Diane Levine's Pedagogy Of Perception

Perception is a powerful concept in society. How we view ourselves and others is dependent on the environment surrounding us. Diane Levine, an American author, educator, and advocate known for her work in media literacy and media effects on children, was able to captivate this concept. “When my son was tested for a coveted spot in a private prekindergarten, he was asked, ‘What color is a banana?’ ‘White,’ he answered. ‘A banana isn’t white!’ he was told. Fortunately, my son was not intimidated. He replied: ‘Yes, it is. The peel is yellow, but the banana is white.’ He was accepted”(Levin, 2009).
This is a prime example of perception and cultural assumption. Varying cultures may view the banana as a …show more content…
As a result, I think the next symbol I would use to describe myself is a weight. A weight to me is a symbol of strength; it is durable itself and it strengthens others. In addition to being strong, being secure in yourself is crucial in my opinion. These traits allow for you to be open to others opinions and beliefs. More specifically, to have an open discussion and be able to change your point of view is a topic linked with “problem-posing education” and discussed in Megan Boler’s pedagogy of discomfort. The author states, you must embrace discomfort. A running shoe is my final symbol, and I believe it coincides with the weight. I view myself as a running shoe because I see myself as someone who constantly urges herself to progress. This may relate to Robert E. Peterson 's critical pedagogy of intermediate grades. For he has surpassed the ideals of a progressive teacher to better his …show more content…
The obedient and quiet act I put on for my teachers and my outward appearance tend to give me an edge in Education. Due to micro-aggressions as depicted by Derald Wing Sue, a professor of counseling psychology at Columbia University, in the article, Racial Microaggressions in Everyday Life, students of color are more likely to stick together because white people may not understand what they are experiencing. Additionally, “…The anger and the resentment that adolescents feel in response to their growing awareness of this systematic exclusion of Black people from full participation in U.S. society leads to the development of an oppositional social identity” (Tatum, B, 1997). This leads to African Americans viewing attitudes and behaviors associated with Whites with disdain. As a case in point, doing well in school may be identified as trying to be white, therefore it is not cool. African American students may even turn down an opportunity to be in an honors class because they do not want to be separated from their black peers. This is extremely unfortunate. Based on how others view me, I have never experienced this significant issue. Moreover, I am quiet and independent in the classroom and it was not until I read, Failing at Fairness by the Sadkers, that my feelings were placed into