As I skimmed through our course text, I found myself stopping at several different articles that piqued my curiosity and felt relevant to me personally as both a teacher and a parent. The book is a collection of "bite-sized" opportunities for further critical thinking about ideologies and bias that exists within popular culture and media which we might otherwise simply overlook - the fish never notices the water in which it lives.
I think because there were so many relevant articles and I have a hard time focusing, I have struggled to choose just one to share with you here. In an effort to meet the requirements of this assignment I will choose one to share a detailed reflection of, but will also include the titles of several others that warrant mentioning in hopes that others might be inspired to read on as I did.
This was the first article that had caught my attention while skimming the book. I was drawn in by the idea of using "street art" to enhance history lessons. I do an annual thematic unit with my own middle school ELA students. My project first requires research. Afterwards, students are given multiple ways to synthesize the information that they have learned and then further demonstrate their learning - becoming "experts" on the historical figures that they have learned about. This article got me thinking about ways to also incorporate a very visible art wall with my own students' projects.
In Stenciling Dissent (pp. 266-271), Andrew Reed describes the process that he developed to help his high school students become actively engaged in the ideas of dissent and protests for social justice. Reed describes his students in a Kansas high school History class as actively participating in a project that involves first research, then writing a research paper, creating a stencil and a summarizing paragraph, and finally spray painting their work on a large canvas with classmates. Throughout the article, Reed's WHY is evident as is his passion for helping to create an atmosphere of students that can think critically - and not just about the big, well-known names that are examples of political activism like MLK. He purposely asks students to research lesser known historical figures and in doing so further instills the idea that anyone can and should be allowed to use their own voice. I would have loved to see the canvas that was created by his students but the book does offer this glimpse at some of the stencils:
The article does a good job also bringing up potential critiques of this lesson, but thoughtfully rebuts the naysayers by revealing the positive outcomes and anecdotes from implementation. One such story discussed how a newcomer in Reed's class, who was previously timid and quiet, had the opportunity to become an expert when they were spray painting their stencils since this student also worked in an auto body shop. Connecting domains of learning can be a powerful tool in creating a positive social and educational atmosphere within the classroom.
Some other articles that I considered sharing in detail here are as follows:
Marketing American Girlhood by Elizabeth Marshall (pp.131-135).
This article really brought up memories about my daughter and caused me to question the intention behind even the books, which I had always thought were a reason to LOVE the American Girl franchise.
Marshall doesn't mince words when she says, "American Girl is less about strong girls, diversity, or history than about marketing girlhood, about hooking girls, their parents, and grandparents into buying the American Girl products and experiences." I added the bold type as it gets to the heart of the article.
The Truth About Helen Keller - Children's books distort her life by Ruth Shagoury (pp. 89-97)
This article stood out to me as I recognized the biographical children's books pictured as ones in our own school library. This article challenges one to consider what is being included or excluded in books - and why.
Fiction Posing as Truth - A critical review of Ann Rinaldi's My Heart Is on the Ground: The Diary of Nannie Little Rose, a Sioux Girl by Debbie Reese et al. (pp. 111-117)
This article again challenges one to consider what is being included or excluded in books - and why.
I am oversimplifying a powerful article but I strongly suggest reading this one.
Kari-Ann, I absolutely agree with you that our classrooms should be spaces where students can express learning and knowledge in many modes. Not only does this give students space to become experts, it also opens doors student might never have known existed. There have certainly been time I feared introducing something in the classroom because I felt I wasn't qualified to teach it, but in fact, there are teachers all around us.
ReplyDeleteHey, I love this and you make such strong points, classrooms should feel safe. I really think that students learn best when they feel wanted and safe in education.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing such a thoughtful reflection! I love how you connected Stenciling Dissent to your own classroom practice—it’s powerful to see how visible, creative projects can deepen student engagement and amplify often-overlooked voices. Your idea of adding an art wall to your thematic unit sounds like a fantastic extension. Also, the other articles you mentioned—especially on American Girl and Helen Keller—highlight just how important it is to critically examine the media we trust. Your post really captures the spirit of the book: noticing the “water” we swim in every day.
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