Harriet Malinowitz

Questions for journaling and discussion:
1. I believe that it is important for us to include gay and lesbian discourses in the classroom because it can cause conflict if not. It can also make children feel uncomfortable. By including the gay and lesbian it makes the classroom more comfortable and makes those discourses a whole and not feel as left out. It also puts on a good role model as a teacher including those kids, for the other kids around. The less judgmental people are the more comfortable the classroom is and the more comfortable it is for learning.
2. This article talks a lot about how women are looked at completely different then men. Women are looked at as needy, weak, and annoying. By Harriet sharing her story, you hear what she had to go through as a slave and how that impacts her today. She explains how women can be just as strong as men and the experience she went through made her the strong, confident person she is today.
11. Until I read this story I never really thought of how offensive the word "queer" can be to people. It has so many different meanings to so many different people, especially in different discourse communities. Using this word causes more and more struggles for the gay and lesbian discourses. Reading about this really made me realize how offensive it can be.

Applying and Exploring:
2. I completely agree with the fact that women can be looked at differently. Many men judge women and believe that they are not as strong as them. This can be very hurtful to many women. Although some women let that judgement get to them, there are other women in the world who are some of the most successful people in the world. Knowing that men can be judgmental about women makes me stronger. There is a part of me that makes me want to prove to them that women are just as good as men and men do not have leadership over us, we are all equal.

Meta Moment:
When reviewing about this lesson with my teacher, I think he will talk a lot about the different discourse communities. I believe he will talk about how the discourse communities impact other discourse communities too.