This week, we were asked to read Sarma's (2015) article that talked about collages, laughter, and world politics. The internet has made information sharing almost instant (Sarma, 2015). In today’s world, we are bombarded with horrifying and often depressing news stories that involve world politics. Looking at a collage or meme online can sometimes bring comic relief when tensions are high. While these visuals can bring about laughter, we as consumers of media need to recognize that they cannot be our sole information source. “Because humour and laughter play a role in the circulation process (what is shared, how much, how fast), parodies can sometimes remain our sole connection to an event or issue” (Sarma, 2015). The author offers collages as a popular culture artefact that can help people think deeper about important global political issues (Sarma, 2015). Collages can be made with memes and parodies of events used in conduction with each other (Sarma, 2015). They are excellent discussion starters that could be used with students. “collaging can be used, for example, in IR classrooms to engage students in something creative in order for them to see things differently” (Sarma, 2015). This could be particularly useful when teaching current events to students. For example, the recent election in the US has brought about much media coverage, memes, and parodies. By showing a collage to the class and posing an open ended question, students can begin to discuss the significance and relevance of the event. I think that collages need to be accompanied with purposeful questions posed by the teacher. These questions should not lead the students to forming a specific opinion but rather, encourage them to think in different way about the subject matter. Reference: Saara Särmä. “Collage: An Art-inspired Methodology for Studying Laughter in World Politics.” Caso and Hamilton, Eds. pp. 110-119. Retrieved from http://www.e-ir.info/2015/06/06/collage-an-art-inspired-methodology-for-studying-laughter-in-world-politics/
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This week’s article discusses the educational benefits of video games (Squire, 2008). As Squire (2008) notes, “to date, concerns about the ‘bad effects’ of games have perhaps caused educators to miss the real message behind the medium” (p. 119). I think that this quote describes me to some extent as I was a bit weary about the how video games can be utilized in the classroom. However, after reading the article, I have a better understanding of how video games can support learning and have begun to think of ways I could incorporate them into my practice. I like the idea that online games provide “affinity spaces” for which students can explore and develop into experts (Squire, 2008, p. 113). This could be used during a social studies unit to have students explore early civilization through Minecraft, for example. Video games could also be utilized to encourage class discussions and peer collaboration. This medium is highly social in nature and promotes a participatory culture within the classroom (Squire, 2008). It provides students with a meaningful experience. Experiential learning can be especially useful when teaching ESL students. For example, it can be used as an opportunity to teach students about key vocabulary. I can see how using video games with ESL students can provide an opportunity to develop their language skills in an engaging way. While I am seeing more ways to integrate video games into my teaching practice, I still believe that students would benefit from realizing possible negative consequences of over using them. For example, teachers should talk about addiction and the possible impact on one’s health. Students should be exposed to a complete picture of video games where they can reap the benefits but also understand the potential harm. Gaming is an example of a teaching strategy that ought to be used in conjunction with other useful tools in order to provide students with an optimal learning environment. Reference: Squire, K. (2008). Chapter seven: critical education in an interactive age. Counterpoints, 338, 105-123. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.uproxy.library.dc-uoit.ca/stable/42979224 When pre-service teachers are being trained, they need to understand the golden rule and how to model, teach, and enact this rule with their future students. Treating others the way you want to be treated must be considered as a necessary instructional component to a teacher’s duty as it contributes to a positive safe climate that can combat bullying (Happel-Parkins & Esposito, 2015, p. 6). This week’s reading on homophobic bullying emphasizes the need for this. Regardless of your own personal opinions, all people have the right to exist and should not be marginalized because others don’t agree with their identity. The article notes that “… students reported that teachers were much more likely to intervene when they heard racist or sexist comments than when they heard homophobic comments (Happel-Parkins & Esposito, 2015, p. 5).” Bullying in schools is a major concern and teachers are at the front lines of defense against this movement. The media can be integrated to teach students about stereotypes, bias, and the negative consequences on others. For example, video clips from popular TV shows can be utilized in the classroom to examine how marginalized groups like GLBTQI are treated (Happel-Parkins & Esposito, 2015, p. 10). Students can engage in discussions with peers around bullying using popular culture. Their teachers can also capitalize on this by stressing the importance of social justice and treating everyone with respect and dignity. In order for educators to be prepared to handle bullying, they need adequate training in teacher’s college on how to address such matters so that they can influence their students in a positive way. “Culturally relevant pedagogy can be utilized as a conduit for preservice teachers so that they can relate to, and make connections with diverse kinds of families, including families with parents or guardians that identify as GLBTQI” (Happel-Parkins & Esposito, 2015, p. 7). Increasing understanding of each other is a much-needed trait of today’s global citizens – which is what students should be trained to eventually become. Reflecting on my own classroom experience, bullying can bring up difficult conversations with students. In these conversations, I have tried to highlight the commonalities that exist between human beings. At times, it has been challenging when young students bring up their own cultural or religious beliefs, which may form their opinions around GLBTQI individuals. In hindsight, I think that the use of video clips or examples from popular culture could have supported the class discussions. Utilizing such popular culture examples would have helped my students dig deeper into the issue and realise how bullying can impact the victim. This could support the notion of the golden rule, which highlights how every person, regardless of their identity, has a right to be treated with respect. Reference: Happel-Parkins, A. & Esposito, J. (2015) “Using popular culture texts in the classroom to interrogate issues of gender transgression related bullying,” Educational Studies 51(1), pp. 3-16. The majority of my classroom years have been spent in grade 3. The curriculum did not change a whole lot during this time. However, I found that none of my lessons were taught exactly the same way twice. In light of this week’s documentary, Everything is a Remix (Ferguson, 2011), I have begun to think of the ways in which teachers act as remixing agents themselves.
In order to teach a group of students effectively, a teacher needs to adapt their instruction based on the strengths and needs of their class. “Creativity isn’t magic. It happens by applying ordinary tools of thought to existing materials” (Ferguson, 2011). Each lesson is a remix of previous or other lessons. Granted that copying certain elements does play a role, a teacher is able to transform existing lesson ideas and adjust according to their students (Ferguson, 2011). Accommodations and modifications are key examples of when teachers remix and create lesson plans. For specific groups of students, like special education and English language learners, differentiated instruction enables them to successfully increase their knowledge. For a teacher, it means that they have to be constantly transforming their instruction so that they are able to meet the needs in their classroom. While this can be a daunting task, “two heads are better than one” and educators can utilize each other in this creative process. By working together, educators are able to share ideas and recreate lessons plans that are engaging, relevant to student prior knowledge, and incorporate the interests in the classroom. Through teamwork, unique ideas and strategies can be shared. This allows educators to transform lesson plans into authentic learning opportunities based on their collective creativity. Furthermore, two teachers may plan a lesson but their execution of the material will vary since they work with two different classes. Therefore, remixing is a necessary part of teaching today’s students. Teaching is not a static process, rather, an ongoing methodology of being creative every single day. Reference: Ferguson, K. (Director). (2011). Everything is a Remix [Motion Picture]. Retrieved: https://vimeo.com/25380454 . |
AuthorMy name is Reena and I am a Masters of Ed student at UOIT. I have created this blog for Professor Guertin's course, EDUC 5199G. Archives
November 2016
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