“A Phenomenological Multi-Case Study About Social Success Skills, Aspirations, and Related Media Experiences” is about how student’s aspirations can be influenced by the media they engage with. Namir defined success as being paid for doing what you like, while Mathieu defined it as enjoying life, having friends, being able to provide for kids and not getting in trouble. This was influences by their families experiences and values. Their media usage influenced their career aspirations: Namir wanted to be a comedian and Mathieu wanted to be something related to sports medicine. Although both had similar goals, Namir was given less opportunities to gain experience related to his interests. “Algorithms of Oppression” discussed search engine algorithms affect stereotype and discrimination of black women. One of the issues discussed is algorithms that connected black people to images or slurs with negative connotations. The implications of this is that it can lead to biased and wrong information being spread. This further perpetuates negative stereotype of already marginalized communities. “Interest Driven Thinking” talks about how video games can lead to interest-driven education; it can make learning engaging and motivating. She promotes the idea of making learning community based. “Can We Trust The Numbers?” is about how many technology algorithms exclude women of color. They discuss facial recognition software and artificial intelligence and how they are not made to be completely accurate especially when it comes to people of color. These algorithms biases could lead to negative implication especially in law enforcement.

The first article written by Degand was very interesting. I, and I think most other people, understand how media affects the people, especially young students, that engage with it. For example, seeing people who look like me in successful positions (like Hasan Minhaj or Mindy Kaling) in media, it influences me to be more proud of my cultural heritage. This was the first research paper that I read that documented the affects of media on youth’s aspirations. The “Interest Driven Thinking” video was also interesting, because I never considered how much kids can learn from video games and digital media. I feel like I am more open to video games in education now.

Question: Have you ever noticed search suggestions that promote negative biases and stereotypes?

This week I have done some more quests and used forge points to research more techniques. I finally got to the Iron Age. As soon as I entered a little pop-up asked me if I wanted to learn more about trading. When I clicked on it, it directed me to a 2 minute Youtube video that explained the basics of trading.

Last week I messaged my guild asking what exactly we can do in the guild and that I wasn’t sure what to do. So far, I have not gotten a reply from anyone in the guild. This makes me think no one in the guild knows what to do. Outside of my guild, I was added to a random (as in I am not sure who the other players are) group chat in the game. This group chat is very active and players share tips with each other on it.

I think I have made some progress in this game, but not as much as I could’ve over a couple weeks. This is mostly because I am not really sure how to do some things in the game; my most recent issue being not knowing what to do in a guild. As the game progressed it became increasingly confusing which made me lose interest in it.

“My Pen Rides the Paper” breaks down some of Nas’s music. He refers to the pen and its power in a lot of his lyrics. He also refers to himself in his lyrics, sometimes as the pen. Some of his music reflects his belief in the power of the author. “Protest Song of the Day: ‘Chris Columbus’ by Head-Roc” describes the song “Chris Columbus”. It states that the song is about Christopher Columbus, but from the perspective of the people he has oppressed. He is making a point about how history is taught in the U.S. When listening to the song, it was pretty direct about its implication that Christoper Columbus discovering America led to many atrocities against the Native Americans. The purpose of this song is to emphasize how bad these atrocities were. The song “First Nations” is about the indigenous groups in North America. It goes over adaptation, hunting, agriculture and beliefs. It also goes into how they slowly disappeared over time. It ends with a plea – “Welcome to my home, don’t take it away.” I think the main point of this song was to educate the audience on how many tribes existed in America and the diversity of their lifestyles before the land was colonized. “The Last Emperor Secret Wars” talks about different superheros and famous characters fighting against each other.

I don’t have much experience listening to rap music or using it in education. In my experience using rap music in high school it was either analyzing rap music or creating our own, it was never about listening to rap music and incorporating it into the curriculum. I definitely think, especially after listening to “Chris Columbus” and “First Nations”, that rap music can be used to make learning engaging. The lyrics “Death is the decision when they on a mission. What we talking about? Imperialism” stuck out to me from “Chris Columbus”; they really made me feel the intensity of the decisons colonizers made when they came to America. In “First Nations” the lyric “Do you know how American began?” also stuck out to me because it is a very pointed question that is repeated multiple times throughout the song. I think both of these songs used in a history class would bring in more emotional understanding that reading from a textbook can’t.

Question: Did you ever use rap or other types of music in your K-12 education? Was it effective?

“Rap Music, Race, and Perceptions of Crime” talks about how rap is often associated with negative characteristics such as violence, aggressive behavior and increased crime commitment, but states that it is a way for many people to express the issues they face in their daily lives. The main point was the bring awareness to the negative connotations of rap music. “Rap Analysis #0” analyzes Eminem’s rap styles and points out that even though the lyrics aren’t that great, the music is what makes his music enjoyable. “The Birth Of American Music” begins by discussing the influence of jazz and African American music on American pop music and classics. Then it goes into talking about blackface in pop culture and music. He ends by stating that black music carries with it a sense of American freedom. The Dissect podcasts about Kanye West trace his career over time. It goes through the dilemma of separating an artists’s personal flaws from their work. The second part of the podcast goes over the evolution of rap in general.

These readings and podcasts were interesting because I do not listen to rap a lot, so I was able to learn more about it as an art form and how it influences people. I have two experiences with rapping from high school. My British Literature teacher would compare Shakespeare and rap and analyze the similarities. In AP World History we had an assignment where we had to write a rap about a historical event. Aside from these, my teachers have never incorporated rap into learning.

Question: Should rap be a genre of writing that English classes use?

My guild is called “Rangers of Arvahall”. In the past week nothing has happened in my guild. I joined it last week; it seems to be pretty new still. Some other people have joined in the last week, but it doesn’t seem like anyone has done anything in the guild. The rules state that anyone who doesn’t participate for a week will be kicked out of the guild, but I have not been kicked out. I am still not sure what exactly I can do in the guild. I just sent a message asking the other guild members for some guidance on what we can do in a guild.

I don’t think I have gotten that far since the game started. My city is still pretty small. I have gained some land through fighting. Two areas that I have improved greatly in is researching different technologies and growing my army. I have not had the chance to build that many new buildings or negotiate with lands yet. The game was somewhat exciting in the beginning, but I think I got bored of it over time. This isn’t due to the game itself; I am just not that interested in world-building games.

“Culturally Relevant Pedagogy 2.0” points out the domains that good teachers cover: academic success, cultural competence, and sociopolitical consciousness. The author of the paper was interested in how African American students were motivated by their teachers, because in researching this topic she found that many people viewed African American students as “deficient”. The teaching students she followed also did not find adequate programs to fuel their passion for culturally relevant teaching, justice and equity. She then talks about a new idea, culturally sustaining pedagogy, which promotes a more fluid approach to culture. “Toward a Restorative English Education” talks about using literature and writing as a way to seek and create justice. It defines restorative justice as something that meets victims needs and healing harm that has been done. The author urges teachers to implement this idea in English education by implementing the circle process, which is where students can share their experiences of marginalization, collaborate and learn from each other. “Can Restorative Justice Save The Internet?” talks about this reddit page called r/christianity the guest speakers came up with to study how restorative justice could play out in online mediation. The only (somewhat) successful one they had was between a banned member and a moderator. They stated that this conversation could’ve gone better if they had training on mediation. They post the idea that social media platforms could use restorative justice practices when moderating posts. In the video on the maker movement, Buechley talks about “Make” and how their restrictive target audience (white males) makes their movement harmful and frustrating for people who are part of marginalized community. She points out that this might be because of the power and access this movement has and that this power and access, as it usually does in society, stays within the dominant group (white males).

“Culturally Relevant Pedagogy 2.0” stuck out to me because throughout my schooling I noticed that a lot of times when my school wanted to talk about culture, they would bring it in on only certain days (cultural holidays or culture nights), but they failed to incorporate culture into education on a daily basis. It is important for schools to show culture as something that always exists and affects someone’s life rather than something that should only be celebrated some days. I also appreciated the author noting the fluidity of culture especially between different generations. The only restorative justice practice I remember from my schooling is the i-message, which is what the students who were hurt by someone had to face the person and let them know why they were hurt. I do not remember this being effective, mostly because no one enforced it and often the “bully” would not care. I think restorative justice has to be taken to the next level in our education system like the ” Toward a Restorative English Education” article describes. I have been to a maker faire as a kid and was really inspired by it. I also work in a lab right now that promotes the maker movement for all kids. In fact, the population we work with currently is mostly non-white. It was very interesting to learn about the maker movement’s diversity trends generally and how we can change it.

Question: How do you encourage participation in restorative justice circles/discussions?

I researched many new technologies and am almost through the Bronze age. I had to use a lot of coins and diamonds to get enough forge points to research all the technologies. Because of this I did not have a lot of coins for the expansion of my city.

I joined a guild called “Rangers of Arhavall” which has 5 other people. I am not sure how to fully utilize the guild so I do not have much experience with it yet,

The pace of the game is very dependent on the player. You can go through the ages by doing research, conquer lands, and do quests as slowly or quickly as you want. The limitation on this is how long is takes to get coins and supplies from your buildings, how long it takes to train soldiers and how long it takes to get forge points back. I think the pace of this game is similar to other simulation or world building games I’ve played. It is much slower than other types of video games.

The introduction of the book “The New Jim Crow in the Age of Colorblindness” begins by drawing a comparison between incarceration in the current day and other social controls in the past such as Jim Crow laws. The author points out that most people tend to associate the high incarceration rates of people of color, specifically black and latinx people, with poverty, segregation and unequal access to educational opportunities. She explains that research shows that people from all races have about the same rate of drug usage and dealing, but the majority of people incarcerated for drug related offenses are black and latinx. Then she makes the point that mass incarceration is used to lock certain people into the positions they are in. For example, someone who is incarcerated loses their right to vote, access to government aid, etc. As the author states, incarceration leads to legal discrimination. Many members from the African American community are placed in this situation so they lose their ability to move upward in society. She ends the introduction by stating that this is book is written to spark discussion on how the criminal justice system perpetuates the racial hierarchy in American society. Chapter 1 focuses on the strides African Americans have made over time, but also the ways in which they struggled and still struggle despite those strides. It also specifically focuses on the socioeconomic issues that many African Americans face and how that contributes to the racial hierarchy in America. She also establishes how mass incarceration is the new Jim Crow.

This reading was a learning experience for me and educated me on issues that I only understood at a surface level. I do not have much experience with the issues the author talks about in this book, but I think it is important for all members of society to be educated on it so that we can be aware and bring about a change. What stuck out to me most was how the author showed that mass incarceration is a way to legally discriminate people. This combined with the fact that African American males are arrested and convicted at a higher rate than white males emphasizes one of the ways America’s racial hierarchy is maintained.

Question: What is something new you learned from this reading about mass incarceration?

“But That’s Just Good Teaching” talks about culturally relevant pedagogy. The main point this paper makes is that culturally relevant pedagogy extends beyond traditional pedagogy or teaching. It requires understanding student’s culture and using it as a way to increase student learning and achievement. The goal of culturally relevant teaching is to motivate students to “choose academic excellence”. “Introduction to Critical Race Theory” breaks down critical race theory which states that racism is prevalent in people of color’s daily lives and gives the dominant group privileges that people of color don’t have access to. It also states that race is not biological, but social. It provides data and examples to showcase the stark differences between the lives of white people and people of color in American society. In “Decisions That Matter”, the player goes through certain scenarios and has to make decisions that affect what happens next. The game dealt with issues of consent.

I think culturally relevant (or responsive) teaching is an important concept and I hope to use it as a teacher one day. In my schooling experience, we had cultural days and some of my teachers spent days talking about holidays from different parts of the world. On the rest of the days, we never really talked about the cultures the students came from. I think this played a big role in making me feel like I could not share my culture, which is a big part of my identity, at school. These kind of feelings, which many other people of color face, affects the classroom environment and in turn learning. This issue is especially prevalent now because of the growing number of people of color and immigrants in the U.S. The point the Critical Race Theory article makes about microaggressions and subtle racism stuck out to me. People of color face these issues in their daily lives. It is important for educators, and people in society, to learn about critical race theory so that they understand the subtle affects of race relations.

My question for the class: Did you have a teacher who implemented culturally relevant teaching?

The podcast talks about how tech companies work to keep the attention of the audience and that it is a big part of their work. It goes into how tech companies now (such as Facebook and Snapchat) gather data on people who use it in order to optimize the platform to hold their attention. The speaker compares social media to cults in the sense that it brings in all the people around you, so that you feel like you cannot not be a part of it. The podcast also goes into the phenomena of fake news and how it not only tricks people, but it takes away space from real news. Instead of focusing on real news, journalists have to work to debunk these fake news stories. The podcast then moves onto to talk about false memory studies conducted by Elizabeth Loftus which show that false memories can actually be implanted into people’s brains. She also talks about how memories change over time – people typically remember themselves having better grades, or being more philanthropic. They podcast next brings in Steve Ramirez, a neuroscientist. He conducted experiments on mice that showed that memories can be induced and manipulated. The implications of this are that in the future this can help people with PTSD or traumatic memories.

The beginning of the podcast where they talk about how social media sites optimize their platforms to users was really interesting, because I feel like this has recently become very blatant. For example, if I click an ad once on Facebook, I see ads for that company on Facebook/Instagram multiple times over the next couple days. In the past, I think this optimization wasn’t as blatant as it is now. Loftus talking about how memories change over time was also relatable because even when I look back on my own memories I always remember them in an enhanced way – more dramatic than they actually was.

My question for the class is: Is optimization on social media platforms bad? What are the implications of these tech companies having data on our preferences?