Freedom Writers Video
Please go to the link that says “Watch: Freedom Writers.” Take the time to watch the video in it’s entirety. This is an awesome depiction of the the chapters we have discussed over the last few weeks to include theories. Please refer to the grading rubric for this assignment.
Watch Freedom Writers
https://tubitv.com/movies/489048/freedom-writers?utm_source=google-feed&;tracking=google-feed
While viewing the video, pay particular attention to the teacher, her influence, the school’s response to at-risk youth, the various theoretical perspectives that can be applied throughout the movie, and how the kids interact with the people around them.
RUBRIC
Student identifies and discusses theory 1 in 250 words
The movie “Freedom Writers” is an exciting and informative video that any student can dream of as far as learning about tolerance, committing oneself to pursue education outside the school setting is in question. As an educational video, Freedom Writers revolves around the story of a first-year English teacher Erin Gruwell at Wilson High School, Long Beach, California. Even though the schSchools been voluntarily integrated, its impact has not been felt. With a diverse student body, Wilson High School had different cultural cliques as the students’ engage in protective and violent gangs and indulge in drug abuse. As a warehouse of violent young teenagers, Wilson High School was a nightmare for the student-teachers like Ms. Gruwell have little experience. Nevertheless, her stunning approach to teaching stands out from the rest of the teaching fraternity. She not only inspires her class through history, the Holocaust, and the story of Zlatan Filipovic but also other teachers.
Starting by instilling self-confidence and tolerance among the students, Ms. Gruwell is forced to face the grim reality of what it means to teach “Unteachable and rude kind of students” As deduced from the video, she is made to address the problem of ethnic rivalries, which had been present in her class. In her study, the divide made the students divide themselves into groups; Blacks, Latinos, Asians, and Whites reflect the gang separation and drug trafficking. As she learns that her class was deep-rooted on the “Survival in the Hood “mentality, she decides to engage her students in appreciating each other.
Admittedly, her cognitive learning theory approach is impeccable to making the students realize that their actions were influenced by what they have seen on the streets. Understanding that the students are usually influenced by not only the internal elements but also external elements, Ms. Gruwell can influence her students through literary works. The literary works to teach her students is remarkable in the teaching profession. She turned her students to understanding and seeing the similarities in each other rather than the racial stereotyping. Through the story of the violence around the world, Zlata Filipovic in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Anne Frank stories in the Netherlands, Ms. Gruwell can make her students appreciate each other. The students in her classroom realize that ethnic division inflicts so much harm than doing good. In this case, it is essential to note that the power of diary-writing cannot be underestimated.
Subsequently, there is the application of the constructivism learning theory. As the name suggests, students can improve their learning through their previous experiences. This is seen when eh students are taught about the Holocaust and made to ponder on that through daily diaries. Through daily diary writing, it becomes clear that peers influence each other to commit heinous acts and indulging in drug trafficking. It was only the schSchoolat could change. This is clearly seen when the student describes their lives and how Anne Frank and Zlata’s story made them realize that violence does not pay. Even though they were from dangerous neighborhoods, academics could change them. The complex realities of domestic abuse and violence are healed by active participation and involvement in academics. Through Ms. Gruwell’s guidance, as their teacher, the students were able to be academically involved. The study of the Holocaust channeled by Ms. Gruwell opened up the students for a real-world violence situation. This is a clear indication that SchSchool, the center of academics, gives students the academic-intelligence and equips students with knowledge and skills to live harmoniously with each other.
Moreover, there is the application of the behaviorism learning theory. Mrs. Gruwell can make sure that the students are not only involved in the interactive activities like field trips and collaborative assignments but also on getting an education outside the classroom setting. Based on this theory, the student’s learning is chained to the interaction with the environment and thus making the students learn from it. As the outside forces influence the behavior, Ms. Gruwell making the students focus on collaborative activities is a thoughtful approach to turning away the students from engaging in ethnic division, violence, and drug trafficking. This is exactly what is witnessed when the “Unteachable” students in Ms Wilson High School become academically involved.
In conclusion, it is clear that peers as well as the schSchooles influence the lives of students in great depth. Through Ms. Gruwell innovative teaching methods and approaches, she is able to influence the students to turn-away from crime activities and ethnic division to becoming academically involved. She is able to make over 150 students to graduate even though other teachers disapproved of her teaching methods. Moreover, by focusing on the needs of the students and making sure that they learn from real life examples like Holocaust and story of Zlata and the racial injustices and Civil rights in US and the collaborative activities, it is clear that schSchooln change the life of students.
References
Freedom Writers Video
