I feel like every time I go on social media recently, there is another viral video of a person with a mental/neurological condition, a person who is physically disabled or whatever other labels we place on those who are ‘different’. They always seem to be doing something inspirational! Something that gives you goosebumps because they were - for a small moment - given the opportunity to be “normal” in the eyes of the dominant society. If you don’t know what I mean, have a look through these few links. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCOyhqKRrv4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ium0J7hXQLs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekLpn4zKiNU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYUbAwY2Yow&list=PLViB-jncJaxs0d1eLM35Q3XPEBwY6MnyH Now I’m not a monster! Many of these videos make me smile. But the question that I wish I could ask the hundreds of thousands who contribute to these videos trending is... Did you “like” the video because it was an fantastic example of the humankind or because that person is disabled and they did something AWESOME like a “normal person”? Society has grown addicted to labelling and that has somehow given us a social obligation to like memes, videos and posts that we feel we morally should even if we don’t understand why. Rhodes (1977) elaborates “that we use our assumed sense of normality as a defense mechanism against our deepest fears” - the fear of diversity and coping with an “encounter with alien ‘otherness’" (Smith, Danforth & Nice, 2005). I know that it seems extreme but this discourse society has runs covertly and subtly deep within the stitching of the wider community, that we may not even realise. Why share a video and then say “wow...this retarded person is great” (#truestory). Now, many of you may not know that I’m deeply passionate about the Deaf community. I have many friends who are deaf/Deaf and I’ve even taught students who are deaf/Deaf. They do inspire me and I think they are the greatest! Not because they are “disabled” or “different to me” but because they are amazing people who do not see themselves lacking in any way. They are proud of their language, history and culture, as they see their individuality as a strength. In fact, there have been many times that I feel like I am the one lacking in something; that I am the one missing out. For this unit’s first assignment, I wrote about how popular culture could be the platform for the hearing and Deaf community who are finally being heard and seen in a true and positive depiction. It is there, I stumbled along this TedTalk. I couldn’t believe it. A person who is seen by the greater population to be speaking FOR the Deaf and yet concludes with an uplifting video of a boy who is deaf cooking, playing, running, writing and being depicted as a normal child. But hold up! He is! There we have it, ladies and gentlemen! The general consensus saying those living with a disability are automatically qualified to be inspirational. I feel like, at this stage, some people could be still be quite closed to this notion, so I strongly encourage you to watch this other TedTalk I happened to stumble across. Now, I could go on with this quite a lot and I’m happy to discuss it in the comments section. But, what I’d really like to explore is how valuable of an opportunity we have in exploring media literacies as the changing face of exclusionary practices and being critical of the motive and representation of marginalised groups. New media has allowed the ability for groups of people, whom were previously unheard of or oppressed, to now have a forum where they can represent themselves as they see true. But, it needs to be recognised that a “like” or “share” does not constitute for you accepting differences in society or changing your outlook towards those that are seen to have a deficit. My understanding of the combination of digital and media literacy is the ability to understand and evaluate the use and development of technology formats, as well as interpreting these sources in how the information is portrayed and delivered (Digital Literacy, 2010). Even in my own schooling, I remember discussing how we were targeted, positioned and manipulated by the media through techniques, the modes of representation of females and understanding different digital formats. If we look at these schematic diagrams of digital literacy, there is a profound reasoning and space for students to be given the opportunity to explore this socially intertwined discourse of power, identity and undue acceptance of status quo ideologies. For example, the language used within and when discussing those with a disability (seriously - you should read the comments!) and the underlying messages and motives of representation. New media allows the critical analysis of deeply engrained intolerance, unless it is under our controlled terms (Smith, Danforth & Nice, 2005). There will be many ambiguous examples and sources that can not simply be viewed without higher order thinking and reflections upon values and beliefs for both staff and students. For example, there is this Facebook page that I’m still unsure of. It is a “special ed teacher” from the US that uploads videos of his students. Parts of me like that they are educational and uplifting for the students, who seem quite happy. But other parts of me dislike like how they often reinforce this deficit style view, especially the video descriptions of suffocating medical terms. There are questions of benefits yet authenticity of actors who portray characters who are disabled, morality/ethics or Paul Hunt’s 1991 study about the 10 stereotypes of people who are disabled (Leeds University, 1991; Regina Weiss, 2014). There is the debate between identity first language, person first language and medical deficit language. Many avenues for open ended discussions. There is a fine line between inspirational, empowerment and pity parties and the criteria that differentiates each. With popular culture, technology and social media allowing the opportunity for so many more voices to be expressed, we also fall for the trap of our own misunderstanding and misguided naivety. Media literacies allow us the chance to explore this. It won’t be easy, but if we ever want equality (although I prefer equity) within our schooling systems and community, we need our youth to lead the change that is so desperately overdue. REFERENCES:
Digital Literacy. (2010). What Is Digital Literacy?. Retrieved from https://cleach.wordpress.com/what-is-digital-literacy/ Leeds University. (1991). Discrimination: Disabled people and the media. Retrieved from http://disability-studies.leeds.ac.uk/files/library/Barnes-Media.pdf Regina Weiss, D. (2014). People with Disabilities in Pop Culture - A Work in Progress - Independence Care System. Independence Care System. Retrieved from http://www.icsny.org/people-with-disabilities-in-pop-culture-a-work-in-progress/ Rhodes, W. (1977). The illusion of normality. Behavioural Disorder, 2(2), 6 - 11. Smith, T., Danforth, S., & Nice, S. (2005). Chapter 10: Considering inclusive education. In S. Danforth & T. Smith, Engaging trouble studens: A constructivist approach (1st ed., pp. 57 - 92). Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press.
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Writing. It is one of those conventional and standard skills that not many of us have any recollection of how we got to where we are. As a result, many of us just assume that we somehow “picked it up” along the way and that is that. To those people - I’m sorry to say but studies show that is not as effective as you may think. Unfortunately, for many Generation Y people, we were not explicitly taught reading and writing skills as, at that time, the political, academic and education system encouraged a more “Whole Reading/Writing Approach” (Westwood, 2008). So much so, that while at uni with my Masters or teaching my own students, I’m shocked when I come across things that I swear I have never learnt before. Writing involves understanding text structures, top level approach, genres, expressions, syntax, pragmatics, expression, receptive, analogies phonemes, phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, graphemes, phonics, digraphs, trigraphs, quadgraphs, blends, diphthongs, triphthongs, soliloquy, theme, euphemism, homophones, homographs, adjectives, nouns, adverbs, verbs, articles, pronouns, motifs, independent clauses, anecdotes, dependent clauses, assonance, alliteration, figurative language, hyperbole, imagery, similes, metaphors, juxtaposition, onomatopoeia, paradox, spoonerism, a whole heap of grammatical marks, and...do I really need to continue? So, it is no wonder students can be anxious or find writing to be quite challenging, especially the early to middle primary years. Westwood (2008) describes how competent writers have not only the mechanical abilities to write, but an understanding of the structure, style and aspects of the writing process, such as generating ideas, planning, organising, drafting and editing. This awareness ensures that writing is a satisfying experience that is self motivated and intrinsically rewarded, which only encourages them to further their writing skills as they actively engage in writing (Westwood, 2008). Conversely, less proficient writers lack these abilities and attributes leading to negative feelings and perceptions as they continue to avoid any writing tasks (Westwood, 2008). This further interferes with their attitude towards writing and, thus, the Matthew affect, a self-perpetuating failure cycle (Westwood, 2008; Wrightslaw.com, 2015). It isn’t all grim. Studies show that these students react well to explicit instruction as they gain not only the literacy skills, but the self-regulatory strategies (Westwood, 2008). But a sour taste and aversion to writing is still there. Westwood (2008) states “the challenge for teachers is to restore students’ lost interest and motivation for writing.” This is where popular culture steps in. The following slideshow was most likely created to amuse distracted university students who are procrastinating from their 3 assignments at 2am (just hypothetically, of course)! But, it’s potential to prompt and kindle students’ inner authors is immense. Have a click through!! The ideas would be amazing writing stimulus and allow students the freedom to experiment with whatever they can manage to get on the page! It is then that teachers are able to see the steps we can take to further assist, support and guide the students (Westwood, 2008).
Now, I won’t embarrass myself by listing the unanswered questions I have about animation movies, because that means I would need to admit how many I’ve watched and how closely I’ve watched them. But for students, this process would encourage writing using a stimulus they are generally interested in. But it would also increase higher order thinking skills as they start to analytically evaluate text types. Students are often asked to use stimulus in Naplan writing tasks and I even remember high school assessment requiring us to change genre, perspective or “filling a gap” of a literature piece. Using popular culture items as writing stimulus would allow students to be naturally engaged in a task as well as gaining literacy skills and notions. And for older students? Check these writing prompts out! Tad more complex and in depth, but just as alluring. I also really like these other popular culture writing stimuli.
References:
Clipd.com. (2015). 17 Gaping Plot Holes Disney Left To Drive Everyone Insane. Retrieved from http://www.clipd.com/movies/11361/17-gaping-plot-holes-disney-left-to-drive-everyone-insane?utm_source=fbk &utm_campaign=dsk-11361-fa-au 15092913&utm_medium=referral&pid=null%23slide /6/1#slide/8/0 Downes, S. (2015). Column: What is Fan Fiction – and why is it making people nervous?. TheJournal.ie. Retrieved from http://www.thejournal.ie/readme/what-is-fan-fiction-and-why-is-it-making-people-nervous-1334505-Mar2014/ Egnconference.com,. (2012). Writing On Popular Culture: A List Of Arguable Topics. Retrieved from http://www.2012egnconference.com/writing-on-popular-culture-a-list-of-arguable-topics Merriam-webster.com. (2015). Fan fiction | stories involving popular fictional characters that are written by fans and often posted on the Internet called also fanfic. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fan%20fiction Westwood, P. (2008). Chapter 1: Current issues in literacy learning and teaching. In Westwood, Peter, What teachers need to know about reading and writing difficulties. (pp. 56 - 68). Australia, Victoria: ACER Press. Westwood, P. (2008). Chapter 5: Difficulties with writing and spelling. In Westwood, Peter, What teachers need to know about reading and writing difficulties. (pp. 56 - 68). Australia, Victoria: ACER Press. Wrightslaw.com,. (2015). Assessment & Testing - The Matthew Effects - Wrightslaw.com. Retrieved from http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/test.matthew.effect.htm
The sundering of High Culture and Popular Culture is an underwhelming and missed opportunity within the classroom. While I personally have benefited from analysing Cubism features of Picasso and Braque in school, the conversations and educational opportunities that could arise from these daring artworks are endless. Artists like Banksy and Cutts raise important issues that could often be overlooked or suppressed by dominant populations. They are sickly insightful and cleverly assembled. The messages and questions posed would provide a forum about ambient concepts and every day “first world problems” - explicit and implicit. Now of course, not everyone will like his work. But the curious part of me is why? Not your taste? Vulgar? Confusing? Or is it because it is so true and depicts the deepest darkness of society and unspoken fears of the un-evolved mankind. The way I see it there are 4 types of people in society’s conundrums: 1. The people that are aware and struggle with it. 2. The people that aren’t aware but should be. 3. The people that are aware and choose to forget/ignore. 4. The people that are aware and are okay with it. In my opinion, one is worse than the next. Like all brilliant minds, I definitely understand there are those moments where boundaries are tested well past any ones comfortability. His YouTube videos/animations are definitely…confronting. Cutt’s official website has a lot of “Adventure Time” style animations, which is a shame because I severely dislike Adventure Time. But, hey! It may be your thing. To be honest, the ‘Anytime is Ice-Cream time” video completely freaked me out and it was quite distressing. I had no idea what was going on and if you have sensory problems DO not listen to it with music/sound effects. Below is a...somewhat less provoking one. With this fear that arises about alternative ideas, what are we educationally missing out on by ignoring the opportunity. Obviously, it would need to be a well-structured approach with carefully chosen content, involving administration and parent concept - but it is a possibility. There are far too many ignorant, self obsessed, short-sighted, unjustified pretentious humans in the world. Can we, as a society, really afford another generation of it.
Therefore, right here right now, I’d like to dub this new art movement “Frankism” (Frank - get it?). Thanks to Pop Culture, the internet and technology, Frankism has the possibility and probability of expanding so quickly and widely across countries and reaching people who don’t even need to leave their couches. It is only this reason that I found Steve Cutt’s page mixed amongst my Facebook feed. So, let’s continue. Don’t be a person who fears change. Don’t be that fourth type of person. Embrace scary depictions of our society or else before we know it, things like Art won’t even exist anymore. P.S. If you are interested, Jeff Hong is another artist to have a look at. His intertwined Frankism and Disney characters would provide a platform for provoking conversation with younger audiences, such as middle school. ** Caution: I will embarrass myself in the post below, so grab the Maltesers, a glass of wine and enjoy.** Fashion has always been somewhat embedded into my life, even when I was young. My mum was in the fashion business herself. Her proud comment on this blog post would be about my matching paten shoes and handbags as a little girl or multiple matching frilly bloomers, as it was never acceptable for my nappy to show. Of course, she’d also mention the hassles of my increasingly opinionated behaviour and that I knew exactly what I wanted or did not want from a very early age, including my appearance (insert the many “choosing glasses sagas”). Although I have long since broken her heart for my dislike of matching items, it is really no surprise how attentive I am to the fashion I choose. I would not state that it is a “love for fashion” but more the welcomed power that it beholds. In today’s society, appearance is everything, regardless if people wish to accept that or not. C’mon! The world’s clothing and textile industry reached almost $2,560 trillion in 2010 (TreeHugger, 2015). Although highly controlled by popular culture, I’m not really the type to admire something because it has a label or a magazine says it is “in”. But I have my reasons. To me, fashion depicts the type of person that I want to be portrayed as. I am a quirky person who is also a teacher as well my many personas and I can choose if I want to extenuate that or not. I have a succinct and punctilious taste where other’s opinions are rarely considered. When I began my undergraduate degree, I was able to experiment with my style and clothing after being strictly regulated by a private girl’s school. Strangely enough, I feel a ponytail still needs a ribbon. But, oh the outfits and things I wore in my undergraduate days! Furthermore, this really became quite evident when my dad got sick. All of a sudden the world was falling apart and I found a way of coping with the sudden changes. As long as I looked okay, everyone thought things were okay and, therefore, everything was okay. The charade of a clean cut, refined person is the only thing people needed or wanted to see. This is where I saw the true value behind “dress to who you want to be”and it is still incredibly prominent in my day to day life.
This article instantly struck a cord with me in an inconclusive manner. My best friend’s guffaw dismissed any lingering thoughts, but it would continually pop into my head. It wasn’t until discussions in my Popular Culture class did I realise that this could be a chance for me to explore my curiosity. Embracing participatory culture in which is a creative and informal process of consumers and prosumers that are bound by cyclical contributions that are seized and informed by others’ experiences that will incidentally inform and be seized by others (Jenkins, 2009). It was decided! I would replicate Matilda’s endeavour for a set period of time as a type of social experiment. Bye-bye wardrobe. Just like she describes in a Harpers Bazaar article, I chose a simple black and white uniform, which I chose for simplicity, versatility and anonymity. Two white linen business shirts, 2 black pants, black ballet flats and a black blazer and all bought in a one day shopping trip nightmare. On a side note, it seems if you wish to buy simple corporate wear, you must spend big or every asset of the female body must protrude or pop out. I also decided to give myself SOME allowances. I was allowed to wear whatever accessories and I had a black knee length coat for colder weather. I did quite a lot of research in minimalist wardrobes and what the internet and media happen to say. Ofcourse, our own Karl Stefanovic’s same suit social experiment, as well as the pros and cons of Steve Job’s point of view on simplicity. There were productivity and organisation sites that spoke highly of minimalist living. There were plenty of sites complaining about spending or cost and, of course, Matilda Kahl received some internet coverage. My research ventured into some brain studies about the morning decision making process and the effects of that early morning stress plays out on the day. Regardless of my research about all these positives, my hypothesis was simple. This is going to kill me. Although initially I wanted to create blog posts as I went, I was concerned about the unfair depiction of vanity. So, instead, I will simply synthesis my experiences of personal perturbation with weekly observations. WEEK 1 Day 1 I completely regretted the entire decision, yet surprisingly Day 2 wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I swear I was expecting the entire world to shout out horror the fact that I was wearing the. Exact. Same. Thing. For the purposes of this blog, I attempted to take a photo everyday. But then I realised it’s the exact same thing and it doesn’t even matter! Photos are below! With Week 1 over - no one had really noticed or even said anything to my shock. The big problem that I didn’t forecast were...blisters. Wearing brand new shoes everyday resulted in excruciating blisters. I mean, every where and bleeding. I could barely walk! Not kidding! But the social experiment had to continue. I’d invested far too much of my tax return to turn back now! The lovely ladies at my school’s office offered me some heavy duty bandaids to get me through my days. But seriously - the blisters. WEEK 2 Week 2 is where I saw the most anticipation. I was enjoying not having to decide what to wear and there were no morning freak outs. Blisters continued but were getting less tender. Week 2 also saw my love my bow ties bloom increasingly. It was my bit of something different. Strangely Week 2 saw many remarks even though I’d warn lipstick many times before. Furthermore, I noticed that weekend free dress began to be exciting and fun. WEEK 3 By Week 3 I could see the finish line in the distance. Not having to decide what to wear was highly convenient in a week full of mid semester uni assessment and Week 9 school assessment. It was only Week 3 that some people had the courage to kinda ask about it, although majority were yet to. Those colleagues and friends that were aware of the social experiment began to joke and chuckle about it. That made it all a lot more bearable as by the end of Week 3 I was not necessarily enjoying myself anymore. My mum couldn’t believe that I’d lasted this long. Even though she came shopping with me to buy my uniform, she was absolutely flabbergasted. WEEK 4 I was OVER it! I’d had enough. I was no longer enjoying it and no longer seeing the point of it, even with the finish line so close. I also noticed by Week 4 I started to feel very negative about my body shape and appearance. I hated that I couldn’t express myself or even see my legs! Bow ties were not cutting it anymore. People had started to notice and were discussing it without me and were only to be informed by those that knew! Afterwards, they would approach me with their wild and hilarious theories (that I will discuss below). At this stage, it was all humorous as I was over it. I decided on the final 2 days I’d ask people who I see everyday (even a parent) and who hadn’t mentioned it to me because I was aware that many people were uncomfortable to. Nope - they hadn’t even noticed. So... overall observations and comments of my participatory cultured Matilda Kahl social experiment. I’m shocked more people didn’t say anything. It really solidified that, although we think people care, many people are too busy operating their own lives to give a hoot. I do know that a lot of people did not feel comfortable to approach me and I am curious as to why. Those people that did say something were still very cautious and had clearly checked in with others beforehand. Upon asking some why, there were comments about not wanting to just incase I had been living out of my car or something. Maybe I had got into some financial problems. By far my FAVOURITE comment was the most amusing yet awkward conversation, where someone admitted that they thought I had recently changed my sexuality, as I was wearing more masculine clothes. That, beforehand, I had worn such pretty dresses and now I was dressing in a suit like outfit with all different bow ties. I took all of it very lightly as by this stage I felt many people were laughing with me, and not at me. Ofcourse, questions about how often I was washing my clothes were very common and I seriously hated the fact that I was washing every 2 days. (Seriously - white was the worse decision!) It’s funny because it must have been, for those that noticed, so foreign to think that someone could or would wear the same thing. Interestingly, more people had commented about the missing black and white on my first days back wearing my preferred clothing and colours. Productivity and organisation wise, although it was more convenient in the mornings and I had no freak outs, I did not have this overarching effect in my morning routine. Everything else was the same; even contemplating on which bow tie - spots or strips. Although, maybe if I had another person’s perspective of my morning organisation then I think they would have seen quite a difference. Additionally, the fact that my ability to walk was severely impeded was not all that appreciated. Mind wise and cogitating the brain studies, it was definitely a lot less stressful. Same black and white clothes day after day. But I did find this black and white to get very tiresome. I missed my other colours. As I previously mentioned, I started to really dislike my body. As most of my body was covered by the uniform (and I’m not saying I prefer to flash copious amounts of skin), I felt quite trapped in the uniform and conscious when I wasn’t wearing my uniform. This negativity about my appearance was probably the most salient observation. In hindsight, I can't believe how much my mind messed with me in the end of Week 3 and Week 4. My confidence completely bombed out, so it seems that I really do rely on the control and expression that is fashion. It really made me rethink and reevaluate school uniforms and the strict rules that are set for a large portion of a person's formative years. I also noticed that I did not actually buy anything or shop for those entire 4 weeks (Yes, that is a big deal for me). That was a nice change on my wallet. Money was a whole concept I hadn’t considered in my hypothesis and research. Which is crazy because the average woman will spend up to $384/month on clothes and those aren’t even the fashionistas (Roy Morgan, 2015)! Prisoner of Class (2013) sets out the average fashion culture and buying habits of the modern women. Simply, women aged 25 years and under rack up an average $200 000 during their lifetime on fashionable trends, at the current spending rate. With generation X as the worse spenders, it scares me to think that I would sit in this bracket, yet again how could I not (Lutz, 2013). It’s not just the women! The Daily Mail (2014) claims that while women spend $2331.07 annually, the average man spends up to $2118. 77. That’s just over $200 less than the average women! It definitely validates this manifestation that, thanks to popular culture, to be in trend is the trend. With Hollywood showing us how we want to look, the industry creating the look and the media telling us that we should want, this popular “love that look” culture is somewhat expected by all. Although, we may all have different styles and taste, or reasons for joining in. Great The Huffington Post article --> Click Here All of this was secondary to my main my main observation and evaluation. I had worn the same outfit to work and uni for 4 weeks. I had seen something on the internet that encouraged and influenced me to do something that I or those that know me well would NEVER expect me to do. Overall, I feel like my active participation in this social experiment took me away from my interpretation and affiliation of what fashion meant in popular culture and threw me into another. Though I learnt many things and did something unexpected, I don’t think I could be Matilda Kahl, the woman that is proud to wear the same thing everyday. Could you do it? REFERENCES AND HYPERLINKS
Becker, J., Foselli, J., Sikes, D., Jenkins, E., Behnke, L., & Martin, L. et al. (2015). 8 Reasons Successful People Are Choosing to Wear the Same Thing Every Day. Becoming Minimalist. Retrieved from http://www.becomingminimalist.com/wear-one/ Jenkins, H., 1958. (2009). Confronting the challenges of participatory culture: Media education for the 21st century. Cambridge, Mass: The MIT Press. Kahney, L. (2010). John Sculley: The Secrets of Steve Jobs’ Success [Exclusive Interview] | Cult of Mac. Cult of Mac. Retrieved from http://www.cultofmac.com/21572/john-sculley-the-secrets-of-steve-jobs-success-exclusive-interview/ Lallo, M. (2014). Karl Stefanovic's sexism experiment: Today presenter wears same suit for a year. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved from http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/karl-stefanovics-sexism-experiment-today-presenter-wears-same-suit-for-a-year-20141115-11ncdz.html Lutz, A. (2013). This Chart Shows How Much Women Spend On Clothes At Different Ages. Business Insider Australia. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com.au/how-much-women-spend-on-clothes-2013-11 Mail Online,. (2014). Men spend just £99 less than women on fashion and accessories annually. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2603739/Men-spend-just-99-women-fashion-accessories-year.html Minimalism is Simple,. (2013). My Minimalist Lifestyle Increased My Productivity - Minimalism is Simple. Retrieved from http://minimalismissimple.com/my-minimalist-lifestyle-increased-my-productivity Prisoner Of Class. (2013). Have You Ever Wondered How Much Women Actually Spend On Clothing & Accessories?. Retrieved from http://www.prisonerofclass.com/how-much-women-actually-spend-on-clothing-accessories/ Roy Morgan. (2015). The cost of style: women who want to look good do spend more on clothes. Retrieved from http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/5267-cost-of-style-women-who-want-to-look-good-spend-more-on-clothes-201310282258 The Huffington Post. (2015). 7 Ways The Beauty Industry Convinced Women That They Weren't Good Enough. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2014/04/29/beauty-industry-women_n_5127078.html?ir=Australia TreeHugger. (2015). 25 shocking fashion industry statistics. Retrieved 9 October 2015, from http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-fashion/25-shocking-fashion-industry-statistics.html I am a teacher. I am constantly surrounded by little people and see their growth every day. I spend more time planning and focusing on their development than my own. I have picked a career that is a lifestyle and not simply a job. But unlike other careers, a simple social media update in my free time could be the end of my job. It is something that has concerned me when writing this blog and the repercussions of having an alternative opinion while working in my profession. Unfortunately, we can’t all be mighty Americans with Freedom of Speech, but I am curious to where the line in the sand is for those that work in the public sector and having an opinion that MAY be interpreted as inappropriate, unwarranted or disrespectful! Straight away, let’s get this straight – I’m not talking about sharing photos of my students, personal information or standardised assessment. Although I have seen NAPLAN booklets shared, which is a BIG no-no for those non-education people. Nor do I wish to go down that freaky road of teachers using Social Media to inappropriately interact with students. (I only raise this as it is surprising the related hits and results when Googling this issue). This blog is not about educators crossing the line between professional and personal, it is about the third parties who do it for us! I’m discussing the outlandish yet common stories that you hear about educators being stripped of the opportunity to share opinions because of our occupations. An article from EduTrendsOneline.com shares some really interest points and ridiculous horror stories about Social Media and teachers losing their jobs. It mentions teachers being sacked for liking certain Facebook pages or images holding an alcoholic beverage. It even reports on a second grade teacher losing his job after sharing his beliefs about dairy farming on Facebook. Additionally, something that is quite awesome is a lot of the tips and discussions are backed up by a lot of current literature. There is also a great Australian article ‘Teachers and Social Networking Sites: Think Before You Post’, that compares and contrasts past ethical use of Social Media and discusses legality issues (Charles, Joan & Sally, 2010). Even reflecting on my own personal challenges with the ethics and Social Media; the awkwardness of friends of friends that happen to be a student’s parent or Year 6 students going out of their way to add my fellow Prac teachers on Facebook. There is the second guessing of comments, liked pages, photos, statuses, things shared and association with organisations and how misconstrued digital footprints have ramifications on policies. As the popularity of Social Media grew, so was the need for policies to be altered that included these provisions. While the Code of Conduct for Queensland Public Service is more vague with its "Community Engagement", it's open to interpretation allows some freedom and wiggle room for any scrutiny and contemplation. Let’s have a quick look at the Department of Education, Training and Employment’s Code of Conduct: Standard of Practice that, as a public servant, I am bound to. Nestled nicely between ‘Conflict Resolution’ and ‘Protecting Students from Harm’ is the ‘Use of Social Media’, which covers both personal and unreasonable/reasonable use of Department ICT facilities. I would love to say that I can’t help but giggle at the careful and clever wording of the first paragraph. But I’m pretty sure that by doing so is actually doing exactly what I’m not supposed to. So I won’t... and I’m not (Phew! Glad that’s covered!). Even with this policy, there is still so much grey area! Now, I do not believe Social Media has its predictable black and white guidelines, but it concerns me that it truly is a modern day ‘Danger Zone’ with everything down to perspective, interpretation and audience on a daily basis. Additionally there is the concern of professional networking. It’s like the re- occurrence of the age old debate of accepting family friend requests all over again. Or the challenges of those on Social Media who are not educated enough or close minded to understand the reasons behind academic or professional comments. This has become such a prominent issue for many colleagues of mine who have recently left Facebook for personal use and have set up a Twitter account for professional uses. A major issue is the fact that Social Media can be such a powerful tool for teachers. It allows teachers to network and share to educational practices and pedagogy. It is also a method/tool to interact and understand the students that we teach and close a generational gap. ‘Confronting the Challenges of Participatory u Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century’ written by Henry Jenkins is a fantastic book about participatory cultures and the advantages of Social Media. I have yet to finish reading it – it gives some very relevant points that are realistic and constructive. Although American, the following fun poster can be found on SocialTimes: Social Media has reinvented the “seeing your teacher in the grocery store” complex and it continues to evolve with technology. #yesIusesocialmedia
So I’ll restate my opening statement. I am a teacher. I am constantly surrounded by little people and see their growth every day. I spend more time planning and focusing on their development than my own. I have picked a career that is a lifestyle and not simply a job. But I am still apart of the general population who would like the option to have a life on Social Media as well. REFERENCES: Adweek.com,. (2012). Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest – How Teachers Use Social Media [INFOGRAPHIC]. Retrieved 7 October 2015, from http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/social-teaching/473012 Charles J.R., Joan, S. & Sally, V. (2010). Teachers and Social Networking Sites: Think Before You Post. Public Space: The Journal of Law And Social Justice, 5, 1-15. Retrieved from http://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/publicspace/article/view/1493 Edutrendsonline.com,. (2015). Social Media Hazards and Tips for Teachers | EduTrendsOnline. Retrieved 7 October 2015, from http://edutrendsonline.com/social-media-hazards-and-tips-for-teachers/ Jenkins, H., 1958. (2009). Confronting the challenges of participatory culture: Media education for the 21st century. Cambridge, Mass: The MIT Press. Queensland Government,. (2011). Code of Conduct for Queensland Public Service (pp. 1 - 18). Brisbane: Queensland Government. Queensland Government,. (2013). Standard of Practice (pp. 1 - 24). Brisbane: Department of Education, Training and Employment. Have you seen that new movie about the guy who was discriminated against because he was Deaf? Or the new ad on TV about the dangers of head lice? Or the glamorous charity event against texting and driving? No? Oh! Well, have you seen the new movie, TV episode, advertisement, clothing and charity event supporting cancer? Of course you have! Because these days it’s become cool to be affected by cancer. Woah, woah, woah! Put the coffee cup down, keyboard warriors! No need to get nasty in the comment section! Although, I do have the cancer card in my deck that I could play, I’d honestly prefer not to play it. So, continue to read and hear me out. It seems everywhere you turn these days, there is someone else diagnosed with cancer. A celebrity cheerfully running for those too sick to stand, a badass teacher making drugs after a diagnosis or another “Home and Away” character’s boyfriend vowing to stay with her throughout. A cynical and sour bastard turning a new leaf at the end of his days or someone’s not-so-optimal (yet predictable) cancer relapse being a more imminent threat than Jackie Chan’s karate kick. And could we take a moment and read the blurb for “The Big C”, which is immediately available after a simple Google search. Like seriously - doesn’t this sound like the best spring cleaning epiphany! Not only are we continuing to lose people to cancer, but we are losing people’s hearts! I think we can thank Popular Culture for this. Popular culture has cheapened the C.A.N.C.E.R word to a concerned look on someone’s face, cupcakes, shirts with boobs on them and a triage of tragic drama movies starring Miley Cyrus. There are movie stars who, thanks to six hours in make up, look amazing just for you ladies and gentlemen! Nothing to see here! “Look to the stars” even provides us with a lovely, long, alphabetised list of celebrities that ‘stand up’ to cancer. No way is this post lambasting those with cancer or the horrible unfortunate circumstances of children with cancer. You deserve all the colourful acknowledgment and love that you require. (Though, this continues to prove my point - you would never see a “comedy/drama” about a child’s charismatic final days.) But, I speak as someone who sees fault in the way cancer is portrayed to the wider population, as something that can be turned off via a TV remote. I would go as far to say that I truly believe people are drawn to the drama that is cancer. We always feel the need to share that we, too, were once touched by the ‘Big C’. Even if it was through my cousin’s friends brother’s dog’s pet groomer. Now, now... I know it is harsh and I’d like to assume for the majority of people this is not the case. But I dare you to stand in a room and listen to the stories that you will receive. Or for the lucky few with no stories, their ideas are skewed and controlled by the popular cultural portrayal and believe their cat’s foot ulcer is somewhat equivalent. I am not trying to say that we need to bombard popular culture with realistic portrayals because it IS a mode of enjoyment and release with multiple ideas and perspectives. But, then again, who would willingly go and see a film where the pain of cancer was to be expected? Ah! Yes! “The Fault in our Stars”, you say. As proud as I am to admit that I cried my eyes out in the darkness of my bedroom, it was never a competition of how many tissues I needed, which is what it seemed to become. People continued to go to the cinemas to watch it again and again - why? Because they enjoyed the seeing people suffer and die? Cancer has become a part of popular culture regardless of its representation or realism. Now, it is not all feigning clutter and impoverished drama! There are some amazing texts, literature and films out there! Charities and organisations are doing so much good! I just disagree with the human race slipping so far that we need a smorgasbord of celebrity endorsement for us to care about the wellbeing our fellow man/woman. Furthermore, there is no real awareness, support message or warning of slight fabrication at the conclusion of mediums. Recently, I had the utmost pleasure of watching a performance about a student’s struggle with returning to school after a diagnosis and suffering at the hands of treatment’s side effects AND it was performed by children! An amazing teacher guided and supported primary school students through the recognition and creation of a non-verbal performance for a Wakkakiri performance. Unfortunately, I began at this school at its final stages, but it would have been an amazing opportunity to watch this production begin to take shape and observe the understanding gained through the experience. Upon watching it, I struggled to cry as it was more appropriate to celebrate its pure beauty. So much praise! Finally, my mum is a cancer survivor and, unfortunately, I cannot say the same for my grandfather, who met his end with something similar to my uncle is currently fighting. But I wish to dedicate this post to my dad. No amount of picnics, movie star smiles, TV episodes or assortment of specific ribbons will ever fill the hole that you have left. Your cancer was real and everything about it was too. Nothing could have prepared me for that last hour and I doubt anyone will ever be able to capture something similar. Now, if you still wish to make comment below, please do so. If you wish to share your own stories, that is fine too. But this post was really about being realistic and not resigning as a lose change warrior, who’s absorbed by an exploiting and unscrupulous cinematic caricature. The day has arrived ...
Feelings: apprehensive, anomalous, contemplative and, yet, enthusiastic. I shall explain soon, Now I would hate for anyone to think of me as a pessimistic, cynical or dejected from society... But this is simple brilliance that I must share. I always had the intention of discussing Banksy. Now - for those of you that do not know who Banksy is - shame on you. You better get to quickly googling after reading this post. Though I promise in future posts I will be discussing him, because he sees the modern world in such a profound way, He views the world in this awe inspiring, provoking way. What makes me sadder than people not knowing him, is those that are frightened by his alternative way of viewing the world. The stir and arousal of settled ideals and opinions of the masses. It scares me to think we are stuck in our roles as adherent acolytes and groupies, that we can not acknowledge and appreciate the evoking materials that he creates. (Just a few of my favourites) Anyway... This very weekend, Banksy has opened a "theme park" called Dismaland. In all it's punny mockery and parody. The fact that it is over in England breaks my heart! The following link below is a short video of this Dystopian theme park. Now I'd prefer to not tell you how it should or could make you feel, instead let it sit with you. Does it befuddle? Vex? Impel? Galvanize? Possibly pique? I will leave that up to you and how opened a mind you have. Though I'd love to hear your comments...How many political and pop culture references can you spot? Can you handle the stir? For those of you that would like some more information... http://www.oystermag.com/banksy-opened-a-theme-park-of-course-its-called-dismaland Let me just ask: if you do not stir your tea, how will you ever let the heat out? A topic no one likes to talk about is cheating and infidelity. Yet all over the media at the moment, is the hacking of Ashley Madison and the absolute failure of their technology security team. Ashley Madison is a site that openly encourages affairs for married couples. With the slogan of "Life is too short. Have an affair", it isn't too hard to guess that their moral compasses may be slightly off. They're currently in the media because a group had hacked their systems and threatened to release and expose details and information about millions of customers. They delivered on that promise and now 9.7 gigabytes of names, email addresses, street addresses and partial bank details have been released to the general public. Now the companies attempt to "assist" their customers was what we could call a #epicfail. Members were able to see if they were one of the "unlucky" customers by entering their email into a search, So, of course, hundreds of thousands of suspicious wives, husbands, girlfriends, boyfriends and partners had the opportunity to discover their worse fears. There are many reports on social media today of bittersweet revelations. :( With loopholes in copyright, sites containing the name Ashley Madison have been shut down but there are many more indirectly named sites are still available. Now as Meeko repeatedly destroys that moral compass, let's stop and think... With over 40million members, clearly this sits among the realms of Pop Culture. Furthermore, once again, Popular Culture has found an avenue that people didn't even know they needed. That's what I find the most interesting. The mere definition of culture means "the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society". We view Popular Culture as practices that are socially accepted by the wider community. So has this bombshell opened the wider public's eyes to the darker side? We happily attack shows like "Toddlers and Tiaras" and ban amazing literature.... but what about the marketable notion of breaking up marriages and families. I think it would take a very strenuous internet search to find a marriage broken up by John Green's "Looking for Alaska". (Refer to previous blog posts for elaboration). It's just got me thinking .... Is it just me or does clever advertising make you smile? Are humans that predictable that we can fall for anything? It is clear that there is big bucks in advertising and marketing. Within advertising and marketing, we can symbiotically use different forms Popular Culture to promote each other - riding on the coat tails of others. Therefore, there is this forever circling of references and as a society we get caught up to spend spend spend! Everyone has their favourites! Let's be honest - beer adults heavily rely on Pop Culture! A special mention goes out to Carlton Draught's "Big Ad". K-mart has recently found a surge in business after their use of popular culture. We won't even touch on the subject of celebrities using their power upon Pop Culture and society - severe case of "Keeping up with the Jones". Clever advertising has everyone wanting Dre earphones and Timberlands at the moment. Seriously the examples are endless. But I just HAD TO the share the below video. With the clever use of popular culture, Air New Zealand has recreated the safety briefing into this funky small film clip. They have sagaciously collected film, actors, musicians, sexy dancers (who are finally appropriately clothed) and of course.... Rugby! All while highlight and promoting the best of their country! This isn't the first time Air New Zealand has used such effective methods, with a Lord of the Rings inspired safety video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOw44VFNk8Y). Enjoy and let me know what you think!! (Seriously how awesome is the Pug!) ADDED BONUS: Australia's 10 Best Beer Advertisements - just for a giggle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBPKeGK1zv8 (I will try to ignore the fact that they included Bundy Rum as a "beer" ...heart breaking) |