All posts by Mariah Louise Martens

Storytelling: Artistry & Agency in the Classroom

Blurring the In-School Ouf-of-School Line

“We also need to be sensitive to students who may be stigmatized for their condition by peers and others, and may internalize the stigma and sense of shame. Sharing stories about homeless and transient families will help them know they are not alone, provide opportunities to counter negative stereotypes, and help the rest of the students become more empathetic and understanding” (Goodman, 2018, pg. 25).

This passage stood out to me for highlighting the importance of storytelling in the classroom. The EVC tells stories through film and video, which, as stated above combats stigma and shame, and promotes empathy. When tackling trauma and inequity in the classroom storytelling via different artistic modalities pushes beyond regurgitative learning to create social emotional impact. I am currently enrolled in a drama education class at Steinhardt and am constantly in awe of drama’s power to transform experiences, or show foreign-seeming experiences, in a relatable way, a way that traditional reading and writing cannot. The EVC empowers agentive storytelling that reflects concerns adolescents have about their lives and communities; devised drama, student choreography, spoken word, and other artistic narrative devices can do the same.

An example of this is a recent experience with the 4th grader I nanny, who was telling me about a book her class was reading at school, inspired by Einstein’s famous (and debated) quote, ‘Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid’. The book, Fish In a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, tells the story of Ally, a 6th grade student with dyslexia. It was obvious this book had an impact on my 4th grader as she continued to tell me the story and speak about dyslexia for about 10 minutes without pause. Her interest and detailed retelling, showed the narrative power of fictional storybooks in dismantling stigma and facilitating empathy. Adding to her enthusiasm, she told me that her teacher assigned the students the task of creating a skit or a comic (à la graphic novel) to infer additional details about the supporting characters in the book and how they responded to Ally’s dyslexia. This 4th grade student, who in all honesty, can be a  bit judgmental, especially about learning ability (she is in the Talented and Gifted program at her school), had made a complete 180, fully empathizing on a deep level with a fictional character two grades older than her but with the reading comprehension of someone much younger. Story telling is powerful and should be utilized in the classroom whenever possible. 

The Big ‘Why?’

Differentiation as an Approach to Teaching Diverse Learners

“The reasons for providing student-directed learning through CI are many and proved opportunities for students to…be exposed to social equity issues that are on young adolescents’ minds…” (Brown, 2011, pg. 195)

Education does not exist in a bubble outside of what is happening socially, politically and culturally. Standardized content is limited in that it does not move, change or react to what learners observe constantly in their daily life. Content Integration seems so vital to me, not only to keep learners engaged, but to address challenging, disturbing or puzzling things that happen in the world. To not address things like #metoo, the 2016 election, climate change, Parkland or Colin Kaepernick kneeling is not only a hindrance to young developing minds but an insult to their intelligence. Curriculum and content must exist as fluid, and educators must be creative and adaptable.

For example, last year I was teaching dance to high school students and they literally could not concentrate right after the Parkland shooting or #metoo, because they wanted to talk about it, to process and to analyze it. Whatever I was trying to get across that day did not matter in the slightest because they knew and could feel in the world around them that bigger things were happening, things that actually affect them on a daily basis.

Content Integration can begin earlier than middle school too, however maybe in a different way. I do not teach elementary age students, but I nanny for two as my day job. Recently, I overheard the 4th grader and her friends talking about Donald Trump and immigration, they were mostly mimicking statements I’m sure they overheard their parents saying, but what was most clear was that they knew something about it was important.

In these situations the most obvious question being asked is why? Why are people devastated by the election? Why do school shootings keep happening? Why do we keep people out of our country? While, we may not have the answers to why, and may not ever, we can engage our students in deep thinking about the systems at work that allow for certain events to happen or to not happen. We must integrate content or we are seriously limiting our students.

Instagram: Creative, Engaging & Informative

Media and Technology Critiques

There are many contradicting opinions about Instagram and its effects on young people. Some studies and opinion pieces have cautioned it’s ability to affect young people’s sense of self worth, while at the same time allowing more opportunities for bullying and harassment to take place without adult supervision. Others, however, see Instagram as an outlet for young people’s self expression and a place for connection, particularly for sexual, gender or racial minority students. Personally, I find elements of both arguments to ring true and believe that by including Instagram (and other media) in the classroom we can lessen the damaging aspects.

Not as popular among adolescents as Snapchat, but more popular than Facebook, Instagram is a mainstay in a majority of young people’s social media deck. Instagram is unique as it’s primary mode of communication is visual. Whether one is scrolling through their main feed or swiping through Instastories, videos and pictures are formatted via the app to take up the majority of a smartphones display frame. Text and tags (hashtag or account/people tagging) can be added to Instagram stories, and captions up to 2,200 characters exist under posts, but at it’s core, Instagram is meant to appeal visually making it a unique and creative form of communication. If one wants to communicate anything of great value or importance on Instagram they need to figure out how to do so in a succinct and efficient manner, making Instagram an useful tool for learning clarity in writing and communication.

As an educational tool, I believe using Instagram in the sexuality education classroom can (1) assist in assessing learning objectives, (2) make content more applicable and (3) enhance media literacy. Instagram is accessible not only through the app but via the web page. Students that don’t have smart phones can still access and post on Instagram via desktop/laptop computer or tablet.In my sexuality education classes for upper and middle grades I propose asking students to create social media campaigns on self selected content related to focus/unit at the time, i.e., puberty, safer sex & birth control options, gender roles, healthy relationships, pleasure, first time sex etc. All of my lessons are inclusive of LGBTQIA+ identities as well as challenge the gender binary. I’d ask student’s to create social media campaigns that are factual, educational and captivating exmp. ‘The clitoris is the only organ in the body whose primary and only function is pleasure’ or ‘Did you know you can have sex while HIV+?’, therefore, assessing learning objectives without using traditional testing methods.

Using a platform adolescents are already familiar with elicits self efficacy and increases confidence in communicating what is learned. Students find agency in choosing from classroom content what they think is most important to them or their community (school, friends etc) to create a campaign about, thus, facilitating connection between content and lived experiences. Additionally, Instagram’s visual format, as mentioned above, not only promotes clarity but allows for creativity. Students who may not do well on written or verbal assignments, may excel at creating a visually captivating campaign that is also factual and concise.

As for enhancing media literacy, creating Instagram sexuality education accounts or campaigns can assist in analyzation of problematic social standards. Social media (and all media) tends to amplify heteronormative and binary gender values. By creating sex positive content students analyze harmful behavioral norms and contribute to the resistance and resilience of sexual, gender and racial minorities.

Identity as Narrative

eLiteracy and Social Media(tion), Urban Adolescents

“An alternative conceptualization of identity relevant for our purposes is that proposed by McAdams, who has argued that the development of identity is an ongoing and fluid process, during which identity is adapted to current postmodern conditions (McAdams, 1997). Identity is never ‘established’, but instead is a process of narration that occurs in the context of several multiple selves. According to McAdams individuals on the brink of adulthood construct narrative or dynamical life stories about themselves and these stories form the basis of their identity. These identity narratives draw from the adolescents’ past, present and future and contain themes related to agency (or achievement and mastery) and communion…”(Subrahmanyam, K. & Smahel, D., 2011, pg. 61)

The introduction of the article lays out a few definitions of identity development in adolescence. This definition in particular, next to the other fixed ideas of identity, really peaked my curiosity. The fixed ideas of identity development, perhaps, made sense in an analog age due to social, cultural, religious and familial ‘bubbles’ that were relatively small. The models also make sense for a time when adolescents weren’t expected to travel far from home.

However now, in the digital age, the idea of narrative identity makes so much sense considering the access to different worlds or ‘bubbles’ given by internet and social media. Additionally, in many cultures in the U.S. adolescents are expected to leave home for a period of time to either go to school or start work/career. Fluid narrative identity theory compliments these expectations of adolescents as identity formation matches whichever scenario or niche the adolescent is in. Narrative identity works for self-generated digital identities, as young people may choose to identify differently within various online spaces. One example is that of ‘finstas’ or ‘fun-instagram’ accounts where young people choose to keep specific accounts private and accessible only to a few friends. These accounts let them be goofy or silly, while their public accounts act as curated and carefully constructed versions of self. While this may seem odd, Narrative theory of identity development leaves room for agency. ‘Finstas’ demonstrate the awareness and choice young people have online, and in real life, about how they represent themselves or where they choose to find community. Narrative and evolving identity formation allows adolescents to be multi-dimensional, and represents social media and digital worlds more broadly.

Fast & Slow

Socioemotional and Psychological Development in Adolescence

“…junior high school teachers typically teach several different groups of students, making it very difficult for students to form a close relationship with any school-affiliated adult precisely at the point in development when there is a great need for guidance and support from nonfamilial adults. Such changes in student-teacher relationships are also likely to undermine the sense of community and trust between student and teachers…” (Eccles, J.S. & Roeser, R.W., 2011, pg. 233)

I remember transitioning into middle school and loving all the changes, the change in periods where you get to talk to people in the hall and the change in teachers. The perceived randomness of it all and the newness was really exciting. The break from a teacher I didn’t mesh with, to go into a class with my favorite teacher was a huge breath of relief, something to look forward to everyday. The variety felt good and stimulating.

Now, as an educator, I’m not so sure. I believe in the importance of consistency, and I believe in building relationships, teacher and student growing together. So, on the other side of the teacher-student relationship, I worry we are losing out on time, and aren’t connecting and building community in secondary education. The quick changes that were so thrilling to me as a 12 year old, feel abrupt and sparse to me as an adult, and I can’t quite figure out if it’s all just personal or if the slowness and stillness I’m craving would also have been beneficial to me as that 12 year old? And what about the students who need the change in pace? The student who gets stuck with a teacher who has already written them off, this student needs the change in periods, the opportunity to be seen and heard by another set of eyes.

As we think about breaking the system, or at least widening our view of what education looks like, what does the structure of the day look like? How does learning unfold? What does the relationship between teacher and student look like? How does context affect learning? And can one context ever really work for all?