Group Teach!

Ok...this is my schedule.

Mondays: Class 12-1:50 ... Class 4-7:20
Teusdays: Work 8-12 ... Class 12:30-1:45 ... Class 4-5:15 ... Class 6-9:30
Wednesdays: Work 8-11:30 ... Class 12-1:50 ...Work 2-6
Thursdays: Work 8-12 ... Class 12:30-1:45 ... Class 4-5:15
Fridays: Work 8-1

This weekend (Nov. 2-4) I'll be home too.

I know this is a tough schedule to work with, but if anyone can meet at all, let me know!

Comments on Group #3

I really enjoyed this group's presentation because there were so many things and ideas that were discussed to go along with the ideas of Social Injustice. The first day's activity with the advertisements brought out the idea of working with everyday objects we don't really put much thought into, and the activity with the Disney films and the story book helped to bring out ideas with things we've always known but never really second guessed. There's a lot of different ways to approach Social Injustice, and the writing about it, and this group did a great job with just beginning to approach the many ideas that can easily flow from this subject. Creatively, I found this group to be working from any and all aspects of creativity. They used all of our senses in the projects we were involved in, and they kept us involved all the way through. With every exercise presented, there was something to go along with it. There was nothing left hanging and every issue was discussed. I really enjoyed this group's efforts toward putting forth the many thoughts and theories of social injustice. Not only were racial topics approached, but self-esteem, history, entertainment and media, as well as personal issues in society as well. I was surprised with how much was able to be fit into such a short period of time too, and it helped to show how easy it can be to approach social issues and the many ways it impacts all of our lives. From childhood to adulthood, we can see the stereotypes we've discussed, the differences throughout the years and the differences throughout the many societies in the world as well.

Dear Disney,

Wow! After growing up and not being led under the guise of a child's innocence, I have noticed so many overtly racist things in your movies. Images of the Native Americans as "Red Men" or "Injuns" in "Peter Pan", literally colored a bright cherry-red, and dancing around and talking as simplistic as can be, I have found myself in shock. Portrayals of the Native Americans in your child-focused eyes have brought many racist thoughts to my head. And, as I look back on other Disney films, I see the same amount of shocking descriptions of people and cultures. Again, with the Native Americans in "Pocahontas", we see a better version than previously developed, but still have that undertone of bigotry when discussing and developing their culture. Also, this is extremely prevelent when looking at other movies such as "Dumbo" and "Aladdin". In "Dumbo" we see a literal working of black face, which is a technique used in minstrel theatres in history to portray African-Americans. No matter if it was a white man or a black man being depicted on the stage, their faces were covered in black face, a tone of black as black as can be. And, in this Disney film, all of these African-Americans are greatly portrayed in black face and they have no other characteristics drawn out. All they are said to do is to be constantly working and losing all the money that they make. But, we see a drastic difference in the description of the Arab culture by the physical characteristics put together. The large noses, the big eyes, the small stature; all of which are stereotypical characteristics of an Arab person. The saddest thing here, is that these are all just breif examples I have found within the many films you have produced. As a child, I always enjoyed your movies, and I still do. My only problem, is that I look at them through a new window of bigotry and stereotyping. I, as an adult, no better than to belief everything you have put out to the public. But, my biggest concern is that the rest of the population probably does not. As a company greatly known for children's movies and being incorporated into all children's lives, I simply wish for you to be aware of the impact you make and actually do something about it.

Fake is for Last Night, Not Handbags

I had a different ad previously, but found this one afterward. It is an advertisement for an energy drink, did you think that right away? I first looked at it and thought something completely different and didn't realize it was for an advertisement for an energy drink. Just the saying that's bold across the ad "Fake is for last night, not handbags" doesn't really relate to handbags. It quite relates to the fact that women are fake on dates, as the picture behind the saying shows a woman at a restaurant. But, it's all about the energy drink giving the woman energy for the date and for the night ahead. Obviously it's got a sexual connotation toward women needing a type of sexual energy that she can get from the energy drink. The ad doesn't even show the woman's face, it shows just her body, and it doesn't show her "date" either. This ad is selling a type of sexuality for women in a drink.

So, in my commercial or advertisement for a women's energy drink, I think I would just have a bunch of girls hanging out just doing whatever. And, I would have all different types of women together, any size and any race, any stereotype, drinking the energy drink with some saying like "Keep the energy going" going across the ad. With this change, it doesn't rely on any sexuality and basing attractiveness on the advertisement. Instead, it promotes the idea of simply hanging out and having fun with anyone and everyone.

Mmmmm...Moolatte

One of my favorite commercials is actually an older one, it's a Dairy Queen Moolatte commercial. There's a woman in a room with a blindfold on and with two scientists and there's two cups sitting in front of the woman. The scientists ask her to try both drinks and see which one tasted better. She tries them and obviously likes the Moolatte, but then they try to take the Moolatte away from her and she freaks out and tries run out of the room with the drink. Of course, she's still got the blindfold on and so she ends up running into the wall while trying to get out of the room.

I just like this commercial because it's funny and it always made me laugh.

I wish I were a boy when...

...I first started playing soccer. I started playing soccer when I was in fourth grade, the only thing was that my school didn't have the sport. So, I had to go to one of the next towns over in order to play, which I loved because it was completely different surroundings and people than I'd known before. The only thing that was bothersome was the fact that at my own school, I was the only girl to be interested in playing soccer. Not many people in general were interested in the sport, but the few who were ended up being boys. I was constantly made fun of for being the only girl at my school playing soccer, even though I played on a girls team! It didn't matter though...until one day I convinced some of my girl friends to go practice with me one day. They ended up loving it! Before they came to my practice all I wished was that I could play on the boys team and not have any worries with it, but it got so much better when I got others interested. By the time I was in high school I'd gotten enough girls interested to start a soccer club, which consisted of all girls because the boys weren't interested anymore. By that point, I didn't wish I was a boy that was interested in soccer anymore. At first I felt that way because I thought that it would have been easier to handle, but I soon found out that girls were tougher than boys when my girls team scrimmaged the boys and won 5-0. A turning point in life, boys make fun of girls only because we're better and stronger!

Just Kidding! I don't completely believe that...

Chapter 14

I felt that this chapter was very important because it discussed what all of us are thinking, that multi-genre writing is something that needs to be incorporated into the classroom. I'm sure that many of us have hardly ever experienced such a style in writing, at least not until college. I believe that is not only because it is not introduced to the students in high school, but because teachers aren't really comfortable with it either. As a creative writer myself, I feel that it is much more important to begin a focus on multi-genre writing in order to help encourage the creative writers constantly being shut down by high standards of formality. Multi-genre works gives a writer the chance to be creative and use what they really know to do so. This chapter was very significant reading because of all the reasons stated above, and because as developing teachers ourselves, we must learn to allow that creativity in our students and in ourselves.