August | 2010 | voxygen.net

From the monthly archives: August 2010

Cultural Identity Activity

By ~LS~ On August 25, 2010 · Add Comment · In Feminism, I have to work?, Pedagogy, Politics, Race and Racism and tagged Tagged With: BRCC, Feminism, Gender, Generations, Louisiana, Pedagogy, Race, Sexism, Teaching, Teaching Activities

Since teaching at BRCC I have struggled with introducing issues of racism and other identity categories into the classroom. Given the diversity of the campus population, I’m not sure why. As I posted previously, the responses to racial topics are completely unpredictable.

Last semester, for instance, my students claimed that black people really do like fried chicken. Although part of that discussion was intentional provocation on some of the students’ part, I think many genuinely bought into the stereotype.

Perhaps my difficulties derive from the increasing hostility in conservative rhetoric toward people of color. The “love it or leave it,” English-only mentality is surprisingly prevalent. Although many, many white students don’t fall into this category, there are enough of them to make conversations tense and uncomfortable.

If the students of color (predominantly black, though we’re seeing a rise in other minorities) aren’t comfortable enough to [...]

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Maslow’s Hierarchy

By ~LS~ On August 24, 2010 · Add Comment · In Humor, Pop Culture, Technology and tagged Tagged With: Facebook, Geek, Geek Cartoons, Silliness, Speech, Teaching

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Black doll white doll

By ~LS~ On August 24, 2010 · Add Comment · In I have to work?, Pedagogy, Race and Racism and tagged Tagged With: Pedagogy, Politics, Race, Teaching, Teaching Activities

Today in class I showed a clip from A Girl Like Me, a documentary made by a 17 year old young woman who revisits the Black Doll White Doll test. The test asks black children to choose between a white doll and a black doll, asking questions such as “which doll is the prettiest” (they pick the white doll), “which doll is the nicest” (they pick the white doll), and “which doll is the most like you” (they flounder and then pick the black doll). Watching black children struggle with those questions is very sad. I show this video in class when we talk about the relationship between perception, the self, and communication.

What always amazes me about this video is the responses that it provokes. Sometimes students completely shut down and getting them to talk is impossible. Sometimes students [...]

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WordPress 3

By ~LS~ On August 19, 2010 · Add Comment · In The Quotidian (yadda yadda), The Web and tagged Tagged With: Blogging, Goals, Voxygen

One of my summer goals was to learn WordPress 3 and convert my websites to the new platform. I did master some of the basics of the new WordPress, but I didn’t get the chance to do the conversion. I set up my website for my classes (laurasells.net), though, and I was quite pleased that I could figure it all out. WordPress 3 was complicated until I got the hang of it.

I used the Hybrid theme framework, which made a huge difference.The Hybrid theme framework is free, but any support beyond the basic installation is only available if you buy a membership to the forums. That’s a disappointment and it rubs against my desire for open source free information.

One thing I do like about the new platform is that it incorporates many of the plugins I use. That’s a relief. I still don’t understand [...]

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Public speaking activity – first week of class

By ~LS~ On August 19, 2010 · Add Comment · In Pedagogy, Rhetoric and tagged Tagged With: Rhetoric, Speech, Teaching, Teaching Activities

I’ve twice used the following activity to open the semester and both times it was quite successful. I discovered the general idea by surfing around and I wish I could remember the site so I could acknowledge the creator whose idea I extended.

I have students search the web for public speaking classes, seminars, and workshops. Their task is to find the cheapest possible public speaking lessons but the caveat is that the courses cannot be from a college or university type program (such as continuing ed, University of Phoenix, whatever). Once they find a class, they need to identify the cost, hours to complete, assignments, topics covered, credentials of the instructor, and whether or not there’s an opportunity for practice and evaluation.

During class, we then review the courses they’ve discovered. There are a handful under a thousand dollars but usually the cost at least that much per person. [...]

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Where does that highway go to – Things I miss about Tampa

By ~LS~ On August 1, 2010 · Add Comment · In Travel and tagged Tagged With: Baton Rouge, Tampa, Travel

We’re driving home to Baton Rouge from our vacation in Tampa. I’m blogging from a wi-fi hotspot generated by my husband’s Palm Pre. Awesome. We waited in a traffic jam outside of Gainsville for almost an hour. An 18-wheeler jack-knifed across two lanes. So, I’m sitting here in the car thinking about what I miss about Tampa, a place I called home for ten years. Friends and family are the obvious top of the list, so let’s skip that one. In no particular order:

1. Disney – Grueling in August, when we usually go, but magical during the cooler weather. (Magical is cliche, but apt.)

2. Orange blossoms – Not only do they smell divine, they smell of divinity.

3. Cuban food – From the dive at the strip mall to the fanciest restaurant, can’t go wrong with black beans and yellow rice.

4. Concerts and touring companies – Because [...]

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Cultural Identity Activity

Maslow’s Hierarchy

Black doll white doll

WordPress 3

Public speaking activity – first week of class

Where does that highway go to – Things I miss about Tampa

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Cultural Identity Activity

Maslow’s Hierarchy

Black doll white doll

WordPress 3

Public speaking activity – first week of class

Where does that highway go to – Things I miss about Tampa

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