media vs REALITY

I found Mike Males' articles "Bashing Youth" and "Wild in Deceit" to be both a sad and necessary reality we must keep in mind as future educators. The research on media that Males performed was a wake-up call for me. Anytime an association with an acronym or name that sounds legitimate comes up in an article, we (or at least I) assume it to be the truth. However, the skewed statistics (and lies) that the media portray of teens are horrifying; heightened "teenage" pregnancy rates, out-of-control drug use, and an epidemic of STDs. This was a wake-up call to me because I just assume that these published statistics usually hold a bit more truth to them than what Males discovered. Although there were a few articles researched that directed more positive or truthful attitudes about teens, the majority of what we encounter and "hear through the grapevine" are that teens are bad. They are promiscuous. They are law-breakers, drug users, and apparently sex fiends. Males concludes his article with these words: "But these occasional exceptions do suggest how media responsibility could halt today's political assault on youth and heal spreading intergenerational hostilities." Obviously this is much more easily said (written) than done. However, as teachers of adolescents, we have some power and weight in these kids' lives. Keeping an open mind, not making assumptions, and providing a safe classroom environment are the beginnings of what we can do to turn around the bashing of youth in our society, by starting in our schools.

Finally, in "Wild in Deceit," I think Males made the crucial statement that so many are feared to say: "'teen violence' is poverty violence in disguise." A very large number of minorities in this country are living in poverty, and the stresses caused by poverty, according to criminologists often can lead to violence—not only among teens, but people of all ages. Males goes on to say that if the stats are reduced over every age group, teens in poverty are no more likely to commit violent crimes than adults over forty living in poverty. This has many implications for us as educators. First, teen violence will be more noticeable than adult violence because adolescents are the age group with which we are working. However, we alone can obviously not counteract the poverty in which these kids are living. All I can think to say now is that we need some serious education, economic, and social reform...

Society, Adolescence, Puberty.......

Saltman's article "Social Construction of Adolescence" left me with an unanswered question. After reading the piece, I appreciate the explanation that we must understand adolescence as a social construct because it is depend upon so many societal expectations and constructs. However, looking at adolescence in this light does not help me understand it any better. (<- that's my question.) I think it is incredibly important as an educator to (try to) understand these social constructs that are shaping our students, but at the same time, how do we go about doing this?

I recently wrote an essay on gender as a social construct, and, like Saltman's proposal of adolescence as a social construct, the essay was an explanation of what and why. I feel that as future teachers we need more than this; not an explanation of what is, but what to do with it. As Amy said, our UWM English Ed (not sure about History Ed) courses have steered quite clear of methods—and if adolescence is such a crucial time/construct (which it is), when do we learn how to teach and reach these kids???

As for chapter two, my feelings are similar to the others I've read in the class blogs. Basically what this chapter told me is that we must recognize the emotional, phsyical (=pubertal) changes that our students are going through. This is a time, especially for young girls, that quite truly is like hell. Depression, eating disorders, and so many [other] emotional factors can kick in and detract from a girl's life as a whole....and therefore from her education. We must focus on both, because when outside factors (i.e. social constructs of adolescence) are negatively affecting our students, we must somehow find a way to get the necessary content—our goals—into their great adolescent minds.

Anti-Oppressive Education (someday....)

Kumashiro's "Toward a Theory of Anti-Oppressive Education" presents us with the tragic reality that is American education. The education system in our country has always been an oppressive one from its inception, not allowing women, people of certain religions, people of color, and poor people to attend schools. Although much of this has changed, Kumashiro reminds us that our schools are still oppressive environments for many. Therefore, it is critical for schools to promote and provide safe environments. Kumashiro writes, "the school needs to provide separate spaces where studnets who face different forms of oppression can go for help, support, advocacy, resources, and so forth" (28). I went to a high school that served approximately 1800 students each year, as my own graduating class consisted of 666 students. However, there was no LBGTQ club or office, and not enough counselors to serve students. One guy I had been friends with since elementary school "came out" in seventh grade, and by ninth grade he was using marijuana daily and started using cocaine by sophomore year. His sexuality may not be the reason for this, but as Kumashiro includes, "some have [...] turned violence onto themselves by abusing drugs" (27).

Kumashiro also states that we must not ignore students' differences, but embrace them and empower all students. Obviously, it sounds much easier than it actually is, but doing so is possible. The most outstanding part of Kumashiro's article for me is when he states that rather than aiming for understanding "Othereds," anti-oppressive pedagogy "should aim for effect by having students engage with relevant aspects of critical theory and extend its terms of analysis to their own lives" (39). This holds an importance because no matter how hard we try to understand where someone is coming from, we can only truly understand ourselves.