Toddlers & Tiaras....SAY WHAT?!

Yup.....you read it right.  This week I am blogging about the TLC reality TV show "Toddlers & Tiaras".  Admit it- you instantly have an opinion about the show or my use of it (that is if you have ever seen the show or heard of it).  Either you rolled your eyes or you let our a little laugh; either way, you reacted, which is exactly what I wanted from my students.  

In order to write effectively, you must have a reaction to elicit a written response.  My Sophomores are embarking on what I call "The Research Journey".  For their research paper, they have to research a controversy and choose one side of the controversy for which they will provide an argument.  I like this paper because they get to choose a controversy of their choice to research, and I get to really teach them how to analyze details and incorporate their own voice into their writing.  

Anyhow, to get my students prepared for researching and arguing for one side of a controversy, I had them watch one episode of "Toddlers & Tiaras".  Their research question was:  Is it appropriate to put a child in a beauty pageant?  While watching the episode, they had to make a T-Chart that examined why children should or should not participate in beauty pageants based on evidence from the show.  We did, however, discuss beforehand that this is reality TV and certain actions are embellished for entertainment, which also leads to a discussion about source credibility.  Using the notes they wrote in their T-Chart, we discuss and answer our research question by turning it into a statement.  

One reason I really like having students watch an episode of "Toddlers & Tiaras" is because it teaches them to read between the lines; students have to analyze the behaviors, actions, etc. in order to come up with evidence.  Unlike some database articles that they will be using as research, some texts will not overtly say, "This is one reason why a child should not be a in a beauty pageant....."  Students need to learn to think critically and formulate their own reasons why people should be in support or against a controversy based on evidence that may not clearly state a reason.  

Another reason why I love showing  Season 4 "Storybook Pageants" of "Toddlers & Tiaras" is because of the rich discussion.  Seriously.  Students become so engaged with the show and have so much evidence that they want to share that is in support and against putting your child in a beauty pageant.  They really build off each others ideas and are passionate about their claims.  Even guys.  My male students are often times more into this episode than my female students.  

Click here to watch the episode I showed my students.  I used Netflix in my classroom, not Amazon, and I could not find this episode on Youtube to post it here.  However, you can watch this episode for free as a trial! 

Reflection = Idea

In wrapping up my MEd, I've been taking this online course called "New Media & Literacies in Education".  It's required me to do a lot of reflecting and practice, and it has inadvertently inspired me.  In fact, this course has inspired me so much that I now know what I want my research for my MEd thesis to be: blogging.  Yes, go figure- I'm blogging right now.  But, right here is where it all began.  I truly believe in the purpose of a blog- a way to genuinely share information publicly about a given topic to support a common theme- and the authentic dialogue that ensues.  I love it.  And I can't help but wonder if my students will love it and benefit from it as I have.  My curiosity has led me to conduct some research about blogging- it's definition, purpose, and role in the classroom.  I've found a rich array of sources along my search, and today I'm going to share one of those sources.  See attached link:

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/blogging-in-21st-century-classroom-michelle-lampinen

This source details one teacher's experience with blogging.  What I love about this source is that she includes the assignment she gave her students when she presented the idea of blogging to them.  Her assignment is a great starting point for any teacher who is looking to incorporate blogging into their curriculum.  A "starting point" is key here, because you want to be sure to tailor the assignment to your class purpose and your student body.  Right now, I'm in the process of tailoring her assignment to better suit my AP class purpose and students' needs.  I plan to present this assignment to my students some time this week so that they can begin blogging right away.  I'm excited to see the successes of this assignment, and I'm curious of the speed bumps I may encounter along the way.  I, of course, will be sharing the results of my findings with all of you next week!

Let's Discuss Being Indifferent

It's that time of year again.  The time of year when my AP students study and discuss my favorite speech ever: "The Perils of Indifference" by Elie Wiesel.  I love this speech for a variety of reasons: Wiesel develops a strong ethos, his diction is sophisticated, his tone is completely appropriate and commendable, the organization is clever, and while I can go on and on about all the things I love about his rhetoric, I love most that this speech inspires my students.   As a class, we really dissect what it means to be indifferent, why people are indifferent, when people act differently, and whether or not it is ever acceptable to be indifferent.  In fact, our discussion on indifference really got me thinking about myself.  Again, I reflected.  I mentally debated for quite some time if I acted indifferently.  Do I go against the grain of education?  Have I done anything to try to reform education, like my last post suggests? My conclusion upset me.  More times than not, I act indifferently toward the directive of my administration and our whole educational system.  And that's just plain wrong.  I then thought, well, I alone can't make a difference - a change.  Or can I?  Maybe if I inspire enough teachers to stop being indifferent, we, as a collective whole, can make a change.  Teachers and students no longer have to be victims of educational genocide.  We no longer have to lose valuable teachers and the minds of our students.  

Here's Wiesel's speech.  Read it and be inspired.  Together, we can make a change.  It just takes people willing to act and realize that they, alone, can make a difference.  

http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/wiesel.htm

Reform?

Since I've recently re-enrolled to finish my MEd, I've read and viewed some really enlightening texts that have really inspired me to be an even better teacher.  One of the most important skills a teacher can have is that of reflection--reflection of themselves, their students, their skills, their plans.  Really, shouldn't all people be reflectors?  Lately, I wonder if the superiors of our education institution do any reflection.

The attached video calls to question the motives of our educational system.  Should our goal as educators be to prepare students for the 21st century economy?  If you answer yes, you may reconsider after watching this video.  As educators, are we meeting the needs of all students and really reaching them with our teaching?  We can only hope, but I really doubt my (our?) effectiveness after watching this video. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U

The evidence this video provides for why we need to reform our educational system is rich, and the visuals only help to further develop the need to be creative and have free expression.  I mean, look at how this one person--the creator of this video--put together a comprehensive analysis using drawings and captions.