25 Matching Annotations
  1. Apr 2016
    1. information about sex should only be taught at home, where parents can impart their own values to their children.

      Connection: I can find some sympathy with parents who feel this way because of my own experience at home. However, it is not necessarily about all you currently know, it is about what you still need to know more about. My parents never truly took the time to explore or understand the perspectives or point of views of others because that was their way, and it was the only way. A lot of students have parents who uphold this mindset, so it is our job to be of value by communicating with parents, and being sympathetic to them, while also doing our job.

    2. “It’s programs that don’t provide any information that we’re against. ... It’s as if you’re trying to prevent kids from riding motorcycles by forbidding them to wear safety helmets.”

      Visualization: There needs to be a message behind everything presented in education. If there is no purpose to what is being asked of, how can students, especially younger ones, find meaning in valuable information when it is just presented as useless. This imagery seen here puts this into perspective.

    3. Advocates of comprehensive sex education say the abstinence-only message ignores information critical for teens to protect their health. But they are not against the abstinence message itself.

      Interpretation: Balance is the key. In order to truly create a plan, curriculum, format, etc. on how sex education should be presented, it is key to take benefits and positive notes from both sides and put them together. Rather than trying to choose one or another, the debate players should work together.

    4. The study also concluded that abstinence-only programs are less effective than comprehensive classes

      Seems as though my prediction from earlier was right.

    5. Currently 18 states and the District of Columbia require schools to provide sex education and 32 do not. In some states, such as Louisiana, kids might learn about HIV/AIDS, but not about any other STDs or how to prevent pregnancy. In other states, like Washington, teens receive information on everything from birth control pills to homosexuality.

      Interpretation: So what I am noting is that sex education curriculum whether implemented or not, varies across states. So while one state may be learning about some sexual diseases, other states may be learning about other diseases completely different. Content is widely varied, which poses a bit of concern for educators in terms of consistency and in making sure students are learning similar material.

    6. The opposing side pushes for an abstinence-only message

      Wonder/Question: I wonder if this side will try to achieve this through a formal/structured curriculum format, or through simply eradicating sex education from the table all at once? Curious to know what this side is aiming to achieve.

    7. One side in the debate favors comprehensive sex education, including detailed information about sexually transmitted diseases, contraception and abstinence.

      Prediction: I predict that this will be the most favorable or popular way to go about the debate on sexual education. Before proceeding to the rest of the reading, I predict this because I feel society has become more willing and acceptive to this type of content. While everybody contains there own beliefs and opinions on the topic, it is better to be informed, then to be in denial of reality.

    8. others are taught how to put condoms on bananas in preparation for the real thing

      Visualization: I participated in an activity similar to this when I was a health student in high school. While it may seem like a cliche type of way to go about protection methods in sex, I feel as though something as little as this, can go a long way for a student. As a future educator, especially in health, it is our job to be real with our kids and make sure that they have the skills needed to be prepared for anything. This activity is real because it is a way of simulating the "real thing."

    9. The average kid today is immersed in sexual imagery.

      Interpretation: Very true. Although we can go back and forth saying that we should or should not include sex education in the curriculum, we cannot neglect the fact that we live in a society were sexual content is very much alive, and is going to be forever. As educators, we need to come to an agreement on the best balance for kids in terms of sexual education.

  2. Feb 2016
    1. That’s probably why information about sex, whether from parents or schools, is so often delivered in serious, white-coat fashion, its clinical messages heavy with the fear of consequences

      Interpretation: Very true. Rather than discussing sex as an educational component of health care, teachers, schools, parent's, etc. simply try to instill fear in the term, thus making teens resistant to knowing more about it, and overall giving the term a negative connotation.

    2. sexual identity

      Wondering/Questioning: I wonder how many students actually know about this term? And when should we as teachers introduce this? I can see where this would be a bit controversial in discussing in a classroom, but then again this course is centered around openness, so I hope to see this term again.

    3. “I guess I didn’t want to grow up. I was happy with the way things were. I am realizing now that the class was superhelpful. Julie sends you away with this greater message that we are all in this together, that you’re fine,”

      Summary: The greater message of the course clearly stands on the notion that girls are not alone in their resistance to sex ed. I had to pause here and think for a minute because the overall message and learning experience is what truly matters. This inference is important to make bc what students can take from a lesson and apply it to their lives, is what teachers hope to achieve.

    4. And then Metzger won them over. At one point, she handed out a diagram of a woman’s reproductive organs and challenged the girls to go home, stand naked in front of a mirror and superimpose the image over their abdomens to get a sense of where things were in their bodies.

      Wondering: I wonder how many girls actually did this? I mean it's a good tool in sparking curiosity about their bodies, but I don't think this would work for all girls. As a matter of fact, it might scare some of them away. A method or tool that all girls would be interested in, is something I would aim for as a health teacher.

    5. There was an undercurrent of nervous tension as we waited for the class to start.

      Connection: This is how I anticipate my classroom culture/environment to be at first due to my own experience in school waiting to start on another sex ed lesson. Again, going back to some of the feelings student's experience when talking about a touchy subject like sex ed, I won't be surprised as a teacher when I start sensing the nervousness in the room.

    6. The class was so crowded, she says, that “we had to run it twice.”

      Wonder: I wonder how this course got so crowded if the notion lies on the fact that most teens are "resistant" to going? I had to stop and think about this because the article states numerous times, that the kids are often resistant about going, as well as just not interested in going. Are the parents forcefully dragging their children to go, or is there another incentive in attending the course?

    7. Metzger believes that having kids pose questions fosters intimacy and allows parents to hear for themselves what their children’s concerns are.

      Interpretation: I agree, children are more prone to respond when they are the ones leading the discussion. and not just being lectured to. When will kids ever learn to formulate their own thoughts and ideas if all we do as parents is direct their thoughts and ideas. Children want to have a voice and want to state their opinions, so letting them pose questions is a start to independent exploration.

    8. As the girls scribbled on their index cards, some used their elbows to block an inquisitive mother’s gaze.

      Visualization: I remember being a middle-schooler having a cell phone for the first time, and shielding my incoming texts from my mom at the dinner table. It is clear to me that privacy is important for these young girls, and they have come to a point in their lives where they don't wish to share everything with their parents anymore. I can picture the transition in these girls from being open, to being more secretive and private about their lives.

    9. Boys and girls experience puberty differently. For girls, puberty typically begins at 10 or 11 and lasts five to six years, punctuated by distinct events — breast development and the onset of menstruation. Puberty for boys starts later, around 11 or 12, and lasts longer. Many girls are done with puberty — over, by definition, when growth stops — in their sophomore year of high school. Boys, on the other hand, may still be growing in college, and some secondary sex characteristics, like beard growth, may not show up until they are in their 20s.

      Summary: Puberty in girls and boys occur at different time periods and are noted by distinct physical qualities. It is interesting to point out that puberty seems to be occurring at younger stages than previously seen. Puberty is a major topic in health care, so I found it necessary to give this paragraph a quick run down.

    10. More than 100 years later, there is still no standardized curriculum. Detailed guidelines, released in 2012 as a resource for school districts, recommend minimum standards for comprehensive K-12 sex ed, but compliance is voluntary.

      Confusion: This made me stop to re-read this sentence. Is there really no compliance for standardized curriculum in health education? So every district adopts there own curriculum for how they wish to implement sexual health care in the classroom? This is a bit upsetting to me as a student majoring in the field, because I feel as though this subject is not being taken serious.

    11. class were fun and funny and interactive?”

      https://www.ted.com/talks/al_vernacchio_sex_needs_a_new_metaphor_here_s_one# This video also provides a refreshing and modern approach to sexuality in discussing it as a fun metaphor. It promotes enjoyment rather than a boring informative session.

    12. No Bad Q's Slideshow: This is interesting and very applicable in a health classroom, especially when you are trying to build openness and participation. However, a teacher might want to censor some of the words used when discussing as a group. This made me pause to make my own note of this activity, because it is a simple and anonymous activity that everybody can engage in, as well as be heard.

    13. What if that class were fun and funny and interactive?”

      Connection: I remember being a student unmotivated to participate in class because of how static and lecture-based it was, so it is refreshing to see how this course is hoping to take on a more engaging approach. When I was in school, I did not even think you could use the word "fun" in a classroom. For some reason I resonated fun with "not learning."

    14. 14,000 attendees

      Interpretation: It seems as though this course is doing a good job at drawing in the attention of many teens and their parents with just word of mouth and pediatricians. This took me by surprise because in reality, they are not really using a variety of modes to help spread the word about this course. Its impressive to see how many people actually attended with minimal promotion.

    15. But Leah had plenty of company, peers who shared her resistance, their arms crossed, their eyes downcast

      Connection: As a once middle school student getting ready to learn about sexual health care and personal health, I also often felt resistant, even uncomfortable to speak on such a touchy subject. I viewed it as a topic that simply required "common sense", and thus required no teaching. I had to pause and comment on this, because as a new teacher getting ready to teach health, I am going to expect students to feel this type of way. Especially those new to the concept.

    16. Let’s Talk (Frankly) About Sex

      Prediction: I predict this article will dive into a modern outlook into the integration of sex education in a modern classroom. The (frankly) makes me think that this article will take on the concept in a direct and honest manner. This will hopefully promote comfort and openness amongst the teens engaging in the discussion as well. What is your prediction on the article's title?