A Bite into Vampire Culture

My first experience with Twilight occurred unexpectedly on the evening of Nov. 19th at the AMC Theatres in Eden Prairie Mall. My older sister and I decided to catch the Michael Jackson film while it was still in theatres. We figured on a Thursday night no one would be at the theatres. Boy we were wrong. After the movie, about 10:30pm, we walked into the hallway and were stopped by movie theatre attendants. They warned us and the few others: “stay back…there’s about to be stampede!” Before we knew it, a crowd of teenage girls came running and screaming down the hall. We were trying to figure out what was happening and were told it’s the opening of the movie "Twilight: New Moon." My sister, being much older than me, only laughed, shook her head, and rolled her eyes. Being in her late 30s, she gave her “this is ridiculous” look I often got during college about my faddy clothes. Walking out of the theatre, we saw HUNDREDS of teenage girls (and a few boys) waiting behind movie theatre ropes waiting to get in to the movie. Girls were waiting for hours with their homework, pillows, and books to keep them occupied. But, forget school the next morning......Twilight was all they had on their minds! I had never seen anything like it. You would think Taylor Swift or Miley Cyrus was in the theatre. Luckily, I had my camera and was able to take a few pictures of the crowds for my blog.

















So this Twilight phenomenon got me to thinking…WHY? Why the obsession with vampires? What kind of movie has the ability to gross $142 million in opening weekend....by mostly teenage girls and women?? Throughout the past few weeks, I asked several girls of all ages why they like Twilight and this has helped me frame my blog. I even had the chance to catch Robert Pattinson, who plays hunky Edward Cullen in Twilight, on “Regis and Kelly.” Without having read the books or seen the movies, I’m attempting to analyze and understand this cultural phenomenon “biting” into our teenage culture. From my hairstylist to teacher friends to my progressive liberal lawyer friends, everone seems to LOVE the books and movies. I was set out to uncover the truth about vampire culture. Before I dive into analyzing Twilight, I first want to take a step back and look at Vampires in our history.

I never thought much of vampires or our interest in vampires until I started recalling their role in society. Growing up, Count Dracula helped me to count from 1 to 10. I never was really afraid of the Dracula, but he became more my friend who helped me learn. He was just one of the Sesame Street characters, which made Vampires and Draculas kid-friendly and cute. We can’t forget eating Count Chocula cereal. Kids even wake up to eating Vampire-themed cereal.
This fun, kid-friendly dramatization of Vampires is vastly different than the scary figures vampires once were portrayed prior to the 50s and 60s. In fact, vampires aren’t scary at all. Vampires are just like you and me. They live among us and are a part of us. But....they have a secret-side and can live forever. Perhaps we are allured and drawn to the mystery and immortal persona that they exhibit.

Starting in the 1980s, Vampires were everyday humans with these extra-ordinary powers. In the famous movies the Lost Boys with Kiefer Sutherland, a group of teenage boys became the vampire gang and started to invade the teenage world.


We even see Michael J. Fox in Teen Wolf and the infamous Thriller dance where Michael Jackson morphs into a werewolf-type character. Teenagers on the screen begin to morph into other human beings and help teenagers relate to someone as they experience the awkward ‘teenager years.” Vampire Expert Joe Laycock stated, "For years, the vampire has been the symbol of the romantic outsider, the rebel.” (Waltz and Brown) Perhaps we can see this play out in the hit movie “Interview with the Vampire” based on Ann Rice’s book. I remember in high school when Brad Pitt was the heartthrob, this movie was immensely popular. With Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt playing sexy and good-looking vampires, girls and women fell in love with blood-sucking vampires. Even today, the “Vampire Diaries” is a new hit TV show for the teenage crowd that makes all girls experience a relationship with the forbidden “other.” Teenage vampires seem to be the perfect character for young people to identify with. Sociologist Karen Sternheimer commented, “Vampires look like us, but they’re different, and those are experiences a lot of young people can relate to.” (Truitt) As teenagers grow and develop, some experience a hard time “fitting in” and sometimes have deep secrets. To be able to relate to a vampire trying to fit into society seems to resonate with the akward, self-doubting youth.

With the TV show “Buffy the Vampire,” we see the hip vampire-slaying character who epitomizes “girl-power” and makes all girls believe they can defeat evil. The show takes her from high school through college and draws out her love-romance with vampire Angel. I never was a Buffy fan, but she represents a strong role-model for young girls that feminists have praised. According to Sarah Seltzer in “Love Bites: What Sexy Vampires Tell Us About Our Culture," “She’s the embodiment of the third wave feminist ideal. Her very human struggles to 'do it all' ride the world of demons, take care of her friends and family, and maybe meet a nice soulful vampire, interrogated the limitations of the 'girl power' mantra and gave the world truly multi-dimensional hero.” Buffy carries the attitude that girls can do it all and have it all. She’s smart, attractive, and has hidden special powers that speak to women who strive to show men up. If I could, I would totally be Buffy for a day.....I could defeat evil while looking good and still win over the heart of my vampire love.

However, what's with Twilight? On my quest to analyze Twilight, I asked several of my friends for their reactions. Here are a few of my favorite:

“Every girl/woman can relate to the character Bella. She is this girl-next-door, average- looking, typical girl who is paid attention to and swarmed by a charming, good-looking guy….who happens to be a vampire.”

“I love that the movie shows you can be in a relationship without the sex.”

“Sigh. Bella…the innocent girl who is swept-off her feet.”

“Robert Pattinson is too good-looking not to watch!”

“The books are AMAZING! I read it in 2 days.”

During the teenage years, girls feel different and awkward. Most experience a love or crush that they never think they can have. Bella, the main character in Twilight, helps girls experience love and a relationship with the attractive, good-looking, rebel boy Edward. Twilight brings to life a fascination with forbidden love. All young teenage girls want the cute boy in class to notice her....Doesn't every girl recall the time in middle school where they hoped the class heartthrob would notice her new pencil pouch?!? As they mature, girls still desire to be noticed, and in a way, relive that experience through Bella. In the movie, Edward even watches her sleep at night. Jennifer Stevens Aubrey of the University of Missouri states that "Teens perceive Edward as an ideal romantic mate, despite being a vampire and rather controlling and what someone said is the likeliest candidate for a restraining order. He’s so into her.” (Puente) However, feminists warn that Bella's character goes against all ideals they’ve been fighting for. Bella’s character is a girl who needs to be ‘rescued’ by the vampire and according to feminists, erases the idea that girls don’t need men/boys to feel powerful or safe. Leonard Sax in the Washington Post notes that Twilight reinforces the traditional gender roles, which girls are flocking towards. In his research he found that “They are hungry for books that reflect that sensibility. Three decades of adults pretending that gender doesn’t matter haven’t created a generation of feminists who don’t need men.” Perhaps Twilight takes girls and older women back to the idea that they can fall in love and be swept off their feet by men. Older women and moms can identify with the romantic relationship because they are perhaps missing the romance in their own marriages. Or maybe it serves as an escape from reality and the day-to-day difficulties of marriage. Although the books supposedly assume that sex happens (without giving details), it provides young girls a safe avenue to explore love and relationships. Teenagers and 'tweens' have the opportunity to read glimpse of adult behavior in a modest form. It stays away from the sex and "Rated R" stuff.

So what is behind the popularity of Twilight? While our society is fighting for girls to stand up to boys and show they can do anything a boy can do, Twilight speaks to our curiosity about love and relationships that young girls dream of.....perhaps there's a small part of Bella in every girl.

Sources:

Puente, Maria. “Women also mooning over the teen-vampire romance “Twilight.” USA Today. Nov. 23, 2009. http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2009-11-23-twilightmoms23_ST_N.htm.

Sax, Leonard. “Twilight Sinks It’s Teeth Into Feminism.” The Washington Post. Aug. 17, 2009. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/15/AR2008081503099.html.

Seltzer, Sarah. “Love Bites: What Sexy Vampires Tell Us About Our Culture.” RH Reality Check. http://www.alternet.org/movies/109067/love_bites:_what_sexy_vampires_tell_us_about_our_culture/ .
Truitt, Brian. “Our Deep, Dark Obsession With Vampires.” USA Today. Oct. 25, 2009. http://www.usaweekend.com/09_issues/091025/091025cover-vampires.html.

Waltz, Vicky and Edward Brown. “At Twilight, Interview with a Vampire…Expert.” BU Today. http://www.bu.edu/today/2009/11/18/twilight-interview-with-vampire-expert.

Our Closets as History

Having taught history, I loved bringing in popular culture, music, and clothing of the time periods into lessons. It captured my students’ attention and engaged them with the material; it seemed like all teenagers have something to say about clothes and fashion. In particular, I loved discussing the fashion of the 1920s with my students and helping them understand how clothing of the 1920s was a strong cultural shift against society and prohibition. I would even wear some of my grandma’s old flapper hats and 1930s dresses during class (she was born in 1912) and teach kids the Charleston dance. Flappers were the rebellious teenage girls of the 1920s. They dared to wear the “bob” haircut, wear short skirts, sleeveless dresses, and hats. To help kids understand the 1920s “flapper era," I had kids list all of the popular clothes of today. After having them analyze pictures from the 1920s along with a few video clips, they created a double bubble map to compare and contrast the 1920s clothing with today’s clothing. This made them create some strong generalizations about the meaning behind clothing and helped them realize clothing was a way to express their individuality and in the case of the 1920s, to dance and have fun in speakeasies.

Shift ahead to today and we still see clothing that makes us go “WHY???? Consider clothes (or the lack of clothes) that Britney Spears or Miley Cyrus have worn on stage and in music videos. While some may take clothing as superficial and non-meaningful, I think we can pick up some significant political and cultural meaning in clothing. I also think that clothing goes hand-in-hand with music trends; musicians and celebrities tend to set the stage as to what is popular; and oftentimes, we can link this music back to the politics of the time.

My closet....

When I was in elementary school, it was all about the tight-rolled Girbaud jeans, hyper-color t-shirts, and florescent scrunches. I just had to have the name-brand jeans or else you weren’t “popular.” Those jeans were a status symbol for all teenagers. In high school, I experienced the “grunge” look. Grunge of the 1990s has been viewed as the “return of the hippy era.” The grunge music scene from Seattle pushed ahead into mainstream culture. I just HAD to have a pair of “Doc Martin’ boots. I remember wearing flannel shirts and even raided my mom’s closet to find some pretty cool bell bottoms and wide-legged jeans. My friends and I always took shopping trips to Ragstock and Thriftstores to find baggy and clothes with the “worn-look.” The mid-90s were definitely a “baggy look” and guys and girls tended to look…well….grungy. Perhaps Nirvana and Kurt Cobain influenced our ideas to rebel against looking preppy. Maybe the grunge and hip-hop look of the 1990s was in response to violence of the 90s or the liberal political era??? With a president facing charges of sexual misconduct and school shootings increasing, I think many teenagers lost hope in the government and carried a “whatever” attitude about authority. I think many teenagers in the 1990s wore clothes that would go against any authority, but then again, isn’t that the way it always is? (maybe I’m just over-analyzing the connection between fashion and politics!!)

Britney and Miley show all!

I will never forget watching Britney Spears in a pretty-much naked outfit at the 2000 MTV Video Awards. Watch out! Sex is back and sex sells! I think this contributed to a shift of sexuality, both in music, and with teenage girls. Sometimes I think the clothes girls wear are just too much! The past few years have revealed a more sexual look in girls’ clothing. Skinny jeans, tight minni skirts, and skinny-strap tanks show too much for 13 and 14 year-olds. Skip ahead to today and Miley Cyrus does a Vanity Fair magazine shoot wearing….well….a sheet. For being 15/16, she sure promotes sexuality in clothing choices. Have you seen her “Party in the USA” music video? It’s a hit with the middle-school crowd, but she’s wearing short shorts, shows lots of cleavage and is wearing cowboy boots. Too sexual for a 13 year old to be idolizing, in my opinion.















Prom....a.k.a High School Weddings

Prom takes on a whole new meaning for today’s teenagers. It’s as if they are getting married! Girls spend enormous amounts of money on dresses, hair, make-up, shoes, getting nails done, etc. WOW. I oftentimes wonder if the moms are re-living their high school proms through their daughters…..or trying to create a mini-wedding out of prom. Even more shocking are the dresses….they are shorter and skimpier! I remember a very controversial prom dress that was shows in Seventeen Magazine a few years ago. I remember this because I had a discussion about it with some students in my homeroom. This Prom Dress was just too much with strips of cloth only covering the front; it’s as if they are trying to create an adult out of a teenager….or maybe a stripper out of a teenager! In May 2008, a girl was kicked out of her prom for wearing a too revealing dress. I actually commend the school for taking a stand on prom dresses. High Schools should promote a High School Prom, not a strip-joint. See the article here. It has been noted, however, that proms are shifting towards a more conservative look. More full ball gowns are in style, which illustrates a return to the elegant and classic look. Hopefully dresses are creating more of an innocent look rather than the stripper look. Perhaps we’ve seen the end of the stripper-looking dresses for awhile. We can only hope!

Eco-Fashion: Trend of the Future?

Our culture and society today is definitely trying to create a more sustainable and earth-friendly environment through recycling of products. We promote reusable materials, such as reusable grocery bags, and encourage energy efficient light bulbs. There is also a greater shift in buying local, organic foods. Have you noticed this trend is starting to take hold in clothing? We can express our political and social beliefs through buying organic and fairly-traded clothing. Organic and natural clothing is much more readily available, particularly with cotton t-shirts. Why not wear sustainable clothing to help the environment? You can even buy recycled bags that are made from juice cartons! If you feel strongly about the environment, make a statement about it through clothing!

Socially-Conscious Teens=Socially-Conscious Clothing

The millennial generation has been noted to be the most progressive, most socially conscious, and most likely to make world change since the baby boomers. I have noticed that young people’s attitude to “make a difference” has transgressed into clothing. Some young people are buying and wearing Tom’s Shoes. If you buy a pair of Tom’s Shoes, another pair will automatically go to an impoverished child in need. So, now, teenagers and adults can shop for a cause and purchase clothing that is meaningful and makes a difference. You can showcase your concern for world issues through your footwear.
Check out Tom’s Shoes Here: http://www.tomsshoes.com/default.asp

While I think that clothing definitely reflects personal attitude and individuality, I think one can easily pick up some cultural and social meanings in clothing. Teenagers’ worlds tend to revolve around wearing the “latest” clothing item. While they may experiment with their sexuality and adult-roles through clothing, we can also hope that some clothes can reflect more meaningful considerations, such as with Tom’s Shoes. I look forward to telling my grandkids about the clothes I wore in high school! I have definitely saved a few shirts and accessories that epitomize the time….our closets can be history!

Toys: Multiculturalism, Gender Roles, and Politics

This week’s readings and blog entry was a flash back in time! I immediately began thinking of my childhood toys and the influence they had on my development. I started by thinking of all the toys I played with growing up--My Little Pony, Barbie, Cabbage Patch Dolls, Rainbow Bright, and She-Ra Figurines-- to examine the role that toys have on defining gender roles and children’s views of the world. Toys peak kids’ imagination and act as their link to the future jobs, roles, friends, and fantasies. So what do these toys reveal? How do these toys create stereotypical gender roles or help ‘break’ kids from stereotypical roles? I decided to pick a few toys which I believe have strong messages and meaning. Most are geared toward my childhood experiences with "girl toys."



I recall my experience getting my much anticipated cabbage patch doll at Christmas when I was 6 years old. I remember going to the store and picking out my doll with my mom. She figured I would want a blonde-haired, blue-eyed cabbage patch doll that looks like me. Viewing the Cabbage Patch commercials from the 1980s, it’s as if little girls were supposed to choose a doll that best resembles themselves and care for it as if it were a miniature version of themselves. Why wouldn’t a little girl want a doll that looks like them? When looking at the huge display of all kinds of cabbage patch dolls in the store, I pointed to the African American Cabbage Patch Doll and boldly stated “I want that one.” I don’t think my mother knew what to say or think. I remember her asking me, “Are you sure you want that one, Gina? Don’t you want one that looks like you?” I responded with a strong, “NO. I want that doll.” I couldn’t wait for that doll for Christmas! Thinking back to this experience, I am not sure where I got the idea of wanting an African American cabbage patch doll, since I am from European decent (Good ol’ German and Norwegian). I didn’t have any friends of different ethnicities than me and I didn’t play with other African American dolls. Looking back on it, I’m glad my mom bought me that doll. I believed it carried a strong message. Even at 6 years old, I think it taught me respect for others and encouraged me to be accepting of everyone. Dolls teach girls strong messages….girls play with dolls as if they were their own. Girls develop caring and nurturing skills that definitely help create a “motherly” instinct. With my cabbage patch dolls, I like to think it revealed my strong future values of diversity and multiculturalism.

Flash forward a few years and I soon became obsessed with Barbie! And I sure had my fair share of Barbies! Barbie family, Barbie Dog, and of course Barbie corvette, house, and beach hotdog stand! Opposite of my multicultural Cabbage Patch Dolls, my Barbie Dolls were pretty much all blonde-haired and wore skimpy dresses and bikinis. Granted, Mattel introduced the “Doctor Barbie” and other occupations to teach girls that you can grow up to be anything. However, I think the overall message that Barbies send is the idea that you have to be tall and thin to be beautiful. Barbie's body proportions could realistically never be possible on a woman. Morever, I look at the Barbie videos with “Barbie and Friends” and I’ve noticed that in everything Barbie, the blonde-haired Barbie is the “leader of the pack” with her other friends being less significant. Brown-haired Barbies, African American Barbies, and Asian Barbies are never featured in commercials or advertisements as much as the Blonde-haired Barbie. I often think this sends such a wrong message to young girls…..that you have to “look” a certain way to be the “leader” or “most popular.”

I was also totally into “She-Ra: Princess of Power!” She-Ra is the girl version of He-Man. While I realize that She-Ra is totally wearing a tight outfit with a mini-skirt, I think it sent a positive message. With a sword in hand, she’s ready to fight off evil and defend her land. I think this taught me that girls can be just as powerful as boys. Girls can do anything boys can do. Women can rule the country just as much as men can.

Toys teach us gender roles at a very young age. When I think of boy toys …Gi-Jo, trucks, figurines, and blocks often come to mind. Toys are often marketed by gender with specifics geared towards girls or boys. Can kitchen sets’ by gender-neutral? My sister bought my nephew a kitchen complete with food…..not sure what I thought about this at first, but glad that he’s able to experiment and play with toys that are not typical boy toys. My sister and brother-in-law are sending the message that boys can have a role in the kitchen. Perhaps he will be called a “Chef” but he should learn to cook up a great meal! Most toys do come gender-defined, so how can society still encourage girls and boys that they can grow up to be whatever they want?

Dora the Explorer. My cousin is a big fan of Dora the Explorer for her children. I love Dora. Not only does she speak Spanish and encourages multiculturalism, but she also does not do your typical “girl doll” things. She climbs trees, loves the outdoors, plays sports, and is up for adventure. She re-defines stereotypical gender roles and illustrates that girls can be as adventurous as boys! Most importantly, she’s smart and encourages girls that they can be anything they want! She is a much better alternative to Bratz Dolls or Hannah Montana.

Lastly….the politics of American Girl Dolls
The latest craze among little girls is the infamous American Girl Doll. American Girls Dolls feature dolls from different eras with their story attached. The Mall of America recently opened the American Girl Doll store where you can buy accessories and get your dolls’ hair done! There are even American Girl Doll parties at the store. I do love the books and stories about history that comes with these dolls. I think they teach young girls to be appreciative of the history and the values that can influence a person’s life. However, the most recent American Girl doll is “Gwen: the Homeless Doll.” She costs $95 and the money does not go to charity, which has caused an stir. While many support the creation of this dolls, kids who are homeless could never afford it. The story that the dolls comes with explains that the father ran out on the family and the mother couldn’t make ends meet, so they end up living in a car. However, most single mothers do make it without ending up on the streets. (with the right kind of support) I wonder if the creators felt that as the American Girl Dolls was somehow needed to dispel myths? What kind of message does this send about fathers and fatherhood? While the company was trying to send a positive message of acceptance, perhaps they should have thought about the messages that this could send. Is it possible to create the identities of people and society through toys? Should we be teaching children about society issues through toys? To what extent? While we can try, there will always be controversy and a better alternative or approach will be argued.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/homeless_doll_costs_hairstyling_4Ic0hC7Lacpfo8HQbczsQM

Caribou, Soda, and Junk Food

I really enjoyed this week’s reading because I could recall many experiences teaching where food direclty impacts my students and school. I’ve had experiences both in urban situations and suburban situations; while they share many similarities, I think there are some vast differences in the role food plays in their culture. I was very suprised that Walker and White mentioned eating disorders also becoming an urban problem, as my immediate thought on eating disorders turns to white suburban teenage girls. I think urban and low-income students have many other factors that impact their health. I feel very fortunate that I grew up in a household where family dinners were the norm. However, the busier Americans get, our health and ability to experience a healthy lifestyle suffers. I’m excited to share many of my thoughts and ideas in this blog.

In my experience teaching in an affluent suburban middle school, popular coffee drinks play a large role in making you “popular.” I admit, I would get my share of coffee in the morning to make it through the school day. With a coffee shop at almost every corner, it's hard to resist. Many times, I would run into my students grabbing a coffee with their parents! Caffeine addiction is starting in middle school. I recall many situations where girls would come strolling to school with a Caribou Coffee in their hand, begging me to let me finish it during first hour class! Many of these girls sported a Caribou Coffee in hand like an accessory. Ironically, these were also the girls concerned with their weight. Many of the girls reminded me of the image of MaryKate Olson with a thin body and coffee in hand. At lunch time, these girls would not eat healthy foods, but choose the fries or pizza at lunch and only pick at it!

Walker and White commented, “If girls come to school hungry, they will not develop to their full potential. When you are hungry, your powers of concentration are not sharep; your attention span is short.” (139) I feel that our education system and culture fails to teach young women about proper nutrition and diet. Many young girls today watch “America’s Next Top Model” and are influenced by the stick-think models. White and Walker stated, “Images of thin, beautiful, and successful women are constantly bombarding us, implying that while being thin begets love and success, being fat, or even average to large, leads to one being unloved, unwanted, and unworthy.” (131)

So what can change this? Do plus-size models have a place in our society? Many “plus-size” (which is really size 10 or 12; the average size of American women) models have been featured in magazines and on the show “America’s Next Top Model.” When they do make the cover of a magazine, the media makes a huge announcement about it as if it’s out of the ordinary to be normal size. I recall when Glamour Magazine featured 20-year-old model Lizzi Miller. I think it was fantastic that Glamour Magazine recognized and appreciated what most women look like. I only wish that this wouldn’t be considered a special feature but be seen regularly in all magazines. Perhaps if the media would show images of normal looking young girls, it would also become the norm for young teens. Perhaps if young girls saw women looking healthy AND happy on the front covers, they would not become overly concerned with being thin themselves….we can only hope.


Soda also played a large role in school. The previous school I taught at banned caffeine drinks in the soda machines. Interestingly enough, I remember the day in which I caught my favorite students selling special edition "Mountain Dew Game Fuel" from his locker for $5 a can! I took it from him and said that he can “look for it on e-bay!” More and more, kids have become addicted to soda and energy drinks and this has a direct impact on their school. They become hyper and wild in class from drinking it, and then by the afternoon crash and become droggy and tired. In addition, these energy drinks and soda can have a direct impact on obesity. Although the school can take a stand on soda and candy by banning it from machines, kids will still find a way to have it.

I have also been very much interested in the Documentary series titled “Unnatural Causes” which looks at how where you live predicts your health. Research shows that those living in urban settings lack the resources to find healthy food options. Within the average urban neighborhood, the only available options are fast food, which has significantly contributed to the health of people of low-income, immigrants, and minorities. If kids want something to eat, their only option is the processed junk food from the local gas station. As a result, school has often become the place where youth receive a healthy meal through free and reduced lunch programs. While cities fail to provide adequate policies about fast-food restaurants within a certain area, schooling and education have to step in and provide for students. Unnatural Causes


Assignment Ideas


When I taught history, I often talked about the role food played during World War II. I discussed invention of SPAM and how it replaced meat for the soldiers. Most importantly, I discussed WWII Victory Gardens and how women and children contributed to the war effort through gardening. I think that organic and locally grown products are making a comeback....slowly but surely. I am very impressed that our First Lady Michelle Obama has brought Victory Gardens back! She has created a community garden at the white house to teach young school children about gardening as well as providing organic food for the White House.

I also think another way to incorporate food into lessons is to explore hunger through a service-learning project. This would be appropriate on both a local and global level. Kids should understand why hunger exists in their own communities and solve ways to prevent it. I think for a geography class, it would be ideal to explore food distribution across the world and explore why there is an inequality of food and resources. In an economics class, kids could try to balance a family household budget and determine the difficult choices some people are forced to make in providing healthy meals to their families. Local Twin Cities Organizations such as 2nd Harvest Heartland and Feed My Starving Children do a great job in educating volunteers about hunger and how kids can help reduce it.

Pop Culture Lesson Plan

Lesson for History/Government ClassAdapted and used from AssociatedContent

Objectives:
-Students will identify the difference between a war and massacre
-Students will interpret the meaning of “Ohio” by Crosby, Stills, Young, and Nash
-Students will compare and contrast the Kent State Massacre with the Boston Massacre
-Students will understand and analyze the importance of the Boston Massacre and the role the -media played in the event.

Listen to and analyze the song “Ohio” by Crosby, Stills, Young, and Nash. Questions to ask students:
-What is this song about?
-What can you infer is happening?



Read article on Kent State Massacre with students and ask the following questions:
-Who was brought in to control the protesters?
-How many students died?
-Why were they shot?
-What happened to the guardsman?
-Why was this a significant event?

Read background on Boston Massacre and analyze picture.
-Where is Captain Preston, the British commander?
-What is he doing? Where are the troops?
-What are they doing?
-Describe the crowd—its size, composition, and location.
-What is the crowd doing?
-What time of day is it?
-How do you think Paul Revere intended his viewers to understand the event?

Final Reflection:
Compare and Contrast the Boston Massacre with the Kent State Massacre by using a Double Bubble Map.

-What role did the media play in the events?
-How important was the Boston Massacre?

Using Popular Culture to help foster “Millennial Activism 2.0 “in the classroom

My argument to Parents:

Parents…..When did you first witness MTV? Where were you when you first saw your first music video on MTV? How did this impact your life, family, and friends? Since the formation of MTV, society found new way to relate with and identify with music. When the Buggles deputed the first ever video, “Video killed the Radio Star” in 1981, music videos became a new genre that influenced the lives of our youth. Generations have imitated Michael Jackson’s famous Thriller dance moves and kids have been influenced to “Rock the Vote.” MTV has become the definition of youth through elebrity interviews, fashion, trends, and reality TV. Rather than denying that music and MTV has played a role in students’ lives, we should embrace it and use it as a tool and strategy in the classroom to analyze society. Students individual experiences with music and popular culture can help define and understand history. Elvis and the 1950s; Beatles and the 1960s; Michael Jackson and the 1980s; Alternative Grunge bands and the 1990s; Hip Hop and today. Each generation can be define by music that helped shaped their era. The learning opportunities from using music and popular culture in the classroom provide an asset to undrestsand history and society.



Newsweek Editor and Princeton Professor Evan Thomas recently stated that students in today’s college classes rarely understand the significance and meaning of historical events and the events and themes that have created the foundation of our country. He stated, “I don’t see kids who are interested in history. I also do not need kids who know anything about history. More trouble….they don’t know the history of what makes this county special and qualities that make democracy and freedom special around the world. They have little grasp of the meaning of the essence of government by the people.” Please view his youtube video here:



With this in mind, how can we bring “more life” to history and help students understand and engage with history? A classroom should connect popular culture with history and our world because in reality, popular culture has become away to define our culture among today’s youth. Classrooms should promote academic understanding within the context of today’s world.

More than just music

In addition to music, other forms of popular culture influence our students. Today’s youth are exposed to more technology than ever before through facebook, video games, twitter, myspace, ipod, and texting. Rather than downplay the influence of these, I can use them as a tool to help students better understand society. We can use these as strategies to understand and critically analyze academic content. In doing so, help them realize their place in society and come to better understand our world. According to Thomas Fein in “American Pop Culture, “It would be irresponsible of us as educators not to study and embrace this culture because the result will be our youth will learn more, return more be better motivated, and most importantly, they will obtain an education that is relevant to the “real world” and that is meaningful to them.” Bringing popular culture forms into the classroom allows students to critical analyze issues through the lens of an artist and understand new meanings behind history and societal events. “Popular music has successfully usurped the system and affected society change. If nothing else, it often provides a context for connections to the world and sense making of them world,” stated White and Walker in Tooning In (7). It is my hope that using popular culture as a teaching tool will help involve students in the world around them and produce active, thoughtful citizens.

The new era of activism

While many can place a negative connotation on technology and popular culture in the classroom, it IS our young people, so we must view pop culture and students as one in the same. Our country as seen the most socially-minded youth since the 1960s, so we can use this desire for social change coupled with the force of popular culture to understand history and their place in it. Today’s youth are practicing active citizenship and embracing social change through technology (think facebook ‘causes” application). We can combine their idealism, desire for social activism, and technology savy skills to teach history and important social studies topics and make it meaningful and relevant to their lives. Rather than turning to a protest or march, younger students will declare their support or activism through ‘clicks” on the internet. Studies indicate that today’s millennial generation is the most active and most likely to volunteer since the Baby Boomers. The youngest members of our society, the Millennials, utilize new technology for civic purposes the most. For example, they are far more likely than older generations to use the Internet, blogs, web-contents, text messaging and social networking sites to gather civic-related information and express their opinions on various issues. (National Conference for Citizenship; http://www.ncoc.net/) If our youngest generation is embracing technology and popular culture to make their voice heard and become active citizens, I believe this has a strong place in the classroom to foster citizenship and a ‘social activism 2.0’ among youth.

I strive to create a classroom which is a reflection of the real-world. I want my students to be prepared to enter a society as active, engaged, and civic-minded people. So in order to do this, I foster citizenship and utilize popular culture as a means to teach them about history and society.

Learning? Or just Entertainment?

When thinking of Conversational Agents (CA) as tools for the learning process, I approach it with much caution. The two case studies we read took me by much surprise. The CA appeared to be used as more for entertainment purposes rather than learning purposes, so this leads me to wonder: Is there a place in the classroom for these “Conversation Agents?” If so, what role and purpose do they serve?

I am encouraged by the idea that the CA can “increase motivation and stimulate learning.” I think students are curious individuals and like to push the CAs to their limits and abilities, which the studies indicated. The Doering study indicated that “the student-agent interactions were unrelated to the assigned task.” Only 5.1% of the interactions pertained to the Social Studies assignment. Therefore, this really discourages me from using this type of technology with students. If I do use CAs or avatars in the classroom, I need to set it up in a very structured and limited format. Based upon these two articles, I would be very hesitant to utilize these unless they served a direct purpose and I had control over student interaction (ie. I got a copy of student conversation). It didn’t surprise me that middle school students asked a wide-array of questions based on the curiosity of their age. As a teacher, I do not want to tempt students with situation where they will engage in vulgar and sexual comments, as what happened in the study. I was also surprised that the pre-service elementary teachers started asking bizarre questions to the agent just for pure amusement and entertainment. I feel that they were never used for the purpose of learning. The CA almost served as a virtual friend for entertainment reasons to prevent the student from being bored while working on their assignment. While it did provide another resource besides textbooks and the internet, questions that were asked to the CA could have been ‘googled’ or asked of the teacher during in-class time.

Another concern that arises from these studies is the gender and appearance of the CA. How much did the female CA influence the questions and comments given by the middle school students? In the Veletsianos article, students did not view the CPA as an authority figure but rather as a peer—“someone they had the liberty to “play” with, flirt with, swear at, and bully.” I wonder how students would respond to a male CPA who was much older? Maybe a father or grandfather type figure? Or, maybe an athlete character whom the students could feel they could relate with? In what capacity can interactive technology serve in the classroom?

I do believe there is a place for interactive technology and if used correctly, can most definitely enhance students’ motivation for learning. Doering stated that CAs allow students to learn with technology rather than from technology, “If learners are able to share in the development of their own CAs, in essence personalizing the tools they are working with, they may become more motivated to work with the CA to elicit the correct answers and enhance their learning experience.” (268) With proper regulation and teacher control, CAs can add another “adult-figure” and unique level of support to foster student interest in the assignment. Many students in the case studies indicated they enjoyed the presence of a CA as a “friend.” Perhaps with regulation and teacher control, the students could view the CA as a positive resource and study buddy rather than a sexual figure to flirt with. For shy students or hard-to-reach students, the presence of a CA could draw them into the material and allow more questions about the assignment and content to surface.


Using Avatars in the Classroom

I do think that when used properly, I “classroom-version” of Second Life could really engage students and take them to a new dimension in learning. There are some kid-friendly Second Life websites that take kids to historical time periods to place students in the moment of history. Kids could take on different characters and act them out as if they were in the historical time period. For example, Whyville is a web-based virtual world for middle-school students where kids represent animated characters from different time period. http://www.edutopia.org/second-life-virtual-reality-collaboration. A situation and learning environment like this can engage the kids and with teacher presence, hold them accountable to what happens. More students become involved with the material. I could also envision a virtual world of the White House, Congress, or the United Nations where students take on various politicians and act out the roles through an avatar. This would be a new and engaging way to draw students into the material. I think that would be really fun and cool!

Another virtual simulation is called YackPack. www.yackpack.com. Students can create avatars or profiles for themselves and talk to each other in a group via the web. While the computer is not doing the talking, kids are experiencing conversing with each other in a new and different way. It elicits a different atmosphere for discussing assignments.

I have used moodle in my classroom. While this serves as more of a teacher website, students can create unique profiles and interact with other via chat. I bring up moodle because the teacher still has control over chat conversations. With the CA, the teacher had no control over the questions asked. Perhaps with more teacher control like in moodle, the CA could serve a strong role in the classroom and take on a “supportive” virtual buddy to help students.

Finally, I think that teacher-create avatars could be another way to reach students and capture their attention. While teachers are limited with their time, creating an avatar to explain assignments or give reminders would make things fun! Perhaps I could create an avatar to post on my website with weekly homework reminders....just another way to relate with students!

My Avatar....Colbert Style

Video Games and Learning

I have to admit that video games are not my specialty, which makes it difficult to relate to my “gamer” students. However, I believe that the experiences students have had with online games have a significant impact on their learning and thinking of civics/government curriculum. Let me tell you about one of my former students Johnny....Johnny suffered from ADHD, had a really difficult time focusing in class, and never turned his assignments in on time. BUT, if you put him in front of a computer game, he was a totally different Johnny than in class. Video games kept his attention for hours on end! I remember when a popular video game went on sale at Best Buy at midnight. Johnny’s mom let him wait in line at the store for this video game (I think World of Warcraft). Johnny and his friends bought the game and stayed up until 8am the next morning playing it, and of course, were late too school. I don’t necessarily agree with Johnny’s mom letting him stay up that late to buy it and then letting him stay up all night to play it, but regardless of that fact, something about that game Johnny loved and it maintained his attention. Oftentimes, when we had class discussions about global political approaches or political theories, Jonny and other gamer boys would jump right into the discussion with analogies to video games. I was left speechless as I had no idea what they were talking about!


I was very intrigued with James Paul Gee’s article “What Video Games Can Teach Us About Making Students Want To Learn.” Not only did he provide me with insight into the learning strategies with games, but challenged me to create a classroom framed around strategies that capture students’ attention. I didn’t realize that video games really do apply a lot of applicable learning strategies in their design, especially with strong character identities. Players are required to explore the game and approach playing from a character’s point of view. In doing so, they can emotionally relate to the game and get invested into the outcome…wanting to keep trying and winning. According to Gee, they see “learning in a new domain.” Games also let players choose the degree of challenge and accommodate automatically. This reminds me a lot of differentiation; players finish the game successfully with minor accommodations and different “twists and turns” throughout. Gee commented, players “feel pleasantly frustrated” putting them in a “flow state.” Isn’t this what was strive for in the classroom? We want students to feel challenged in a way that doesn’t stop them from learning but encourage and motivate them to engage in higher order thinking. Perhaps our classrooms need to create a more “game-like” atmosphere to help students solve problems through creative thinking. I also think it’s beneficial when teachers ask students to wear different “hats.” I have often asked students to think of an historical situation or political situation from various perspectives, often found in online games. Thinking back to my former student Johnny, something found in the video games was missing from my classroom for him…..higher order thinking? Strategy? Character identity? Constant visual simulation?


When looking at video games culture, there are several disadvantages that were identified in the articles. For example, it is difficult to find class-time and computer-room availability to play online video games during school. In the game Labyrinth, they required students to play this for “pre-work” for the teacher to allude to in class. If we require students to play a game at home, some won’t have internet access. Accommodations will have to be made for those who don’t. I also found it interesting about the gender of video games. I also carried the attitude that gaming was a “boy-thing.” While some of these video games are reaching out to girls, it’s almost in a negative way. I was appalled at some of the pictures of the women in the video games….I had no idea they were that stereotypical and portrayed women in skimpy dress! I think most games are definitely geared towards the male audience, and considering this, it’s hard to draw female students into this. When considering drawing students into classroom material, I’m definitely going to consider the gender roles the game utilizes.


In my own classroom, I have used games with students…both online video games, board games, and simulation games. One game that my school bought for civics class was the Demcocracy Game. (similar to the one found here http://takegame.com/strategic/htm/democracy.html). Students were in charge of running certain countries, and in doing so, earned and lost points of they balanced the budget or went into deficit. They had to strategize what to do when other countries attacked or wanted to trade with them. Students LOVED it! I think it really helped them to understand the political process. However, students also got tired of playing the game after awhile, especially female students. The male students were just a little bit more into the video game strategizing than girls! I’ve also used an online simulation game to show students how difficult it is to balance the U.S. budget. (similar to this one here: http://www.boingboing.net/2008/05/20/online-game-balance.html) Again, kids got really into the “online” aspect of it and changing the different departments to balance the budget. I specifically remember kids were shocked that they couldn’t provide the same amount of money to both education, defense, and health! They were frustrated at where to cut money! It definitely spoke to many kids’ emotions and captured their attention. It was well-suited for all kids and everyone was challenged or intrigued by it in some way. Additionally, there board games such as monopoly or real-life simulations present the ‘real-life’ situation that are well-suited for middle-school kids and get them involved in the learning process. I strongly believe that anytime you can get the kids involved and they find themselves attached to the situation through experience, emotion, or feeling, they will learn. To summarize, I think that video games as well as other games, provide meaning and purpose to learning. It challenges kids to think in new ways and forces them to invest energy, talent, and thinking to the situation. And, well, some are just fun!

Target Dollar Bins and Abercrombie Models…what’s become of our shopping?

According to the article Transforming Social Spaces: Female Identity and the Mall,
“The mall has become the symbol of escapism, information, and socialization for Americans” (2). When considering the roles shopping malls play in our society, I can’t help but often consider them the “hub” of our communities. Everyone goes to the mall: moms, kids, pre-teens, elderly, men, and young adults. Think of Black Friday and how this has almost become more popular than Thanksgiving itself when stores open as early at 4am for costumers to snag the best deal. Yet, they are a huge part of our society and definitely impact consumers, especially teenagers. What teenage movie doesn’t have a mall scene? Considering both females and young adults within the context of shopping malls, I can’t help but think our shopping plays a strong role in socialization process of becoming American.

Shopping malls are a common identity of American life, and like the Mall of America, they have become this “mini-world” of shopping, food, and entertainment rolled into one. The Mall of America, in fact, has become more of a visitor attraction center than of an actual place many native Twin Citians choose to go shopping at. I avoid it at all costs. The only time I end up in the Mall of America are often for special events. Consider all of the special events for non-profit groups that occur at the Rotunda at the Mall of America; it is a place that many groups hold events, walks, rallies, and special displays to attract attention to their cause. Like the paper stated, groups like this gather at the mall, attempting to use the venue to ‘take an active role in seeking solutions for societal change (14).’” While social change may not occur at the mall itself, it’s a prime location to hold special events because it automatically attracts mall-goers of all ages and backgrounds. When my work considered holding a special event at the Rotunda at the Mall of America, we learned that the space books out 8-12 months in advance! It’s a wanted venue for its size, location, and audience. The mall has become common place where the public will be at. It’s definitely considered a “hub” of the community. I find it interesting that people do not socialize with others outside their immediate group, but go there with people to socialize or something to do.


Women and Target…..

As a female, I began reflecting on the several trips I make the mall with my female friends. When we want to do something we often say, “Let’s go to the mall; Let’s go shopping.” Shopping is most definitely a socializer for women. This article gave me a couple of things to consider, especially with the layout of department stores and the location of goods in a store. It was stated that mall planners saw women as “goal-orientated” and “easily distracted.” Women can be easily manipulated by displays. I have to be honest, and say that this SO true when it comes to Target. I’ve always wondered why they place the cheap stuff for a dollar in the front of the store right near the entrance….most of it is geared towards females and kids. Every time I enter Target, I have to take a stop and browse the dollar bin. Usually I end up snagging some cheap item for a $1 (some are truly cheap and some stuff is actually good!) The article explains that women are easily distracted by visuals, so I guess this holds true with the Dollar Bin at Target. Perhaps Target wants the consumer to feel that they are able to get a good deal for $1 in a time when prices are ever-increasing. I often hear my female friends say, “I can’t leave Target without spending $100!” or “I go into Target for one thing and come out with everything!” Considering the jewelry counter is right next to the women’s clothing at Target makes it easy to feel lured into the store and want to keep looking and browsing for items. Women are easily attracted to the displays and stop, which will keep them as costumers. By the time women get to the back of the store for the light bulb, they’ve made stop at the jewelry counter, clothing racks, shoe department, and home goods. They end up with a whole shopping cart full of stuff rather than just the small light bulb! The layout of department stores definitely has the woman shopper in mind.


Youth and Abercrombie……

“The theme park in which Americans spend their time is not a site for the development of individuality, but rather a training ground for more efficient consumption through the usage of psychographic information.” (4) If Mall planners hope to create a more “civic culture,” what kind of “civic” culture can be created in a mall that promotes certain images of beauty and encourages kids to form into a certain identify. Through the process of purchasing, Americans are encouraged to assume a “consumer self” identify or to identify themselves with the commodities they consume.” What messages do youth receive upon entering the mall? Models, literally, real models are sporting the latest trends in clothing. Consider the teen store Abercrombie and Fitch. To sell their clothes, they use real shirtless males, who are athletic and fit. I looked up “Abercrombie and Fitch” on youtube and instantly received many results where young teens videotapes themselves taking pictures with the Abercrombie models…..are they really selling jeans? If young people are being socialized by the mall, what kind of message do Abercrombie and Fitch promote? Perhaps they are selling the idea that the perfect look has to be a toned, athletic body that wears Abercrombie jeans. I read a recent article in which Abercrombie and Fitch stores were sued for not hiring a girl because she wore a traditional hijab. According to the stores, this did not following the “Look Policy” they have. Teens quoted in the article stated, "It's dominated by Caucasian, football-looking, blonde-hair, blue-eyed males; skinny, tall. You don't see any African-Americans, Asian-Americans, and that's the image that they're portraying and that they're looking for." What kind of message does this send? Abercrombie and Fitch Sued over head scarf If this is supposed to be “THE” popular store to shop at for teens, this sends a message that only certain teens are only wanted and accepted. Abercrombie Article





Furthermore, I considered the diversity of stores at the malls. Most stores are geared towards white, middle-class kids. “Messages and products provided in malls only address those of at least a middle-socio-economic status.” (13) When youth walk into malls, they are being bombarded with message and products that address a certain idea of “image” and “trendy.” Rarely to malls have unique individual stores for Somali clothing. So, I have a hard time believing that malls are developing individuality, but rather, discouraging it. I think it would be interesting to address this issue with students and have them consider the “diversity of malls.”



Men and shopping malls….

Whenever I see men I see in malls, they are often following their wives around or waiting for their teenager kids to finish shopping. Many times, I see men perched on a bench outside of a store waiting for their spouses…some even catching a snooze. Most men do not go to the mall to browse or hang out with their buddies…..they save that for the sports bar. The last time I was at the mall, I was at the Verizon cell phone cart in the middle of Rosedale. Every customer there was male. They were looking at all the phones, asking questions about plans, or even calling their wives asking permission to buy a new cell phone plan. Think about all the cell phone companies and gadget-type items that are sold in carts in the middle of the mall. This would totally benefit the male consumer. Most men would be attracted towards those types of items and they could browse them while waiting for their spouses or kids in the stores. Furthermore, when considering the layout of department stores, most homegoods and sporting goods are towards the back of the store for easy vehicle loading. This would agree with the idea that men come into the store for those items. Additionally, men clothing in department stores tend to be towards the back. Perhaps because they do not need the extra visuals to be lured into the stores like most women.

Assignment #2

When considering that all three of these videos are intended for the young audience, I can’t help but immediately consider the drastic changes in roles, relationships and sex throughout the past several decades. More specifically, how the focus point of relationships for youth are sexual acts. From the bubbly, heart-ache sob story of the ruined birthday party of Gore’s video to the free distribution of sex in Lil’ Kim’s video, we see drastically different portrayals of women. As much as women try to find power and happiness through relationships and men, I think men still have the control in the videos.

It’s quit ironic this week we are analyzing gender roles in music videos, as I was just recently thinking about the impact these messages have on young people. I am “friends” with my 15 year-old cousin on facebook, and have to say, sometimes I wonder if I should be! For being 15, she definitely is not afraid to post some “flirty” pictures or proclaim her liking for boys. I keep thinking where this influence to be “flirty” on facebook is coming from….her parents? Her friends? Society? More importantly, I wonder if she realizes what she is doing or is just doing it because it’s the “cool thing to do” and society (or Lil Kim videos!) is telling her to be like that. It’s disturbing.

It’s My Party:

This video obviously portrays a much more conservative time in our nation’s history, especially when comparing it to the Lil Kim’s video! For Gore, she simply distraught that Jonny leaves the party and comes back holding Judy’s hand. It’s ironic she’s singing about being so sad and heart-broken when she has a big smile on her face during the video! For her, happiness comes in getting Jonny and wearing that ring. “Til Jonny’s dancing with me, I’ve got no reason to smile.” Jonny ruined her party. This obviously reflects a male dominance/power over women. Young girls seek that affirmation and attention from boys, especially amongst her friends. When I asked my mom about this song, she just easily belted out the main chorus! Obviously, she didn’t pay much attention to the meaning behind the lyrics nor could recite them. However, if this song were to reflect the time period, it would obviously reveal a male dominance/control over young women’s happiness and emotions.


Criminal:

The accompanying article by Zeltner provides an in-depth analysis of Criminal; so many images and perspectives to address with this video! This is a video that was popular when I was in high school; I specifically remember my friend wearing a Fiona Apple t-shirt, portraying that Fiona was a “musical genius!” I do know the history/background of Fiona Apple, and therefore, am a bit hesitant with what to address with the video. However, in general, this video again shows the women trying to find happiness/power through sexual acts but in the end simply “Feeling like a criminal.” I did find it interesting that the beginning images of the video included a stuffed animal, which reflects a youth and innocence to Fiona. Again, later in the video, she is in the closet with pig-tails, illustrating her youth and yet showing she is only good enough to be in a closet as a possession. As Zeltner stated, “This entire montage of shots portrays Apple as something less than a possession. She is someone who is reduced to hiding in the closet or the bathroom. The early thrill of voyeurism that was encouraged in the opening seconds of the video now begins to sour.” Even though Fiona was trying to find power and pleasure through men and sex, again, she was found powerless. Men still dominated in the end and she “feels like a criminal.”


‘Lil Kim How Many Licks

Wow! No wonder my 15 year cousin isn’t afraid to post bikini pictures on facebook!! At first, I thought this video portrayed women as the one in control, being able to find whoever she wants and when! But the more I thought about it, it truly does say that sex sells and in doing this, portrays a message to young girls to be like reproducible machines. Immediately in the beginning are images of women as dolls being made in the factory. Words flash across the screen: “Full Edible, Candy Kills, Full Range of Motion, State and Federal Prison Approved.” Men can order women like dolls to perform any sort of sexual desire needed. Towards the end of the song, the lyrics include “Some niggaz even put me on their grocery lists
right next to the whip cream and box of chocolates.” While Lil Kim does act as if she’s in control throughout the video, she’s portraying this idea that power comes through being a male sex toy.



Additionally, I thought it was interesting how Lil Kim reinforces the racial stereotypes in the video. The first man she references was a white male who “buy me a horse, a Porsche and a farm.” Then, the video often flashed images of the African American males behind bars in a jail cell. African American males who were referenced as being in jail as well as portrayed in jail in the video. Again, this portrayal to a young audience reveals and reinforces the racial divide in America found in income, wealth, and jailed inmates.

In summary, all three videos portray women as finding happiness and power through men. While the role and importance of sex has changed throughout history, it is still the idea that men control women's happiness. Today, sex sells. With Fiona stripping and almost naked to Lil Kim strutting around in high heels fish-nets tights, girls are seeking this reassurance, acceptance, and power from men. When in the end, the men always have the power.

Well...to add to the many videos that other classmates have posted, I love the how Beyonce portrays male/female roles in "If I were a boy." She uses role reversal to portray gender stereotypes and puts an interesting twist on male dominance in a relationship. Worth a watch!

Assignment #1

Making Jefferson as Popular as American Idol?


The first three chapters of Tooning In hit home in many ways. Since much of the text was focused on Social Studies, and being a Social Studies teacher, I immediately began reflecting on the uses of popular culture in my own classroom. To be honest, I was a bit frustrated and offended at how White and Walker portrayed Social Studies teachers. They stated “Social Studies educators must recognize that most students find the lower-level memorization and recitation required in most social studies classes irrelevant and boring….teaching practices should promote interests, engagement, rigor, and enthusiasm.” (18) Almost all the teachers I’ve worked with have found innovative ways to engage the students using popular culture with media, music, articles, and everything happening with the presidential election. Many Social Studies classes are very creative and engaging! I remember when I taught history, I used music to evoke emotion of historical time-periods and read popular poetry of the 1930s to analyze the time period. When I taught government, students analyzed “Biko” by Peter Gabriel and watched the movie Cry Freedom to analyze apartheid and see a society without the Bill of Rights. I have found that one of the best ways to make history and civics interesting for students is to bring it to their level and engage them using reference to popular culture.


It’s here, so we might as well use it. The last presidential election demonstrates how the power of technology and popular culture can go a long way in attracting voters. Think of how candidates used facebook by creating Candidate Pages, allowing voters to declare their support for a candidate. By the end of the campaign trail, Barack Obama had numerous celebrity supporters like Oprah, Will I Am, Justin Timberlake, and Brad Pitt declaring their support and singing Yes We Can. Presidential Candidates found unique ways to blend popular culture and with issues to gain society’s attention. Getting involved in politics became hip and cool. I think teachers need to find innovate ways to bring together popular culture with issues in class...to make learning hip and cool! Not only can this evoke emotion, which can create more effective teaching, but hopefully create more engaged and active citizens.


I appreciate and agree with White and Walker when they state, “Teaching is conducted through media rather than about media.” (18) White and Walker continue to state that “once society gave meaning to images; now images give meaning to society.” If our music, video, pop culture is becoming our new definition of America, why not use it to promote active involvement? Furthermore, what does it mean now to be actively involved citizen? I think teachers need to “hook” students to learning with popular culture and then use that to analyze issues and concepts. We need to teach students to be active, thoughtful, and critical consumers of information and media, rather than passive consumers. Teachers need to use media and popular culture message to force students to critically analyze meanings and interpret it’s relation to our culture. I agree with White and Walker when they write that "Educators must develop critical thinking skills among students in order to combat the trend of abandonment of active citizenship for passive consumerism.” For example, consider the explosion of the ipod or iphone and all the media hype around Apple introducing their latest products. Rather than letting students just consume and use these products, use it as a learning opportunity to talk about supply and demand or global markets. Consider the controversy surrounding the Obama welcome back to school speech. The media outcry of this speech can be used as a strong teaching opportunity to help students consider the partisan views existing in our country. Students need to become active, self-aware consumers, which in turn, can create a more thoughtful citizenry.

Can we make Jefferson as popular as American Idol? I recall an article which polled high school students on their knowledge of pop culture (who won the last American Idol) versus historical facts (who wrote the Constitution). Of course, students’ knowledge of popular culture far outweighed historical facts. So if we know that students will always be texting, looking on facebook, watching American Idol, watching MTV, how can we use these tools to our advantage as educators? It’s not the classroom versus facebook, but it’s creatively bringing the two together. Facebook allows for a variety of discussion and debate among posts. In fact, facebook even let its users vote on the terms of service. Students are already engaging in active citizenship online, so bring that frame of mind to the classroom. Effectively using a variety of media can allow for understanding of different viewpoints, promote discussion and debate, and help foster engaged students. At the same time, however, teachers themselves need to be thoughtful consumers and be critical consumers of media.

I used the song "Biko" by Peter Gabriel and the movie Cry Freedom to help students analyze a society without a Bill of Rights.



The popular Obama Campaign song which utilized celebrities and popular culture to get out his political message

Now Generation by Black Eyed Peas

I thought this song by the Black Eyed Peas was fitting to this course. The lyrics illustrate the mind-frame that many of our students have when entering our classrooms; they are focused on getting information "now" through text message, wikipedia, myspace, facebook, etc. The lyrics embody our youth today! Now, how can we use the "pop culture tools" that are students already exposed with to better our classrooms?

I want money
I want it want it want it
Fast internet
Stay connected in a jet
Wi-fi, podcast
Blasting out an SMS
Text me and I text you back
Check me on the iChat
I’m all about that h t t p
You’re a PC I’m a Mac
I want it..

Myspace in your space
Facebook is a new place
Dip divin’ socializin’
I’ll be out in cyber space
Google is my professor
Wikipedia checker
Checkin my account
Loggin in and loggin out
Baby I want it..
Now!

Starting the course

Excited to start the course and learn how pop culture influences a student's life and perspectives, which in turn, influence the classroom.