One Week of Instagram, One Week of My Experiences
For a week, I became a documentarian and showed tidbits of my experiences as a student and educator. Though I was not accustomed to posting or sharing about my life on a daily basis, I enjoyed using Instagram to document snapshots of my work. Below, the storified version of my experience as a documentarian:
Reflection: Danger of a Single Story
In her TEDtalk, writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie discusses the consequences of only learning or knowing only a single story of individuals. Knowing only a single story, as Chimamanda explains, makes it difficult for us to see the individuals as anything else but that one story. Chimamanda’s words and warnings are applicable to the realm of education as well; I feel that we as educators can also fall prey to the the dangers of a single story. As I listened to the TEDtalk presentation, I couldn't help but think about how frequently it occurs that teachers too often know just one single story of students and how those stories mold perceptions of the students.
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Usually, the single story we know of the students is a result of what we have heard from others or just from what we have seen the students do in our classroom. That story we do know, however, may not be the complete story; therefore, it is important that we make a conscious effort to learn more about who our students are - their backgrounds (cultural, linguistics), strengths, areas of need, etc. - so that our understanding of that student is comprehensive and not a simple assumption that could be completely wrong. One way we can do that is by allowing the students to document and share their story. The Instagram project I completed provided me with an opportunity to share my story for a week, and it allowed me to do so in a way that I had control and complete say over. Students should be allowed the same right within our class - allowing students to share tidbits of their lives would give them a chance to share their stories and, in turn, give them an opportunity to think critically about what/who defines who they are.