Name: Public Housing and Public Schools: How Do Students Living in NYC Public Housing Fare in School?
Organizer/Location: NYU's Furman Center & IESP, Furman Hall
Amount of Hours: 1.5
The NYU Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy joined forces with NYU’s Institute for Education and Social Policy to create a Housing and Land Use Policy Breakfast Series. Their first hour and a half long conversation was held at the Furman Center and was entitled “Public Housing and Public Schools: How Do Students Living in NYC Public Housing Fare in School?” and, after being provided with some basic statistics and information, panelists were able to share their expertise and information before taking questions from the audience.
I learned that in the United States, there are 1.2 million units of public housing and that within New York City alone, 180,000 of those can be found. Public housing is a resource used for low-income families but it was hypothesized that the education of students living in public housing was being effected. Research was conducted in which they investigated (a) whether characteristics of schools that children living in public housing attend differ by looking at student demographics, teacher characteristics, resources, and the percentage of students performing at grade level compared to other schools, (b) whether students in public housing perform at the same level as other students with similar demographics, and (c) whether the performance of NYCHA (NYC Housing Authority) students varies depending on the neighborhood poverty rate.
As was hypothesized, NYCHA students were in schools with non-white, poor peers with lower results on standardized tests. The schools where NYCHA students go had about an 85% free-lunch rate in comparison to 72% at other schools. Researchers also implemented controls such as race, sex, and nativity status and still found there to be a gap in fifth grade reading and math test scores and it was also noted that neighborhood context does matter. However, it was very interesting to note that at NYCHA schools there is a better teacher-student ratio. While this would typically make one think the education students are receiving would be better, the teachers who are working with them are those with less education and less experience.
A community center program was implemented but done so in a poor fashion. The federal government provided money to build the center but did not support their own efforts by providing funds for staffing. NYCHA and the Board of Education stepped in to help because they felt it was important to work to bring families together. However, almost all of the programs at the community centers take on a recreational, rather than educational, focus.
Among the panelists was Dennis Walcott, New York City Deputy Mayor for Education and Community Development. Something he said that struck me, and that especially pertains to what we discuss in class, is the importance of being careful not to stereotype or generalize who a NYCHA student may be. He said it is important to look at cohorts and determine wrap-around systems to put in place in order to make sure people are receiving the appropriate supports and services. Deputy Walcott also spoke of the mapping system his office is trying to create in order to increase the utilization of Community Based Organizations, or at least determine where they are being utilized. He followed this comment with the possibility of building charter schools on NYCHA grounds.
Though I had not had much exposure to much of this information before or ever even really thought much about public housing, I think my attendance at this breakfast was certainly necessary. As someone who hopes to pursue her teaching career in underprivileged areas, it is likely that I will be teaching students who come from public housing similar to NYCHA’s, if not NYCHA itself. It is imperative that I understand what these students are coming to me with and what extra efforts have to be made in order to help them succeed. I am interested in learning more about this and hopefully seeing how the panelists’ efforts unfold in coming years. I hope we can continue to work to close the achievement gap so obviously observed through the research presented. However, I also hope that we can also work to better educate common people, city dwellers, about this population so we can rid them of stereotypes and overgeneralizations that they may unnecessarily face in their day to day lives.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Closing the Achievement Gap: Facing the Challenges from Outside the Classroom
Organized by: the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development and Dean Mary Brabeck
Location: Lipton Hall
Date: Friday, November 14th, 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM
This was Part 1 of 3 in a breakfast series on education policy featuring Michael Rebell of Teacher's College and the Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE), who was the lead litigator in the successful lawsuit to provide adequate funding for New York's Public Schools, and a new professor at NYU, Clancy Blair, who is a developmental psychologist who primarily studies the the aspects of school readiness and achievement from a cognitive perspective.
In summary, the discussion surrounded the challenges students bring with them and into the classroom. The key questions were: What does research tell us about these challenges? How do these realities frame children's learning experiences and opportunities? What specific efforts and policy should be implemented to address these contributions to the achievement gap?
From a developmental perspective, the speakers were focused on looking at the WHOLE child and their management and self-regulation of arousal for the purpose of goal-directed outcomes through executive functions. Based on teacher reported data, about one in every forty children in the United States are labeled as having unmanageable behavior, and the expulsion rates in the United States are very high. But one of the questions that was posed is how are we, as a society, preparing children to be students? How are we preparing them for the "zone of ready to learn?" Children enter the classroom at three or four-years-old and have to learn a new discourse and way of behaving. Generally speaking, primary school teachers, when discussing readiness for school, talk about turn taking, attention, and use of language; none of the responses refer to knowledge but a social competence and ability to navigate the school system. Blair named economic pressures and environmental factors that are the significant challenges facing students in the classroom because they increase the stress factors and arousal areas in the brain, which in turn impede learning. The factors that impede caregivingalso impede self-regulation.
Can we promote self-regulation of arousal and learning simulataneously? Blair suggested that this needs to start at home and providing children and their families with the necessary resources for success, alluding to a Maslow perspective of taking care of the physical needs -- nutrition, shelter, healthcare, etc. Blair is a major supporter of early childhood funding and providing families with the necessary resources in order to decrease the arousal caused in students by the external stresses and pressures in their environments. One study, in a small sample of teacher reported "behavior problems" showed that there were high levels of cortisol in those childrens' brains at the onset of an activity and that their levels of cortisol, the chemical in the brain produced in the amygdala and hippothalmus (the arousal centers), over the course of thirty minutes significantly dropped as compared to their "typical" peers whose levels of arousal and cortisol increased over time.
Rebell entered the conversation with more of a legal perspective and stated that we need to change the dialogue of society and eduction policy and start talking about the RIGHTS of children. And to be brief, Rebell described the research that has existed since Bush I and Clinton sat down in the early 90s to create Goals 2000 at the Charlottesville Summit, where the first goal was that all children would be ready for school. They were already tapping into the idea that we need to prepare children for school with resources for healthy bodies and healthy minds. These "opportunities to learn" or "meaningful education rights" were a resultant of an increase in the support in resources and services provided to families.
At this breakfast were a room of powerhouses! And this was one of the most interesting discussions I have ever attended. As a teacher, through my development across the pedagogical core, I acknowledge and recognize the challenges that all students face as they enter the classroom, but this series provided the research and evidence from a neurological perspective as to how environmental factors can impede the learning opportunities of children. The way I look at my students is refocused on examining the WHOLE child so that no child is in fact left behind. Also, I think that educators walked away with an understanding that it is our responsibility to engage students in meaningful ways to tap into their arousal levels in the brain. There needs to be a stronger emphasis placed on building the community of learners, which includes the school, the teachers, the students, and their families in genuine and meaningful ways. When we recognize that our children enter with challenges to their learning opportunities, as a community we can work to transform those challenges into strengths.
To link this talk to our class... can you say "Child Connection?" :)
Location: Lipton Hall
Date: Friday, November 14th, 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM
This was Part 1 of 3 in a breakfast series on education policy featuring Michael Rebell of Teacher's College and the Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE), who was the lead litigator in the successful lawsuit to provide adequate funding for New York's Public Schools, and a new professor at NYU, Clancy Blair, who is a developmental psychologist who primarily studies the the aspects of school readiness and achievement from a cognitive perspective.
In summary, the discussion surrounded the challenges students bring with them and into the classroom. The key questions were: What does research tell us about these challenges? How do these realities frame children's learning experiences and opportunities? What specific efforts and policy should be implemented to address these contributions to the achievement gap?
From a developmental perspective, the speakers were focused on looking at the WHOLE child and their management and self-regulation of arousal for the purpose of goal-directed outcomes through executive functions. Based on teacher reported data, about one in every forty children in the United States are labeled as having unmanageable behavior, and the expulsion rates in the United States are very high. But one of the questions that was posed is how are we, as a society, preparing children to be students? How are we preparing them for the "zone of ready to learn?" Children enter the classroom at three or four-years-old and have to learn a new discourse and way of behaving. Generally speaking, primary school teachers, when discussing readiness for school, talk about turn taking, attention, and use of language; none of the responses refer to knowledge but a social competence and ability to navigate the school system. Blair named economic pressures and environmental factors that are the significant challenges facing students in the classroom because they increase the stress factors and arousal areas in the brain, which in turn impede learning. The factors that impede caregivingalso impede self-regulation.
Can we promote self-regulation of arousal and learning simulataneously? Blair suggested that this needs to start at home and providing children and their families with the necessary resources for success, alluding to a Maslow perspective of taking care of the physical needs -- nutrition, shelter, healthcare, etc. Blair is a major supporter of early childhood funding and providing families with the necessary resources in order to decrease the arousal caused in students by the external stresses and pressures in their environments. One study, in a small sample of teacher reported "behavior problems" showed that there were high levels of cortisol in those childrens' brains at the onset of an activity and that their levels of cortisol, the chemical in the brain produced in the amygdala and hippothalmus (the arousal centers), over the course of thirty minutes significantly dropped as compared to their "typical" peers whose levels of arousal and cortisol increased over time.
Rebell entered the conversation with more of a legal perspective and stated that we need to change the dialogue of society and eduction policy and start talking about the RIGHTS of children. And to be brief, Rebell described the research that has existed since Bush I and Clinton sat down in the early 90s to create Goals 2000 at the Charlottesville Summit, where the first goal was that all children would be ready for school. They were already tapping into the idea that we need to prepare children for school with resources for healthy bodies and healthy minds. These "opportunities to learn" or "meaningful education rights" were a resultant of an increase in the support in resources and services provided to families.
At this breakfast were a room of powerhouses! And this was one of the most interesting discussions I have ever attended. As a teacher, through my development across the pedagogical core, I acknowledge and recognize the challenges that all students face as they enter the classroom, but this series provided the research and evidence from a neurological perspective as to how environmental factors can impede the learning opportunities of children. The way I look at my students is refocused on examining the WHOLE child so that no child is in fact left behind. Also, I think that educators walked away with an understanding that it is our responsibility to engage students in meaningful ways to tap into their arousal levels in the brain. There needs to be a stronger emphasis placed on building the community of learners, which includes the school, the teachers, the students, and their families in genuine and meaningful ways. When we recognize that our children enter with challenges to their learning opportunities, as a community we can work to transform those challenges into strengths.
To link this talk to our class... can you say "Child Connection?" :)
CEC conference workshop sessions
Time: November 7-8
Place: Verona, NY
Discussion led by: Various presenters
Amount of hours: 3 hours
This past weekend, I attended the New York State CEC Conference in Verona, NY, where an array of valuable workshops and information were available. Two of my favorite ones that reflected some of the things we've been talking about with regards to social justice education were: "Knowledge, Attitude, and Behaviors of African Americans Towards ADHD" by Satasha Green and Holly Quicksey, and a poster session including a poster by Susan J. Salmon and Sherry Schwartz, both of SUNY Geneseo entitled "Education Candidates, Communities and Social Justice: More Data."
The first workshop about ADHD focused on the possible reasons why there is an overrepresentation of African American students in the E/BD category and an underrepresentation in the OHI (including ADHD) category (28% to 16%). Both categories have "similar behavioral characteristics, such as hyperactivity, inability to build interpersonal relationships, inappropriate types of behaviors under normal circumstances," quoted from their powerpoint presentation.
Their main argument was the differece in the way a child is diagnosed. With E/BD, the child is referred, and then a diagnostician (usually school psychologist) determines eligibility. The child then receives services relatively quickly if he/she is considered E/BD and given an IEP, under IDEA. For ADHD, a child is referred, evaluated by a primary care doctor, and then eligilibity is determined. If a child is found to have ADHD, his/her services come from section 504, since the disorder is considered a physical medical condition.
Problems with this method:
[53% of parents believed their child would be negatively labeled if he/she was diagnosed ADHD, and 47% said getting information on ADHD was an important factor (since they did not receive any from the health care provider), 64% of African Americans reported not knowing were to go for assistance, and 52% citedcosts as a berrier to seeking health care.]
1) Cost/economics: Seeing the school psychologist is free, seeing the primary care doctor depends on if a family even has a primary care doctor, if a parent can get off of work to take a child to the doctor (a number of visits, potentially), if a family can physically get to the doctor, if a family has health insurance, if a famliy can afford the co-pays.
2) Cultural beliefs: African American males may be seen as hyperactive when they are really displaying culturally appropriate behaviors. The presenters discussed "verve" (or as they affectionally called it, "swagger") and a study that was done on teachers on the movement of African American males, and how they are perceived as "troublemakers" simply by the way they walk (Webb-Johnson, 2002)
3) Distrust of Health Care Providers & Services: Numerous historical episodes of exploitation of medical experimentation on uninformed African American groups were cited: The Tuskegee Syphilis study, Agent Orange, and the theories of HIV/AIDS and Crack cocaine as being developed by the govenment and used to eradicate African American populations. Also, informed consent is seen as a document that allows the patient to sign away his/her right to sue a doctor or hospital if malpractice occurs.
4) Levels of Knowledge, Literacy, and Technology's Influence: 66% of US adults ages 60+ have low to marginal reading skills, 50% of welfare recipients read below the 5th rgade level, 40% of African Americans have reading difficulties, 75% of those surveyed reported having long-term illnesses of 6 months or more & limited reading skills (all statistics are taken from the National Adult Literacy Survey).
The presenters also conducted a survey on African Americans about their knowledge on ADHD (relatively high), attitudes towards the diagnosis (pessimistic), and desire to have knowledge about a diagnosis (high, but may be impeded by reading skills and levels).
-----------------------------
The poster session focused on a study done by the presenters at SUNY Geneseo on different education majors (childhood, CH/SE, early childhood, social studies, literacy, and adolescent development). With an attitudinal survey, the researchers found that the education majors largely agreed with the need for social justice and did not agree with statements about discrimination, racism, and inequality. However, on the question "We, as teachers, have no right to indoctrinate our students," the students overwhelmingly agreed.
After I read the poster, I wound up having a long discussion with the woman about the results and what they meant precisely. She felt that the results showed a fear of initiating social justice education curriculum with students because it is wrong to "indoctrinate them." I had a problem with this question, since I feel the word indoctrinate is negatively connotated and carries a lot of baggage. No offense to anyone here, but I was thinking while I read this, that many of the undergraduates surveyed may not have even known what the word meant, or thought of it as having a negative connotation. From this, I can see a possible point where the data could have been skewed.
In an unrelated note, she told me she persoanlly knows Obama's educational advisor, LInda Darling-Hammond, and expects that should she become the secretary of education, she will do a fantastic job in the way of social justice education and curriculum. How exciting!
Place: Verona, NY
Discussion led by: Various presenters
Amount of hours: 3 hours
This past weekend, I attended the New York State CEC Conference in Verona, NY, where an array of valuable workshops and information were available. Two of my favorite ones that reflected some of the things we've been talking about with regards to social justice education were: "Knowledge, Attitude, and Behaviors of African Americans Towards ADHD" by Satasha Green and Holly Quicksey, and a poster session including a poster by Susan J. Salmon and Sherry Schwartz, both of SUNY Geneseo entitled "Education Candidates, Communities and Social Justice: More Data."
The first workshop about ADHD focused on the possible reasons why there is an overrepresentation of African American students in the E/BD category and an underrepresentation in the OHI (including ADHD) category (28% to 16%). Both categories have "similar behavioral characteristics, such as hyperactivity, inability to build interpersonal relationships, inappropriate types of behaviors under normal circumstances," quoted from their powerpoint presentation.
Their main argument was the differece in the way a child is diagnosed. With E/BD, the child is referred, and then a diagnostician (usually school psychologist) determines eligibility. The child then receives services relatively quickly if he/she is considered E/BD and given an IEP, under IDEA. For ADHD, a child is referred, evaluated by a primary care doctor, and then eligilibity is determined. If a child is found to have ADHD, his/her services come from section 504, since the disorder is considered a physical medical condition.
Problems with this method:
[53% of parents believed their child would be negatively labeled if he/she was diagnosed ADHD, and 47% said getting information on ADHD was an important factor (since they did not receive any from the health care provider), 64% of African Americans reported not knowing were to go for assistance, and 52% citedcosts as a berrier to seeking health care.]
1) Cost/economics: Seeing the school psychologist is free, seeing the primary care doctor depends on if a family even has a primary care doctor, if a parent can get off of work to take a child to the doctor (a number of visits, potentially), if a family can physically get to the doctor, if a family has health insurance, if a famliy can afford the co-pays.
2) Cultural beliefs: African American males may be seen as hyperactive when they are really displaying culturally appropriate behaviors. The presenters discussed "verve" (or as they affectionally called it, "swagger") and a study that was done on teachers on the movement of African American males, and how they are perceived as "troublemakers" simply by the way they walk (Webb-Johnson, 2002)
3) Distrust of Health Care Providers & Services: Numerous historical episodes of exploitation of medical experimentation on uninformed African American groups were cited: The Tuskegee Syphilis study, Agent Orange, and the theories of HIV/AIDS and Crack cocaine as being developed by the govenment and used to eradicate African American populations. Also, informed consent is seen as a document that allows the patient to sign away his/her right to sue a doctor or hospital if malpractice occurs.
4) Levels of Knowledge, Literacy, and Technology's Influence: 66% of US adults ages 60+ have low to marginal reading skills, 50% of welfare recipients read below the 5th rgade level, 40% of African Americans have reading difficulties, 75% of those surveyed reported having long-term illnesses of 6 months or more & limited reading skills (all statistics are taken from the National Adult Literacy Survey).
The presenters also conducted a survey on African Americans about their knowledge on ADHD (relatively high), attitudes towards the diagnosis (pessimistic), and desire to have knowledge about a diagnosis (high, but may be impeded by reading skills and levels).
-----------------------------
The poster session focused on a study done by the presenters at SUNY Geneseo on different education majors (childhood, CH/SE, early childhood, social studies, literacy, and adolescent development). With an attitudinal survey, the researchers found that the education majors largely agreed with the need for social justice and did not agree with statements about discrimination, racism, and inequality. However, on the question "We, as teachers, have no right to indoctrinate our students," the students overwhelmingly agreed.
After I read the poster, I wound up having a long discussion with the woman about the results and what they meant precisely. She felt that the results showed a fear of initiating social justice education curriculum with students because it is wrong to "indoctrinate them." I had a problem with this question, since I feel the word indoctrinate is negatively connotated and carries a lot of baggage. No offense to anyone here, but I was thinking while I read this, that many of the undergraduates surveyed may not have even known what the word meant, or thought of it as having a negative connotation. From this, I can see a possible point where the data could have been skewed.
In an unrelated note, she told me she persoanlly knows Obama's educational advisor, LInda Darling-Hammond, and expects that should she become the secretary of education, she will do a fantastic job in the way of social justice education and curriculum. How exciting!
Friday, November 14, 2008
Special Screening and Discussion: I love Hip Hop in Morocco
Special Screening and Discussion: I love Hip Hop in
Time: Wednesday, 11/12, 7-10p
Place: The Gottesman Libraries,
Discussion led by: Dr. Louis Francis Cristillo, and Joshua Asen
Amount of hours: 3 hours
This documentary film recorded a real story of a group of Hip Hop artists in
The film is far more interesting and meaningful than I expected. I am happy that I have opportunity to attend this event. I learned a very different view of common people in Islamic country from the one that was usually portrayed in our media. In the film, many young Hip Hop artists are very brave to say “No” to the religion rules, the king and the society through their music. As a future teacher, I could now see how prejudice our society are towards Islamic people just because of their religion belief. Just as we have talked in our class,
I Love Hip Hop in Morocco
Name of Event: I Love Hip Hop in Morocco
Organizer and location of event: Joshua Asen, Louis Cristillo, and Hisham Aidi
Teachers College, Columbia University
11/12, Wednesday 7-10pm
Amount of hours of event: 3 hours
The “I Love Hip Hop in Morocco” is an interesting documentary film screened at Teachers College which revealed the society's changes through the dreams of hip-hop artists. The film addressed the hopes of young people who strongly feel that hip-hop should be acknowledged as their culture. Since Morocco is an Arab Muslim kingdom, having hip-hop as one of their cultures is unacceptable. In Morocco, exposing hip-hop in the country is sinning and corrupting the faith of Muslim. When other Hip-Hop music groups tried to launch a concert before, about 14 people got arrested because they banned the country’s law. In order to make changes, the hip-hop artists, who think that hip-hop culture should be appreciated, took risky steps and decided to launch the festivals. The hip-hop artists think that celebrating the hip-hop music as one of the culture aspects is same thing as the right to have the freedom of speech. The co-director Josh Asen and Jennifer Needleman traveled to Morocco in search for people who represented the hip-hop music. When Hip-hop artists decided to launch concerts in their communities, it was difficult for them to find sponsors who would support them in funding. Therefore, Josh Asen realized that they are in a need of a desperate financial support, he approached the Coca-Cola and U.S. Embassy to sponsor. He approached Terry White, who is U.S. ambassador in Morocco to find ways for them to get the funding. After organizing the budgets and resolving the financial issues, they decided to have a festival in three cities: Marrakech, Casablanca, and Meknes. Thousands of people came to the concert to celebrate the first hip-hop festival. I learned that Hip-hop is viewed completely different in other countries. In U.S., hip-hop is another music genre that people appreciate. However, the perspective and attitude of hip-hop is looked in a more critical stance in Morocco. It was interesting to see how hip-hop could be one way to express the voices of people, since people in morocco definitely struggle over the freedom of speech. Through their dreams, hopes, and concerns, the hip-hop artists took risks in order to expose the hip-hop music to their country.
Organizer and location of event: Joshua Asen, Louis Cristillo, and Hisham Aidi
Teachers College, Columbia University
11/12, Wednesday 7-10pm
Amount of hours of event: 3 hours
The “I Love Hip Hop in Morocco” is an interesting documentary film screened at Teachers College which revealed the society's changes through the dreams of hip-hop artists. The film addressed the hopes of young people who strongly feel that hip-hop should be acknowledged as their culture. Since Morocco is an Arab Muslim kingdom, having hip-hop as one of their cultures is unacceptable. In Morocco, exposing hip-hop in the country is sinning and corrupting the faith of Muslim. When other Hip-Hop music groups tried to launch a concert before, about 14 people got arrested because they banned the country’s law. In order to make changes, the hip-hop artists, who think that hip-hop culture should be appreciated, took risky steps and decided to launch the festivals. The hip-hop artists think that celebrating the hip-hop music as one of the culture aspects is same thing as the right to have the freedom of speech. The co-director Josh Asen and Jennifer Needleman traveled to Morocco in search for people who represented the hip-hop music. When Hip-hop artists decided to launch concerts in their communities, it was difficult for them to find sponsors who would support them in funding. Therefore, Josh Asen realized that they are in a need of a desperate financial support, he approached the Coca-Cola and U.S. Embassy to sponsor. He approached Terry White, who is U.S. ambassador in Morocco to find ways for them to get the funding. After organizing the budgets and resolving the financial issues, they decided to have a festival in three cities: Marrakech, Casablanca, and Meknes. Thousands of people came to the concert to celebrate the first hip-hop festival. I learned that Hip-hop is viewed completely different in other countries. In U.S., hip-hop is another music genre that people appreciate. However, the perspective and attitude of hip-hop is looked in a more critical stance in Morocco. It was interesting to see how hip-hop could be one way to express the voices of people, since people in morocco definitely struggle over the freedom of speech. Through their dreams, hopes, and concerns, the hip-hop artists took risks in order to expose the hip-hop music to their country.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Lysistrata's Children
Name of event: Lysistrata’s Children
Organizer and location of event: Theater for the New City
Amount of hours of event: 1 hour
Lysistrata’s Children is a production that is greatly influenced by the voices of the young children. It is the result of active research on the part of the actors pertaining to the history of war in the United States. The play begins with, what seems to be, an endless parade of the United States history of war. Through the use of over-sized, symbolic representations of presidents, weapons, and much more, the audience is bombarded with a series of wars that have taken place – World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, war in Afghanistan, etc. The central focus of the play explores the controversial question: Is war necessary and if so, when? War is perceived as taking root in the government, not the people. Upon the conclusion of this ‘parade’ a group of children come to the conclusion that too many lives are being lost and thus war is not the way to go. The struggle that these children endure is that of convincing their parents to sign the oath for victory over violence which declares their support for “settling differences through dialogue and mediation only and never through violence or warfare.” One aspect of the play I found interesting was the way in which opinions of parents were juxtaposed to the opinions of their children. To the question why do people like war? – one parent responded, “Because God made people that way.” Parents supplied a stream of responses that did not readily justify the need for war. By denying their parents the pleasure of being a parent (by not expressing love), the children ultimately succeeded through peaceful demonstrations portrayed in the media.
With respect to social studies education, it is often the case that teachers teach facts and students take in these facts without truly digesting, questioning, and understanding the impact that it has on history and how things are today. (This was, at least, my experience). As a future educator, Lysistrata’s Children helped me realize that students are capable of critically analyzing the happenings of the past if provided with the opportunity to do so (i.e. whether or not war is necessary). It also emphasizes the importance of and need for being able to take a critical stance instead of simply taking in the facts.
Organizer and location of event: Theater for the New City
Amount of hours of event: 1 hour
Lysistrata’s Children is a production that is greatly influenced by the voices of the young children. It is the result of active research on the part of the actors pertaining to the history of war in the United States. The play begins with, what seems to be, an endless parade of the United States history of war. Through the use of over-sized, symbolic representations of presidents, weapons, and much more, the audience is bombarded with a series of wars that have taken place – World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, war in Afghanistan, etc. The central focus of the play explores the controversial question: Is war necessary and if so, when? War is perceived as taking root in the government, not the people. Upon the conclusion of this ‘parade’ a group of children come to the conclusion that too many lives are being lost and thus war is not the way to go. The struggle that these children endure is that of convincing their parents to sign the oath for victory over violence which declares their support for “settling differences through dialogue and mediation only and never through violence or warfare.” One aspect of the play I found interesting was the way in which opinions of parents were juxtaposed to the opinions of their children. To the question why do people like war? – one parent responded, “Because God made people that way.” Parents supplied a stream of responses that did not readily justify the need for war. By denying their parents the pleasure of being a parent (by not expressing love), the children ultimately succeeded through peaceful demonstrations portrayed in the media.
With respect to social studies education, it is often the case that teachers teach facts and students take in these facts without truly digesting, questioning, and understanding the impact that it has on history and how things are today. (This was, at least, my experience). As a future educator, Lysistrata’s Children helped me realize that students are capable of critically analyzing the happenings of the past if provided with the opportunity to do so (i.e. whether or not war is necessary). It also emphasizes the importance of and need for being able to take a critical stance instead of simply taking in the facts.
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