Children's Media - Inquiry

Because children essentially have tabula rasa when entering this world, children tend to have a natural state of curiosity. Kids explore as a natural means to learn about their surroundings. Besides just exploring eventually kids learn how to inquire through questions and these questions are often answered by the adults in their life such as parents, older children, and/or teachers. The documentary film To Be and to Have, specifically focuses on the inquiry which occurs in a one school classroom in rural France between the teacher Mr. Lopez and his students. I particularly love the manner in which the filmmakers chose to include various interactions in which Mr. Lopez uses inquiry to facilitate and answer the children's natural inquiry. For example, Mr. Lopez asks questions about if they have eaten yet to little Jojo as a means to help Jojo learn how to deduce if it is morning or afternoon. Also, another example in which Mr. Lopez asks questions to further Jojo's curiosity is by asking Jojo questions about counting since Jojo and deducted that one could count forever. These moments are great examples of how questions tend to inspire more questions and that sometimes answers my be questions within themselves.

It is also interesting to observe that the interactions between teacher and student are primarily constructed from questions. And not just questions from the students but questions from the teacher, Mr. Lopez. Mr. Lopez uses questions to try and convey deeper meaning to the students as a means to help them understand and learn. For example, when a student pushed another student in the yard Mr. Lopez was very concerned as to why the student pushed the other student. He posed questions more than lecturing or chastening. Mr. Lopez tried to facilitate curiosity by posing questions as opposed to purely stating facts. Which is an interesting balance to observe in contrast to educators who solely inform. For example, the Homefun films, Powers of Ten and Mr. Roger's How to Make Things: Crayons, the information in dictated to the viewer. This manner of dictation is very informative but doesn't necessarily prompt further questions. It is more reflective of what is considered 'traditional education'; education in which a teacher informs the student how things are. However, does this lack of inquiry in answering inquiry actually weaken inquiry in the inquirer? Albert Einstein stated: "It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education". Therefore, does this mean that the dictated content common to educational children's media like Powers of Ten is actually leading to killing inquiry because it merely answers questions and doesn't ask any? Therefore, should children's media which strives to fuel inquiry, actually need to fuel more inquiry by also asking questions instead of purely stating facts? And does simple stating facts actually kill inquiry?

Journal - Week 2 - Morality and The Jungle Book

Disney's The Jungle Book is a tale which explores a coming of age story and teaches that growing up requires responsibility. The character who undergoes this process in the film is Baloo the Bear.

Though Baloo is already physically grown he has not yet grown to act as a 'proper' adult member of the jungle society at the beginning of the film. Baloo is a "jungle bum" who floats around without a care in the world living on the bare necessities for life. He has no responsibility, no work, no purpose in his life but to be lazy. However, when Baloo decides to try and raise Mowgli as his own, a whole new world of adulthood and parenthood fall upon him. Baloo struggles to keep Mowgli safe from the various creatures in the jungle including monkeys, snacks, and Shere Khan the Tiger. Baloo fails at first in protecting Mowgli, who is kidnapped by monkeys and runs to Bagheera for help.

Baloo's childish behavior is juxtaposed with Bagheera's authoritative presence of knowledge and wisdom. Bagheera scoffs Baloo's "jungle bum" behavior of executing the bare necessities in life and had warned him that wouldn't work if he choose to help Mowgli out. Baloo begins to understand this warning when Mowgli is captured by the monkeys and then asks for the help of Bagheera. Bagheera  could be seen as a type of grandfatherly figure through out who generously helps out the first time parent/s.

It is from Bagheera that Baloo comes to understand what it means to be responsible for another. This is shown in Baloo's sacrifice of injury to save Mowgli from Shere Khan. And for a while, the filmmakers let us to believe that Baloo gave the ultimate sacrifice of his life. This makes the connection that parents will give there lives for there children and that this is the weight of the responsibility of parenthood. This also correlates to Mowgli's biological parent's death. Overall, the filmmakers are illustrating that parenthood requires the responsibility and strength of one's whole life.

Baloo's character continues to grow at the end of the story when he has to come to accept that Mowgli must move on. That Mowgli will eventually have a family of his own with his own and his own responsibilities like Baloo did.

Overall, this film explores the dynamics of maturing to adulthood specifically parenthood through the development of the character Baloo and his story of parenting the Man Cub Mowgli. The film demonstrates that with growing up one must be responsible for one's actions and potentially for the actions of others. The film teaches one to be responsible and proactive as one grows older.  

392 - Week 1 Response

Week 1

There is no concrete definition of what is children’s media and what approach children’s media should take. It is an idea which will differ depending on ones opinions, beliefs, and experiences. Often children’s media is used as a means to teach a principle or give a warning to children, like the often told tale of little Red Riding Hood strives to do. However, the various versions of the story demonstrate different opinions of who the audience it, what content should be included, and how it should be told.

For example, the Grimm’s brothers story Little Red Cap, has a tale directed towards warning against the consequences of not following one’s mother’s directions and provides a happy tale at the end for what happens when one does follow one’s mother’s directions. The audience here appears to be geared more towards very young children and obeying their mothers. However, the Grimm’s brother tale does allow for the girl and her grandmother to be rescued. This demonstrates a good sense of wise adults looking out for the younger. The Grimm’s bother’s morale of children obeying their mothers tends to be a rendition found more in versions direction towards young children. Also, the idea of a children gaining redemption or being rescued is more commonly seen in young children versions. For example, the Silly Symphony The Big Bad Wolf has the young girl being rescued by the pigs who are looking out for her. This allows for the comfort of having parents, teachers, older siblings, etc. who will look out for one even when they mess up.  

In contrast, Charles Perrault’s story Little Red Riding Hood is geared towards young women (specifically to the upper-class) and warns against sexual predators. The Perrault’s rendition is darker, having no redemption for the Red Riding Hood or for her grandmother, who both perish.
Perrault’s version of the story I would not consider to be a great tale for young children but for young adults. As such, does this make this tale not a children’s story? I feel like some of the Little Red Riding Hood renditions are for children while others may be more mature. However, I feel like the the best stories are ones that are layered. Such as the French Grandmother’s Story. In this version, the warning to sexual predators is quite apparent to the adult but perhaps not as apparent to the young. In this way the story is both for the young and old. It changes as one matures and loses innocence.

The film Son of Rambow explores the idea of childhood as the process of losing innocence. This is portrayed primarily through the young Joshua being introduced and seduced by the forbidden world of cinema. Within this world Joshua pursues new outlooks from Rambow and from his friend. Within this new discovering of a new lifestyle and freedom of choices Joshua also discovers taking responsibility for one's actions and for taking responsibility of trying to right one's wrongs. For example, when his friendship with Will goes sour, Joshua knows he has to try and finish to film as a means to make amends. By doing this, Joshua takes a step away from childhood because he begins to realize the weight of his actions and the responsibility he has now by understanding that his actions have acute consequences to himself and to those around him.