Re: kids@work day

J. Solheim (jsolheim@u.washington.edu)
Mon, 29 Apr 1996 10:17:30 -0400


regarding girls-only lectures/events...

I read the book School Girls in a womyn's studies class here at the UW.
In it, there was the story of a history teacher in an elementary or junior
high school (i dont recall which) whose classroom was only decorated with
pictures of women in history, and books about women in history. Her focus
was history about/by women. She mentioned in the book that she was only
doing what had been done (regarding men) throughout the centuries of
education (history being mainly about/by men.. history classrooms filled
with pictures of famous men, books by/about men, etc.).

The chapter of the book also went into detail about a project the teacher
gave to her class where they had to choose a woman in history and write a
report and give a presentation as that woman. She mentioned that children
in school have a distinct tendancy to choose to report on or write about
men.. even girls. She wanted to have the kids see this perspective.

What do you think about the way she is teaching?

Personally, I am glad there is at least one classroom taught in this way
to point out how obviously women have been ignored in the writing of
history. BUT, i think it also defeats the goal of equity in the classroom.
(I.e., doing exactly what we didn't agree with, double standard).


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