Unleashing The Myths That Bind US: Critiquing Cartoon and Society

This article and the proposal to critique cartoons and society in particular Disney movies is a double edge sword for me. This situation reminds me of last spring semester when I was in Children's Literature and heard the real fairy tales for the first time. I am glad that Disney changed the ending to "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" because the ending is too cruel for a young child to see or read about in a story. The issue of this "secret education" that a child gains from a Disney movie is not preventable and is not all that bad. I am the perfect example of a child who went to Disney World about 7 times throughout my childhood and found that it brought my imagination to life! I am a kid at heart or my family and friends would tell me to grow-up. Cartoons and society's portrayal of characters is harsh, but stories will everyone equal does not sell and is not history. These stories were an escape for the time period because the child during the time of these original fairy tales was thought to be a mini adult. Having literature that is designed for children and their thoughts is a great starting point, but hopefully Disney books get them reading and them they discover "Bridge to Terabithia" and create their own world.
A child's impressionable minds can be molded, but it is for the parent to have discussion and the child to exchange the roles of being the villain verses the princess when playing barbies or real life dress-up etc. I do see the harm in say Cinderella's gender roles and lack of education which is a common theme for women in Disney movies (besides Belle in Beauty of the Beast). But, Disney is a fantasy, an imaginary world that a child enters without needing to know the right from wrong so critiquing this should occur later in life. This is not to say that parents or family friends should not have discussions of the reasons of being a princess and give them a taste of real princesses. I would definitely discuss and question Cinderella's feelings in terms of being locked up, not being able to stand-up for herself as an individual that possess selfworth (as an advocate for herself), and why does she requires a prince to save her or not a princess or anyone at all. I recognize that I have been manipulated by media and other cartoons, but hopefully the media that is introduced is not all from one sources and the home provides a variety of outlets to explore media.
As a young child my favorite movie to watch over an over again was the black and white film "HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME" (1939). My dad and I watched black and white films and I would request them over Disney movies in some cases. The "secret education" that cartoons and our society form is and will always be there. As an informed viewer and reader you must lead discussions and introduce a variety of media to counteract a saturation of misleading Disney character ideals and society's social inequalities. In terms of my favorite Disney film it was "Sword in the Stone". I enjoy the boy learning how to survive without a strong family. He also discovers his own power with in to remove the sword. Also, the issue of not wanting the sword after getting it demonstrated being humble and not desiring fame. The two wizards during the wizards dual is marvelous because a child learns that your actions do have repercussions, but they might not be visible. This invisible repercussions and be explored deeper in Disney films and can be discussed in terms of visible or not and are the two as hurtful or is one worse.
Now the Help Me Syndrome is say Popeye as the article points out is true. But, that is a stage that children go through as they develop and get older. As child who once again watched cartoons with my dad every morning before he went to work for about two hours I was manipulated by media under his watch. Fortunately like Olive my dad or my family rescued me during my mistakes or moments of weakness to see that if I want something I have to get it done. Popeye is a unique character because he has a speech impediment and was abandoned by his father who in some cartoon stripes or cartoon films just chooses to not be a part of his life. Also Olive is not attractive like the princess's in Disney films or stories. She has her own job as a waitress and supports herself. I like the idea that you don't fall in love right away like in the Disney films. My parents would say they fell in love over time and my dad had to prove himself and work to show his love like Popeye. Anyways I see the point this article is getting at, but I would not enter this discussion with children because I think other sources are more appropriate to target these issues. I would hope in this life own childhood stories can stay happy and have happy endings! Life is not about happy endings so why rush into that reality. A child learns that, but finds hope in their imagination, which I still imagine all the time about my endings and hope that others still possess the ability to imagine and dream.

Igoa and Hill reading for November 15th

Igoa:
Two summers ago I was a teacher's aid in summer school here in Monroe County School Corpration at Clear Creek Elementary. I was working with a young lady who had recently moved here from South Korea and it was extremely difficult to help her advance to he actual grade which was 6th and to compensate for the culture shock she was placed in a fourth grade class. I think it is unfortnate that I was not able to help her feel confident in terms of her use of english literacy. I assume if she was able to use multimodel forms of literacy she would feel more confident in her work!


Hill:
I really liked the Little Red Riding Hood and other fairy tales projects explained by Hill on page 54. I am 100% that this multimodal project is definitely an activity that I will do in my classroom. As I said in the previous post on Evans my MGRP used many of these themes discussed in these reading. My inspiration came from a digital story of Little Red Riding Hood for my MGRP. Having students write their own version of Little Red Riding Hood similar to the Stincky Cheeseman 's book is very fasinating to see students creativity and use of an alternate ending. Also by using technology I think that will enhance students engagement in the project and reach more students in a variety of ways as Millard's isx aspects descibes to be essential when implementing a new approach to literacy. Using literacy in the form of multimodal texts if will encourage the students to see the opportunity of past print text and how it can be updated to the 21st century using a nonlinear approach. In conclusion photostories and multimodal texts supported student centered learning and was able to be used as a scaffold and build confidence in all students.

The Changing Nature of Literacy in the Twenty-first century by Janet Evan

This introduction by Janet Evan's would have been amazing to read in regards to my MGRP paper and genres pieces. At the school at which I am observing I am seeing this transition of literacy in the 21st century becoming multimodal and teachers bridging the gaps between children's popular culture interests and school requirements. The past couple weeks at my school the students have been discussing Star Wars and videotaping the circle discussions and translating it into stories and pictures during writer's workshop. I enjoy seeing the students completely engaged in the discussion and their writing because it pertains directly to their personal interests. The main concerns that Lambirth (2003) points out is the ethical struggle that former teachers have with encompassing popular culture in class becasue of the linear model of education is highly focused on the past methods of teaching. A teacher might "say they get enough of that at home; why should I use it in my classroom?" But if you look at it in the eyes of a nonlinear model of education and as a student centered learning model - one would recognize that this opportunity will open educational doors for a student who typically might not engage in the learning activity. By using these digital literacy or technology literacy frameworks teachers will begin to see the curiosity to return to their students thinking and classroom engagement, will increase their ability reach the 21st century learner through multimodal texts, and will prepare their student for their future career paths that will involve technology!
I also like Gunther Kress's explanation of "different reading pathways between designed or displayed text and continuous print as the different between showing and telling," which highlights the use of and ability to navigate technology without proper instruction and experience (Kress 2003, 152). Students, teachers, and 21st century readers in general are experiencing the lack of continuous print and a need to read flexibly in a variety of texts as information is becoming so diversity in its representations and forms. By teaching students how to navigate the 21st century literacy model using a nonlinear approach, you as a teacher will see remarkable understanding and transformation of students confidence and ability to communicate. Students will formulate thoughts, ask questions, and begin to discover their own prefer forms of communicate in this diversity selection of options in today technological advanced literacy world!

Reflection

The MGRP I got me to look deeper into our first assignment about literacy signs and apply my new definitions of literacy. This project was at first difficult to see the direction of my overall project in terms of genre pieces and how it would come out. Overall, I am very pleased with my finished product and look forward to our gallery walk later today.
Once again my psychology interests came out in the process of researching my topic for the MGRP. I fell in love with Eisner's philosophy of literacy! This quote sums it up, "As long as schools operate on an essentially linguistic modality that gives place of privilege to a kind of literacy, logical, or mathematical form of intelligence, school limit what youngsters can learn (Eisner quoted in Leland and Harste, 1994, 339)." Through my research I discovered how technology can change those limitations of what students can learn and the restraints the teachers feel in regards to traditional educational linear model. By using Millard's six aspects I was able to identity how a teacher might go about assessing tools to add to his/ her repertoire and alter their current educational linguistic linear model to a nonlinear model to adapt to the changes in this digital age.
I assessed audio books, personal computers, and composing products. These tools are just a few there are many more, I just had to set a limit or my paper would have been a good size book.
I was fortunate to read about interesting cases of how technology transformed a classroom by fusing new times, new teaching, and learning with new technologies. A couple examples are the digital storytelling, the multiple ways of knowing using Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, podcasts, webcasts, learning mats, and new composing programs to name a few. I am very excited to try out some of these tools in my future classroom after accessing my population of students using Millard's Six aspects. The six aspects will allow for me to gauge the tools I would be selecting and determine their access, arena, agency, affordance, appropiateness, and holding myself accountable for my child-centered learning approach.
I learned that inquiry based curricula is the ideal to strive for and use in majority of all content areas. Also that writing is everywhere, I use the genre piece of bar-codes, because it is a sign system that I found myself using multiple ways of knowing. This came about in deciding my genre pieces and I like the ideal of the bar-code. A bar-code is a sign system and label that might seem constant, but is constantly changing as the student and the application of the appropriate tool that offers the best affordance will vary content to content, day to day. The artist Scott Blake presented and interesting sign system that is present in our daily life that we currently navigate and I am inspired to continue looking for these sign systems and how I can transmediate them into new meaning for expanding my definition of literacy and express my full potential as teacher and a student.
As a student how uses a variety of technology to achieve my personal understanding of different contents and express my understanding of those contents, I plan to have technology in an arms reach at all times. Technology is a challenge, but I am willing to teach myself and take the time to use various modes knowing that one mode might offer more affordances for one student than another. Throughout the beginning of a year and getting familiar with my students I would hope to know what tools are appropriate for what students and be able to hold myself accountable in fusing new literacy in my teaching of my students to be their own agency and see their flexibility in navigating all sign systems to transmediate their understanding in the digital age.

What a character: Bringing Subjects to Life

As I read this chapter I kept thinking about Nathaniel Hawthorne style of writing because it is very descriptive and the characters are explained in fine detail. But, the more I read about the key idea of showing not telling made me wonder about what writer I knew who did an amazing job of that for a younger readers. I decided it would have to be Katherine Paterson who wrote Bridge to Terabithia. This excerpt is a great example of strong verbs like on page 65: "Ba-room, ba-room, ba-room, baripity, baripity, baripity, baripity—Good. His dad had the pickup going." I like the description of sound and many readers can relate to the start of a beat-up truck.
Although, I am not sure about page 66 Kill Cliches. I have been told by some that I tend to be a flowery writer, aside from when I am writing a typically research proposal or critic in psychology, which is not always a bad thing. So if I was using a cliches, it might be a great lead or closer to a thought. I would hope at least to see some cliches in a draft one of my future students because it reminds one of what kind of description they might to elaborate on in that section. In terms of the different drafts, I hope to see this kind of writing occur within the younger grades. I can't remember ever writing drafts unless it was a large paper that my family was working on with me for a school project. Writing drafts needs to be looked upon in a light that is honing in on exactly what happened or what one felt, heard, smelled, tasted, remarked, etc. like when you are on trail as a witness. The witness needs to be concise, but descriptive to recall the event for the jury and the judge. This might be an intimidating concept, but it also adds importance to the concept of their writing. I struggle with getting my point across and love to go off on tangents! So to reminding myself there is a direct question that I am answering like during the trail I am more likely to redirect myself! When a witness is being crossed examined it emphasizes the importance of reliving the event and being concise so the judge and jury can understand so the decision that is made is based on facts of the event as it really happened.

Seedfolks

The book Seedfolks reminds me of The Good Earth by Pearl Buck, as the beginning starts with an Asian child wanting to please her family, in particular her deceased father, by planting Lima beans. As a child myself I grew-up out in the country and we had an one acre garden which I learned quickly built my character. I have many memories from working the garden every summer and wishing I could do as I pleased, but was told the garden must be weeded and the vegetables and fruits picked before I could have my time for myself. The book Seedfolks focuses on the work aspect by pointing out the issues of water and the heat of the day was not a desired time to work. Although, if you were me and was attending tennis camp each morning and open gym, the heat of the day was the only time left to have it done before dad got home! I appreciate the strict garden rules and how it was a form of punishment, but when we would get to sell our vegetables and fruits my sisters and I were overjoyed to finally reap the benefits of our labor. My character Leona is a man who knows if you want anything done, you have to get up and do it yourself. As the oldest child, I had to demonstrate to my sisters how to work in the garden and to take little breaks in order to be praised for our work rather than being scolded for our lack of effort. If I ever wanted them to work in the garden for me or if we all wanted to go swimming that day the garden was collaboration that required no arguing just working to get the job done. Leona realized if he wanted the trashed removed from the vacant lot, it was up to him to make it happen as the smell of the trash spoke loud and clear for all the Public Health Department to recognize there was an issue.

Van Sluys Chapter 3 "Setting Up Invitations"

Receiving an invitation to a pretend office Christmas party, a relative's birthday party, and an alumni banquet all have different approaches but all included the main information of when, where, what time, and the event. Following along with Van Sluy's process of setting up invitations, the school I am placed at this fall kepts coming to mind. The teachers at my school invite the students to be mathematicians, writers, inventors, etc. which extends the proposal to the students to take on that role. I find that the role of being a mathematician in k/1 is interesting because they are learning that at any level one can be a mathematician. Being invited as writer, an inventor, a philosopher, a scholar, a scientist etc. all create a willingness for the students to accept that invitation in that present moment. Then the students attempt the so-called activities and through overcoming struggle a student will then label oneself a mathematician (etc.) because of their success. Invitations are definitely a positive motivational approach to learning.
As in chapter 3 some students were curious about ebonics. The teacher jumped on that invitation and the class pursued their interest in ebonics. In the invitation of ebonics the students discovered many issues: the difficulty of the material, the lack of kid thought on the topic, and questioning the authority of the research. A small invitation in one subject can be a lifetime practice that will invite others to expand their understanding and willingness to attend.