Paper Title
#TheStandardsAren'tEnough: Feminist Pedagogy and Teaching Intersectional Feminist Texts in the High School Classroom
Location
Room 220, DiGiorgio Campus Center (DiGs)
Keywords
Feminism Education Intersectionality Pedagogy
Start Date
April 2016
End Date
April 2016
Abstract
In rural North Carolina, the classroom may be the only place some of my students will find access to educational discourse about intersectionality; however, the standards paired with the aggressive standardized testing in education politics today work to maintain hegemony and privilege in schools as teachers mold to the standards in order to be seen (through data) as successful. However, the standards simply are not enough; if we want to prepare students to be a part of a responsible, prosperous, and rewarding citizenship, students need to be a part of a liberatory classroom where they can explore controversial issues and varying perspectives. As Ileana Jimenez argues, intersectionality “gives students the language to describe their everyday lives” and allows students to connect with the lived experiences of others. Therefore, I want to explore the possibilities in employing feminist pedagogy and narratives (paired with academic theory as well as popular texts) in order to bring up productive discourse about varying identities. The unit will involve the classroom protocol called ‘jigsaw’ where students will be able to pick from the following themes and narratives and weave through literacy circles to explore knowledge and findings on each issue: The Protection of Reproductive Rights (Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale); The Dismantling of Rape Culture (Anderson’s Speak); The Recognition of Race Inequalities (Cisneros’ House on Mango Street); The Pervasiveness of Human Trafficking (McCormick’s Sold); and Lesbian Voice in the Feminist Movement (Myracle’s Kissing Kate).
#TheStandardsAren'tEnough: Feminist Pedagogy and Teaching Intersectional Feminist Texts in the High School Classroom
Room 220, DiGiorgio Campus Center (DiGs)
In rural North Carolina, the classroom may be the only place some of my students will find access to educational discourse about intersectionality; however, the standards paired with the aggressive standardized testing in education politics today work to maintain hegemony and privilege in schools as teachers mold to the standards in order to be seen (through data) as successful. However, the standards simply are not enough; if we want to prepare students to be a part of a responsible, prosperous, and rewarding citizenship, students need to be a part of a liberatory classroom where they can explore controversial issues and varying perspectives. As Ileana Jimenez argues, intersectionality “gives students the language to describe their everyday lives” and allows students to connect with the lived experiences of others. Therefore, I want to explore the possibilities in employing feminist pedagogy and narratives (paired with academic theory as well as popular texts) in order to bring up productive discourse about varying identities. The unit will involve the classroom protocol called ‘jigsaw’ where students will be able to pick from the following themes and narratives and weave through literacy circles to explore knowledge and findings on each issue: The Protection of Reproductive Rights (Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale); The Dismantling of Rape Culture (Anderson’s Speak); The Recognition of Race Inequalities (Cisneros’ House on Mango Street); The Pervasiveness of Human Trafficking (McCormick’s Sold); and Lesbian Voice in the Feminist Movement (Myracle’s Kissing Kate).
Comments
Thank you for the opportunity to apply; even if not accepted, I plan on attending to absorb as much as I can from the SEWSA community!