Blog Assignment #13

Video #8 Shane Koyczan To This Day…for the Bullied and Beautiful by Haley Smith

When I was looking to see what video I wanted, my attention immediately turned to number eight, Shane Koyczan’s video “To This Day...for the Bullied and Beautiful”. Bullying is something that has always been there but lately, the bully victims and bully numbers have grown. This video not only covered bullying; it also covered goals and future aspirations that all of us have or have had at one time.

We are asked constantly as kids and even now as adults in college what we wanted or want to be when we “grow up”. Something that Koyczan mentioned is that it is an unfair question. The reason is it presupposes that we can’t be what we already are. Why couldn’t I just stay Haley growing up and there wasn’t any more to that. Why do we always have to think of something to become. Another issue with this question is that so often we don’t give the people that ask us the answer they want. If a teacher asked us, we are told “be more realistic” or “that is a stupid answer” or even “you won’t ever become that”. In order to please everyone around us in what we want to be, we have to become someone we are not. The way that Shane put it was we must sacrifice what we are to inherit the masquerade of what we will be. Our dreams are something that are so important to us but there are some people that will easily drop our dreams and dismiss them like they are the worst possible thing on earth. Why are our dreams so easy to dismiss? Why do our dreams get called silly or foolish or impossible? In a way, the way that our dreams and goals and hopes are treated, it is bullying. Calling someone stupid due to a dream of being an astronaut is mean and selfish. There is nothing nice about tearing down someone’s dreams.

Bullying is something that can be found everywhere. Public school or private school both have issues with bullying. Everyone knows the saying “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me”. That is WRONG! Words hurt more than anything. Bones and bruises heal, but words are stuck to your being until you decide it is time to let go. Even then, the remains are still buried in your body and mind. Each school has an arsenal of nicknames that only get bigger and bigger: stupid, spaz, dork. Kids are being called all sorts of names daily at school. I loved what Shane said about beauty. He said “If you don’t see anything beautiful about yourself, get a new mirror. Stare a little longer because there is something inside you that made you keep going despite everyone trying to tell you to quit. Put a cast on your broken heart, sign it, and say ‘THEY WERE WRONG’.” In school we always cheer for the underdog. The one that isn’t so great at basketball or football. When one of those people makes the winning basket or the winning touchdown, we cheer and go crazy because the tried their hardest. Why do we cheer the underdog on? We can relate to him or her. We see ourselves in them. We are more than a car abandoned sitting on empty. We are people. We must not judge ourselves by the pain we suffer but by the beauty in us.

Video #6 Mae Jemison: Teach Arts and Sciences Together by Hilary Thames

It’s funny to think that in this video Teach Arts and Sciences Together, this speech  given by Mrs. Mae Jemison was over ten years ago because every bit of what she had to say goes along with what is happening in today’s time as well. We as educators tend to have an attitude of , just as Jemison mentions, “whatever happens, happens.” and she used a great quote from Lewis Carrol, “If you don’t much care where you want to get, then it doesn’t much matter which way you go” that sums up this attitude. That’s the problem with today’s education system, we have too many not caring about what happens, or which way they get there. With this quote, Jamison begins to speak on her topic of revitalizing arts and sciences.  

Our generation has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. From the shift of the farming age to industrial age, the preceding generations, our generation has taking a leap into an information

age. We want all the information we can obtain and we want it now! Just think about it, two to three seconds tops to pull up the news on your smartphone. Students in the school systems are, just as this generation, thriving for knowledge and with closed minds they are not allowed access to all that an open minded person is. Creativity is the key to opening our students’ minds and stressing arts and sciences pushed open the doors of each student’s mind. With subjects, such as math and history, a student’s mind is not allowed fully opened opportunities, they simply call for a student to memorize and recall facts and equations. However, arts and sciences gives way for students to place thinking caps on their heads and being to be creative and think for themselves. Jemison uses another great quote from Albert Einstein, “The most beautiful thing we can experience the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science,” to further this idea. When children begin to experience mystery, their eyes are opened to a whole new world.

Video #5 Kakenya Ntaiya: A Girl Who Demanded School by Brantley Spillman    

I recommend this video to everyone. Ms. Ntaiya’s determination and personal experiences were truly inspiring to me. Hearing her life’s story from her own mouth made more of an impact than if I had simply read her story. I will give technology props for giving me that opportunity. In addition, if I could choose to work with another teacher’s class “collaboratively” with my own class, this would be my pick

Ms. Ntaiya is a native of Kenya who rose against traditional values and found true joy in learning.  Her background triggered memories of when I lived with a student from Kenya, from Uganda, and from Angola. All four of us were housed at the same time in a single college dorm room.  I was only 19 years old from a small town in southern Georgia. I immediately respected the “African” culture. Each of their stories made me realize what privilege and freedoms I had

been raised with, even with my working class parents.  

Fortunately, Ms. Ntaiya was able to leave her hometown to pursue more education in America. Her determination was single-minded. One example is when she spoke of undergoing the tradition of “genital mutilation” (female circumcision) so as to return to her local school. With any society or culture, there will be people who want change and/or equality for local traditions or status quos.  However, like most situations, it is easier said than done.

I believe this video was, by far, the most touching for me to watch this semester. Although, I have said this before after watching Randy Pausch’s last lecture, I stand corrected.  I hope my children have this determination when attacking obstacles in their lives. When teaching students how to appreciate their own freedoms and applying determination to obstacles, interviews/lectures of firsthand experiences, like this, can offer a strong learning impact that I can appreciate technology offers.  Although, for an even larger impact, it would be amazing to have Ms. Ntaiya come to speak in my classroom so as my students can ask questions and generate meaningful discussion.

As a spoiled culture, we should learn from stories of this nature.  Life is short, fight for what you believe.  In the end, we can only hope people remember what footprints we leave behind.  Ms Ntaiya has left an influential footprint for both her own culture and ours, here in America.  She will be remembered as a hero for not only women, but for every individual that has challenged the norm in any way.