Blog Post #7: Rethinking Media and Popular Culture Book | Free Choice

Chosen Reading: “Marketing American Girlhood” by Elizabeth Marshall

Overview: Elizabeth Marshall explored the true motivations and marketing strategies of American Girl Dolls (linked it here in case you wanted to take a peek at the website for your own reference).

This article caught my interest, as I have 11 of them in my own closet stored up for who knows what (I recognize this is a large number of expensive dolls). I was interested to see how my own childhood would possibly be reframed from Marshall’s insights. I was ready to be potentially disturbed and kept an open mind about what I was about to read. Spoiler: It is as disappointing as I thought it would be.

To recap Marshall’s American Girl history summary and for those unfamiliar with the dolls:

• American Girl LLC was founded by Pleasant Rowland - a Wisconsin teacher that wanted to show America’s past history for young girls. The company was sold in 1998 to Mattel Inc.

• First direct-mail catalog was published in 1986 and is currently top 10 selling catalog 

• Marketed products towards ages 7-12 (and now 8+)

• The stores are a full experience (you can take them to tea, the salon, etc.)

• The company sells dolls, books, and accessories. They also have films. 

Firstly, Marshall claims that “...any potential radical lessons imparted by the dolls and associated materials are short-circuited through the use of historical fiction to deliver traditional lessons about what girls can and should do” (page 132). Looking back, I can see this. I remember reading books about Kit, Julie, and Emily (Molly’s friend) and a lot of them never went anywhere substantial beyond being a good citizen or being a helping friend in need. While the stories highlighted adventure, the messaging lost its opportunity to go deeper into the historical context of the time. Marshall describes these limitations of the stories in the following way, “The historical fictions encourage a limited independent and emphasize conventional “good girl” behaviors” (page 132). 

One of the bigger criticisms (and arguably so!) is the superficial nature of exploring different cultures. Marshall discusses Kaya (Native American), Addy (African American), and Josefina (Mexican). Ultimately, Marshall discusses how their stories are filtered through white consciousness, which was a prior claim made by Beverly Slapin in 2007. Furthermore, the look historical context provided within the books (that come with the dolls) provide an overview of American history in a general sense instead of focusing on women and avoids getting into the weeds of racial and gender discrimination. Marshall explains that the marketability of showing diverse history for all girls and a display of girlhood is a facade above the underlying truth of a superficial corporation trying to draw money from their pockets. This was further illustrated when she asked children who played with the dolls what they liked most about them and they told her how much they loved the cool stuff and the catalog - consumerism in a nutshell! 

I would definitely have to agree with Marshall. Looking back, I can surely remember more about the outfits that I liked to dress them in than the plot of the books that came with them. I may remember and know the decade and time period they represent, but the consumerism runs stronger. So strong that when I wrote “11 dolls” earlier I cringed and felt a sense of shame. Obviously, I was a kid so there is a little less shame. However, it does not erase the fact that I am viewing this company through a different lens. While I always knew their prices were high and that they loved to make their money, I have a new perspective on how their marketing strategy truly works in the realm of performative activism. 

If you had these dolls as a child or are contemplating American Girl for your own children, I recommend the read! Even if the above do not apply to you, I still recommend.

Blog Post #6: Digital Tool Exploration

Blog Post #6 | Tutorial: How to use Book Creator 

To get the best tutorial experience, I suggest watching the video! I created a 4 min 30 second video using screencastify. The "screencastify" hyperlink takes you directly to screencastify, which has CC and a transcript option. Or you can just view it below! (I also used this as an opportunity to do something I typically do not do - record and listen to my own voice (yuck! haha). 

A fellow science teacher at my school shared Book Creator with me this year, and I thought it would be a great option to share with all of you because it can be used in a multitude of ways. 

Overview: Book creator is a digital tool that allows teachers and students to create books of all kinds (creative, picture books, graphic novels, non-fiction, etc.). The website/program is run through Kami, and you can sign in using a Gmail account, Microsoft suite account, or a regular email account of your choosing. 

1. Login to your account. If it is your first time logging in, it will ask you about yourself (role, content, interests, etc.)

3. Once you are logged in, it will bring you to a landing page of your digital book library. You also have the option to view a class list, class projects, and a discover page using the top three tabs in the top middle center of the screen. These options are helpful for sorting a class list, looking at the work of your students as a collective, and getting inspiration for ideas! 

4. To create a new book, click new project. Here, you will select your type (portrait, square, landscape). 

5. Once you click into a new project, you can add a variety of different options to your book (photos, text, voiceover, pen, adding media). You can also import a project as well. This may be a helpful feature if you want students to work on the writing first then have one class or two dedicated to putting it all together. Book creator is a great tool for multilingual learners due to its translation features. 

6. Once you have named your book, you are on your way to creating a great story! On the book page, you can add pages, add in information from in-app applications, and truly make it your own. 

Blog Post #5: TO DO List

Blog Post #5 | TO DO List 

With my idea for change and my beliefs identified, I have created the following TO DO List for this upcoming weekend for my own timing and pacing. I recognize some of my items later in the week may change a bit depending on the pacing of my personal. 

Now - Saturday

• Decide and create the actual digital medium (Padlet, Mentimeter, etc.)
• Rought Draft of Narrative 

Sunday 

• Start condensing down for the Pecha Kucha 
• Start drafting slideshow --> narrow down narrative for 6 mins and 40 seconds

Monday

• Edit & Post Narrative on Blog 

Tuesday 

• Finalize Pecha Kucha (slideshow images, 20 second timer, recording, putting it all together)
• Make any edits that I may want to my final narrative blog post

• 
  

Blog Post #4: Digital Media Final Project

Blog Post #4: Digital Media Final Project Ideas and Direction 

Currently, I would consider myself a techno-traditionalist. I use technology to store and create lesson plans, grade, access curriculum, communicate with families, and everyday school tasks. I am looking to push myself to the techno-constructivist level for this final project. I want to try to deepen my understanding of a digital platform that is both for me and for my students to engage with.

I am inspired by previous CURR 501 student work. Specifically, my initial ideas are stemming from the work of Allison (2019) with classroom community and Alina's (2021) work with identity/blogging. Allison showed a passion to reach the students in her classroom and showed a desire to let kids explore ideas of failure, growth mindset, and community. Alina's powerful story of her own highlights the importance of letting students share who they are in the classroom. Even though I am a science teacher, setting intentional SEL and moments for students to be personal is essential for building a positive classroom environment.

I found that this past year, while my relationships with students was a strongpoint of my classroom, there was still missed opportunities for social emotional learning moments when it comes to student-to-student interactions and the class community as a whole. Yes, I want students to link the science content they are learning directly to their lives and to engage with it. But more importantly, I want students to become more comfortable with conversating with one another and creating a community that will be remembered and be felt years after they leave my classroom. I want to foster growth and collaboration. The two inspirational projects are highlighting that I align with the belief of the importance of student's reflecting on who they are and how they can bring that to the classroom. As we keep referring to in class, teaching is a social and heart-based job.

Therefore, I am going to try to push myself to a techno-constructivist for this final project by creating something I can use to bring students closer together. I am thinking of picking a specific day of the week (probably a wed or a fri) to use this digital tool. This choice would be for feasibility of implementing this change into my classroom while still balancing normal science class items we need to focus on.

To put it more within the CURR 501 framework: 

What do I want to change? I want to provide time in-class for social emotional learning experiences instead of rushing to finish each lesson by the end of class.

What do I believe? I believe the best classrooms function off of social emotional learning because it can connect the classroom to make it feel more like a true community. This is where true learning and collaboration can occur and where the longer lasting learning opportunities remain.

What can I create using new media technology? This is where I am still drafting ideas and could use some help narrowing them down. I am considering using Padlet. While I have used it before in RIC classes and in TFA, I do not know the truth depth of how this can be used. I am wondering if this is a way I can create a class "blog" type of system where students answer SEL questions or a small journal prompt each morning as part of a warm-up routine. Some of these questions could tie in the science component too, and others would just be to open up opportunities to chat! Maybe a "Monday mindful moment"? If anyone knows any other apps that would be better, I am open to ideas.

I know I want to bring more community opportunities to my classroom for the 26-27 school year! 

          

Blog Post #3: How Does Childhood Media Inform Our Beliefs?

Blog Post #3: Children's Culture: A Subconscious Way to Shape our Thinking and Beliefs. | A response to "Unlearning the Myths that Bind us" by Linda Christensen | Source: Rethinking School's "Rethinking Popular Culture and Media". 

What is your relationship to children's culture? How does Christensen validate or challenge your views?

Growing up, I was into a little bit of everything: Disney movies, Bratz Dolls, Cartoon Network, and Nickelodeon. This array of options exposed me to a lot of ideas from a young age about what is "normal" and what "isn't". I believe that gender theory in these digital mediums had the biggest impact on my view of the world and of myself as I grew up. There were a lot of notions about how a girl should behave or what traits we should embody, especially as it pertains to Disney princesses. In my experience, I saw a lot of messaging about girls stepping outside of old boundaries (compared to older Disney princesses). Disney was gearing more towards characters like Elsa and Merrida, which were shown to be more independent and less men centered. Being born in 2003, I saw mixed messaging. Some forms of media were more progressive than others. I still saw a majority of characters being white and straight. As I started to age out of Disney, I remember when Andi Mack showed the first “coming out” scene for a gay character. This gave me blend of having one foot in the old and one in the new.  

Looking back, I find a lot of examples of “tokenism", as if some characters were there to check off a diversity checkbox. For a given show/movie, there may have been 1-2 non-white characters, little to no LGBTQ+ representation, 1 overweight character, and maybe a mix of social class (depending on the show). It was very rare to see true representation in a way that shows the true world around us. 

It was hard to find my body on TV growing up (as an overweight girl) that was not made to be the laughingstock or there for comedic relief. I don't think I saw one film where the romantic lead was an overweight girl because that was not seen as marketable. On the other hand, I saw my skin color everywhere. I am white. It was an easy stroll down the toy aisle to find a doll to match my skin tone. There are many deep layers here as to how this shapes how I view myself and others that I may not even be consciously aware of, but I know must exist. It makes me wonder how this programming plays into the way I view love and friendship. I am not consciously aware of these things, but I know it must be there to some degree. There is subconscious programming that runs deep from these pieces of media. 

In my senior year of high school, I took a pop culture and media class. Similar ideas to were explored: what does media say about race, gender, social class? How does childhood media shape our beliefs and perspectives on the way we act? It is refreshing to see these questions again after a few years to see if any of my views have changed over time. I would say that I am still in a similar position, in which I agree with the main arguments and claims that Christensen makes. Media deeply shapes our beliefs and the way we see the world, and it starts with some of our childhood favorites. I also appreciate her two-step approach to 1. point our stereotypes and 2. imagine a more equal world. 

Christensen makes great points about the messaging of childhood films, books, and the portrayal of common stereotypes. Which characters are portrayed as stupid? Which ones are shown as successful? Who are we supposed to root for? What race are these characters? How is love depicted in films? What does it mean to not be represented in digital media? These are questions to be asked over and over again as media changes and shifts with time. 

For example, when we watched a clip from Beauty and the Beast on the first day of class, we named the stereotypes and imagery that we saw. We discussed how masculinity and femineity were presented, how overweight people were shown, and the overall representation of ideas. Media shows representation of demographics (or lack of) race, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and gender. Many times, these representations put marginalized groups down and continued to prop up historically privileged groups. The consequence of this is not only ethically disgraceful, but it can also shape our accepted truths about the world and the people around us. 

Christensen offers a clear stance on the capability of how media shapes us, "The stereotypes and worldviews embedded in the stories become accepted knowledge" (page 176).  This video below captures how old films highlighted harmful stereotypes and pushed what was acceptable on us from a young age. Fortunately, many of these movies have since been criticized. However, there are still lessons to be learned when it comes from moving away from stereotypical messaging. 

On the first day of CURR 501, we discussed "tapping on the glass". While I do believe that we have made progress and have tapped on the glass when it comes to representation in a more genuine way that it was when I was growing up (LGBTQ+ community, race, traditional characters and role reversals), Christensen's views are still relevant and necessary to look at. There is still a lot of work to do. For example - recent casting choices for live action remakes of Disney films has led to outcry because leads are moving away from being all white-casted and more people of color are filling these roles. When Hallie Bailey was casted as Ariel, these deeply historic ideologies (when it comes to "othering") showed their teeth. This showed us that messages and beliefs are deeply rooted in pop culture. 

(Halle Bailey Nailed the Performance BTW: https://youtu.be/kf7Dss2gCe0?si=uiNHh7vtD0cowOTf)

There is a need to still unlearn, but the "tapping on the glass" shows that us that we can head towards a better imagined world, as Christensen mentions. The activity she used with her students to analyze and reflect on a piece of media of their choosing using evidence was a great way to show how we can start to jump outside of the boxes that were unknowingly placed around us from a young age. 

Blog Post #2: Spiegel, Prensky Revisited

Blog Post #2 | Text: Prensky Revisited: Is the Term "Digital Native" Still Applicable to Today's Learner? By Jennifer Spiegel 

Question: What do you make of the divergent positions of Spiegel and Prensky? What do you hear each of them saying about who youth are? Where do you stand on the digital native terminology? 

 About Me: Hello! I just finished my first year as a middle school science teacher. I have a bachelor's in science for Environmental and Natural Resource Economics from University of Rhode Island. I also have my certificate in Energy Economics and Policy. At the end of this summer, I will be finishing my master's in education at Rhode Island College. I love teaching, but I also equally enjoy being a student!

Here are some photos below that capture and represent who I am outside of work and my educational setting:

1. I love taking walks outside and enjoying the outdoors. Whether it is down my road or somewhere on vacation, I love spending time in the sun and seeing all of the beautiful views that life has to offer. The photo below is from a waterfall area in Costa Rica from 2025. Alongside taking nature walks, I enjoy traveling and seeking out new places. 

2. I love all things animals! Capybaras and cats may be my favorite, but I love a good trip to a conservation zoo or anywhere else where I can see animals that I normally don't see in actions. I have my minor in wildlife conservation biology. 

3.  I am really into tarot, spirituality, and manifestation / law of assumption! This is not something I am as vocal about and something I am warming up to being more open about in the past year. 

4. I love ice cream and a good coffee/smoothie/fun sweet treat. You can always find me with my friend indulging in a late-night drive for a snack or snapping a photo of a new coffee shop I am trying out.