Important Issues

I really liked the section called "A Plan for Action" in the Turning Points article. I think it is too seldom that we criticize a system without identifying specific ways in which the system needs to be changed. This section identifies not only teachers, principals, and others directly involved with the education of adolescents but also health care professionals, the president, private sectors, states, community organizations, and (most importantly, in my opinion) parents as being necessary components in bringing about change for schools. Emphasizing the need for many parties, big and small, powerful and lesser so, to be involved in bettering the education of our children is a bold and necessary step by the authors of this essay.

From the chapter 11 essay, I was curious if anyone knows where Wisconsin stands on their consideration of whether to recognize middle level licensure. I don't think it would be a bad idea, although I don't really know the specifics. I think it's necessary that we have classes (like this one) geared specifically toward issues involved with teaching middle school aged kids. I'm curious when these middle school specific classes were implemented at UWM and whether its only a matter of time before licensure for middle school education becomes mandated.

Also from the chapter 11 essay, particularly under the Glass Half Empty section, I thought it was interesting that all of the problems listed from Individual Differences to Economic Inequalities were issues that affect not only middle schools but the education system as a whole. I think this article would no doubt appeal to a wider educational audience as it thoroughly pinpoints areas for reform of the entire educational system.

Nymphet Fantasies - Boo!

Alright, so let me start by saying that I totally agree that child (and baby and probably teen) beauty pageants are warped and creepy and highlight the fact that our society needs to re-examine its view of what is beautiful and ok in this regard. But, honestly, this article was kind of a waste of time to read. Few comments throughout the article regarding society's view of the adolescent were squeezed in until the very end. If an article is going to make it into The CRITICAL Middle School Reader, I think it needs to be significantly more worthwhile than this one. At the very end of the article, several pertinent points are made. Pop culture should be seriously analyzed, kids and adults should learn to view pop culture critically and make decisions about what they will view and accept from a critical perspective, teachers should educate kids about how to organize social movements, etc., etc. These are all great points! Unfortunately, they come in the last page-and-a-half of an ultimately ineffective article centered around the child beauty pageant, with little information about self-esteem, self-image, and even less that pertains to the CRITICAL adolescent I would like to be learning more about. I nearly closed the book a page before making it to the meat of the article. I'm glad I finished reading but was ultimately disappointed in the end - not a useful article!

Parent/Child Communication

Several times in the chapter it came up that parents both feel uncomfortable talking about the specifics of puberty with their kids and that the expectation often exists for schools to take the full responsibility of explaining puberty to kids. This is really just sad. I think the importance of real parental involvement and parent/child communication is really underappreciated in our country. This is an issue that seems to cross racial and socio-economic lines and is prevalent throughout the nation. While I believe that schools should absolutely incorporate sexual education into the curriculum for students, parents need to step up to the plate and do something to change the stereotypical view of puberty as a frightening, mysterious process. Open communication about the fact that EVERYONE goes through it and the specifics of what it involves seems to be a pretty easy or at least tesion-easing fix. The wonderful world of literature even provides a plethera of book options both geared toward the kids themselves as well as toward parents who don't really know where to begin the puberty conversation. I think this proves that we are making progress from the comment in the chapter from a woman who believed herself to be hemmorhaging during her first menses experience. At least there is hope that someday we will change this unfortunate circumstance.

A bit of a tangent--Who was glad that our society frowns upon the rubbing of stinging nettles all over the bodies of adolescent girls and then shoving one in her vulva for good measure? I sure was. OUCH!

One more tangent--There were SEVERAL typos in this chapter, the stupid little ones that if any educated person read over once they would notice. It really bothers me that we pay hundreds of dollars for books that haven't even been proofread. There is something wrong with this! GRRRR!!!

Mixed review...

I guess I have mixed emotions about this article. Kumashiro is on the right track in many ways. I think it is great to recognize the fact that individual student's come from many backgrounds and have unique home experiences that should not be overlooked. Students should be able to attend classes where they are not marginalized, should have the opportunity to learn about their cultural background, and should feel that they can be themselves and not have to hide the fact that they are Asian American, LGBT, or any other frequently oppressed group.

The very use of defining these students as the "other" seems only to reinforce Kumashiro's attempt to avoid marginalizing these students. I do realize that he is discussing a large and varied group of possibilities, but perhaps there is a better, less generalizing term that could be chosen.

On page 27, Kumashiro writes, "Thus, to the onlooker; some of these students "succeed" in school, whereas others are marginalized, fail, and drop out, while still others exhibit no signs that distinguish them from the majority of the student body. But despite the apparent differences between those students who "succeed" and those who "fail" or simply fail to distinguish themselves, all experience oppression." Here Kumashiro is discussing what happens to the "other" after experiencing oppression at school. I mean, come on, they're all dropping out because they are oppressed? This seems a bit over-generalized to me. Perhaps some struggle because of language barriers not being addressed by teachers, maybe there are learning disabilities, perhaps they fell in with the wrong crowd of kids. I think attributing the academic success of the "other" to only the oppression (to which there are undoubtedly varying degrees) they received is absolutely an absurd statement to make.

I agree that teachers need to integrate education to make all students present feel safe, comfortable, like they have a voice, and like their particular group is being represented. However, I feel that Kumashiro is very vague in this section. Nice ideas don't get us very far. How are teachers being held accountable for the ways in which they are treating students? Are students encouraged to speak to a superior regarding issues with a particular teacher? Not likely, as Kumashiro suggests they find their voices behind closed doors at meetings with other like "others".

While I understand this is merely a lit review, it seems unproductive in its attempts to produce a substantial amount of meaningful ideas. It seems packed largely with generalizations, nice ideas with little critical thought of accomplishment behind them, and some ideas that plainly contradict the very "other" the article spends so much of its time trying to define as something that should be done away with.