is impossible to deny that the readership of my blog dramatically declined. Being forced to write three entries a week can also have a major impact on the quality of entries produced by some people. I will admit I found this assignment to be quite time consuming. However, because I considered the exercise worthwhile, I didn’t seem to mind the intense amount of work.

The Responsibility of Teachers Surrounding the Issue of Sexual Imaging in the Media

December 8, 2004
Today’s presentation dealt with the very disturbing yet unmistakably real issue of sexual imaging in the media. While the message being communicated was something that everyone in our class seemed to repeatedly criticize, we can’t deny the impact this kind of advertising is having on society in general (especially our precious children). I think we have to take a step back and re-evaluate the usefulness of this presentation from a teacher’s perspective.
Many children are falling victim on a daily basis to the images these ads are portraying. The most common comment from the girls is the desire to be like Brittany Spears or Jessica Simpson. However, the pressure to be something you’re not is also felt in the boys’ camp. Many young men are fully aware of the fascination that girls have with celebs like Usher and Johnny Depp, and struggle to figure out how they can compete for a girl’s attention.
Since these images gain attention and boost sales, they are not simply going to disappear. We as educators have to teach our students how to love and accept themselves for who they are. Otherwise, our society is doomed to a reality of huge therapy bills dealing with problems like: eating disorders, depression, STD’s, and excessive drug and alcohol use. Of course the real danger of these images becomes apparent when kids start dying in the process of striving towards what many would describe as unattainable goals.
Even though I never fell victim to the pressure of looking or acting a certain way, I have a friend from high school who struggles to control her eating disorder. To make matters worse, I never knew about it until she came to me at wits end begging for help. She explained to me that in an average day, she was throwing up six or seven times. She admitted to not being able to keep food in her system longer than about an hour, and she exercised like crazy. When I listened to her stories, I was angered. Here was this amazing girl-smart, funny, and extremely outgoing who hated herself because the media constantly told her she didn’t fit the bill of beauty!
From a male perspective, my brother constantly informs me that you have to wear the right clothes, and be buff to have a beautiful girlfriend. For Christmas this year, my brother asked for two things-a drum set and a weight set. He’s only 13! However, the pressure to conform to an ideal image is extremely strong. For those who will never achieve the “desired” look, my brother says the only way they could ever get a girl is to become a rebel (a.k.a. do drugs, get suspended from school, steal, cheat on tests, have unprotected sex, and constantly lie without getting caught). How horrible is that!
Even though having Jessica Simpson or Usher grace the cover of a popular magazine will ultimately boost sales, we have to stop and ask ourselves “Is this worth the price we’re having to pay?” I mean obviously the lives of our children hang in the balance. We should not have the right to rob them of what should be coined a “wonderful childhood” simply because we have to make a profit.
As teachers, we can teach our students to respect their bodies and build self-esteem. It is crucial that everyone believes beauty comes from within, and is not wrapped up in a certain image (i.e. blonde hair, big boobs, tiny waste, six-pack, body muscle etc). We need to foster the development of individual talents, and strengthen the association of success with hard work and intelligence. As I stated above, focus on the importance of loving yourself for who you are. If it helps, expose the fraudulence of the media, and Barbie (if your audience is that young). Plus, highlight how boring life would be if we all looked exactly the same; our differences are what attract other people to be our friends and life partners. We should not be ashamed of our uniqueness.
Most importantly, just be aware of what the students in your classroom are reading and watching! If you come across something unpleasant or hear inappropriate comments, try to address these issues through your lessons. I know I will certainly make an effort after hearing and observing the impact media has had on people near and dear to my heart. It absolutely disgusts me!

Life as a Drifter

December 6, 2004
I found today’s class presentation on Social Groups in High School to be quite interesting. As someone who came from a small town, many people are quick to assume that there were many cliques in my school, and that naturally, I had to fit in somewhere. However, I was always the girl bouncing from social group to social group. This was largely due to the fact that I had trouble making close friends.
I guess you could say I had an issue with trusting people (especially in my teen years) because I was always the subject of a “few good laughs” as many would say. My physical disability made me an easy target. While most people would say having no close friends in your teen years would be difficult, I turned this unfortunate situation into something very positive.
Because I had no close ties to any particular social group, I became someone people could talk to about their problems. Soon, I acquired a reputation for being a good listener and offering sound advice. I guess you could give me the unofficial title of guidance counselor/therapist. Depending on the day, people would see me in the school cafeteria talking to the popular girls, the nerds, the jocks, the drama/band geeks, the artists, the cowboys, or even the skids. I think people from all different cliques were drawn to me because I passed no judgment on them, and treated them like human beings regardless of the circulating so-called “popular opinion”(a.k.a. gossip).
The variety of people that dropped into my social circle at one point or another, often faded out just as quickly as they burst in. I seldom got acknowledgements of gratitude, but I felt good about what I was doing. It wasn’t until I was surprised with the high school citizenship award in grade twelve that I realized the impact that I was having on the entire student body.
The provincial government presents this high school citizenship award to a grade twelve student who makes incredible contributions to their student body as a whole and to the community at large. There are only four recipients per year, so this is quite a prestigious honor to be chosen among the applicants.
Ever since high school graduation, I’ve crossed paths with many former classmates who all seem to ask the same question: “Weren’t you lonely back in junior high and high school?” My response is of course no.
I was too busy with extra-curricular activities. I attended every single basketball, volleyball, football and hockey game under the sun, was on school council for two years, volunteered on the yearbook and graduation committees, was a participant on the school reach team, was the volunteer Sunday school teacher at the local church and still managed to maintain my reputation as the most popular babysitter around. I had no time to be bored or lonely. When I wasn’t doing extra-curricular activities, there was always homework to be done, as my parents were always insistent on bringing home good grades. Plus, I had a part-time job in high school.
Whenever I needed someone to talk to myself, there were many adults who were willing to lend an ear. To teachers, parents, and grandparents alike, I was an inspiration, and they often said they would do anything for me. Plus, I was lucky enough to have immense family support.
While most people would be very bitter about the kind of school experience I had, I think things worked out for the best. Being a so-called drifter during my junior high and high school years I had no distinct ties with one social group or another. As such, I will be able to gain favor with all the students I teach on some level, and never have to worry about favoritism. This is because I see the beauty/potential in everyone. I know that sounds corny, but I don’t know any other way to describe my unique perception of the world around me.

Profession Can Be Such a Dirty Word

December 3, 2004
In our class discussion today about whether or not teaching is a profession, I was pretty adamant that the title of teacher and professional go hand-in-hand. My belief that teaching is a profession is founded on many functionalist principles.
First off, I had to endure five years of university training that will end up putting me $40,000 in debt by the time I am looking for a full-time job. Even though it may sound arrogant, I’m going to display my degrees in my house, and sign my name with those cool initials. Basically, I want recognition for my hard work. With the above comment, it is extremely apparent that I am the kind of person who considers teaching to be a part of my identity. I can’t wait to write teacher on all those forms that ask for your occupation. As well, some of the most influential people in my life were teachers, and I want to make a difference in the life of a child. I’ve always had this innate desire to help people, and I can’t see any better way to make an impact than by targeting the future of our society. All these kids need is someone to believe in their capabilities. As someone with a disability, I know I can serve as an inspiration, and will work extra hard to ensure all my students have the opportunity to succeed. I see myself as providing an altruistic service; I’m here to help people.
After reading the above response, I came upon a very harsh realization. In the end, the title “professional” carries three main benefits: money, status, and control. In all honesty, if someone were to ask me “Why did you become a teacher?” my response would not include any of those benefits mentioned above. I mean let’s face it! The salaries of a teacher are not something to brag about, most teachers fail to get public recognition for their accomplishments, and even if a teacher gets to take holidays all the time, teaching is a full-time job whether you are in the school or not.
Ultimately, I decided to enter the teaching profession because I firmly believe one of the greatest gifts you can give a child is a solid education. Just being able to say I contributed to that special gift makes me happy, and happiness should be everyone’s guiding light when faced with choosing a career.
This made me realize I don’t care whether teaching is a profession or not; I would still be striving towards this goal. Money, status and control don’t buy happiness; at least not for me. I've realized my true opinion of professionalism is that it breeds corruption. I was not proud of the type of person being conveyed at the beginning of this entry.
Thanks Robert for such a great class! It provoked so much thought, that I finally realized I was basing my belief of whether teaching was a profession on things that matter to society and not on what matters to me. I’ve always liked to think I’m my own person, but sometimes society just has a way of brainwashing you………..it’s kind of scary!!!!

The Time has Come for Homosexuality to Become Socially Acceptable

December 1, 2004
First off, I have to commend Renee for the amazing amount of courage she displayed by choosing to speak out on a very controversial issue. The topic of her in-class presentation today was gay/lesbian teachers.
As someone who comes from a religious background, I find it deeply discouraging that many faiths condemn the sexual preferences and practices of gays and lesbians. After all, what does their sexual orientation have to do with who they are as a person and what they believe? The answer is nothing!
I also resent that fact that individuals believe they can pinpoint who is gay/lesbian based on observation. There are no distinct behaviours or appearances that perpetuate through the entire gay and lesbian population. Nor should we expect there to be because we are all unique individuals, and this fact has been scientifically proven.
Even though this is how I feel, I have to admit, I am guilty of allowing the perpetuation of discrimination towards gays and lesbians continue. This is mostly because I grow tired of correcting my parents and siblings of their inappropriate comments or assumptions.
For example, my brother has always appeared somewhat effeminate to his masculine friends. I think this can mostly be attributed to the fact he grew up with sisters. However, he still gets teased for liking certain types of music and movies because the stereotypical audience is female. Over time, I believe my brother got fed up with being picked on, and began making comments like “That’s so gay” and “He’s a fag” to gain acceptance from his peers. Although I’ve tried to correct his behaviour, I’ve come to realize my brother justifies his actions because my parents engage in the same type of practice.
My father is so homophobic, if my brother admitted to being gay, I swear he would ship him off to a mental institution, and completely disown him. Although my mother would not react as drastically, she doesn’t fair much better. She once openly accused my best friend of being gay because he was a guy who had more in common with a girl (than other guys). Her suspicion was fueled even more by the fact that he showed no interest in dating me. As far as my mother is concerned, any guy who appears effeminate has to be gay, no exceptions.
I have a few gay/lesbian friends, and admire all of the gay/lesbian people I’ve come into contact with. They are all smart, funny, talented, and compassionate individuals. However, I often forget how difficult it is for them to be truthful to the whole world about their identity, simply because of discrimination. Although I may not directly witness it, I now realize all these people are trapped by intolerance in one way or another. Through her presentation, Renee has inspired me deconstruct popular myths, and do what I can to eliminate homophobia. After all, there was a time when women were seen as inferior to men, blacks were seen as inferior to whites etc, but change was possible. All it took was people in the majority to stand up for people in the minority, forcing everyone in a position of authority to admit their faults. The time has come for homosexuality to become socially acceptable.

The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy and its Influence on my Unique Perspective

November 29, 2004
The presentation today on self-fulfilling prophecy was quite interesting. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with this concept, the self-fulfilling prophecy is a theory that states a teacher makes judgments about students based on gender, race, given name, surname, dialect, appearance, interests, or even special needs. Many times, this judgment is unintentional however, the teacher will then form expectations of each student based on these judgments, and treat them accordingly.
As a student with a disability who was fully integrated into the regular classroom, I know I fell victim to this theory many times. The majority of my teachers had very low expectations of me, and as a result, report card periods were very stressful for me. There were many times I didn’t know how to interpret my letter grades.
If I got a C, I often found myself saying the teacher was prejudice, and wasn’t paying any attention to the quality of my work. They only rewarded me with the grade they felt I deserved based on their expectations. In other words, low expectations in my thought processes equaled a C. Therefore, when my parents yelled at me for getting a bad grade, I never felt like it was my own fault.
At the other side of the spectrum, when I got an A, I often found myself thinking, “Is this a pity mark?” or “Did I only receive this A only because I exceeded their very low expectations of me? Meaning the work I produced may not have actually been a true reflection of that caliber, but it was impressive by their previously held standards?” Basically, I never once felt like I deserved the grade I received because I was consciously aware of this stupid self-fulfilling prophecy-at least that was true until high school. By then, I knew high marks equaled scholarships, and they wouldn’t be given out A’s to just anyone.
Because I am so hyper sensitive to this self-fulfilling prophecy phenomenon, I try really hard not to fall victim to it. After all, I don’t want to be a hypocrite. However, this is easier said than done. When Angela handed out a sheet at the beginning her presentation with a bunch of brief character sketches that she wanted us to form an opinion on. Since I’m a firm believer of not judging a book by it’s cover, I basically refused to complete the assignment. Any comments I did write down were pretty general. For example, next to the person who was smoking outside I wrote this person has a very bad habit, however, this should have no bearing on who they are as a person or what they can accomplish.
Even though many people see it as unfortunate that I was a victim of the self-fulfilling prophecy, given what I wrote down on that sheet of paper, I consider it to be a blessing in disguise. After all, it gave me a whole different perspective on the world around me that I know will serve me well in the teaching profession.

Even Travelling to the Other Side of the Country Can Make You Doubt Your Intelligence

November 27, 2004
After reading Owen’s blog on the Antibias Curriculum, I was reminded of a similar culture shock experience I had while taking a semester worth of courses at Laval University in Quebec City.
Because I am a French major, part of my degree requirement is going on a French exchange for four months. I chose to do this in my third year after I took most of the intermediate level French classes at the U of L. As a result, I was pretty confident in my language fluency, and was looking forward to being placed in the advanced French classes in Quebec. However, we all had to write a placement test upon arrival. I found the test to be very difficult; mostly because it was in a multiple-choice format and you were always instructed to pick the BEST answer. Whether nerves got the best of me, or I became seriously intimidated, I scored really low on the test. To make matters worse, nobody really understood my disability, and assumed my physical limitations justified my test score. Basically, everybody in Quebec underestimated my ability, and as a result I was stuck in a lower level French class that was not going to allow any progression in my knowledge of the French language.
Perhaps the only bonus to everyone’s ignorance was the fact that I got to spend more time socializing than working on homework. They say this is the best way to learn a language anyways. The fact of the matter was, I needed more practice holding a conversation. My favorite topics to talk about in french revolved around school and the weather. How boring is that?