You walk into a classroom with children silently reading, the girls are diligently reading while the males into the class are acting out. This can be a seen found through-out America. It seems today that more girls are reading than boys. So I pose the question, “why are girls reading more than boys?” There are many answers to the question and solutions as well. Although, boys are reading there is a reason why girls are reading more this can be due to biological reasons, self-fulfilling prophecy, and the cause for other interests.
According to Science Daily, boy’s brains work differently with different with language then girls. Girls and boys rely on different parts of the brain to process language. Boys are more sensory while girls are more abstract. (Northwestern University) With that said boys may have trouble processing abstract things like language i.e. reading. So this can cause boys to read less and girls read more. I am not sure how I felt about this articles research. However, it was a actual experiment that found concrete evidence through brain scans. I’d like to think though that if boys are encouraged to read they will.
Self-fulfilling prophecy may be another factor. Explained by Live Science, schools are playing a large role in why boys are not reading. Schools give girls more incentive to read and may argue “its okay boys are not as good as girls are at reading.” (Britt) So, basically schools are allowing boys to not read as much as girls because it is socially accepted. With schools allowing this male students believe they are not good at reading so they actually are not good at reading. I think this is a pretty sad statement, if schools just expanded their outreach to boys reading programs quite possibly the issue may start to be solved.
Lastly, on the same note male students are expected to be good at other activities opposed to reading. From my personal experiences male students are expected to be good at sports and then subjects that are more concrete such as math and sciences. With expectations like these boys put all their energy and effort toward the aforementioned activities. This occurrence happens to the extent that boys find reading boring and the other activities more entertaining.
Without a doubt boys are reading less then girls. I feel this is a problem that must be addressed at a young age in school and at home. Boys need to be encouraged to read. Today boys are faced with biological reasons along with self fulfilling prophecies. More needs to be done to correct this issue.
Works Cited:
Britt, Roy. "Why Johnny Can't Read: Schools Favor Girls." Live Science n. pag. Web. 25 Nov 2009.
Northwestern University. "Boys' And Girls' Brains Are Different: Gender Differences In Language Appear Biological." ScienceDaily 5 March 2008. 24 November 2009
For my freestyle Blog I chose to write about Multicultural books. I recently did some extra credit for a class that required me to read a few multicultural children books. I think multicultural books are importnat for Elementary-age students to read. Simple books that just have different racial charachters. Exposing students to different cultures is great and good for creating more culturaly senstive students and children.
1952-- This version of Othello is in black and white, this gives the play a bit darker or dull feel, this fact lets the play make use of shadows. The setting is inside and outside with stone work all around.Othello is in armour while Iago is wearing a black robe, the robe signifies that Iago is the "bad guy".There is background music that adds to the scene between Iago And Othello the two don't seem to enjoy each others company. Inside their is a mirror prop that Othello looks into, as he begins to get mad.
1981--This one is different from the black and white version. The setting is inside in a large airy room during the day. This takes away from the use of shadows. Othello and Iago seemed to converse more easy. Othello is calm opposed to Iago who seems to be a bit more nervous. The dialouge between the two is different then that of the play, which thank gosh was easier for me to follow. This version is changed due to current times and doesn't follow so much what one would picture while reading the play.
1995--This version seems to be a little more altered then the last. In this one Othello and Iago first are outside during the day with some sort of battle practice going on around them. The characters move into some sort of weapon room, the tone moves away from the lit not so dark to a more dark one.This clip uses flash-backs to set the mood of Othellos anger, as does the change in close-ups and body frame.
Othello: Ay let her rot and perish, and be damned tonight, for she shall not live. No, my heart is turned to stone, I strike it and it hurts my hand. Oh the world hath not a sweeter creature! She might lie by an emperors hand and command him tasks.(clark 1008)
This quote from Othello seems to be him having a struggle of his feelings for Bianca. He is so angry his heart is stone , however he says theres no sweeter creature on earth. He really is having an enternal struggle.
With all the trouble I've had reading Shakespeare's Othello I decided to try to possibly figure out why the sentances were so difficult. Folger, explains that Shakespeare is diffcult to read since his language has far changed from todays standards. He also explains that like most poems Shakespears poems are highly structred and condensed. Folger goes on to say that poems such of these are best read with a dictionary at hand. This was a welcomed reading consider I was starting to question my own intelligence.
http://www.folger.edu/template.cfm?cid=937
I chose to write this quote response on the beginning of scene 2 that takes place in Venice on another street before Othellos Lodging.
Lago: "Though in the trade of war I have slain men, Yet do I hold it very stuff o' the conscience To do no contrived murder. I lack inquiry Sometimes to do me service. Nine or ten times I had thought t' have yerked him here under the ribs." (Kennedy 945)
Othello: "'tis better as it is"(Kennedy 945)
Lago: "Nay but he prated, And spoke such scurvy and provoking terms Againest your honor That, with the light godliness I have, I did that full hard forbear him. But I pray you sir, Are you fast maried? be assured of this, The the magnifco is much beloved, And hath in the effect a voice potential."(Kennedy 945)
I really have had trouble really understanding what was going on in this play. The phrase that I did understand that lept out of this was when Lago says " Though in the trade of war I have slain men." this really helps show how deceitful and horrible of a person lago really is.
For the movie "O" I chose to do my scen response on the scene when O basically accuses Dezzy of cheating on him. O ask Dezzy where is scarf is and if Mike has it. Then she confronts him and asks him if she thinks she's cheating. I think this scene is important because it seemed to be the beginning of all of Mikes deceit coming to a head. I was interested by it since O really seemed insanely jealous and its interesting to see how Dezzy dealt with this by confronting him right back.