Using Podcasts: Storytelling & Classroom Tools

Storytelling has always been crucial in passing down knowledge, messages, and communicating with other humans in general (check out this article on the history of storytelling here). It is something that we have always done, and there are many methods for passing a story down. Before stories were written down, they were shared orally, which is essentially what a podcast does- just in a much more updated way. Things like music, narratives that pull at your emotions, and the general sharing of other tales have always been apart of storytelling, and podcasts have taken these aspects and created a new way of sharing stories.  I found the layout of the 1619 Podcast to be quite interesting, but also a bit hard to follow. I don't like that I couldn't see who was talking, I found that I had to keep rewinding to figure out who the voices were and it took away from the overall content of the podcast. I ended up trying to listen again in the morning, and. I found it easier to follow along with as the world is much quieter in the morning. 

Sadly, it was not shocking to learn how our medical system has failed Black patients for centuries. I found that some of the issues presented still haven't changed much in present day. It is much harder for people in lower socio-economic statuses to have healthcare access. I have also heard and read about stories similar to Uncle Ed's, where healthcare doesn't seem to be present in the lives of many people who do not fail under the dominant narrative-and more specifically the black population. It is depressing to hear just how much the healthcare system has specifically failed the black population of the US, and it was disheartening to hear the stories that the podcasters shared with us over a series of decades-including present day. 

I wish that I could say that I am the kind of person who enjoys podcasts. I know they cover a lot of interesting topics and really take a deep dive into them, but I personally struggle with the listening aspect. I love the idea of using them in my classroom, especially after seeing some of the things Brittany has done with them during Summer Institute last year. But no matter how much I try, and like the idea of them, I just can't get into podcasts. I don't like that there are no visuals to follow along with, and I just can't seem to stay focused. I will also add that in class today I found the podcast format that Brendon, Jay, and Linda used to be very engaging. Perhaps it was because I could see who was talking and focus more.

Additionally, I think that podcasts can be a fantastic educational tool, especially for our emergent bilingual population. As someone who teaches English Language Development, it is important for me to incorporate as many opportunities to practice speaking as possible! It gives them the chance to record themselves practicing their speaking skills, and then listening back to what they say. I think that using a podcasting tool in your classroom does need to be explicitly taught to the students- as using a new technology platform can be confusing and can result in students getting lost, or focusing more on figuring out the platform basis rather than the assignment at hand. This year I am hoping to try out the podcasting platform that we will see presented in todays class, and I am grateful I will have another chance to learn about using this platform!

Disney and Fairytale Culture

I was so excited to read the chapter for today. I love discussions surrounding fairytales, and how they have been used to push a certain narrative onto people. It was actually the seminar class I took here at RIC, which was based on analysis of fairytales, that solidified my decision to change from Math Ed. to English! Also, I always love reading work by Linda Christensen, so I was elated to find out she has a piece that covers one of my absolute favorite topics!

Since some of this was familiar to work I've done before, I felt as though what I was reading was definitely validating my views. Fairytales, cartoons, and Disney have used their platforms to create certain norms that are then used as a form of control. For instance, the constant theme of if you are nice, good at housework, and compliant, you will be happily married to your prince charming. But, if you dare to be anything different (or old, or not the 'ideal' size), you'll end up the villain of the story. With these tales, as quoted in Christensen's reading "we are taught more than anything else, how not to rebel" (Dorfman). 

I have always felt that just because you are critical of something, does not mean you need to hate it. In the slidedeck, the relationship between pleasure and critique is discussed, which is something that I try to approach logically in general. I think it is okay to enjoy something that you grew up with, but I think that it is also very important to be critical of these things. This is why the adaptations of these stories are important. A lot of people groan when they hear that Disney is doing another live-action remake, but with many of these adaptations, they work towards being a tad bit more inclusive than the original. Don't get me wrong, there are still plenty of problematic aspects of these films (still follows the beautiful girl narrative), but with some of them we see some parts being adjusted. For instance, we get a new spin on the villain in the movie Maleficent, where the women in this movie are more empowered. It is not the prince that saves the day, but the almost mother-like bond between the characters that does. 

I felt that Maleficent did a great job working to change the narrative (although admittedly I have not seen it in several years and my opinion could be different now). I don't feel like other live action remakes lived up to the same potential though, as Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast didn't feel like they were drastically altered. Another good example of a live action being adapted in a way that provides more representation than just another white girl is The Little Mermaid, which received major backlash from

adults who couldn't get over a fictional creature (one that is originally green in the Hans Christian Anderson story and dies at the end) not being a white red-head. I saw a lot of people say things like "But Disney already had a black princess (Tiana)", as if there could only be ONE black character in Disney history. Also, while Tiana is a PoC, she spends the majority of the film as a frog, and as Christensen points out "upholds the class bias central to princess scripts" (180). Disney definitely still has a long way to go, but I suppose slow progress is better than no progress.

During my undergraduate career, I created a unit that critically analyzed fairytales, and I also got the chance to teach it during student teaching, and then again during my first year teaching. The end goal of my unit was for students to create an adaptation of a fairytale that was more inclusive than the popular version of the fairytale, which you can check out here and even use if you would like to! A part of me is hoping that I will have the chance to teach this unit again, especially now that I have even more knowledge on the topic from Christensen's piece and the slide deck! 

Digital Literacy

Reflecting on what Prensky and Boyd have written, as well as my own experiences, I think the term digital native needs to be revamped in some way. There are definite problematic undertones to the use of the terms immigrant vs native, as pointed out when Boyd attended with Genevieve Bell. Additionally, technological advancements are still being made constantly. What might be considered literate in technology is ever changing. I remember sitting in so many classes (both high school and college) and thinking about how some of my teachers and professors had trouble doing tasks that I would consider "easy". But now, I am in the same place my former educators were in, as I also fail to use technology or ask my students for help. 

This is not always the case though, and as brought up in Boyd's reading, "most formal educational settings do not prioritize digital competency, in part because of the assumption that teens natively understand anything connected to technology" (180). I am definitely guilty of not covering technological skills when it comes to using google classroom, and I operated under the idea that my students knew more about using technology than me. I am still learning what is essential to go over, and I mostly learn based on the mistakes or problems I've come across with other students. One skill that I do make sure to show my students, is how to use the "translate page" feature, as most of my kids will need to use that at some point. Other skills, such as turning in a google doc, or attaching a project to an assignment in google classroom I don't always cover as well, which resulted in one girl both turning in assignments and sharing every single document with me using the "share" feature".

However, I do feel like teaching students to be critical consumers of media is embedded in most ELA courses (this is solely based on planning I've done with my department members and conversations I've had with other English teachers). I think this became especially true after the 2016 election, as there was a plethora of inaccurate information being spread by news sources and even the President at the time. I even found myself questioning if there were ANY sources I could trust. Now I show my students websites like AllSides, which gives students articles that include various perspectives on the same topic. I teach them to find what these articles have in common, and pick out what the biases might be. Lessons like these were easier to do when I ignored the curriculum and created my own units (no one told me there was a curriculum for the class I taught my first year of teaching until March of that year). I have also told students that wikipedia can be a good starting point for finding sources and getting basic information on a topic. Similarly to the story Boyd told about Corrine, I was also told throughout my schooling to never use Wikipedia. Then I had Professor Hawk, and he talked about the ways it can be used, so now I do the same for my students.

I also agree with Boyd's point surrounding censorship, and it is even something I've talked about with my students. I actually have a sample essay discussing censorship in schools that I wrote with my students in 2020 that you can check out here!

Now that I have completely strayed from the initial question (sorry), I do think that Boyd and Prensky are saying different things about youths. Boyd brings up how we cannot assume that youths are digitally literate just because of their age, while it seems Prensky believes that younger people who grow up with technology are automatically digitally literate. Which I do not believe is fully true. I think that anyone who practices using technology, and has enough experience can have the qualities that Prensky lists for digital natives. I've had students who know both more and less than me about digital literacy, and I know people much older than me who are digitally literate. It all depends on if/ how you have developed your digital skills, and if you continue to do so (as previously mentioned technology is always changing, so there is always something new to learn)!

501 Introduction Post

My journey towards education began in 7th grade, when I was 13 years old. I had always felt dumb in comparison to my classmates, and could never figure out why they could do things that I struggled with. This was a dark year for me. I got lucky though, a resource teacher happened to work with my assigned partner in my Math class, and ended up helping me too. This teacher recognized that I has having a lot of trouble with learning, and reached out to my mom. I ended up being diagnosed with A.D.D, anxiety, and depression; all three of which impacted my ability to learn successfully. Once the proper accommodations were made for me, I went from barely passing to an A/ B student. I finally didn't feel like I was stupid anymore. This turning point is what lead me to pursue a career in education, as I wanted to help people the way my teacher helped me.

I have spent the last 3 years working at Mt. Pleasant High school, and two of those years working towards my Master's in TESOL. Building relationships with my students has been my biggest strength, although I tend to struggle with classroom management and being creative with my teaching methods. This last year has been difficult as we had another change in principals, as well as 18 teachers leaving during the school year (which resulted in many students having some ignorant subs). This years burnout was real.

My last day of school was Friday the 24th, so I haven't really transitioned into summer mode yet (and probably won't until this class is over). My goals for this summer are to get back on track with self-care, spend time utilizing the pool in my building, and learning Spanish so that I can better communicate with my students and know more than just the bad words and simple phrases. I am also trying to keep myself from taking on additional duties this summer and just recovering, but we'll see how that ends up going. I also might end up signing up for another PD with Rhode Island Writing Project! Last summer I participated in RIWP Summer Institute, and I highly recommend these Professional Development opportunities that you can check out here. You do not need to be an English teacher to take any of these!