What's Up Doc? A Bloody Outrage, That's What

The article I chose is titled, "What's Up Doc? A Bloody Outrage, That's What" and is found in chapter sixteen. It is written by Katherine Ellison, a foreign correspondent for Knight-Ridder Newspapers, along with the author of three nonfiction books. In the article, she reacts to violent internet cartoons. Ellison begins the article by describing a horrifying cartoon she had found her six year old son watching, “Happy Tree Friends.” In describing what she saw, she provides a lot of detail, using phrases such as “Craaaack!!” While reading this description, it’s as if the reader is also watching the cartoon exactly as it happened. She then relates this back to what kind of influence shows like this are having on young children, also providing a couple of quotes to support it. A quote from a fellow colleague is mentioned, discussing how “Happy Tree Friends” isn’t harmful because it is just like “Tom And Jerry.” Ellison then provides a brief comparison between “Tom and Jerry” and “Happy Tree Friends.” She suggests that children be monitored more closely when on the internet.  

More Active Classrooms

An issue that has been bothering me lately takes place in the classroom. I recently came across a CNN story that presented the question of why we make students sit still in class, which really got me thinking. We send our children to still, quiet classrooms, and by doing so are neglecting meaningful, hands-on learning that could be occurring through physical activity. The concept of our minds being nestled within our physicality has been a forgotten concept, but can be very useful when dealing with students. Getting up and moving around in the classroom can benefit the students because we learn about the world through our senses, drawing in information through our bodies. Many classrooms have been set up so that they consist mostly of lectures, and since the average attention span is ten to fifteen minutes, they prove ineffective. Movement in the classroom is a way to narrow focus and attention, and release energy so that students can focus on a different activity.