Gender and Education

Gender and Education
reflection

I think that gender has always been one of those “secret education” things. When you were little in movies you never saw a girl fire fighter or a girl mechanic, so those automatically became “boy jobs,” things like teachers and secretaries were always “girl jobs.” I think this changes a little as you grow up but there are always those big differences between the typical boy and girl things.

Regarding gender and education I found a lot of interesting articles. This article that I found really stuck out among the rest. I just want to pull out some interesting quotes that made me think about how gender bias schools are.

"Every time students are seated or lined up by gender, teachers are affirming that girls and boys should be treated differently.”

Think about it, how many times do we hear teachers say “boys in this line and girls in this line.” It happens all the time in my service learning project and although it’s a minor thing does it really affect gender roles and how we see them?

"The clear message to both boys and girls is that girls are not worthy of respect and that appropriate behavior for boys includes exerting power over girls -- or over other, weaker boys."

This quote was pertaining to a part of the article when its talks about boys being taunted for throwing like a girl, or crying like a girl, which implies that being a girl is worse than being a boy. I found this really hard to grasp but it is true that it does degrade girls. Some girls throw better than boys but society has kept maleness in such a state of power that we always see us as throwing worse or being weaker than the typical male. It is a good realization to come to and men should think about it before they say it.

I found this video on YouTube and although it is lengthy it mentions a lot of great points on why girls are excelling in school.

this chart popped up when i was searching for gender and education and it tells what schools get complaints for and the percent of each category



Last I found a website that lists what teachers can do to make sure they are not being gender bias in their classroom. I though this list was useful and hopefully we can all use it in our teaching careers. 

In class i would like to think of times when we have seen gender bias in effect.

Brown v. Board & Wise

Reflection

When Tim Wise discussed his book "Between Barack and a Hard Place" he mentioned a lot of fascinating things that really made me take a step back and think, I found that some were related to Brown v Board of Education.  The key point he made related to racial issues was that Obama's election is not the conclusion to equality and I bet if you think back you can see that a lot of people thought it was. Wise argues that it is just another step in the tall, windy staircase that will lead to equality. According to Wise there is still an enormous amount of work to be done.

I found a point that Wise made very interesting. Obama's speaking style, dress, and entire presentation of himself is done is a very "white" way. He has gone to one of the most prestigious colleges and is very intelligent. In fact, some white people consider Obama to be different than "normal" people of color. Wise tells us that there are many other intelligent black people in the United States that may not be taken serious by whites because of the way they do their hair or the way they dress. I found this extremely interesting because it is true, we wouldn’t go letting a person like 50 cent be our president and it just goes to show you that you can “tap” the glass but when will we ever actually “break it.”

The last thing I just want to point out is the quote “Very telling is the oft-heard comment by whites, 'if only I were black, I would have gotten into my first choice college.'" I must admit, although it is terrible to say, that I am a culprit of this sort of line. I have said a number of time that I could still be at Stonehill if I were black and that being white and happy makes my financial aid nonexistent. I feel bad seeing these sorts of things and looking back and seeing how ignorant I could be and I guess that is what these articles are supposed to do-change you.

I must say I really enjoyed this article. I think it was easy to follow along and he had a lot of good points that are real eye openers to the typical white person.

I watched this video in my Psych class last year and i feel like it should be shared, It kind of depressed me in a way but it is a very good look at racism,


In class I'd like to discuss our views on the Obama presidency, do we feel like it help racism?

In the Service of What? Kahne & Westheimer

My friend Matt is 22 and has never had a job but does hours on end of community service. On Thanksgiving last year my dad and uncle were sort of nagging him about not having a job since my brother and I have had jobs since we were 14, he replied to my them, "It's easy to make a buck, it's a lot tougher to make a difference." I was shocked by his response but I know that everyone at the table agreed.

In the Service of What? Kahne & Westheimer
Response to Alicias Blog
I thought Alicia had a lot of great points in her blog so I am going to pull out the parts I enjoyed reading instead of posting her entire blog here.

 “I related to the parents for a number of reasons. Myself, as a parent, worry about my child in all that he is doing, daily. If he told me that he was involved in this assignment, would I be upset and concerned, I say probably yes! I think that the parents that were really against this should have done their research on the school and the area before coming to a conclusion. I feel that the phrase, "You shouldn't judge a book by it's cover", relates to this topic. They could have even visited the school to check it out, and then make a decision.”

I think this is an awesome point. My parents actually did this to me when I was going into my school for this service learning project. I got the “oh that’s not a good area” and the “do you have to go to THAT school?” I understand where parents are coming from by I am a firm believer in not judging a book by its cover. The school I go to may not be in the best area but the kids are great and I would never go into the school pitying them because of where they live because I think every child has something special to offer.

“We need to realize that we have to be open minded, and not pity the youth that we work with, but try to help and understand where they are coming from. We need to help in the 'change' of their lives, and realize the positive things we can do to help improve and fulfill their lives.”

Open-mindedness is key in teaching. I think Alicia pin pointed this concept that we need to realize that we are making a difference even if it is a tiny difference. Children appreciate the littlest gestures, like asking them how their weekend was. I think it is important to make children feel special, mostly in teaching.

“I also feel that any act in any form that a person provides to help and care about others is spectacular! I found myself wanting to volunteer and help an organization, to better them, and better myself. I have helped out in the cause for the fight for leukemia for children in the past years. Did I visually see an impact, no, but I knew that I was a 'dent in the glass of the foundation.”

I agree with this 100 percent. I always do the little things like donating one dollar to the jimmy fund, or buying a bracelet for breast cancer. I believe that I can make a difference even if it is that one dollar. I do a lot of community service and although I may not see those who I impact I know that as Alicia said I am making a “dent” in the glass, and that, to me, is important.

Breast cancer is something that I always donate to and walk for because one of my close friends mom has been fighting it for years and this video shows how one school made a difference and at 1:10 i think the girl really captures the point of community service.

In class I want to discuss what kinds of community we have done and if we think it made a difference.

Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us

Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us- Linda Christensen

argument

In "Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us," Christensen writes of her personal experiences and issues with American media, along with teaching her students to analyze the “secret education” of it. She "wants students to question accepted knowledge and the secret education delivered by cartoons as well as by the traditional literary canon" (127). Christensen argues that Disney movies and Saturday morning cartoons are not being critically reviewed by children-they accidentally accept the stereotypes and grow up believing them to be true. Girls start believing women cannot have beauty and brains-Ursula is the evil sea witch from The Little Mermaid and while she's smart, she's ugly (130), and if a girl wants to be happy, it "means getting a man, and transformation from wretched conditions can be achieved through consumption - in their case, through new clothes and a new hairstyle" (133). The cartoons and movies also portray that "men must be virile and wield power or be old and the object of 'good-natured' humor" (131) Children take these stereotypes and form them into how men and women are supposed to be portrayed-whether it be their looks or their position and society and it becomes hard to change that.

Christensen thinks the solution to this problem is that that people should not just make note of and realize these stereotypes are in place, but should try to enact change. Through her classroom exercises she shows her students how each of these stereotypes are played into a variety of different cartoons. Her students start to realize that they have grown up with this notion their entire life and start to try to enact change, for example like the boy who turned off the cartoons on his cousins and brought them to the park. Little baby steps like that effect the world- believe it or not.

I like Christensen’s argument here. I guess you never really notice those things until you analyze it-"many students don't want to believe that they have been manipulated by children's media or advertising...they assure me that they make their own choices and the media has no power over them - as they sit with Fubu, Nike, Timberlands or whatever the latest fashion rage might be" (128). I think that quote pretty much sums it all up but I think as teachers it’s important to teach what Christensen is preaching here.

this is a YouTube video that highlights the stereotypical gender-roles, the construction of femininity/masculinity, and the portrayal of dominant/single women in its animated feature films.

In class I want to see if we can come up with any Disney movies that don’t portray stereotypes, because honestly I cannot really think of any.

I saw this today in the RIC parking lot and thought it would be a good connection to this weeks discussion.

Gayness, Multicultural Education, and Community

Gayness, Multicultural Education, and Community

Dennis Carlson

Hyperlinks

The subject of homosexuality is obviously a very controversial issue within our society. Reading this article and listening to Carlson argue that "that schools use their power of influence to keep gayness 'hidden', 'in its place', and not to be part of the 'normal' that is accepted in our society” (Alicia’s Blog) It really made me wonder how this could actually be happening. This class is making me see that maybe America isn’t all it’s worked up to be. How are we the land of opportunity if we have a “culture of power” and don’t let people inside that without these certain characteristics, in this case, straightness? That is beside the point though. “Gayness” is always a topic on the news and I want to pull up a few things that relate to this topic and are real eye openers.

First, just two weeks ago, a freshman student at Rutgers College committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge because his roommate broadcasted his gay relations over a webcam. This sickens me because it is such a cruel thing to do to someone. Carlson argues that everyone is different in this world and people need to be accepting of that. If Tyler Clementi’s roommate was accepting of Tyler’s lifestyle then he would have never been found at the bottom of the Hudson River.

Next I found a YouTube video (which i could not embed?) on a thirteen year old boy who committed suicide because of being bullied for being gay. One, this is disturbing because he was so young. Police said that they cannot prosecute those who bullied Seth Walsh because it is not a criminal act. I found this heart breaking and think that if this had been going on for so long how could a teacher not recognize it, they must have at least somewhat witnessed it since most of the bullying was at school. Do you think they were just “sweeping it under the rug” and ignoring it. Carlson talks about teachers not having comments on this subject and it makes me sad to think that this got so far to where a boy committed suicide and it could have been prevented.

Last I just want to conclude with a story that connects to Carlson. My friend Travis is gay and came out in 2007, his senior year of high school. His dad sort of abandoned him when this happened-saying that it “would ruin his reputation” and gives the family a “bad name.” This is exactly what Carlson was talking about, challenging the norm. Trav’s goes to school in New York for dance at probably the most prestigious performing art school in the United States, Juilliard. I don’t think that is at all ruining any reputation or giving a bad name to his family. To this day Travis and his father do not talk, it’s a sad way to show how society can be so cruel, even to one’s family.

Carlson talks about how a "democratic multicultural education must become a dialogue in which all "voices" are heard and all "truths" are understood.”  I, in one way or another, would like to see this in classrooms. I realize that this is difficult, but I strongly feel  that every student should feel comfortable enough to talk in a classroom and not feel they will be judged on their opinions.

Online I found this debate, although I did not read all of it, some of the points made here were interesting and if you have time you should skim through it.

In class I would like to discuss our thoughts about discussing homosexuality inside the classroom.