Original Article: http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/06/28/granderson.raising.nerd/index.html?eref=rss_tech&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_tech+%28RSS%3A+Technology%29
Instead of having your children look up to the pro athletes, or musicians or actors why not have them look at successful people in business, medicine or law. I really enjoyed this resource because it reiterates the message that we as teachers try to get across to our students. It also made me think about how I'm raising my children. I will admit, my 4th grade daughter has posters of Justin Beiber and other Disney kid actors in her room.
Are we sending mixed messages to our children when we allow them to look up to celebrities while at the same time preach the importance of making good grades? I really never thought about it being an issue, well maybe a little bit. But now after viewing this article and video, I may think differently about what type of individuals I expose my children to.
Very interesting points, Wallace. This is something that I try to make sure that address with my ninth and tenth grade students about what they are viewing. Our society has become so entertainment-driven that education and academic success have become obscured.
ReplyDeleteBiebermania seems like nothing compared with the fact that our students know everything about "The Jersey Shore" numbskulls and enjoy emulating them. This is a scary thing, which our legislators don't seem to comprehend. Our students do poorly on tests. It's the teachers' faults...The mass media, the poor parenting, etc. have nothing to do with our students' not valuing education as much? I think not.
What we have to do is teach students to understand entertainment for what it is -- to destress, to laugh, and so on. We must reiterate that we should not try to become like them, however. We must strive to learn so that we can continue to improve this great country that we live in.