Social Studies teachers have a gem in HBOs award winning show, Game of Thrones. As a senior in college, I used the show to explore the gender binary in a sociology class. The show was only on the end of season 4 when I wrote this original work and research. Since then, we've had the #metoo movement, Cersai Lannister has declared her self queen of the Seven Kingdoms, and Danyarias Targaryeon has declared herself the rightful heir to the iron throne. Women are a powerful force in the world of Westeros. Perhaps further study on gendered roles in Game of Thrones is warranted and perhaps HBO could release a clean version for schools to use. There are many more lesson to teach from this series. Here is my contribution original to Sociology that earned me an A+ in my class. Research Question By definition, revising the binary means that the stories that are told stretch or modify it in some way. This is often times done by critiquing or expanding it. This study will explore how the characters, Aria Stark and Brienne of Tar on HBO’s Game of Thrones, revise the binary by expanding the definition. The expansion happens through the course of the series with Aria being introduced initially and the character of Brie’s introduction during the second season. Game of Thrones uses gender display and gendered practices to revise the binary by displaying these female characters on the more masculine end of the binary but they are extremely potent, driven, vindictive, loyal and lethal, all characteristics that are normally embodied by male characters. Justification This research will show us that there are multiple ways of being a man or a woman that include embodying a larger spectrum of characteristics and qualities that are not normally allowed in the binary. Data was gathered quantitatively by watching portions of the episodes where the two characters are the subject matter from all four seasons of the show. The focal point of the study was divided into three sections: 1) Gender Expression 2) Gender Practices and 3) Gender Accountability. I found that the characters Aria and Brienne do expand the binary within the show by showing character traits that are more in line with the male descriptors in the binary. Their gender practices are overwhelmingly masculine, except when femininity works in their advantage with a male opponent. The character Aria was more than likely to be held accountable by females through punishment. Brienne’s character was held accountable through discouragement by male characters in the show. Literature Review Andrea Wright’s article “A Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing? The Problematic representation of women and the female body in 1980’s sword and sorcery cinema” is a perfect backdrop for the study of the expansion of the binary in Game of Thrones because it gives us a historical basis of that expansion. Although Wright’s position is one that presents the expansion as a problem rooted in the objectification of women in characters such as Red Sonja, Ripley in Aliens, and Sarah Conner in Terminator 2, she provides characteristics that run through the narrative of later films and television that expand the binary. The female bodies discussed in the article “confound the bianaristic logic in a number of ways, for they access a range of emotions, skills, and abilities which have been traditionally defined as either “masculine” or “feminine,” but because characters like Red Sonja are objectified, they aren’t really “transformative.”(Wright:405) The characters of Ripley and Sarah Conner are seen as “desexualized heroines” that have to “sacrifice their femininity and risk accusations that they operate outside the norms of heterosexual identity and, by acquiring proficiency with weapons, they are essentially pretending to be men.” (Wright:403) Red Sonja is an accomplished swordsman with an androgynous look and can be compared to Conner and Ripley, but her dress is totally opposite. She is scantly clad the entire movie whereas Conner and Ripley’s attire is “shapeless”(Wright:403). According to Wright, Red Sonja’s character is in a constant battle to be normalized back into heterosexuality and the fight at the end of the movie with the Queen who’s sexuality is considered suspect is the ultimate act to return to the heterosexual. Wright discussed an additional character from the film Conan the Destroyer, Zula. Zula is androgynous, flat chested, muscular and catlike.(406). She is capable of fighting her own battles and pledges her service after being freed by Conan. The character is not brought back into the heterosexual fold in the film and she is asked to be the Captain of Queen Jena’s guard because she “sees no reason why a woman could not do the job as well as a man.”(Wright: 407). The warrior women in the article are those fighting for the good of their respective kingdoms. The women who lust after power in the films are warnings of the consequences of operating “outside accepted gender roles and as such can be transgressive sexually and socially.”(Wright: 407). By making the lustful women the villains of these films, “the narratives reinforce the patriarchal structure.” (Wright:410) Most of the characters that accept the expansion of the roles have been “subjected to rape” and have witnessed their families murders, which calls how a woman becomes “tough.” The article argues “the childhood memory of an extreme act of violence drives these women to become tough.”(Wright: 402). Overall, Wright’s “Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing” provides a basis to compare and contrast media’s representation of a warrior woman, but it focuses primarily on how the expansion of the roles of women are discouraged because of the fear of deviance. Some of these assumptions and theories are retold in the narrative of different characters in Game of Thrones, namely Brienne and Aria as warrior women whose narratives expand the binary. Methodology Sample and Sample Procedure Game of Thrones, a cable television show in the fantasy genre, works in several characters to revise the binary for women on both ends of the spectrum. This study focuses on how the binary is expanded for two characters, Aria Stark and Brienne of Tarth. I reviewed twelve episodes across four seasons of the show that were selected based on whether or not the characters were in the episode. The character do not appear in scenes together until the last episode of the fourth season. Time limitations prevented the examination of every episode that the actresses are in. Dependent Variables We examined gender expression based on key terms that are traditionally used to describe male and female characteristics. For example, the male characteristics included aggressive, non-emotional, independent, and rebellious, while the female characteristics included passive, cooperative, emotional and submissive. Whenever the character showed any of the characteristics names, it was counted as one form of expression. We did not divide the expression up based on who the character was interacting with, but rather examined male and female interactions across the board. To examine gender practices, or acts that are classified as male or female that fall within the binary to reinforce it, terms were selected that describe acts that fall within things considered female and male within the binary For example, female indicators included giggling, romantic notions, nurturing or care-taking, and worrying about appearance. For the male side of the spectrum, practices such as fighting, killing and strategizing served as descriptors. To analyze gender accountability, we pre-identified descriptors that mirrored each other for male and female interactions that included whether or not the expansionist behavior was encouraged or discouraged, and whether or not it was rewarded or punished. This category was divided based on gender to examine attitudes towards the expansion and to see if the binary was being upheld by the other characters in the show. Concepts of Interest The study examines the expansion of the binary from a female perspective and hopefully shows the audience that the show is built around acceptance of the expansion. The character Brienne of Tarth is a foreshadowed version of what Aria Stark could become provided she continues down the same path and Brienne, through the expansion and even though she masks them well, still retains some of her feminine characteristics and is acknowledged as a female. We’ll examine the percentage of times these characters were encouraged to expand the binary, punished because of the expansion, or rewarded. Research Procedure The coding sheets were organized under the following sections: 1) Gender Expression 2) Gender Practices and 3) Gender Accountability with sections for notes to document details in the interactions. The data was compiled onto spreadsheets to analyze percentages dealing with the behaviors in question. Findings Gender Expression Methodology Sample and Sample Procedure Game of Thrones, a cable television show in the fantasy genre, works in several characters to revise the binary for women on both ends of the spectrum. This study focuses on how the binary is expanded for two characters, Aria Stark and Brienne of Tarth. I reviewed twelve episodes across four seasons of the show that were selected based on whether or not the characters were in the episode. The character do not appear in scenes together until the last episode of the fourth season. Time limitations prevented the examination of every episode that the actresses are in. Dependent Variables We examined gender expression based on key terms that are traditionally used to describe male and female characteristics. For example, the male characteristics included aggressive, non-emotional, independent, and rebellious, while the female characteristics included passive, cooperative, emotional and submissive. Whenever the character showed any of the characteristics names, it was counted as one form of expression. We did not divide the expression up based on who the character was interacting with, but rather examined male and female interactions across the board. To examine gender practices, or acts that are classified as male or female that fall within the binary to reinforce it, terms were selected that describe acts that fall within things considered female and male within the binary For example, female indicators included giggling, romantic notions, nurturing or care-taking, and worrying about appearance. For the male side of the spectrum, practices such as fighting, killing and strategizing served as descriptors. To analyze gender accountability, we pre-identified descriptors that mirrored each other for male and female interactions that included whether or not the expansionist behavior was encouraged or discouraged, and whether or not it was rewarded or punished. This category was divided based on gender to examine attitudes towards the expansion and to see if the binary was being upheld by the other characters in the show. Concepts of Interest The study examines the expansion of the binary from a female perspective and hopefully shows the audience that the show is built around acceptance of the expansion. The character Brienne of Tarth is a foreshadowed version of what Aria Stark could become provided she continues down the same path and Brienne, through the expansion and even though she masks them well, still retains some of her feminine characteristics and is acknowledged as a female. We’ll examine the percentage of times these characters were encouraged to expand the binary, punished because of the expansion, or rewarded. Research Procedure The coding sheets were organized under the following sections: 1) Gender Expression 2) Gender Practices and 3) Gender Accountability with sections for notes to document details in the interactions. The data was compiled onto spreadsheets to analyze percentages dealing with the behaviors in question. Findings Gender Expression The character Aria Stark , expresses herself on the masculine side of the binary 87% of the time she interacts with other characters. The main expressions include aggression and lack of emotion (see table 1.1). Aria’s highest rated female expression was emotion, occurring 6% of the time and mainly due to unexpected deaths or when it served her purpose to kill. For example, in Season 3 Episode 10, Aria uses her emotions and femininity to seize an opportunity to kill an enemy. Aria’s character has to learn to survive after the incarceration of her father in Season one, so she becomes more aggressive while living on he streets of Kings Landing. We see this when she catches a pigeon and wrings it neck effortlessly. She also argues aggressively with a baker over food. Aria is ready to fight to free him at his beheading and she whimpers when it happens, but is immediately immersed into a non-emotive mindset or is encouraged to act like a boy by the guard from the Night’s Watch to protect herself. The character Brienne of Tarth’s expressed traits associated with the masculine side of the binary 70% of the time with the highest areas being aggressive and strong. Brienne’s character is often more accommodating and offers her support to the masculine characters so of the episodes reviewed. She scored high on the feminine side of the binary for being emotional, tactful and supportive. (See table 1.2) Brienne often used pleasantries such as “if it please you” and “If you’re quite finished” before she began rebuttals. She also used pleasantries in an innocent manner like when she met Aria and The Hound on the road in Episode 10 of Season 4. Brienne opened the interaction with a hearty good morning and immediately began to ask for directions to the Vale. In contrast, Aria Stark is cold and guarded in her interactions with others. She rarely uses pleasantries and was described by Queen Cercie as “wild as that animal of hers” when she was brought before King Robert during the incident on the King’s road in Episode 2 of Season 1. Brienne and Aria have commonalities that support their move to towards the masculine side of the binary that can be compared to the characters from the Wright article’s discussion of Red Sonja and the desire to enact revenge as well as the idea that women become tough because they witness some tragic event. Brienne declares that she never knew her mother and although we don’t know why, it is assumed that something tragic happened to her. Aria was present at the beheading of her father and seeks revenge of those who had them murdered, so she embodies the idea that warrior women draws from the memory of “an extreme act of violence” from their childhood that causes them to become tough. (Wright: 402) Gendered Practices Gendered practices for Aria and Brienne are closely related because they are both warrior women. Aria’s gendered practices fell in the masculine side of the binary 87% of the time while Brienne’s fell in the masculine binary 71% of the time for the episodes that were reviewed. This can be attributed to Brienne’s age and experience as well as her late introduction in the series. As mentioned previously, Brienne is also well mannered. Aria’s practices were overwhelmingly masculine with about 35% of her practices falling in fighting or plotting. Aria is feisty and unafraid. She willingly takes up arms to fight with the party of men she is traveling to the wall with, defends Robert Baratheon’s bastard son by lying about his identity, and even frees prisoners during the battle. In Season 2 when she is captured along with her friends and taken to Harenhall, she watches the tortures with eyes wide open just as her brother Bran did at the beginning of the series when Ned Stark beheaded a Nights Watch deserter. She sleeps in the rain and refuses to kneel even when threatened by the sword. By Season 3 Episode 10, we see Aria make her first kill. She does it because the soldier was talking about her deceased brother, who she didn’t physically see murdered even though she was in the vicinity when it happened. This reinforces the notion that acts of violence drive warrior women towards vengeance and toughness. The practice of killing comes in at 12% with training for combat with her sword needle, coming in at 15% overall. Brienne, more mature and mannered, spends an overwhelming time fighting with 59% of her practices falling in that category. She was the King Renly’s captain of the guard and it is possible to explore the appointment from a standpoint of Remly being a homosexual king with limited combat experience. She becomes his captain after she defeats his lover, who happens to be one of the most talented swordsmen in the seven kingdoms, Lance Tyrell. This is reminiscent of Zula’s appointment to captain of the guard in Conan the Destroyer mentioned in Wright’s “Sheep in Wolf’s clothing” article from the literature review. Brienne constantly pledges her services to someone in the series whether King Remly Bartheon, Catelyn Stark, or Jaime Lannister. Her actions place her gendered practices in the female realm with 18% of her overall practices falling under being a care taker. We also see a glimpse of romantic notions when she is pressed by Jaime Lannister during their travels. Perhaps Brienne was in love with Renly and Jaime’s presence helps us uncover a softer side of Brienne but we see her pledge herself to Jaime when he saves her from rape after they are caught on the Kings Road by men of the house of Fray. Jaime looses his hand as a result of his negotiations to protect Brienne and she feels the need to protect him from that episode until she helps him return safely to Kings Landing. Jaime gives her a sword and she named it “Oath Keeper” and we see that in her character. This sentimentality falls on the feminine side of the binary and sharply contrasts the theme of the show because no masculine characters keep their oaths in Game of Thrones. Gender Accountability Aria’s journey takes her from being a young girl in the Red Keep to living on the street and later living as a little boy. She has a pivotal moment in Episode 3 of Season 2 when she asks the Nights Watchman “how do you sleep when you’ve seen things, horrible things.” He explained that he too saw his family member murdered and every night he called the name of the murderer out until her ran into him one day. He killed him and took the black to be sent to the wall. Later in that episode, the Nights Watchman was murdered by the King’s guard and Aria adopting his method of revenge begins to repeat the names of those who she wants revenge nightly. He indirectly encouraged her to expand the binary and seek revenge. Aria is held accountable for the expansion of the binary during female interactions and is punished 57% of the time overall. She is encouraged 46% of the time when interacting with male characters. The Hound becomes a mentor to her during Season 3 even though he is holding her captive for ransom. She is rewarded with her own pony in Season 4 for assisting him during a fight in a rural tavern. She also kills two soldiers during the conflict and reclaims her precious sword given to her by her John Snow, Needle. Brienne’s story is unusual. All of her interactions with female characters are encouraging her in her expansion of the binary. Catelyn Stark encourages her to be brave and follow her own path by leaving Remly’s tent before the soldiers come to kill her because she failed to protect the king. When she meets Majorie and her grandmother in the garden at Kings Landing, Lady Terrell comments that she is simply fabulous to see in person. Brienne’s interactions with men are overwhelmingly discouraging and she faces the possibility of rape as a punishment. The gender balance is restored, much like in the “Sheep in Wolf’s clothing” article because Jaime is there to help her escape rape. He also advised her not to fight and that conversation brought up an interesting perspective on gender: Jaime: When we make camp tonight, you’ll be raped…more than once. None of these fellows have ever been with a noble woman. You’ll be wise not to resist. If you do, they’ll knock your teeth out. Brienne: You think I care about my teeth? Jaime: No I don’t think you care about your teeth. If you fight them, they’ll kill you. Do you understand? I’m the prisoner of value not you. Let them have what they want. What does it matter? Brienne: What does it matter? Jaime: Close your eyes and pretend they’re Remly. Brienne: If you were a woman you wouldn’t resist? You’d let them do what they wanted? Jaime: If I was a woman, I’d make them kill me. I’m not afraid of the Gods. The interaction is full of contradictions that expand the binary. Brienne doesn’t care about her appearance, which is not very feminine, yet she doesn’t want to be violated which is considered a very feminine trait. Her character obviously doesn’t subscribe to the sexual deviant nature that most, who retell the binary, attribute to a person who identifies more with the masculine expression as a warning on what becomes of those who chose to deviate from the binary. Jaime, in his advice not only discourages Brienne from fighting back, but in a twist of words when the same fate is proposed to his male body, encourages her, quite hypocritically, to fight to the death. Conclusion The ending of season four, can be studied quantitatively, but Brienne and Aria intersect in the final episode of Season 4 when they meet each other on the road to the Vale, so a qualitative approach best describes the findings. The positive affirmation of Aria’s gender expression takes place when Brienne sees Aria practicing her Braviarian water dance with her sword Needle. Aria begins to ask questions about Brienne’s training after they exchange pleasantries. In their exchange, we discover that Brienne’s father reluctantly trained her after she kept fighting with the boys. Aria’s training was also condoned by her father after discovering Aria’s sword among her personal items when they moved to Kings Landing. The intersection of their stories provides Aria with a glimpse of what she could become if she continues on the same path, and exposes the nurturing and catering side of Brienne, feminine characteristic that Aria has rejected during the entire show. Swearing to keep her oath to Catelyn Stark, Brienne proposes that she was to take Aria to safety, but as mentioned previously, oaths mean nothing in the masculine world of Game of Thrones. Aria totally rejects the notion of protection and prefers to remain independent. The Hound, Aria’s influencer, encourages her to remain independent indirectly when he states that safety doesn’t exist anywhere in the seven kingdoms and points out that Brienne had to have been paid by Lannister gold. The Hound, who had been holding Aria loosely captive up until this point and served as Aria’s role model, quickly intervenes and a fight ensues. Brienne defeats The Hound in a sword fight, but not before they fist fight and she prevails. Brienne, determined to keep her oath, continues to call for Aria, but Aria hides from one who could possibly mentor her. I suspect that Aria didn’t identify with what could be considered a weak feminine trait in Brienne, her attempt to nurture her. The most compelling moment at the close of the episode was how Aria, ice-cold and determined, leaves the Hound to die on the side of the mountain after stealing the silver he stole from a farmer. Before she leaves, the Hound states: Killed by a woman. I bet you like that. Go on after her. She’ll help you. Going on alone… You won’t last a day out there. Aria responds “I’ll last longer than you.” She also refused to kill him simply because he asked her to. Aria had her revenge and remained determined to travel alone. This female character is aggressive, controlled, emotionless, strong, dominant and self confident. Experience taught her to reject her feminine sensibilities. This scene clearly displays the expansion of the binary for the character Aria in Game of Thrones. This analysis is limited because the show has not come to a conclusion, but further study is warranted to determine if public attitude toward an expanded binary will have lasting effects or if will the stories keep reinforcing the binary. Works Cited Wright, Andrea. “A sheep in wolf’s clothing? The problematic representation of women and the female body in 1980s sword and sorcery cinema” Journal of Gender Studies. Vol. 21, No. 4, December 2012, pg. 401–411 Woodard, Bianca. Content Analysis on Game of Thrones Seasons 1-4. Game of Throne Seasons 1-4, HBO Entertainment
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Jordan Peele's "Us" is thought provoking for Social Studies and Human Geography teachers...3/24/2019 Well let me say this first... "Us" is not a very good horror movie... It is supposed to be more. If you go in the mind frame that you are going to be scared, think again. Make sure you have someone to talk to after the movie is over because dialog (in my opinion) is necessary after a movie like this one. I went to see Us on Friday night with a group of friends. I was scared up until the point that the family in the driveway made their way into the house and then I said to myself.. "Self" and my self said "huh?" So I said "There has to be more to this movie than just the mere duplication of a 1980s B Horror movie like Squirms of Poltergeist 2. There has to be a deeper meaning." I searched for other reviews and also considered the symbolism in the movie. Then at the end I saw a classroom, black board, and rabbit cages. I had 10,000,000 symbolic things running through my mind about education... Are we just churning out robotic rabbits in our classrooms.... Is there no real meaning in education in the United States.... Are we programming students to be just like the next person Think of our antiquated educational system... rows just like the industrial revolution... Some places lack access to technology. Some students are soooo busy trying to be like the next person or better according to standardized tests that they lose themselves like RED and the main character. Are we perpetuating a situation where students will only know how to mimic what is being shown or are we producing a generation of creators? Are we fostering creativity in our classrooms Is Us really just Us or does it mean US= United States. It could go both ways... Colton, also referred to as tantalum, is a metallic ore from which the very similar elements niobium, also known as columbium, and tantalum are extracted. This substance is necessary for cell phones and other technologies. 70% of its deposits are in the Congo. The DRC is in a constant state of unrest and war, yet we continue to buy the latest and greatest cell phone. The pictures demonstrate how they mine this substance. Perhaps the following could be true:
We should be asking tech companies to divest in this type of labor and find safer solutions for devices. Jordan Peele made a crazy movie on the surface but dig deeper. We are in blind compliance and support of some things that appear harmless on the surface but underneath are horrific. #Imjustsaying #dontcomeformeunlessyouhavefacts #DRC #morethanblooddiamonds #neverforget #learnhistory #itsAPHumanGeographysfault #documentaryqueen
My most recent assignment in my social studies class is a children's book on a topic dealing with the constitution. I assigned each student in each class a different topic.
Examples: Three Fifths Compromise The First Amendment The Federalist Papers Anti Federalists Federalists Charles Pinckney Each student had to research their topic and then weave the information in a children's story. I wanted to motive the students to be creative so I created my own book about the project. Check it out below. I wrote it based on the power of collaboration between teachers. A coworker and friend recommended the website for the book, storybird.com. I cannot wait to see and share what my students create. My assistant principal is looking for ways that we can publish a hard copy of each student's book. FAB!!!
I was a part of the ADE team that traveled to Elkhart Indiana to conduct professional development for about 450 teachers today. I had a ball. It felt good to share best practices and a little bit of what works in my classroom as well as footage from what works in my classroom with a group of enthusiastic teachers such as the ones that I encountered today. My session was about games that can be used in the classroom to help students have fun, collaborate, and learn all in one swoop. I started off with riddles and we had a bit of fun with plickers QR codes as a form of formative assessment. I continued with games for formative assessment that are individual and those that can be used for collaboration. The teachers played a round of Quizizz as individuals and we compared it to the Kahoot experience. Kahoot is well known but Quizizz (in my opinion) is a better option. The teachers loved the memes and the fact that you can play at your own pace. They also mentioned that they loved the reporting that you can get from Quizizz as well as the ability to customize their quizzes. It was fun, but we really had a blast when the teachers played the collaborative game of Quizlet Live. I had 55 students at one time who really didn’t know each other’s names. They had to travel around to find their teams and they we started the game. Man! Those teachers had a blast! There were the same moans and groans that I hear in my classroom when my students play and the same sound of triumph when a group of teachers won! It was so much FUN. I believe that I am the mistress of fun stuff in the classroom so I will definitely so this workshop again! Please see the workshop presentation below... I recently signed up for a Gifted and Talented endorsement course and it is bringing up all kinds of memories of my childhood. As a part of the first assignment, we had to watch Randy Paush's Last Lecture video on Youtube. Let me tell you... if you haven't seen it, it is extremely moving and reminded me of why I initially got into education in the first place. Randy Paush lived a full life in the short time the he had here on earth and he laid a blueprint for listeners and his children to follow their childhood dreams. He made a simple yet profound statement:
"Brick walls are there to stop people who don't want it badly enough." It made me reflect on my childhood dreams and how I sat inside for days at a time trying to program a Tandy computer to make a smiley face by typing a million lines of code. I reflected on the first play I was in in elementary school, A Computer for Christmas, and how having a computer in your home was a Jetson fantasy at the time. I reflect on how I dreamed of a day that I could get all of my emails and websites and "stuff" in one device. It made me think of my first iPhone and how I felt like part of a special club! I reflected on sneaking in the computer lab as an undergrad student at Augusta State University to create my own website on Homestead. I thought about how I used to reward myself for studying by waiting in the telnet chat room to chat with students around the nation as an undergrad. It reminded me of the sound of dial up internet and how I had to sneak to have it installed when I came home from college. I reflect on the radio broadcast and podcast I created along with my website. I was a gospel music correspondent for about 4 years because I ran into the brick wall of boredom at my old job. I needed something to do that required me to learn something new. So I created a website, interviewed artists, became a red carpet correspondent and hosted a radio show for a while. I was never formally trained to do any of it. I simply had a curiosity and a drive to do it. I've always had an affinity for technology. Technology comes to me naturally because I can take the brick walls in education and go around them with technology. I've become so used to going around the wall that I often wonder if life throws them up to make sure I am constantly thinking on my feet. Another thing that Randy Paush said was that he had a deathbed conversion. He switched to Apple products (he called them Macintosh). I had a similar conversion when I started my website. I received a bonus at work (because I'm fabulous lol) and I decided that I would stop stalking the MacBook. I wanted to buy it, but I wanted to buy it because I wanted the features that came standard (Garage Band, iMovie) because I was entering the world of media. I'll never forget the experience I had in the Apple Store. I willingly handed over cash money for my purchase and I was treated like royalty. I never experienced that feeling for any other purchase. I was hooked. When I got my MacBook Pro home, it felt like someone had turned on the power after a storm. The vibrancy of the color and the functionality was AMAZING. Why am I saying all of this? I'm saying it because our lives are a series of choices. Our lives are the sum total of the decisions we make. If you don't like your life, make a different decision. I made a decision to convert to Apple and I haven't looked back since. I made a decision to step outside the box and ask a young lady how she became an ADE. I made a decision to become an Apple Teacher. I made a decision to submit an application to become an ADE. Because of those decisions, I've met so many wonderful people and I've had some opportunities to share what I love to do- infuse technology into education. I was created to solve a problem. So were you. How many issues are there in education? Well, let's not count....Anything is possible when we believe and do more than try. We can solve problems. We have the capacity to create worlds and inspire those we teach to take it to the next level. I'm determined to take what I've been given (life) and make a difference in this world. Brick walls are merely there to show us our level of dedication. Don't let those brick walls stop you. Teachers tend not to share enough of what they are doing in their classrooms and are afraid of the criticism. This weekend I learned that you should accept feedback without the attempt to justify or argue why you did what you did. You should simply say thank you and use it to either validate what you’re doing or make adjustments.
Oftentimes, as teachers, we tend to lean more towards the defensive because we feel like no one else knows our students or our content area the way that we do. That approach to teaching is limiting and mediocre at best. We should learn to simply say thank you. That exercise was powerful in itself. Another great practice that we learned in our sessions was the “Yes, and” method. It is great to alleviate the “but” syndrome that we all tend to use when we are giving feedback. Everyone knows that using a but in your sentence simply says that what you really wanted to say is after the but. When you use “yes, and” you are showing agreement and you’re adding to the discussion without judgement. It forces you to choose your words and consider the person’s feelings. We also worked on “I wonder if” while we gave feedback. It’s a less combative way to start recipients on a pathway of considering what you’re actually saying and it’s gives you a format for creativity. Let's face it. Feedback can be uncomfortable for most and many don't want anyone else to see the chink in their perfect armor, but we aren't all perfect huh? We're actually better together so let's just say thank you, reflect and implement suggestions. If you are like most teachers, you loathe the call for normal professional development. To be honest, most of the time professional development is DRY. I've found a way to keep up with the latest and greatest.
Twitter. Twitter is a GOLD MINE filled with information and everyone shares freely. I recently saw a post on Augmented reality in a classroom and I had to have the information. Needless to say, I've created 4 lessons with a new app. As a educator, we are always learning and we should constantly build our professional network. You can follow educators from around the world and collaborate with them on anything. You can follow ed chats and contribute to the conversation. It's never to late to create an account and they are free. Try any of these hashtags in the search option and so much information and good stuff will show up! #adedu #ADEchat - Apple Distinguished Educator chats are held on Tuesday at 9:00pm EST. #edchat #edtech #engchat #satchat #pblchat #joyfulleaders Enjoy these inforgraphics and quote cards I found on Twitter! GO forth! Have fun! Teach with HOPE!!! Follow me on twitter @sstudieschic Apple recently introduced a new tool for your technological toolbox. It's called Apple Clips. Now before you start to think that this is just another app to clog the memory on your device, please know that you can use it personally to enhance short videos and you can also use it in your classroom for formative assessment and projects. Here are some uses that I've settled on for social studies. 1. KWL- Instead of using the traditional pen and paper KWL chart, have the students create a clip explaining what they know, what they want to know and what they've learned. It eliminates the need for paper and the students can share with the class or a friend. The topics are limitless. 2. Capture Field Studies Trips with clips, annotate, and make it so interesting and fun that those classmates who opted to stay home will be JEALOUS! There are all kinds of filters and overlays that you can add to make your creation unique. 3. 3-2-1. Students can use Clips to complete a closure exercise at the end of a reading or a lesson. They can list 3 things that they learned, 2 things they found interesting and one thing they'd like to know more about. 4. Analyze a political cartoon or work of art. Students can zoom in and out of political cartoons to highlight different aspects of the picture. Students can voice over and even use the dictation feature on clips. 5. R.A.F.T. This strategy is normally used as a writing to learn strategy. You can do the same thing with clips. If you need to know how to use clips, I discovered the great tutorial below that you can use to assist you on your quest to integrate technology into your social studies classroom. Have fun and happy creating!! There has been discussion on all of the weekend news shows about our 45th President's attack on the "fake news" and his unorthodox way of handling the press. As a social studies teacher, we have to deal with questions from children about these very topics. I like to approach them with my "what's old is new" way of deciphering information. I think about to John Adams' administration and the Alien and Sedition Acts when it was illegal to speak out against the government in newspapers and several newspaper editors ended up in jail. For the sake of SC history, Thomas Cooper ended up in jail. These acts prompted Thomas Jefferson and James Madison to write the Virginia and Kentucky resolutions that started the states rights movement. This movement was a sleeping giant that eventually led to the Civil War once John C. Calhoun picked it up and took it to the next level with nullification and secession theory.
What can happen in 2017? It all depends on the American people. We have to learn how to listen objectively to the news. The media is for our protection and is designed to keep us informed. Democracy is all about holding each branch accountable. If 45 doesn't want us to know what goes on behind the gates of the White House, that's too bad. It's okay to dislike the press, but it's quite another to claim that they are "the enemy of the American People." Our free press should be free of political influence and although it isn't, they have done a great job of pulling the covers off when needed. Although closely related, PR is a different discipline from journalism. Journalists are looking for the story and the truth. The Public Relations firm is looking for the spin. We accept both in our democracy because we have the freedom of speech. Will we always know the complete and total truth? Perhaps not, but at least it isn't whitewashed suppression like some of the communist and authoritarian regimes out there. If we think about John Adams, we know he was a one term president that was overly concerned about his image in the press. He had an axe to grind. He was a ONE TERM President. Do we perceive that 45 will make it the entire term? I don't believe so, but stranger things have happened in the last 6 months. John McCain stated that every dictatorship in history began with an attack on the press. Some say 45 (a bully) needs an opponent, so he's taking on the press. Will he be successful? Should he be successful? USA Today is reporting that Shepard Smith from Fox news has defected from the 45 honeymoon camp. They presented tweets from Trump calling for his resignation and his blind followers echoing the sentiment. Is this mob rule and unstable leadership? hmmm.... What are your thoughts on this latest "crisis in the White House?" We'll be monitoring the situation. |
AuthorBianca Woodard is a social studies teacher at Midland Valley High School. She's an Apple Distinguished Educator (2017) and a Microsoft Certified Trainer. Archives
April 2019
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