In The Service of What?

"we try to consider the life and disposition of those for whom we are caring. We attempt to "apprehend the reality of the other" and then to "struggle [for progress] together."8 In so doing, we create opportunities for changing our understanding of the other and the context within which he or she lives".
     In reading this article it made me realize I want to do more Service Learning Projects. Throughout my years growing up I did several and I forgot how they made me feel until reading this. The first project I did was a soup kitchen at my church; here, we served food to the homeless. At first I did not know what to expect, again it was "the fear of the unknown". I thought the homeless people were going to be sloppy mean people who did not shave or have teeth, but to my surprise only few looked like this; the others, looked normal if thats what you would call it, and many were even young. Walking around I only got to serve food but what I really wanted was to hear their stories and get to know them. If I can I am going to volunteer at more soup kitchens because it was rewarding to know that I helped someone get a meal so they would not starve. It made me appreciate what I have more than I did before.
     Another service learning project I did was during high school; we went to a nursing home and helped them make tiny christmas trees. This project was brief but just as rewarding as the soup kitchen. I love the elderly so it made me sad to know some did not get any visitors. Making the decorations was fun and they seemed to enjoy it very much. Also, in high school I worked with the special needs kids on a basketball team. This gave these children an opportunity to play a sport they normally did not get to play. I was new to basketball so we learned how to play together; and the funny thing is some of them were better at it than me. Seeing them score baskets and win the game was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. Nothing made me more happy than to see them smile because they scored a basket; the grins on their faces were so big they almost did not fit on their faces.
     I think that working with the children in Providence is also a service learning project, even though we need to do it for class. This not only helps the children we're working with but it also betters us to become better teachers. I teach children dance so I know how it feels when I child finally learns a step, or is able to read without messing up. It fills your heart up and you feel so proud of them. I love seeing these children every week .
     Overall, I think everyone should do a service learning project atleast once in their life because it really does change you. I think it should also be a requirement in schools because it teaches equality. A simple act of kindness like giving a homeless person money on the street in my eyes can be seen as just as rewarding as a service learning project, even though it is not as intimate. A simple act of kindness can not only change your life but also the person/people you helped; they probably will never forget that day and neither will you.
    
    

Christensen "Unlearning the myths that bind us"

"...My waist didnt dip into an house glass; in fact, according to the novels I read my thick ankles doomed me to be cast as the peasant woman reaping hay while the heroine swept by with her handsome man in hot pursuit"
      What would you think if your child ever said this? We'll this is what many children are being taught according to the "secret education" of Disney novels, cartoons, and literature. Christensen said "our society's culture industry colonizes their minds and teaches them how to act, live and dream". He is correct many children's books, and media often show sterotypes and do not represent all races. They teach children the wrong ideas and wrong image of themselves as well as others. Parents are scared of what their children are learning in school but really they should be scared of what they are teaching children at home with the books they read. Reading Christensen's article I liked towards the end when students graded Disney cartoons; it opened my eyes to what they were actually teaching children. For instance, I did not know the Duck Tales only taught about money and how one needs money in order to be hapy. That is the wrong thing to teach children, one should teach children money doesnt buy happiness.
      Also, in this article it was mentioned that Disney "depicts one sex, one race, one class, or one country over a weaker counterpart". I fully agree because just until recently there was no African American Princess and most of the princesses were white. This reminds me of a project I did in my high school pyschology class; we had to watch a Disney movie and say how it was wrong for children. In all Disney movies the bad people are often a darker race or color than the good people. Also, woman are portrayed to be sexy. Two example movies that I remember are Aladdin and Madagascar. In Aladdin, Japhar is a darker color than Aladdin and also has an accent. When he captures Jazmine she tries to seduce him in order to distract him from Aladdin. She is also wearing a skimpy outfit which shows that woman should be sexy and shaped like an hour glass. Also, in Madagascar the Uncle has a darker shade of fur than the father or nephew. It also seems to be quite scary for young children especially when he is captured in the beginning. All-in-all, I think we should think twice about we show or children.

Gayness, Multicultural Education and Community

        "I want to suggest that public schools play an important role in helping build a new democratic, multicultural community, one in which sexual identity (like markers of difference including class, gender and race) is recognized, in which inequities are challenged, and where dialogue across difference replaces silencing and invisibilty practices". I agree that in today's schooling children should learn about gayness as early as they can understand the basic concepts. I think by doing this will help normalize gayness. The earlier a child learns about things such as this the better off they are understanding it. It also allows them to form their own ideas instead of listening to society and their parents. This relates to the movie we watched in class; these children were much smarter than I thought and they also asked very good questions. One thing i remember from the movie is when a little boy asked why people do not treat gay people equally and why they cannot get married. I remembering him saying something like "they are people too just like us". This young makes a good point gay people are normal people and diserve the same treatment as everyone else. Someone in our class made a good point that you dont have to like everyone just dont say anything. That reminds me of the saying "if you have nothing nice to say...dont say it at all". I fully agree with this quote because I try to treat everyone as fair as possible.

         Another problem I have is when people especially parents think that a child can turn gay. I think this is a false statement one  is born gay and does not turn gay, it just might take some people longer to figure it out. It irritates me to no end when fathers put their sons in manly sports so they will not "turn" gay. For instance, my dance teachers son dances and his father puts him in a numerous amount of masculine sports so dance does not turn him gay. This is dumb especially if the child likes to dance and doesnt like to play other sports. A parent should also love their child no matter what their sexual orientation.

        Also, in class we discussed the terms like gay, fag and so on and I must confess to using these slang terms every now and then. After discussing where the word "fagit" comes from I am disgusted to say that Ive used that word sometimes. But i can honestly say that after discussing these topics I will make a conscious effort and try not to say these terms because of where they came from and how they make people feel.