Blog Post #11

Queering our Schools & RI Laws & Policies  

ARGUEMENT

In Queering our Schools, they talk quite a bit on how anti-bullying campaigns dont approach, or remove the issue at its core. Especially when it relates to not only LGBTQ+ students, but other minorties. The article talks about how these kind of bills, and campaigns approach the issue as individualistic versus approaching it as a problem targeted at specific minorties. I actually disagree with this argument, because while the argument states that these are good first steps they dont fix the issue i actually agree with this aspect.  The article approaches it from a stand point of seeming to want to remove, or remodel anti-bullying campaigns and bills. I dont believe that this is the correct approach, I believe that incorporating laws, and campaigns that help keep these youth safe is important. Its difficult though to pass something that will fix the issues these students face, as no matter what there will always be students who will go out of their way to be hateful. This can be seen as effects of anti-bullying campaigns, despite lowering the overall rates of bullying in some cases bullying has become more severe, or youth go out of their way to get around policies in place. For example doing it outside of school property, or in areas that lack cameras. At the end of the day the issue of hatefulness to other students isnt something one policy or bill is going to fix, its something that requires a change of attitude. 

Blog Post #10

 "What is Neurodiversity" by Caroline Miller

Connection

While reading through this article by one quote, and example stuck with me, in the article overview it mentions activies a lot of children do in school or with friends. "from kids’ birthday parties to school classrooms to adult workplaces, which can be made more comfortable for them. And they are often excluded from things by neurotypical people who misunderstand them.". This stuck out to me because it reminds me so much of when I was younger. Particularly in school enviorments, ive always been known as more anti-social and shy, and this relates to the fact i struggle to operate in new enviorments, or enviorments that can be loud and congested. As a result, a lot of school events, or birthday parties were not my  kind of enviorment and a lot of times I'd skip them. Caroline Miller observes points from both sides, some in support of often having neudivergent children make changes to their lives, or medication to help them in school settings. The other viewpoint is making changes to the infrastructure as it, for example modifying a class enviorment to help benefit all students instead of just the neurotypical. In the article, Miller brings up some common practices that are done to help students for example covering the floruscent lights in a classroom so they are less bright. Alongside trying to create less strict schedules, especially in elementary schools as strict schechules can be harsh on all young children. For example in the school i observe, outside classes like gym, or library are not a set time period. They do it usually when they have time, and there isnt a set time period but the teacher lets them know when they will be going in the morning. 

When attempting to ask Chatgpt to create an image representing neurodiversity in elementary schools, it did not understand so I thought id instead show my failed attempts of getting an image. 

Instead i found this image online, Facebook and thought it represented neurodiversity a bit better, and that we can make accommodations