Talking Points 5, Wesch -- Hyperlinks

I really liked reading Wesch's article , "From Knowledgeable to Knowledge-able." I found some of his points really interesting and I agree with a lot of what he was proposing in this article. After reading this article I went right on youtube and began searching for some of the related topics mentioned in this particular article. Personally, I think that technology of course had its pros and cons but because I grew up in a time where computers, cells phones and ipods were becoming really popular and used a lot. I think that is why I think technology should be used in the classroom. I do not think that professor should be able to tell a student if they can or can not use their laptops during class.

Honestly, who wants to sit in a 2 hr class where the professor just lectures for two hours straight?! I know that I can NOT stand that. I like classes where technology is used, students can use their laptops and so on. The article also talks about how students who use laptops in class are social networking, or shopping online, and sometimes I'd agree but as a student especially in college they know right from wrong and if thats what they want to do during their class time so be it, it's essentially their money or parents money being wasted. There is a difference between checking your FB for 2 minutes and staying on your FB page for 2 hours of class. I do feel like some professors, usually the older ones do seem to shy away from using technology in their teaching methods, but I think they should try to incorporate it some way or another. In this day we should all try to be familiar with the basics. I know at work with my pre-school students I try to use technology in small amounts so that they can be exposed to it, then again the children use blocks and toys shaped like rectangles or something they pretend to be text messaging or talking on it, and that absolutely kills me but thats a whole other issue in itself.

This article also made me think about when you do go into a new classroom that you have never been in before, and if you do not see a TV or a computer your kind of thinking to yourself like....seriously? No TV or computer? Or if there is a TV with a VCR attached to it, your like pshttt no DVD player here?! What if you walk into a computer lab at school and you see 10 flat screen computers that are all taken and 3 dinosaur age looking computers, I'm sure you'd be a little ticked off having to use the older one. I know I would! I am sure that the new media environment for teachers is very disruptive, but instead of wasting their breath on it, they should understand that the technology isn't going anywhere and they should probably swallow their pride get over it, and say hey since it's not going anywhere I might as well get involved with it myself. It also makes me think like, when was the last time you received a syllabus for a class and it DIDNT mention anything about cellphone usage or laptops? hmm.

I liked when Wesch mentions students not wanting to pay attention because they know that the information being taught in class can easily be found online somewhere. That is very true I must admit that I think that way sometimes myself. When was the last time you went to the library to search for a book to help you with research? Or maybe it's much easier to just open your laptop and browse on Google instead.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tQH1nyrJG0&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YuMwLgzlFs&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2Crff9fAuU&feature=related

^ lady is a drag but good info haha

Raby, "A Tangle of Discourses" Post 4

Quotes

pg 432

"In light of Steinberg’s work, it was telling that, while the idea of youth as an

essentialized period of disruptive change was echoed by some of my respon-

dents, particularl y in terms of rebellion, it was conspicuous how few respondents

discussed this conceptualization of adolescence in terms of biology. The topic

only arose when prompted, suggesting that it may be just too obvious, for some

it may be an area of discomfort, it is less central than many might think, and/or

these hormonal changes are as constructed as adolescence itself. In follow-up

interviews, I asked why it might be that people had not commented on bodily

or hormonal changes in earlier interviews. Rita and Elizabet h both suggested

that perhaps people feel that this area is private. Jazz and Angela both said that

bodily and/or hormonal changes were not that important to their experiences of

adolescence and those experiences of their friends"

Raby throughout this piece references Steinberg works, I agree with Raby and think that this evidence is quit telling. No one ever wants to talk about biological changes in teens, although I think they are quit obvious and that maybe why they are not mentioned as much? When she quotes the two teen ages girls about this topic they both said how they did not understand what people meant when then mentioned changes, or hormones, until after they had experienced it for themselves. We know as adults that teens are going through changes, but no teen wants to admit that they are changing, I don't think teens ever want to admit anything that may make them feel uncomfortable. I live in a very open family and rebellious acts, and bodily changes were always talked about and mentioned to everyone. God forbid one of my cousins or my sisters got their periods, everyone in the family knew about it a day later, nothing was really private in my family.

pg 433

"Less prominent in the more sensationalistic media, but nonetheless present in

much literature on teens is the concept of teenager s as ‘becoming’, usually

discussed in terms of self-discovery and/or identity formation. As Vienna

observes,

they assume that all teenagers rebel just because this is the age when

we start to become our own person. Like 12, 13 you really start thinking

about things for yourself and not necessarily doing everything that

your parent s do, you know? Becoming more independent … To Lesko

(1996b) , youth are perceived always in terms of what they are becom-

ing, rather than what they are being: they are potential, not yet fully

formed. "

What this quote means to me is that when it comes to teenagers a lot of what they are depends on a continuous assumption of how they are supposed to be or what they must be like because of the age group the fall into. When I was a teenager I was not allowed to go anywhere or do anything unless my mom new the parents of the other child and she would drop me off places and wait for me outside, I lived in a very strict household, I think it all depends on what the teenager is allowed to do that will essentially determine their outcome. Not EVERY teenager is rebellious and does bad things, but that is what most people assume. The good things teenagers might do isn't shown on the news, but the spray painted city walls are. What friends of the teenagers do and say is very important, and I don't think much of anything else matters. It depends on who they get involved with and become friends with. The city I live in has many sterotypes, and all the public schools are bad, and the education stinks, but i always succeeded and did well and it was because of the group of friends as a teen that I got myself friendly with.

pg 435

"Risk was a prominent pre-occupation for my respondents, particularly among

grandmothers. Jan was concerned that there is more stress and pressure on teens

today than there was in the past. Sandy said there are more hazards and

challenges , particularly with the in􏰁uences of drugs. Anne believes that teens

today have more responsibility becaus e they have to think more about their

futures, are less innocent, and are more exposed to the problems of the world.

Among the granddaughters, both Rita and Allanah said that there is more

violence for teenagers to deal with today than in the past. Such risks are also

gendered, with girl s particularly at risk of pregnancy or assault , and boys more

likely to get in trouble for things like drug offenses."

I liked this quote because throughout my teenage years and even sometimes now I hear people who are older than me and more experienced tell me the same things. My grandmother tells me all the time how hard it is today compared to when my mother was growing up. Its obvious that there are many more distractions today for teens than ever! Driven to work the other day on the radio there was a survey about teens and cell phones. 50% said they would give up food before their cell phones, and that just blew my mind. FOOD? Like are you kidden? I wish parents would really think twice before getting their teens a cell or a texting plan, what did teens for 20 yrs ago when they needed to get in touch with parents or frineds? House phones? Pay phones? Wait, do you even see pay phones anywhere anymore? NEVER. More over when this quote mentions pregnancy I also believe that teenage girls have it a bit more harder than boys and you do hear parents in situation where they have a daughter and son around the same age and the son gets away with a lot more than they girl ever would because of the chances of her getting pregnant.

Christensen, " Unpacking the Myths that Bind Us." Post 3

Argument

The article, " Unpacking the Myths that Bind us," by Linda Christensen is an article where Christensen is expressing her feelings towards relatively recent children's television, and movies. She talks about common films that we all are familiar with such as Disney movies like Mullan and Aladdin. Some children's television she refers to is shows like Looney Tunes and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Christensen argument seems to be that these movies, and shows that children familiar themselves so much with these movies and shows that they ultimately influence the children, the way they act and how they represent the world around them. Some where along the line the hidden racism, sexism within these clips is imbedded in the minds of these young children.

I like when Christensen says, " Our society's culture industry colo­

nizes their minds and teaches them how to act, live, and dream." I believe in this same idea as well because everyday I work with 5 yr olds and they get so into a character form a show or movie that they look up to. For example I have one student who is constantly talking, acting and thinking about ironman. He gets so into character that he seems to forget that he is in school. More than once a day I have to remind him that he is, ( and I tell him his name) right now and not iron man. He makes sound effects and body motions as if he was ironman himself. More over I also can relate to Christensen when she mentions in her article about Beverly Tatum, who wrote the book, " Why are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?" And that particular part caught my eye because I always seem to notice, and or pay attention to things like that, and I have actually noticed that before. And I am sure it must be true for all ethnicities.

After reading this article, I couldn't help but to go to youtube and watch some Disney movie clips that represent these so called sexual oriented hidden secrets within the Disney movies, I don't know how to take the whole thing. I think it is weird, but at times it could be believable. More over the always popular Disney princesses, all my little 5 yr old girl students LOVE the Disney princesses, they all wear the clothes have the dolls, blankets, bedding sheets, the dance around and think its the best thing ever, but little do these little innocent girls realize is that they're being set up to think that they have to look a certain way. The princesses are always skinny, usually white and have curvy body frames. I also read somewhere that the newer of the Disney Princesses from the movie, " The princess and the Frog," she is a black princess, where that brought up plenty of talk, then the issue that her prince was white, and how a black prince wasn't good enough.

Grinner Hip Hop Sees no Color Talking Points #2

When reading Grinner’s article “ Hip Hop Has no Color,” Grinner uses the SCWAMP model Straight, Christian, White, Able-bodied, Male and Property Holding . It’s as if I almost knew where the article was going without even getting through the first couple of pages. As soon as she mentioned Save the Last Dance, I figured that Grinner was going to pick apart each and every detail of the film. Grinner is able to open your eyes and allow the reader to realize things that maybe they hadn’t noticed while watching the movie previously.

After reading the article I know if I was to re-watch the movie and pay attention to Grinners specific ideals of ideology in this movie it would be as if I was watching the movie for the first time, not just watching the movie for the entertainment aspect of it but more so for the true meaning behind it. I feel as though all movies based upon teenage, high school students all for the most part have the same plot, with a few twists along the way that make it different from the last one. It is as if you can tell what is going to happen in the movie without even watching it, or the whole thing. I found that Grinner’s observations were legitimate , but I feel like the person watching the film, depending of their cultural back-rounds will all have a different affect on them. I feel like what it comes down to is that everything through media is so stereotypical and self explanatory,you already know what to expect. Its all for money, and ratings.

I personally am not into movies that much I don’t ever go out of my way to watch a movie, so that is why is it hard for me to come up with movies that represent these ideal ideologies of Grinner, but I am mostly familiar with reality television. I am very familiar with MTV, I know from watching Teen Mom that the majority of the girls on that show are indeed white, and for the most part they are representing a stereotype that white people are typically not represented in through media. I don’t think media will ever change.