Wonder Woman, as envisioned by Iris and her group today. Check out all the symbolism! I especially like the question mark on the face, because she could be any woman. Very nice!
Dear class,
I was super excited for this class today! I think it went off fairly well, but we really have to solve the attention/talking issues. Honestly, it was a little ridiculous. Especially when the content in the class is so interesting and there are a lot of students that are really quite into it. Let's work on that. Other than that, I really enjoyed working with you guys today! Always fun to listen to your ideas and see what you can bring to the table. Hopefully you are beginning to get a good feel for how I am as a teacher as well.
Essential Questions: In what ways are cultures and countries interconnected? What impact can women in the Middle East have on policy? - Today we really looked at finding out the answers to both of these questions!
Soundtrack: "A Whole New World" by Brad Kane. Music Video from "Aladdin" can be viewed here. Lyrics can be found here. Song chosen because we were talking about the entire world today, and what brings us together. I have a lot problems with the way that Disney portrays some of their characters, but I have to admit, that is one catchy song, especially first thing in the morning. Sorry for my terrible singing voice at the start of class, I couldn't help it. You guys were all excellent at it though. :-)
AGENDA 4/8/09: News Brief Michelle Obama Wonder Women Globalization Commonality
Homework: Mandatory activity that you love. Read blog recap!
I am serious about your homework. All too often, we do not really engage in activities that we love to do, or if we do, we forget why we enjoy it in the first place. This assignment is based on you getting out there in the world and enjoying it. Please remember to keep your activity safe and legal! Post a comment explaining what you did and why you love it, if at all possible.
If you are reading this, thanks for doing the second part of your homework! :-)
News Brief: Krishna brought in an article about a hijacked ship off the coast of Somalia, with 20 U.S. crew members on board. Apparently, during our class, the crew took control back over: CNN.com - U.S. crew retakes hijacked ship; Pentagon says. See, this is another reason why talking about Somalia is something that is relevant! Now you can go home and talk about everything you know about that region! Dylan, you are up for next class, on Monday. One current article or news topic, about anything going on in the world outside the United States.
Michelle Obama: I am glad I got this video to work today! It actually was a nice setup for the "wonder women" activity, so maybe it was all for the best. The video we watched in class can be viewed here. I wanted to really show the value of education and why we are studying Global Studies (and in particular, women in the Middle East).
Wonder Women: This turned out to be a lot of fun, especially with the really talented artists that we have in our class! I asked the class to collaborate with a group to create a visual representation of a wonder woman, using all of the characteristics that you thought that women needed to have in order to impact policy decisions in the Middle East (or in general). It sure sounds like a lot as I type it, but the class definitely got it, because what you made was great! I posted Iris's at the top of this post, but every other group had really interesting ways to represent your ideas! A really fun exercise to do and to see the results of what everyone thought was important in a woman's ability to have an impact on policy. I love all the creative talent in the room! Thanks for the participation! :-)
Globalization: I then handed out a worksheet, guessing about a "miniature earth" and how lots of different factors were related. This concept was if the entire world was reduced to 100 people, representing the rest of the world. So, if there are 13 North Americans in the 100 people, that means that in reality, 13% of the world is North American. Got it? Here's the video we watched:
I really liked the response to this too! I'm glad that everyone thought this was interesting. Please watch it again if you have the time - we will be doing an activity with your results from that worksheet next week! The song in the video is "Mad World" by Michael Andrews (made for the Donnie Darko soundtrack, it is a cover of a song). Lyrics here.
After watching the video, which can be found at miniature-earth.com (with a different soundtrack), I asked about some of the guesses that you had that were completely off. Interesting stuff!
Commonality: So we had a little bit of depressing, real world stuff to think about. In order to send you out on the long weekend on a high note, I asked about what all humans have in common. I had some pretty sugary responses (hehe), but I really liked "laughter" and "dancing" the most. We ended class by watching this video (props to my Lewis and Clark classmate Megan for showing it to me), which, as I stated in class, is positively real, shot on location:
I would highly recommend going to the actual YouTube site and clicking "HD" on the side of the video - it makes it all the more better. The guy in the video is Matt Harding, who runs a website called "Where the Hell is Matt?" - I think my favorite part is the blog, where he currently has a really funny video up, explaining how he purposely tried to get people to believe that the video was a hoax (but he made the reasons completely ridiculous), and they ended up believing him. Quality comedy, seriously. Check that out here: Matt Reveals the Hoax is a Hoax at MacWorld. Some good background about who he is there too - sponsored by Stride gum, apparently! That is an incredible life!
This is one of those videos that I watch and just feel inexplicably happy about. Yes, the world has a lot of problems. However, dance is one of those things that goes across all cultures. Please, go out and enjoy the world this weekend, and come back refreshed and ready to go. :-) ---
The Blazers play at 4:00 today against San Antonio (on ESPN) . Tragically, I will be in class at Lewis and Clark from 4:30 to 7:30, so I will miss the entire game. That also means I will be unable to post comments or respond to e-mails during that time, so heads up about that. The Office has TWO new episodes tomorrow (Thursday), starting at 8:00 (with the new show Parks and Recreation in between). Check those out, if you want a good laugh! Other than that, have a wonderful weekend! You guys are a great class to be around!
The New Irene, a South Korean ship docked in Portland during Spring Break. I took this picture with a tripod on the Steel Bridge, using an 8 second exposure, F5.6 aperture value, and 100 ISO.
Hello amazing students!
Today was one of those days where I went into class and thought it was going to go one way, and then it kind of went a completely different direction. I totally was expecting to have a good little discussion on some things, then move on to having the class actually do some cool things with our perceptions of women. We can totally save that for next class though. I really love having good class discussions! The problem is that it is very easy to tune out, or get derailed through side conversations. I'm sure we will get better, and I will try to not have classes where we are completely focused on discussion for almost the entire time. That is a rarity, but I am glad that we got to know each other a little better through it!
Essential Questions: How does conflict arise and in what ways have various people responded? What impact can women in the Middle East have on policy?
Soundtrack: "Soak up the Sun" by Sheryl Crow. Lyrics here. A very good song for the first amazingly bright and beautiful day of the year! I can't tell you how excited I was to get in the car to drive to Westview in the morning and actually have the sun up! Please enjoy the great weather - I'm sure it will be gone before we know it!
AGENDA 4/6/09: News Brief Thoughts on Homework Michelle Obama Women’s Perspective Class Unity Activity
Homework: Enjoy the weather! Read blog!
Seriously, get out there and have some fun, exploring the world around you!
News Brief: Ricardo brought in an article on North Korea launching a missile, and getting almost everyone else in the world upset. Here's a link to it: CNN.com - 'Satisfaction' from Kim over N. Korea launch. Very relevant and interesting! We talked in class about how North Korea said it was launching a satellite, but the U.S. thinks it may be a missile that could potentially hit Hawaii.
Breanna talked a little about the earthquake in Italy, CNN.com - Dozens dead in Italian earthquake. Also, as I was looking up these articles, I saw this one about pirates in Somalia: CNN.com - Pirates seize British cargo ship in Gulf of Aden. See, now isn't that all really interesting? Paying attention to the news is really a great way to stay involved in class, as well as see why everything that we are talking about is relevant. Krishna, you are up for next class on Wednesday. Any article about anything going on the world outside the United States.
Thoughts on Homework: I did this with my other class after I saw a presentation at Lewis and Clark about the lack of value of assigning homework. Mostly, I wanted you to be able to vent about homework, as well as explain my thoughts about it and how it will work in this class. Remember, the key is effort and getting it in on time.
There were a lot of interesting and good thoughts about how much time homework takes up and why it may or may not be important. Everyone really should be getting lots of good sleep, as well! That is definitely important. Hopefully, all of the homework that I assign you in this class is relevant, interesting, and not overwhelmingly daunting. Please remember to ask questions if you are at all confused with what I am asking you to do!
Michelle Obama: Today was one of those days where technology (as much as I love it) conspired against me, and I was not able to show the video clip I wanted to. That's okay, I will bring it in for a future class!
Women's Perspective: This was somewhat of a difficult transition, since the video clip I was going to use to set it up and have you reflect upon your homework did not work. However, I still think we had some very good thoughts on what is going on around the world in regard to the struggles of women.
A few things that I noted that I wanted to link to. We talked about the differences in pay across the board between what women make and what men make, even here in America, and even though it is illegal. A good article breaking down the reasons behind how this happens can be found here: About.com - GAO Report: Why Women Still Make Less Than Men. The article cites the U.S. Government as saying that women make about 80 cents for every 1 dollar a man makes. Remember, if you ever feel like you are being discriminated against (for your gender, race, religion, etc), report it as soon as you can. The legislation that President Obama signed on this front was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.
Furthermore, I cited an article that I remembered reading about how much a stay at home mom would earn if someone really thought about all the things that they do. To my great delight, I was able to find that article here: CNN.com - "Being a mom could be a 6-figure job". The best part:
"Salary.com determined that a stay-at-home mother might be paid as much as $134,121 for her contributions as a housekeeper, cook, day care center teacher, janitor and CEO, among other functions."
The most recent estimate of a stay at home mom's worth can be found here.
Anyway, this was a good discussion. I wish we could have made it a little more intertwined with women in the Middle East, but as long as you are thinking about these really critical issues, I am excited.
Class Unity Activity: Ahh yes, the part where we all sit around the campfire. Hopefully we will get the chance to do a lot of these sorts of activities to get us to really know each other! Just know that we have a lot in common with each other and people around the world! That theme will continue next class! :-) ---
The NCAA Men's National Championship is tonight at 6:21, on CBS. The Women's Championship (I love how we actually talked about this in class) is at 5:30 on ESPN, tomorrow. Also, I will be watching 24 tonight and the Blazers (playoff bound!) play at Memphis tomorrow at 5:00 PM.
Remember that I will not be here tomorrow, due to the Oregon Educator Job Fair, downtown at the Convention Center. The first district that I hope to interview with is Beaverton! :-) Please remember to be getting all of your work in before Friday, when the quarter ends! Have a wonderful day - go outside and enjoy the weather!
Suzanne Mubarek, the first lady of Egypt, who we read about in class today. Doesn't she look like Emily Gilmore, from The Gilmore Girls?
Good afternoon (by the time I finish writing this), class!
Thank you for another interesting class! I think we are gradually getting in to really getting to know each other well. The turn-in rate on the letters to me was absolutely outstanding, thank you! I am really quite excited to read them and get back to you, which I will do on Monday. Generally, I think there is still a little too much talking (from all sides - I do not want to be talking that much either), but I am sure we will all get better with time. Again, if you have anything to ask me or comment about, please do! :-)
Essential Questions: How does conflict arise and in what ways have various people responded? What impact can women in the Middle East have on policy? - We especially looked at answering the second question in class today!
Soundtrack: "Rock the Casbah" by The Clash. Lyrics here. Wikipedia has a really interesting background on the song: Wikipedia.com - "Rock the Casbah". I didn't mention this in class, but one possibility of the song's meaning is about the banning of rock music in Iran. Also, a song featured in many commercials, and Will Smith used it as the beat for his song "Will 2k" on his album Willenium. You can watch the video for that song here.
AGENDA 4/2/09: Blog Talk News Brief Article Reading Battle of the Sexes Debrief Discussion
Homework: Finish three paragraphs on women in Middle East. Interview an adult woman about any struggles she sees that women around the world have. Check blog!
The three paragraph assignment will be explained in more depth in the "Debrief Discussion" below, but essentially, I want you to think of three ways that women can have some sort of say in policy decisions in the Middle East. Write a paragraph about each way, explaining what it is, why you think it will work, and how it can be done. This should not be a very difficult assignment, but I am going to be looking to make sure you put some effort and thought into it, as always.
Secondly, another easy assignment: interview an adult woman about any struggles that she thinks women face throughout the world. What are they? Why? All I am looking for here are some notes on a conversation. Talk to your mom, Mrs. DeFrance, another teacher, anyone who is grown up and has some perspective about these issues.
Finally, if you are reading this sentence, you have the "check blog" homework in the bag. Way to go! :-)
Blog Talk: Thank you for the feedback on this! I really liked all the participation in the comments! Remember to use comments to ask questions or talk about anything else that is on your mind (within reason, of course). The blog is really an extension of class, and hopefully you can see how important it is to be following along with what is going on.
News Brief: Haze brought in an "out of this world" interesting article: CNN.com - Jupiter's stormy Great Red Spot is shrinking. Actually a really fascinating read! Apparently, the storm is as big as three Earths. Crazy! Thanks for bringing this in Haze! Ricardo, you are next up for Monday. Any article (preferably about this planet, please), that has to do with something outside of the United States that is currently going on. Let me know if you want to run it by me before class!
Article Reading: I read this article to the class: The Observer - The Arab world's first ladies are forging rights for women. Some good thoughts and comments came up during the reading. One was about genital mutilation, and whether or not that was okay to enforce our culture on other cultures. I am not going to link to any articles or pages on the subject, but I think you can pretty much guess what the debate is about from what we talked about in class. Do we have a right to go into another place and say "hey, stop doing that (even though it is a part of their culture) because it is barbaric" - or should we just ignore these things, which are somewhat similar to the human sacrifices of not that long ago? It is a difficult question to answer!
Battle of the Sexes: I took the gentlemen, while Mrs. DeFrance took the ladies, and we talked about two things primarily - 1) What was something interesting you saw in the article? 2) What needs to happen for women to be able to have an impact on policy decisions in the Middle East?
I know that it was not as clear as that, but that is sometimes how discussions go. Ladies, I am very sorry that you could not hear each other a lot, and I know that was mostly my fault! If we do something like that again, I think we will just go to another area of the school. Leading a discussion is always a tough thing for me, because I really get excited and interested in what people have to say - so much so that I have to be able to calm down and let the class talk to each other, not to me. A work in progress!
Overall, I was pleased with how this went. There were some issues with lack of focus on the male side, but we did come up with some really good ways for women to have an impact.
Debrief Discussion: Breanna and I helpfully made a list for the class of what we talked about in our respective groups. It certainly seemed like we came up with similar ideas! Here they are:
What is important to remember is that we cannot just say "women need to speak out" - because the reality is, if they did that, they would be killed in some countries. Also, we need to realize that it is not merely up to women to fight for their rights - men need to be on the forefront of helping. For instance, what good would it be if white people just sat back, did nothing, and collectively said "it's up to black people to claim their rights." We would still have segregation, at the very least.
So, use the list above (or anything that you think of on your own) to write neatly (or type) three paragraphs on how women can have an impact on policy decisions in the Middle East.
Again, if you have any questions about what I am asking you to do, please either comment or e-mail me and I would be more than happy to help you out. Keep the conversation going! ---
I will see you next Monday. In the meantime, there is no new Office tonight (but there are two new episodes next week). There are Blazer games on Friday (at The Team That Moved From Seattle - 5:00 PM, Comcast Sports Net) and on Sunday (at Houston, 4:00 PM, KGW - Ch. 8). The NCAA Final Four starts Saturday on CBS. There's your sports public service announcements. :-)
I am so excited to read your letters and get to know every one of you better! Have an absolutely wonderful weekend!
