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Post by pitbulllady on Apr 19, 2005 20:08:02 GMT -5
Today I had to spend much of my morning more or less babysitting a group of six kids, ranging in age from third graders to sixth graders, while their classmates took a practice or preparation test for the "PACT", or Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test, which is our state mandated standardized test that all students in grades 3-8 must take each year. These were "Resource" students, meaning that they have so-called "learning disabilities", and are required by law to have the test read to them, one on one, so they can take it, rather than to take it with the rest of the class. Due to a shortage of test administrator manuals, these kids had to be pulled out one at a time to be given their practice tests, and to keep from disturbing their classmates in their regular homeroom, I had to keep them in my Art classroom until each had his/her turn at being tested elsewhere.
We had a good time; I got to work with them one-on-one drawing on the computer, something I rarely get to do because of large class sizes. I showed them my gallery on DeviantArt.com, which of course is mostly pics of Randall. This of course, sparked some interesting conversations and discussions about him, and I thought the observations of these so-called "learning-disabled" kids would be worth sharing.
The oldest kid, a sixth-grade boy, asked me why Randall was the only lizard-like or reptilian monster in that entire movie-something WE have certainly commented on plenty of times. A fifth-grade girl, who had not seen the movie, but had recently seen "Monsters Inc. On Ice", seconded his curiosity, then suddenly it was like this lightbulb went on over her head, before *I* could comment at all. "Wait a minute...if HE was the only one with scales and stuff, I bet the other monsters had always treated him bad 'cuzz he was different...NO WONDER he had an attitude! Man, SHOOT, now I wanna just slap the slobber outa that big blue dude-buncha racists, that's all they IS"! Bear in mind, all of these kids are Black. It certainly doesn't take a genious to figure out that Randall got treated unfairly, does it, so if a kid who's been labeled herself can figure it out, I wonder what is the deal with the people who just can't see it? I wish the idiots that hang out on IMdb could hear some of these "learning disabled" kids' views on Randall; it would certainly give a whole new meaning to the term "learning disabled", wouldn't it?
pitbulllady
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Post by RandallBoggs on Apr 20, 2005 9:25:12 GMT -5
Ah the young.....
So fragile.....
Children see things differently some times.....
While young....they aren't affected by their mothers...fathers...and the others.....
I'm not surprised......the youth are unaffected by the changes of the world....till they grow older. Congrats Pitbulllady. You have set these children to become better in their lives....congrats.....
Hmmm.....
Comparing them with Monster Children...heh....well....I wonder how one feels to be lied to everyday....
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Post by pitbulllady on Apr 20, 2005 10:42:52 GMT -5
*I* didn't have to say a thing-these kids just initiated the conversation on their own. I didn't have to tell them anything about what WE have discussed, but they KNEW, from their own experiences, what Randall must have been going through. They certainly know what it is like to experience being treated unfairly because you are of a certain race or color, and it only took that one realization that Randall was a minority in HIS world to figure out that he probably never got fair treatment, either.
pitbulllady
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Post by RandallBoggs on Apr 20, 2005 10:48:46 GMT -5
Amazing the child mind is huh?
They can see things more clearer than adults....
Especially these kids......
When you spend time being put down and pushed aside....you can tell from others too.....
Heh....
Would it be interesting if a Feild Trip to Disney was possible....we could take the kids there......
No offense to Iger, since he wants Pixar back, but I'd wonder what him or Jobs would say with their audience showing up at their doorstep....
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Post by pitbulllady on Apr 20, 2005 14:14:04 GMT -5
There's no way our school, or most of the families who send kids there, could ever afford a Disney field trip. We have a student chorus at one of my schools, organized by a fourth-grade teacher who is a musical sort, and they took a trip to Atlanta to sing at some Easter function there. Few of the kids could have gone if the rest of the staff ourselves hadn't sponsored a kid. I paid for most of the cost of one student going, which was quite a lot, factoring in meals, bus fare, and hotel expenses, but I felt it was worth it. Most of these kids have never been any further than 50 miles from where they live for their entire lives. Besides, like I said before, following MY trip to Disney World, there is very little, at least in Florida, to do with "Monsters, Inc.", and nothing about Randall at all. There really wasn't even a lot of "Incredibles" stuff, and this was right after the movie had come out.
Speaking of "The Incredibles", when I showed the kids this board following the conversation, they were QUITE intrigued by Mirage's avatar, to say the least, LOL! The younger ones were kinda grossed out, but the older ones got a kick out of it, especially the ones who have the DVD and had watched that particular extra scene. Quote one child: "Man, that soooo slack*, that White dude licking that Mexican woman's face like a DOG!" I don't know whether or not Mirage is Mexican, but Buddy will be forever immortalized, at least at this school, as "that White Dude"! I guess he just looked more Caucasian than most of the other cast members.
*"slack", in the local African-American dialect, means sexually suggestive but in an inappropriate setting.
pitbulllady
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Post by RandallBoggs on Apr 20, 2005 14:17:35 GMT -5
Hmph....what I meant was a sort of "heart string" move...... I was kinda worried about what Pixar's animators were thinkinf of then heh...  |
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Post by lizardgirl on Apr 22, 2005 10:59:02 GMT -5
Mirage's avatar! LOL!  |
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ScrewyOldDame
Randall's Head Servant (300-799)
The classes that wash most are those that work least.
Posts: 402
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Post by ScrewyOldDame on May 20, 2005 23:33:37 GMT -5
LOL! Aww, what a vibrant little group of kids. It must be an adventure teaching them, Ms PitbullLady!
I totally agree with Mr. Fogle, kids tend to see things so clear, especially "disabled" ones. My brother has Autism, and sometimes it feels really hard to communicate with him - make him understand where we come from in arguements, but he is such an amazing person. He seems to understand Christainity better than the average person - he has the most strict set of morals and tries very hard to maintain a relationship with Christ. It's inspiring the gifts He's given him and how He's used his "disability" to change our lives:).
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Post by RandallBoggs on May 21, 2005 8:48:30 GMT -5
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Post by lizardgirl on May 21, 2005 9:53:04 GMT -5
Wow, it's really great when people have that connection with their religion, especially when they are 'different' in their disability. ;D
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Post by Mirage on May 21, 2005 10:42:48 GMT -5
Speaking of "The Incredibles", when I showed the kids this board following the conversation, they were QUITE intrigued by Mirage's avatar, to say the least, LOL! The younger ones were kinda grossed out, but the older ones got a kick out of it, especially the ones who have the DVD and had watched that particular extra scene. Quote one child: "Man, that soooo slack*, that White dude licking that Mexican woman's face like a DOG!" I don't know whether or not Mirage is Mexican, but Buddy will be forever immortalized, at least at this school, as "that White Dude"! I guess he just looked more Caucasian than most of the other cast members. *"slack", in the local African-American dialect, means sexually suggestive but in an inappropriate setting. pitbulllady Omigosh!! ^_^ I didn't know we were shared with the children; that's wonderful! LOL..."that white dude" and "that Mexican woman"?! ;D ;D I'm laughing; they sound so adorable. And wow...their comments about Randall are dead-on. Good for them. If kids like them can have that kind of insight, why the bloody heck can't those other people figure it out? *sigh* Children often have the most valuable, unclouded truths to share..things many people forget or push aside as they grow older in this world..  I hope those little kids never lose that understanding and compassion. |
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Post by lizardgirl on May 21, 2005 11:02:44 GMT -5
Yeah, let's hope the world doesn't change them. ;D
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Post by RandallBoggs on May 21, 2005 20:10:39 GMT -5
It will....always does....
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Post by lizardgirl on May 22, 2005 4:23:22 GMT -5
Well, not necassarily. 99% of the time, yes, but there are always one or two who manage to retain the principles they had as a kid.
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Post by RandallBoggs on May 22, 2005 16:04:47 GMT -5
Perhaps...
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I hope those little kids never lose that understanding and compassion.