So today I missed work for a day of class.
Once every two months (about) the CIS cohort of teachers meets up and we have a "workshop" day. It is actually pretty awesome that an aspect of teaching this class is to be IN a class as well. And probably the most intimidating class I've ever been in. Every student is a veteran teacher with a knowledge of literature that far exceeds my own and experience teaching a demanding and involved class. And the professor in charge of CIS Literature is a fierce woman that I can't wait for my students to meet. You don't speak loud enough, she calls you out for being timid. You start wasting time, she gets on you. Back 4 minutes late from lunch...well, you just do that.
As far as how the group actually works, it was said to me many times within the first two meetings "Why does ______ keep talking? She's only been a part of this for a year. It took me at least two years before I had the guts to say anything!" So clearly, there are a number of unwritten rules that I'm still learning.
But, I have to say, I'm having fun breaking them. If you couldn't tell, I don't always follow exactly the norm of how things go. So far, I've spent every meeting asking questions and speaking out. This time, as the Professor came around to see what our small groups were talking about I quickly summed it up for her and as she left the other teachers looked at me and said "Okay, you're saying exactly that to the whole group when she asks for us to share. Nice job." So, I guess that I'm not doing a bad job of breaking it. But definitely I am an oddity.
Anyways, I didn't mean to toot my own horn and this really isn't going anywhere. But today was a great session, I took about 6 pages of notes from 5 hours of activities. And probably could have taken much more. An intimidating, bu awesome, experience!
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Social Justice Infiltration?
So, I was talking with Garofano and Kronzer yesterday, and they do a ton of work throughout IB with incorporating Social Justice into the curriculum and being very up front with it being the backbone of what they do. The terminology, using multiple case studies, and having assignments investigating issues relating to social justice. The CIS Literature is a modern, multicultural literature course (if you didn't know) and many issues relating to social justice will be discussed. But, the subject areas and ideas you guys are investigating for your Trend Essays are surprising me with how in tune they are with the topics being investigated in IB and the teacher led approach to social justice education.
You guys are attacking issues like The Achievement Gap in Education, Attitudes Towards Muslim Americans, Affects of the Media on Teens and Body Image, Gay Marriage & Gays in the Military...and so many more.
So, where did this come from?
Ideas planted there by other teachers? Previous English classes giving you ideas for research projects? Crazy progressive parents? Changing attitudes in the educated youth of today? Guessing what topics I'd give a better grade to? ;)
Whatever the case, I'm happy to see the variety of options you are investigating. End even those non-social justicy ones are neat - like the phenomena of Life After Death in pop culture and such. Very cool. I can't wait to see your final work.
You guys are attacking issues like The Achievement Gap in Education, Attitudes Towards Muslim Americans, Affects of the Media on Teens and Body Image, Gay Marriage & Gays in the Military...and so many more.
So, where did this come from?
Ideas planted there by other teachers? Previous English classes giving you ideas for research projects? Crazy progressive parents? Changing attitudes in the educated youth of today? Guessing what topics I'd give a better grade to? ;)
Whatever the case, I'm happy to see the variety of options you are investigating. End even those non-social justicy ones are neat - like the phenomena of Life After Death in pop culture and such. Very cool. I can't wait to see your final work.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Figured I should have to do this too...
On the schoology page I posted an example of an ethnography that I found somewhere else, and it is about us. As in, Minnesotans.
Sorry the quality is so bad, but it was such a weird example and a funny little story behind me finding it that I figured I would share. It is one of those signs that the ideas I teach have flooded my brain and I can't help but see the world through my new lens. And soon, you will join me as well.
This summer I was down at the in-laws cabin. The kid was taking a nap and Amy and I were relaxing and watching a little tv. At the cabin, like many cabins are, there is little tv. No cable. Oh, the humanity! So we are reduced to watching things on the bunny ears. Funny, how there are so many cool random stations when all you have are bunny ears. There are 4 different versions of PBS. We watch SO many cooking shows down at the cabin on rainy weekends. But, I digress.
We were flipping the channels, and hit upon PBS4 and the goofy looking start to the program I posted "How to Speak Minnesotan". We watched it, unable to tell at first if it was mocking MN, a being funny about the issue, or actually serious. I debated whether it really was old at first or just made to look old, making the point that MN is backwards or something? We sat and watched the whole thing, unable to tear ourselves away from the cheesy, weird, awesomeness of the piece. It in fact is old, and the main guy did a comedy book with the same title and then MN PBS made the piece we had been watching. But what he did was a tongue-in-cheek ethnography of MN and explicitly listed the rules for how you are expected to behave and communicate while in our great, frozen state.
My wife and I now laugh at each other whenever we do the "finger salute" as we pass someone on the road down by Lanesboro (she prefers to only lift one finger, I usually go for two). The things that are described in it truly are the rules of small town midwestern life. And it is a perfect example of what a presentation of an ethnographic study of a group would yield.
If you are lost about what to write about, don't know how to organize it, or aren't sure what is important from what you saw - this piece is actually pretty useful. He states the rules of MN, gives examples, shows how people dress, shows their artifacts & food items, and explains why Minnesotans act the way they do. And, if you know any old school Minnesotans, you'll see them in this piece. The bit about body language and old men talking on the street is hilarious (starts at the 9:30 mark).
Sorry the quality is so bad, but it was such a weird example and a funny little story behind me finding it that I figured I would share. It is one of those signs that the ideas I teach have flooded my brain and I can't help but see the world through my new lens. And soon, you will join me as well.
This summer I was down at the in-laws cabin. The kid was taking a nap and Amy and I were relaxing and watching a little tv. At the cabin, like many cabins are, there is little tv. No cable. Oh, the humanity! So we are reduced to watching things on the bunny ears. Funny, how there are so many cool random stations when all you have are bunny ears. There are 4 different versions of PBS. We watch SO many cooking shows down at the cabin on rainy weekends. But, I digress.
We were flipping the channels, and hit upon PBS4 and the goofy looking start to the program I posted "How to Speak Minnesotan". We watched it, unable to tell at first if it was mocking MN, a being funny about the issue, or actually serious. I debated whether it really was old at first or just made to look old, making the point that MN is backwards or something? We sat and watched the whole thing, unable to tear ourselves away from the cheesy, weird, awesomeness of the piece. It in fact is old, and the main guy did a comedy book with the same title and then MN PBS made the piece we had been watching. But what he did was a tongue-in-cheek ethnography of MN and explicitly listed the rules for how you are expected to behave and communicate while in our great, frozen state.
My wife and I now laugh at each other whenever we do the "finger salute" as we pass someone on the road down by Lanesboro (she prefers to only lift one finger, I usually go for two). The things that are described in it truly are the rules of small town midwestern life. And it is a perfect example of what a presentation of an ethnographic study of a group would yield.
If you are lost about what to write about, don't know how to organize it, or aren't sure what is important from what you saw - this piece is actually pretty useful. He states the rules of MN, gives examples, shows how people dress, shows their artifacts & food items, and explains why Minnesotans act the way they do. And, if you know any old school Minnesotans, you'll see them in this piece. The bit about body language and old men talking on the street is hilarious (starts at the 9:30 mark).
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