- William Glasser, M.D.
- Mike’s Auto Tune & Tire
- MTV Yearbook Music Video
William glasser, m.d.
Context/Description:
I received an e-mail about three weeks ago from the head of my department, Chris Crowe, informing myself and other English majors of a special lecture coming up. We were highly encouraged to attend. The topic of the presentation was “Every Teacher Can Succeed” and it was from 4:00-5:00 in the HBLL. I had penciled the information onto my calendar and attended the special lecture on Wednesday.
Analysis:
The only thing I knew about William Glasser before going to this lecture was that he is one of the top “classroom management” authorities within the United States. At the lecture everyone in attendance was given a pamphlet in electrifying colors (bright blue, bright yellow, and white). The title of the pamphlet is “Defining Mental Health as a Public Health Issue.” I confess that I have yet to read the whole pamphlet but I fully intend to when I get some extra free time. What I liked about this lecture was the emphasis on the definition of mental health and a practice called choice theory.
Mental Health was defined by Glasser as the ability to get along well with anyone you want to get along with or need to get along with (as well as the ability to use the knowledge that we have to do so). The focus of what we should teach in the classroom is how to apply the knowledge that is being taught.
When Glasser explained his profound “Choice Theory” I just burst into a bright grin. From my LDS perspective I knew that what he was talking about was allowing agency in the classroom. Choice theory has four parts which it addresses: 1) Basic Needs, 2) A Quality World, 3) Total Behaviors, and 4) Creativity. The more creative you are the more effective you’ll be.
There were many wonderful principles I learned, but those two things seemed most prevalent to me at the time. The overarching theme of the lecture was that we can teach successfully by never giving a low grade. We should move beyond grades and homework in the traditional system. If students do their work and are able to demonstrate that they know how to apply it, then that should entail the substance of a good grade.
Lesson Plan Ideas:
The generations of students we will teach are very different from your generation or mine. They are not as prone to comply with the traditional modes of the educational system that we know of, but they are increasingly more brilliant and innovative than ever before. In teaching students, it is important to consider their cognitive, linguistic, and social needs. Technology makes it easier for students to be isolated from one another and even “playing outside” is something rare. I believe that a nonchalant lesson for students about Media and their Mental Health would be beneficial. The lesson I would teach has a root in the lecture I attended (with the choice theory principle of Total Behaviors and cars). First I would show students different car commercials and ask them about the feelings that they associate with the images. Gradually I would move the lesson into an analogy about total behaviors. On a car there are the front wheels which determine the steering and direction of the car, and the back wheels follow wherever the front wheels direct them. Comparing it to ourselves, our feelings and physiology are like the back wheels and the front wheels are comprised of the ways we think and act. People tend to focus on the back wheels—but that is the WRONG FOCUS—because if we change our acting and thinking than we can feel better about ourselves and literally move in new directions. I would expand this more in the future, but basically I believe that it is possible and well worth the effort to incorporate self esteem lessons into my curriculum for students because their self esteem is directly linked to their social success inside and outside of the classroom setting.
Mike’s auto tune & tire
Context/Description:
I have gotten a Utah License now and needed to get a safety & emissions done on my car. I searched the internet for places near me that I could go to and decided on Mike’s Auto Tune and Tire.
In short--NEVER AGAIN!!!! They do it all alright... all dishonestly.
Analysis:
When I arrived for my appointment, they asked me how I found out about them since I had never done business with them before. It was one of those survey kinds of questions. And when I said “through the internet” the man looked puzzled for a moment and said “Hmmm… that’s not one of the options here, but I’ll type it in.” He was very intrigued.
First of all, I thought it was interesting that a business can be promoted on the internet without the business having an initial knowledge of it (through Google maps and such). Secondly, however (and on a slightly different note) I could not believe how dishonest they were with me after the inspection. I know a few things about cars because my Uncle has his own family business and my brother apprenticed with him for a couple years. So when after my inspection they failed me on three counts and produced a bill of over $700.00 in repair costs, I wasn’t duped because I asked to be shown the problems on my car and I knew that my car was running fine—it had just had inspections from California in the summer before I came up to college this last Fall. Anyways, long story short equals to the fact that my car should only have been failed on one account (the muffler, which I am getting replaced at another place which is honest with me) and it was a job that should not have been over $300.00 as they proposed, but between $90-$130.
What's hilarious is that later this week after I went to the hypocritical Mike's, they sent me a personalized letter with a coupon in it: $10.00 off your next car service. Yeah... like they think $10.00 is REALLY going to change my mind and get me running back to their company. My initial experience with them made me a bit furious, but after receiving that letter I just burst out laughing.
I'm grateful that I have a good knowledge base about cars so that I wasn't deceived and taken advantage of---but so many other girls in the world get wheeled into the repair price deceptions because they don't know any better.
Lesson Plan Ideas:
Knowledge is important for encountering such situations as this head on if you do not want to be deceived. This week I’ve been thinking a lot about cars… but my experience made me think of all the car commercials and advertisements that suggest integrity and honesty for their services and what ratio of them actually upholds to what they proclaim. I believe it would be worthwhile to shake things up a bit and have the girls in your classroom do group research projects on cars, their parts, services, and prices—and to have the boys in your class do group research projects on something that they might get duped on in the future (jewelry perhaps?). If nothing else, have all the students in your classroom arranged in groups that have about an equal amount of boys and girls in each group. Students will collaborate together in their groups to provide a research paper presenting the financial costs of repairing the car they have been assigned and be asked to analyze how the reality compares to the promises and portrayals of an accompanying car commercial for a company they will also be asked to research.
Mtv yearbook music video
Context/Description:
This will be an analysis/discussion of bodies in different settings. This analysis is drawn from the viewing of the music video “Lip Gloss (No Music)” by Lil Mama. The music video may be found on the MTV website 2007 music video yearbook or by clicking on the link below.
http://www.mtv.com/music/yearbook/
Analysis:
First of all, I have to say that for all the product placements that occur in films and other media genres—I was really surprised that this music video did not promote a specific type of lip gloss (unless KLS stands for a brand I am unfamiliar with). That is highly ironic when you consider that the message of “whacha know bout me. My lipgloss is poppin’. My lip gloss is cool” is repeated in such a brainwashing yet catchy fashion. The video combines a teenager’s desire for popularity, with the world of the “Stomp” culture (the group who creates ambient music from objects that are not technically termed as traditional instruments).
The bodies in this music video are presented as robotic and mechanical—as machines that can only be distinguished by one feature that sets them apart (as is emphasized in the music video)—the lips and their lipglossyness. The tempo to which the bodies keep rhythm seems to accentuate the social drama of the school game—the need and desire for students to “gloss” their way to the top of the social hierarchy. There is nothing particularly sexy about the bodies apart from the colors of the lips in the video. Every image of a body (especially Lil Mama’s) displays modern fashion but the fashions are minimized in matters of visual importance when compared to the images of the faces and the initial angle’s of the camera shots. Having your body stand out among the crowd requires no real great concerns but TWO from an interpretation of this music video: the issues of luscious lips and an average doll shaped body figure. Body shapes including facial features and the products for their enhancement take precedence over body coverings (clothes) and daily functions. The concept of teen body acceptance is a big issue, but it is interesting that lip gloss is provided as the simple solution. I noticed there wasn’t anyone particularly fat in the video though…
Body determines recognition and power.
Lesson Plan Ideas:
Frankly, I believe it is important to be aware of the physical development of the body in general and as it correlates to the students you teach (so that you can better understand their issues and concerns about their development, and respond to those issues and concerns within appropriate bounds)—and in fact, I took a whole class about keeping such knowledge in the forefront of my mind when teaching (concepts learned from SCED 350). It is also well known that the Greeks and other cultures have always been fascinated with the human form. However, teaching specifically about “bodies” in the classroom is a sketchy issue. I would have no problems teaching a lesson about “body” to a class but in order to create that lesson I would have to take into consideration the maturity level of my students and the legislation that drives the boundaries of such discussions. In short, I would need to assess the specific needs and realities of my students in the classroom before designing a lesson on “body image” that allows contact with media content and some of the goals of media literacy in general.
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