Principal of the Year turning technical

So Michael Hobin of Coventry was awarded the Principal of the Year award.  And I found it really interesting that he is strongly encouraging social media and technology in the classroom.

Coventry principal surprised with award

Talking Point 11: Teens Talk Back

So I loved this video, not only for the Dr. Who reference but a lot of the stuff I watched in my hour of Teens Talk Back had to do with "understanding teenage girls"... and more importantly, not understanding them.  I think it was worth interesting that the more time I spent watching videos and searching websites the more I found the quote:

"NO ONE UNDERSTANDS ME!!!!"

Which I totally remember thinking when I was in middle school and high school, that my problems were so different from everyone else's that there was no one on the face of the Earth that could possibly understand what I was going through (Leaving all the brain tumor stuff aside).  When teens create this rift and their own classification, they are in essence following our course assumption that: Youth is a culturally constructed category.

When I continued to look for teens representing themselves I stumbled upon videos like these:

By the end of them, I feel like I lost brain cells, was I really like this as a teenager?  I'm not sure if I'm more annoyed at the teens or the people who were educating them.  Which is when I started finding more of the positive things that teenagers are doing and learning rather than the two videos above.  The first of which, is an inspiring story about teenagers and what they can do when they put their minds to work, creating android apps to solve problems in their everyday lives.

Talking Point 10: Glee Episodes

So I have always been an avid Glee watcher, so I had already seen the episodes we had to watch for this weeks Talking Point.  But it was interesting to watch them again and watch for signs of how teenagers react with one another.

One thing that I always thought this show did a good job doing was creating a new outlook and identity for people who are gay and lesbian.  I always thought that they were helping protect people but this video shows otherwise.

It's crazy what they are saying.  I am an advocate for gays and had the privilege of growing up in a community where we were very accepting of everyone.  And even when my best friend of over ten years suddenly started questioning her sexuality and began dating another girl, it was fine by me.  But I know how mean people can be, and I know how hard it is for gay youth in America.

Violence on Glee

So I am a religious Glee watcher and last nights episode reminded me of our reading of Kimmel and discussions from class:

Talking Point 9 - Hip Hop

Tricia Rose - The Hip Hop Wars - Reflection

So I'm not going to lie and say that I know anything about hip hop, because I grew up in East Greenwich, which in 99.9% white and for the most part I listened to Taylor Swift and stuff like that.  There is not a lot of violence and no gangs.  Even though we have a Main Street and below it there is the lower section of East Greenwich.  It is where the families who are on assisted living live, and everybody knows it, they have a reputation.  And that is as close to "ghetto" as we get here in East Greenwich.  When my stepdad Shaffie moved in we created a big fuss because he is so dark and it freaked people out.

Aaron and Shaffie - Summer of 2008

But when it wasn't until Shaffie moved in with us that I started thinking about hip hop in a new way.  Sure I danced to the songs at all the dances but I never really listened to what they were saying or cared enough.  We always joke that he is teaching me to become more gangster... it's not going to well, obviously.  So for his birthday one year I actually made him a "gangster mix".  And it starts out with songs that I used to think were "ghetto" way back in the day

"Ghetto Superstar" by Pras

And has explicit songs that really stands out like "Gangsta Gansta" by Lil Scrappy.

I believe that Hip Hop is becoming too commercialized and that is why you can see the shift from the first video which came out in 1998 and the second which was released in 2006.  Although I don't listen to rap music or hip hop, I can still hear the difference.  But why is it that I don't listen to this kind of music?

And while I was writing this I found this and thought I would throw it in just for giggles:

"Sure I'll wear a tiara..."

Talking Point #8: Kimmel: Masculinity, Homophobia, and Violence

It is obvious that within the past few decades that there has been a rise violence within school.  Kimmel says on page 1439

"Students report being increasingly afraid to go to school; among young people aged 12 to 24, 3 in 10 say violence has increased in their schools in the past year and nearly two-fifths have worried that a classmate was potentially violent"

After reading the article I was sitting watching Law & Order SVU with Matt and it was a pretty intense episode about a teenage boy who sociopath - an individual who feels no remorse for their actions - and he ended up beating his little sister and cutting his mother with a knife.

If anybody wants to watch the episode it is the newest episode 19 from season 14:
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Born Psychopath

When the episode was over Matt and I talked about the article and basically I asked him what his thoughts were on the perpetrators of the shootings:

"Statistically they are white middle class males."  

I asked him the same question we asked in class: why these boys and not others:

"They have a sense of superiority and feel as though they are better, they deem themselves as elevated than those they are targeting.  Sometimes they are oppressed by those they target and eliminating that target, those who have belittled and marginalized them by choosing to show their strength, force, and superiority over them allows them to feel better than their targets"

My super sweet 16

So I wish that I had thought to use this for my groups media artifact but maybe someone else will analyze them because I remember watching episodes of this show all the time when I was in middle school and high school.

My Super Sweet 16 (Season 5) | Ep. 1 | 'Audrey' | Haute Couture Party: This self-proclaimed princess wants to throw a haute couture quince to remember, but when things don't go her way Audrey's temper threatens to ruin everything

Stigma against teenage drivers

So this popped up on my facebook newsfeed and I always thought it was really interesting how people assume teenagers as bad drivers.  I'm not saying that I am the best driver, to be honest I am far from the best driver but the fact that people say teenagers can't drive just because they are teens is crazy.

*very graphic*

And I've had my license taken away from me three times since I've gotten it because of seizures and more brain surgeries and it's really interesting how people always associate teenagers with driving.  When I wasn't allowed to drive it was like I was missing out on a huge part of being a teen; looking back on it, I really couldn't care less but at the time it was so important.

Prom Queen from a hospital bed

The good side of teens in the media:

Breathing crisis threatens dying Tennessee teen’s prom — but friends and family still make her wish come true

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/breathing-crisis-threatens-dying-teen-prom-friends-family-save-day-article-1.1300553#ixzz2On45INC5

I understand how Katelyn feels to an extent.  I had been in Hasbro Children's Hospital for two months by the time my Junior Prom happened, and my doctors had told me that there was a slight chance that I would be healthy enough to make it out in time.  And my current boyfriend had promised that no matter what I looked like (I didn't have the best hair styles at the time) or how long I could stay he was going to take me to the prom if I was allowed to go.  Unfortunately I was unable to make it out in time for my prom but I was still awarded Prom Queen and one of my best friends accepted for me.  The next day, there were about 20 kids who showed up at the ICU at Hasbro Hospital, which is against the rules, when you are in the ICU you can only have two people in the room at one time.  Some of the nurses tried to tell my friends that they could not come present the tiara to me because there were too many kids and it was against the rules and blah blah blah... BUT then the attending stepped in and said that it was a very special exception for a very special PICU Prom Queen.  And my favorite nurse had decorated my room with silver stars and streamers and she was wearing a plastic tiara.  

Final Project

So for this semesters final project I am working with Alexa Comparone, Celine Vescera, and Jessica Parenteau.  Celine and Jess had both posted their blogs about what they wanted to do for the final project and Alexa and I was on board right away.  So we are going to do a final project on eating disorders in teenagers, including

1. anorexia
2. bulimia
3. BDD - Body Dysmorphic Disorder

4. Overeating

We already have brainstormed a list of texts that we want to put into a tumbler.

Talking Point #7: Brave

Connections:

So I found this video really interesting because it reminded me of Croteau's Media and Ideology.  In class when we broke into groups, group 1 pulled out this quote in particular and I think it does a great job of representing Merida.

"This articulation is accomplished, in large part, by the fact that popular media, particularly television and mass advertising, have a tendency to display a remarkably narrow range of behaviors and lifestyles, marginalizing or neglecting people who are "different" from the mass-mediated norm."  (Page 163)

 Just because Merida is not willing to get married she is considered to be a lesbian.  And I've seen this movie a bunch of times and not once has that thought crossed my mind, but watching it in class made me think of this movie with a new perspective.  I also kept thinking about what it would be like if this was different or that was different.  For example:  Would it have made a difference if the writers had put in a true "prince charming... or even a more normal guy" character for Merida?  If she had gotten that love at first sight moment like all the other princesses, would her story have turned out differently?

This leads to me believe that there is a secret education that is so deeply engrained within us: that some of us want the prince and princess to fall in love and live happily ever after, I am one of them.  The secret education...

"instructs young people to accept the world as it is portrayed in these social blueprints.  And often that would depicts the domination of one sex, one race, one class, or one country, over a weaker counterpart."  (Page 176)

 Christensen is talking about all of the things that Merida is going against in the movie Brave.  Not only does she not want to be the typical princess by dressing up, taking orders, singing all day, finding a man to take care of her, but she is helping kids, especially girls learn that you don't have to be a "princess".

When comparing this movie to Peggy Orenstein's Cinderella Ate My Daughter I really compared my noted to my blog from last semester.  One thing that I have commented in my notes is that, why is it that the writers have portrayed women in such a way that their breasts are just ginormous?  I wrote in my blog last semester about body sizes being very important to Princesses.

I also wrote last semester how important a girl's hair is to her, especially a princess's hair.  And maybe it is a keltic or Irish tradition to hide a princess's hair, I honestly don't know but I also made a note of Merida's hair when she was being presented to her potential suiters.

Introducing Dee Dee

So a while ago I found a lump in my left breast while doing a self breast exam. My parents were on vacation in the Cape for Shaffie's (my step-dad's) birthday so I waited for them to come home so not to freak them out and never them go on vacation ever again and I went to my OBGYN, Dr. Bowling on Wednesday February 20th. She felt the lump and believed it was a cyst and attempted to aspirate, which turned out terribly because I ended up bleeding all over everywhere. So after realizing that aspirating was not the best idea she sent me in for an ultrasound on Wednesday February 27th where we learned that the lump was not a cyst but in fact another tumor.

We spent all of that day at Woman and Infants and got a biopsy in the afternoon. The tumor, a fibroadenoma, is benign but the concern is its size. From my understanding it is pretty big, about 3 inches long. We met with Dr. Jennifer Gass, a breast surgeon.  The surgery will be on Thursday May 30th, after the semester is over.  It will be a easy surgery (compared to brain surgery its all easy in my opinion). Outpatient surgery, hopefully I'd be the first one: in at 6:00 in the morning, surgery at 7:30 and I should be home that day. A week of relaxation: basically a week off from work and school.  I think I need a week of retail therapy anyways, right?

So I'm not too freaked out yet but I'm the fact that my body is growing more tumors is a little on the scary side. But we're ready to handle whatever life throws at us, and I'm ready to fight it.

Oh and with the help of Brooke we've named the new tumor DeeDee, so now Timmy has a new friend... :D

Final... Already?

I'm not really sure what to do for a final since it seems like we just finished midterms and my mind is still in Florida, like Jess's and many other peoples.  But I really liked what, I think it was Jacki, did for her midterm project because it was so personal.  Although my group also interviewed teens for some reason I just feel like I would get a different reaction if say I interviewed someone like, my older brother, Bubba, age 26,

Bubba has recently been transferred from the Air Force in Anchorage Alaska to Louisiana for training because he will be deployed with the army to Afghanistan in May.  He has always had a particular view on teenagers so to get his opinions would be interesting.

Also to get input from actual teenagers that I know like my other brother, Aaron, the 19 year old who is taking a gap year in Costa-Rica at the moment.

He is supposedly "building houses for the homeless" and blah blah blah but I'm seeing a lot of pictures on Facebook of girls and the beach and red solo cups, so I'm weary about this gap year.  But in any case this goes to show that his idea of teens and what they should be doing to "have fun" is completely different from Bubba's.

Another person whom I would love to get in touch would be an old co-worker, Matt, who recently quit T's resteraunt in East Greenwich after only working there for a few months.  He is only 16 years old and a Junior in high school but he and his girlfriend just had a baby girl a in February.  His girlfriend ended up getting kicked out of her house because she was keeping the baby so they were all living at his moms house.  It was a true 16 and Pregnant story.  

                  

 Haileigh

Einstein & Technology

This picture popped up on my newsfeed a while back and I had again saved it knowing I was taking this course and I had forgotten to post it when I posted the "It's Media" picture.  I feel like this picture and Einstein's quote goes along with what Wesch is saying about teenagers and technology, expect Wesch is saying we need technology.

Midterm Post

So Alexa Comparone, Jessica Parenteau, Celine Vescera, and I are in a group together for the midterm project.  In order to show what we have learned about teenagers thus far in this course we decided it was easiest to actually interview teenagers or to interview people and ask them their views on teenagers.  We came up with 4 different questions: each question relating to a different course reading and interviewed students at RIC.

It's been really interesting to see how the interviews play out because we're never really sure what answers we're going to get out of people.  Some of them just say "yes" or "no" while others have gone into great detail.

This is something new, especially for me, because I am technologically impaired and have never really edited a movie before.

So far we have analyzed our texts and done two days worth of interviews.  We are planning to meet Sunday night to get any more interviews if we need them and edit the material that we have.

Noelle in the Media

So I was meeting with Matt Netto, who works in philanthropy office for Hasbro Hospital and talking to him reminded me of my time in the media.  Most of it has been while I was a teenager, but it was far from "typical".  I made this montage for the Hasbro Children's Hospital's 2009 Radiothon (before my last surgery on May 5th 2010).  It took me forever to make this video (I am the least technical person ever) and since my last surgery I went in for the 2011 Radiothon and did more interviews for the hospital but I will post those later.

Knowledge-able?

Argument

So what I think Wesch is saying in this piece, From Knowledgable to Knowledge-able: Learning in New Media is that students should move past just memorizing and using standardized bubble scoring methods and create more meaningful ways to engage in their learning.  And with this, the classrooms and educators also need to move into the realm of the 21st century and begin to embrace the technology that is available to them.  Wesch says, "it becomes less important for students to know, memorize, or recall information, and more important for them to be able to find, sort, analyze, share, discuss, critique, and create information.

My mother has been a teacher all her life.  She has taught in Kickemuit Middle School in Bristol Warren, she owned her own preschool, she taught in the EPIC (Enrichment) Program, she taught at Western hills Middle School for a while, before teaching 5th and 6th grades at Orchard Farms Elementary School, and at the moment she is creating the new teacher evaluation programs for the Cranston Public School District.  Basically she knows a lot about teaching.  So of course I went to her to ask her opinion on the subject:

"Of course, from an educator's perspective, we need to start using more technology to our advantage.  We need to start using technology in the classroom in order to engage kids and keep them interested, keep their focus.  Why?  Because it's second nature to them, rather than in my generation when technology was something we had to learn.  The world moves so quickly.  We need to use the same techniques students use in everyday life.  Teachers need to learn to welcome various forms of technology including cell phones... if used appropriately that is.  There should be rules set in place.  There are places that are using things like, Poll Everywhere, in their classrooms and kids are loving it.  They get to text their answers to questions and see them pop up on the board, it's really cool.  Theres also new ideas like Flipping The Classroom.  Where kids take a video home and learn the material there and come back to school and then get to talk about it in class.  If we as educators don't learn how to embrace technology in a meaningful way, we're going to loose students and we're not doing our job.  It makes our job individually obsolete.  Now don't get me wrong.  I'm not saying that kids shouldn't have to read books!!  It's just how you engage them in the discussion about the book that is key.  I believe that every American should have to read The Scarlet Letter, but it's what we  as educators do with it that should be different."

 Now personally I have the same philosophy as my mom.  I have always been a really difficult student, but not because I wasn't trying or because I was lazy or anything, but because of Timmy the Tumor pushing on my memory.  I worked my ass off throughout grade school only to pull off average grades.  The summer after I spent three months in Hasbro Hospital I had to make up grades for two of my core classes: British Literature and U.S. History.  I of course was still having a lot of short term memory loss so retaining the information was super difficult for me especially during the summer when all I wanted to do was be with my friends.  But thankfully my History teacher knew how to engage his students using technology that was appropriate, useful, and meaningful.  Mr. P and I spent the summer listening to music of the time periods from his Ipod, watching video clips of important events, and using whatever means necessary to allow my memory to retain the information.  And thankfully, for the most part, it worked.

Katy Perry's Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)

Celine Vescera, Jessica Parenteau, and Noelle Patenaude: Group 1 Media Artifact
February 14, 2013

Million Dollar Quartet

So our class yesterday reminded me of the play I went to go see on January 16th, 2013 with my boyfriend Matt, and my dad and his girlfriend at PPAC: Million Dollar Quartet.

And basically it goes through the last and only night that all four of the big names: Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins were together.  It was a fantastic musical production with all the classics.  From Blue Suede Shoes, I Walk the Line, Hound Dog, Rivers in the Sky, See You Later Alligator, Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On and Great Balls of Fire.

These were the songs that got teenagers "gyrating"their hips.

It's Media

I forgot that I had found this picture over winter break and saved it to my computer knowing I was taking this class (teenagers in the media) this semester.  I thought it was a great representation of how the media can easily alter how we see things.

Talking Point 4: The Rise & Fall

Hyperlinks

I found this piece to be really interesting and I connected it to this video that I found while I was searching for my group's media artifact.

I thought this video summed up what the article's views on teenagers, along with many adult's views on teenagers -- as a not quite competent person, beset by stress and hormones.  

Growing up as a teenager, I was one of the ones who thought it was totally unfair that we had so many responsibilities and little to show for it.  However, now I agree with the article when it says that defining a person strictly in terms of age feels natural to contemporary Americans... this young person is mature enough to drive or to vote, while another one the same age is not.  

The whole getting your license at 16 is a sore subject for me in the first place since I went into the hospital the week I was scheduled to take my drivers test and was unable to take my test until well over year later, and I have had my license taken away multiple times due to seizures since then.  And my mom is like the parent in this commercial to this day where she still makes sure that I am being careful.

My mom was also the one who made sure that both myself and my older brother, Bubba were both informed at the proper age.  My brother and I actually make fun of her for her conversation with Bubba.  It was right after he started dating his first girlfriend and she tried to make it very serious and they were sitting in the parking lot outside of a diner in Narragansett one summer and she was so flustered that she said:

"15 year-old boys shouldn't be mothers"

That pretty much ended the conversation because neither of them could take it seriously after that.  Thankfully, my brother listened to my mom, and is now a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force now stationed in Anchorage Alaska, who will be deployed in Afghanistan in May and has yet to start his family.

But that brings me to the point that really bothered me about this article.  How could a woman go 9 months without realizing she's pregnant?  

Vagina Monologues

So I went to the Vagina Monologues on Friday night at 7:00.  This is the video that I will really remember most.

My core 3 was Women's Roles in the Middle East and North Africa and my Core 4 was Where in the World is Gender Inequality and in both courses we did a lot of work reading about things like FGM (Female Genital Mutilation), rape, oppression, and death.  We read the stories in Kristof and Wudunn's Half the Sky and they really made an impression.  So I feel like these are connected.

Even though I have seen the Vagina Monologues before, I feel as though I have a new perspective while watching it this time after taking GEND 200 last semester.  For some reason I just felt more empowered and less awkward about myself, my body, and my vagina.  

Talking Point 3: Raby: A Tangle of Discourse

Extended Comments with the help of Eian's blog post -- Thank you!!!

Raby said:
"A powerful, pervasive story about adolescence is that it is a clear, predictable (but turbulent) stage that teenagers inevitably undergo as they grow into adulthood. " 

Eian said:
This statement is true and untrue all teenagers go through adolescents. Some may consider adolescents a bit awkward. I think it all depends on how the teenager goes through that adolescent period.  I think it all depends on what happens and what kind of events are thrown your way.  We all have different experiences and some of our lives are much more difficult or different then others. In my honest opinion I don't think adolescents is at all times predictable. Adolescents is a time of ups, downs and spirals. It all depends on what direction we take and all the twists and turns along the way.


I say:
I agree with Eian that adolescence is an awkward time of life, there is no denying it.  So it really does depend on how the teenager spent their adolescent years: who their role models were, if they had a healthy experience, if they had an "outlet" or skill to focus on.  I love that Eian says: We all have different experiences and some are more difficult than others, those are the exact words that came to my mind when I read this piece.  Our adolescence and teenage years are what shape us into who we grow up to be, they are so important and influential.

Raby said:
"Adolescence is discursively framed as a stage that seems to require a degree of self-refection, it is also marginalized (in terms of voice and self-refection) and often laced with current, popular concern about adolescents as dangerous, ungoverned and in need of control." 

Eian Said:
All in all this is a well said statement. Adolescence is a time where teenagers not all the time but sometimes need guidance in everyday happenings.  I don't think we necessarily have to control this time period in a teenagers life but we do need to sometimes push them along the way.  Some teenagers are free spirited and some even like to live by their own rules. At times this may be dangerous but other times teens need the ball in their own court. Sometimes they need to make their own rules. As adults we can help them along the way but at times we won't always be there to help them. They need to learn how to do it on their own.

I say:
At first I had mixed feelings about what Eian had posted.  I totally agree that teenagers need room to do their own thing, explore, find their way, and be a free spirit.  Any maybe it's because I've always been that goodie-too-shoes kind of girl, with the military older brother and drill sargent of a mother but I've never been the type of kid to get in much trouble.  So until I was diagnosed they gave me more freedom than most kids my age, as long as I was following their standards and checked in with them.  But over the years, I've seen so many teenagers who don't have those people in their lives who are guiding them and it's gotten ugly.  I lost one of my best friends from high school to heroin in October and he is someone who really didn't have anyone in his life to help him or guide him.

Raby Said:
"I know with my parents sometimes they’ll turn things around. Like when they want me to take responsibility for something they’ll say you’re supposed to act like an adult...but then um when I am whatever taking responsibility or when I’m out for the whole day doing my own things and then I want to go to a party or something they’ll say ‘you’re not 21’. (Vienna) " 

Eian Said:
Parents do sometimes put a lot of responsibilities onto teens. I think some parents do this because they know their teens can handle this. I however don't think its fair when parents are contradicting of what they originally say. I know teens can be confusing but parents can be just as confusing. Like teens they can mean one thing and say another. I defiantly experienced this as a adolescent but I also had a very rough time during this period. All most parents want is whats best for their children. They want them to succeed in the best way possible. In order to do that I think teens sometimes need clear cut rules guidelines and not have their parent or parents confusing them.

I say:
I think that year after year the responsibilities for teens are growing.  Not only do they have to be in school but they have to have great grades, they have to  go to college, they need a job, the worry about relationships, looks, weight, fashion, popularity, some need to support families, the list goes on and on.  Life is no longer simple and it is certainly not getting any easier for the next generation's teenagers.  

Vagina Monologues 2011

So I'm already planning on going to the Vagina Monologues on Friday February 15th at 7:00 in Gaige Hall.  But I remembered that the woman whom I got really attached to while I was in Hasbro Hospital the first time back in 2008 was in Vagina Monologues in 2011 (the show was fantastic) and I asked her if she had the clip so I could post it on my blog.

Patrick and Kerry had a son named Finnegan who had the room across the hall from me in the Intensive Care Unit while I was in Hasbro.  We had the same pediatrician so we got to know each other pretty quickly.  I like to say that I adopted Finn as my little brother and Kerry and Patrick as another set of parents.  

He was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at birth but he was in remarkably good health until the bowel obstruction on Feb. 11, 2008.  He had cardiac arrest after his first surgery, and 5 more surgeries in the following 8 days, reducing the length of his small intestines by 2/3s.  He had also endured quite possibly every complication during his hospitalization,  

- several pneumonias- a trachaeostomy to improve range of motion while on a ventilator (which was the majority if the time) - a pseudoaneyurysm the size of a baseball on his femoral artery- a clot in the portal vein in his liver, resulting in high blood pressure- liver damage from long-term IV nutrition (compounded by his CF)- fairly regular finger pricks for blood sugar monitoring, and- occasional heavy sedation and withdrawals associated there with, anxiety, and depression       
Finn passed away at the age of 5, on March 20, 2009.

Anyways here is her Vagina Monologue:

Say Yes To The Dress: Same-Sex Couples

So I'm not going to lie, I am totally addicted to Say Yes To The Dress and I remembered a comment made a few classes ago about them not having same-sex couples on the show and that's not entirely true.

And I know that they have done at least one other episode with an older same-sex couple who were looking for pant suits but since there is only one pant suit in the store, they ended up getting ball gowns.

So this is a tap on the glass that there are same-sex couples on these types on shows.

Reality of Disney Princesses

I found this clip floating around with the caption: The Reality Of Disney Princess

Talking Point 2: Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us

Reflection

I thought this was a really interesting piece by Linda Christensen and honestly afterwards my mind was all over the place.

Peter Pan:
I remember in high school talking about the scene in Peter Pan when Tinkerbell is standing on the mirror and consumed with herself, what is that teaching our children?

What else are we teaching kids with this movie?  That racism and prejudice towards others is ok?

Lesson Learned: Why do Native Americans ask you "how?" According to the song, it's because the Native American always thirsts for knowledge. OK, that's not so bad, we guess. What gives the Native Americans their distinctive coloring? The song says a long time ago, a Native American blushed red when he kissed a girl, and, as science dictates, it's been part of their race's genetic make up since. You see, there had to be some kind of event to change their skin from the normal, human color of "white."

Best (Worst?) Moment: 
It's a tie between Tiger Lilly's traditional Native American hussy dance, and the number of times Native American's misogynistic tendencies are played for laughs (hint: It's more than three!)

Cinderella:

I was super excited when I read about Cinder-Elly by Frances Minters in the article this week.  My mom has been a teacher all her life and is on the Rhode Island Children's Book Award so her library of children's books has been growing for years, and in particular Cinderella books since I was born.  We have over 30 different versions in our library.  I grew up reading Cinder-Elly, it was personally one of my favorite versions.  

After reading this piece however, I went back to my mom however, and we pulled out all the "non-traditional" Cinderella and I was surprised how many there were.  Theres:

And Rodgers and Hammerstein's came out with a Cinderella with Brandi and an all African American cast, except the Prince who was Asian, which I also thought was worth mentioning:

Barbie: I was one of those girls that would rather play with Barbies than go outside and play.  And looking back on it I see that it was both good and bad.  My parents poured a ton of money into that industry unnecessarily.  I also look back and see that this is probably where a lot of girl's body image problems begin, and this picture shows us that:

Barbie stands about six feet tall with a 39" bust, 18" waist, and 33" hips. These are the supposed measurements of Barbie if she were a real person. She was built as a part of the first National Eating Disorder Awareness Week (NEDAW) at a high school.