Service Learning

　
In The Service Of What?
By Kahne and Westheimer

Argument:
"These authors Kahne and Westheimer argue that teachers, policy makers and academicans who take seriously the idea that learning and service reinforce each other and should come together in America's schools (13). "

I believe that their argument means that teachers try to teach service learning separately.  Some teachers focus on the learning part of it and how certain people live in differently than others.  Other teachers just teach service and giving back to the community.  They don't use both in ways to teach about service learning so Kahne and Westheimer want them to be able to bring those both together to teach students in the United States.  They write about that students should participate in service learning and be able to express ideas about it in ways explaining why people are this way.  Also allows the students to have better communication skills.

I wish we had implemented community service guidelines for students in my school.  It would have been a great experience for many people to have.  I decided to do volunteering for my senior project and I worked in a soup kitchen and also at a senior center delivering food the seniors that didn't get out of their houses.  It was a great experience for me and I learned a lot about the people.  After that experience when I went to college I decided to do more volunteering and ended up going to Camden, New Jersey.  I know I explained about the trip in an earlier post but it was an amazing week to meet people in Camden and also students from other states.  This website I'm going to attach is the place that hosted us and many different schools can stay there.  http://www.romero-center.org/ministries/urban-challenge/what-to-expect/
Even though it was a Catholic establishment it is open to anyone of different faiths and allow people to reflect on what they saw in the City and in the community and be able communicate with others.

Cinderella Ate my Daughter

I'm sorry this late, I have been studying a lot for my bio exam and I have been really stressed about it. 

Cinderella Ate My Daughter
By Peggy Orenstein

Response
After reading Cinderella Ate My Daughter, I will still be a princess girl.  They were a huge part of my childhood and made me who I am today.  I'm not sure if it was in a good way or a bad way but somehow had a very big influence.  My mom was big into making sure we had princess parties with Cinderella coming to my party.  I was the girl who had many barbies, who had the American Girl who looked just like me, I eventually went into the Bratz phase because barbies got old.  I disagree that Pocahontas or Mulan were not as populare because I had the sleeping bag and tent for Pocahontas and for Mulan I was six when it came out and I had the poster for it and I have loved Mulan for the warrior that she was even though she was a girl.  I don't think I could ever not be into princesses my mom has always liked disney and the movies that they make not just for the love.  As I think about it I don't think my mom really understands what is going on with the movies and the hidden messages that are behind the scenes. 
One quote that I found interesting was
"A reward for her is 'You look so pretty, you look so beautiful.'  People tell her that all the time, and we do, too.  We tell him, 'You're so smart."
I think this idea is what the Disney princess movies show young girls that we don't compliment girls on their brains but on their beauty.  The idea that girls only should focus on their looks and it doesn't matter if you are smart enough, your goal is to clean and to take care of your family.  This shows with the different types of toys that are produced my companies that are only specified for one gender. 
In Toys R Us they showed this segregation of males and females with one side of the aisle was boy toys and the other was girls with dolls and babies and things to play house with.  Even on their website they separate toys into girls and boys sections http://www.toysrus.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=2255956 .
I believe any child should play with any toy, I was babysitting a little girl this past weekend and she was telling me she wanted to play football and liked to draw warriors.  She was an independent girl who didn't care what other people thought.

Post #4

Post #4

Linda Christensen, "Unlearning the Myths that Bind US"

Quotes:

1."Before, I would have just walked into the toy store and bought them what I knew they wanted- Nintendo or Barbie.  But this time, I went up to the clerk and said," I want a toy that isn't sexist or racist."

I think this a new idea that many people are trying to do with buying toys that are not just for gender specific child.  I found this point right that they shouldn't only make toys that are geared towards a certain gender.  I was the typical girly girl who had barbies and polly pockets.  I wish that it was more common for me to build with legos or at least trying something different but in my family you play with your gender specific toys.  My cousin who is 3, his parents are very overly obsessed with making sure he play's with boy toys and doesn't play with girl toys just because he is a boy.  I believe any child should be able to play with any toy they want and not being based on their sex. 

2.  "Turning off the cartoons doesn't stop the sexism and racism.  They can't escape, and now they're started analyzing the rest of the world.  And sometimes they want to stop."

I agree with what she is saying that once you are able to point it out, you are able to see it in many other media's.  I don't necessarily think that it has to take over your whole entire time of watching of tv.  You should be able to realize it and take note of it that it exists.  It shouldn't have to consume you and I think it will influence the person with how much that person is able to understand what is going on.  Disney Princesses are part of the culture you should be able to watch them but they don't have to consumme your world.

3.  "Both young women wanted the race of the actors changed, but they didn't challenge the class or underlying gender inequities that also characterize the lives of Cinderella, Ariel the Mermaid, and Snow White."

 After reading this quote and how there should be a black cinderella.  I started thinking of the Cinderella movie with Brandy and Whitney Houston.  It is one of my favorite movies and I also love Cinderella and musicals.  I think it has a lot to do with the piece because Brandy is black and its one of those thing that you don't normally see in our culture.  But the stepmother is white and superior over Cinderella who is black.  There are still definite differences between the classes of the rich and the poor and between men and women in the movie.  So below is my youtube video for Cinderella.  I hope everyone watches it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5mqWuKuGk0&feature=relmfu

Questions/Remarks:

I haven't changed my perspective of loving disney movies.  I believe that there is a big difference between race, class status, and  gender.  I think movie companies are trying to get people's attention and do this to make money.  Parents should be aware of this and that all people are equal but it probably would not happen for parents to discuss after every movie that not everything in the movies is true.  I think Christensen wants everyone to realize that this type of propaganda has been going for many years and there are many things that haven't changed in our society and people should at least try to change it.