1.) "Cartoon images, in particular the Disney movie Peter Pan, were cited by children [in a research study] as their number one source of information."
This piece of information, coupled with the "it's elementary" video we watched the other day in class are very telling. The little boy knew what gay was from Eddie Murphy movies. He was what- 5 years old?! Many urban children don't have somewhere to go out and play. I babysit for one single mother with a huge, beautiful backyard. But she is stretched so thin she plops her son in front of as many videos as she can just to have time to pay bills, call people back, clean, etc. And she is a college professor. Kids watch a ton of t.v. The more urban- the more t.v. I don't really watch it myself. I'm very much against it anyway. With that said, I think often adults forget that children's tv isn't good just because it is for a child. Producers still create show with catchy gimics to get children to like their show. Look at yo gabba gabba. It is like MTV for kids- yes it is for kids but it has very little intellectual and educational value.
2.)"The dialogue journal spurs rthem to argue, to talk back, and create a conversation with the writer."
I really enjoy this idea and think I will implement it in my classroom. If you have children from middle class white families, recent immigrants from around the world, low income minority students, etc., in your classroom then you are sure to get a variety of responses to the work or information you are looking at. By giving students a platform for forming their own ideas, you are giving them a voice and an opportunity to make their own choices of what they believe.
3.) "Early in the unit I show a Popeye cartoon..."
I LOVE that these old cartoons are the starting point for her experiment where she then leads to modern day Disney with movies like Mulan, Aladdin, and Pocahontas. I can't tell you how many father's I've seen that throw in looney tunes, tom and gerry, and popeye as if they are benign relics that should be treasured. Those shows are aweful! They descend from violent roots such as Punch and Judy and created inspiration for the Itchy and Scracty show in the Simpsons. You can give your children pop guns or microscopes to play with. You can have them watch Mr. Rogers or Wyley Cayote and the Road Runner. You get what you give- as parents and teachers.
Overall, I liked this reading. I think Christensen did a great job of discerning the problem and finding valuable ways to empower her students to begin to make decisions for themselves. These self empowerment methods will help inform students to be carried with them as they become adult citizens. Hopefully they will think twice when deciding between watching Rachel Maddow and Jersey Shore.
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