Tag Archive for: instructor-none-2

Like Sonia this article also stood out to me. While reading this I thought why can’t adults learn to teach their kids to ask questions about what is going on on TV. I want to know why can’t the older generation explain the message that the commercials are trying to give and correct the minds of the youth and tell them that we don’t agree with this advertisement. As I got further into this article the author did mention that they do believe in educating children to understand the purpose of context of marketing so that they can interpret commercial communications. I think this is also the target for (AML). I hope that in the next few years to come media literacy is being taught more in schools because children in America are watching the most commercials. Another part that surprised me while reading was  that there is still ways to get around the codes that they enforce on television commercials. Like in the UK they banned junk food ads that are aimed to children under the age of 16 however commercials can still be played during family shows so there still is a way for children to be watching these commercials. Reading this article was hard because we know what the problem is and for now it still hasn’t been fixed. 

Hey everyone, so here are some important social issues that I feel quite passionately about. First, sexual harassment and gender equality is a very important social issue that needs to be corrected. I also think the LGBTQ community and their cause is another important social issue, and I believe the hate against their opposition (mainly religious) is a social issue that needs to be focused on as well.

Sexual harassment can occur every day, whether it is in class, dorm rooms, parties and bars, or just walking down the street. I honestly believe it is even strong in college. Many people, guys especially, come to college with the only intention of having sex with as many women as possible. I have seen guys resort to our more brutish and almost animal-like instincts here. Some gentlemen constantly rate and berate women and see them only as a pair of legs and want what is in between them, when there is actually so much more of course especially at college. What I have seen happen is women become so defensive, that it hard to approach someone even on an academic level or as friends. This causes gender discrimination against men as well, like a common thought that “All men are pigs”. In class, some professors may treat people different based on their gender. I have constantly seen male professors pay more attention to women then men. Gender equality obviously goes both ways and requires both men and women to work together to fix issues with gender and sexual harassment.

Another important social issue is the discrimination towards the LGBTQ community. The world is changing quickly, and no matter a person’s religion or sexual preference, LGBTQ people should be accepted. I am not saying a religious person should accept a gay person’s beliefs, but the person should be accepted for who he/she/transgender is. Discrimination of any sort is negative.

On the flip side of this issue, with the changing times many religious people are being discriminated against because they are religious. People should be able to believe in whatever they want to, and they should not be berated for their beliefs. Many people who support the LGBTQ or are part of the LGBTQ community instantly cast hate upon religious people because they do not accept the LGBTQ communities beliefs. Like I previously stated, discrimination of any sort is negative and not healthy socially to any community. People fear what they do not understand, and this completely goes both way for the LGBTQ community and the people who oppose their lifestyle. I believe the hate against religious people for the way they feel about the LGBTQ community is an important social issue that is not focused on as much. My two best friends are gay, but I also have religious friends and am slightly religious myself so I feel like I have seen and heard both sides of the story.

Thank you for reading, and I can’t wait to see what social issues my classmates bring to class.

-Ryland

It’s been quite awhile since I’ve read an article that has inspired me to write a post on a Sunday afternoon. But today, I saw a link to an article in my Nuzzel feed titled “Is the lecture unfair?” and it piqued my interest. This recent article from the New York Times discusses findings from recent studies that show how lectures privilege students who come from privileged backgrounds. The author, Annie Murphy Paul, explains, 

“…a growing body of evidence suggests that the lecture is not generic or neutral, but a specific cultural form that favors some people while discriminating against others, including women, minorities and low-income and first-generation college students. This is not a matter of instructor bias; it is the lecture format itself — when used on its own without other instructional supports — that offers unfair advantages to an already privileged population.” 

The idea that lectures create a biased learning environment that privileges certain students is not surprising to me — and it may not be surprising to you either. If you are familiar with my work, you’ve likely read other posts where I examine this notion. However, to see studies that excavate the lecture as a method of teaching that reinforces social inequities is worthy of discussion. The article reminded me of a video presentation I made back in 2011 titled “Expanding the Funnel,” which connected the flipped classroom model (a form of active learning) as a strategy for increasing degree attainment rates in community colleges (which saw an enrollment explosion in 2010-11, the time of the U.S. economic downturn). 

Community colleges have an open access policy, which means everyone one is welcome. They are the gateway to higher education in the United States and, as such, community college students are the most diverse group of learners in higher education. It is not uncommon for a single community college class to include students from multiple generations, ethnic minorities, first generation college students, ESL learners, students with cognitive differences (dyslexia, dysgraphia, etc.), and students with physical disabilities. This diversity creates a powerful, fertile soil for students to learn from each others’ experiences. However, not all instructors use active-learning strategies in their classes and, as such, the learning environments that students confront while in college are not as inclusive as the open-access mission of CCs.  Often, when I’ve discussed this topic with my peers, I’ve heard professors note that active learning does students who wish to transfer to a 4-year a “disservice,” because it doesn’t provide them with the skills needed to excel in the lecture environment.

Let’s keep this conversation going. It’s time to start examining the broader, social implications of pedagogy on degree attainment in higher education. All students are capable of learning and obtaining a college degree. Let’s support all of them.

Finally, we must not cast blame on faculty. We need to support faculty to understand how the way they teach a class impacts the percentage of students who experience deep learning.  Active learning is one step towards a more inclusive classroom.

For those that don’t know that when I am not buried three feet deep in textbooks and notes, shoving large amounts of information into my sometimes very tired brain,  I am a Bartender full-time and have been for many years. With the nature of the job, different topics come up from time to time that we discuss throughout any given shift.  Many of the Reg’s(Frequent customers) know that I am back in school and often ask questions pertaining current events, “how is it going? How do you like it? When is the graduation party”? Just the other day the question rang out again, “what is it like being so much older than most of the people there?” Most of the time the answer is with a shrug of the shoulders, “it is just fine I guess”.

For some reason or another that question has resonated in the front of my mind for the past few days, and I have given it some thought. Most of my fellow student have been very kind to me, and often enough I befriend lab partners, people from study groups or that I sit next to in class. The social experience that I have witnessed has been very pleasant and quite helpful. I know that with being a bit older the social pressures and issues that I receive will be much different than my fellow students.  I don’t suppose that I will have to worry about peer pressure, racism, being bullied (either cyber or in person), or the concerns with drugs and alcohol like my fellow student might. It may be for one reason or another, but I don’t give any of those issues much thought when it comes to affecting me or my direct surroundings. I can’t remember the last time I had to endure such problems.

I do feel the pressure of being accepted in the social aspect of social status and peer acceptance. I think all humans feel this when introduced to new environments either physical or psychological.  I will always remember that first day back to class. I walked into the classroom, and all of the students looked up at me, sat up in their chairs and started putting away their phones, grabbing for notebooks and sorts. I chuckled and found my seat in the front row and had a quick laugh. I remember hearing one of the girls say, “I thought he was our professor”. I knew then that I was going to like my return to school and to make the most of it.

There are many social issues that we all have to deal with either as a student or just as a human being. Sexuality, gender identification, social media, economics, and all that I have mentioned earlier. If we take the wisdom of, “always being true to ourselves and others; knowing that who you are is not only good enough but downright fantastic”, then many of these social issues have no leverage and not need to be a concern for you or anyone else. As far as the rest, remember that you are not alone and there is always someone to talk to about it.

As I always say, remember to smile, make someone laugh out loud, and have a fantastic day.

CDR