This Blog is a resource tool for the students taking the "FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES" elective at Westborough High School, Westborough, Massachusetts.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
PERIOD 6: MRS. ELLIOT
You have been watching the documentary, A Class Divided. Please post a reflective comment about the film. What did you personally take away from this documentary?
25 comments:
Ryan Neil
said...
This documentary was very interesting to me. When the documentary started on the first day, I knew that the Brown eyed kids would get discouraged quickly... being the "inferior" group. What I didn't expect was the blue eyed kids not only accepting the fact that they were the superior kids, but going on the attack to those "inferior" to them. They all knew it wasn't true and that this was just an activity, but the class seemed to accept their roles. When the kid at lunch was called, "brown eyes" he was offended. That means a negative connotation truly began to be put on kids with brown eyes. I found it funny how quickly Mrs. Elliot was able to convince her entire class that the color of ones eyes makes one person better than another.
I was absent today for the second but of the documentary. When I watched the first part on Wednesday I was so amazed at how well the teacher did. I think she really got her message across that it isn't fair or right to treat people differently just because they aren't the same as you. I was happy that the children could relate and pick up on the message that she was trying to get across. I found it a little sad how all the sudden the inferior kids changed and became mean to the inferior kids all because one person told them they were inferior.
I thought it was very interesting that when kids thought they were superior to the rest then they scored better on tests. It must be a physiological thing in a humans brain. I also liked that Mrs. Elliot's lesson worked not only on third graders but as well adults. What I took away most from this film was the quote "never criticize a man until you've walked a mile in his moccasins." I understand that everyone has there own problems in life. It may not appear on the surface but you never know what someone is going through on their endeavors. Bottom line discrimination is something that should not exist in society because everyone should be treated the same way that you want to be treated.
What Jane Elliot, a 3rd grade teacher exposing prejudice for what it is, an irrational class system based upon purely unreasonable factors to such a young age was touching. In response to the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. over thirty years ago, Jane Elliott devised the controversial "Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes" exercise.I was amazed to see how the exercise labeled the elementary students as inferior or superior based upon the color of their eyes. To see some students who thought they were a minority because the "blue-eyed" kids put them down comes to show how cruel and mean little kids can be. I LOVE MY DARK BROWN EYES GOD BLESSED ME WITH!
I really enjoyed watching this documentary. When we watched the first part yesterday I was so amazed at the risk this teacher took for that time period. It was interesting to see how much she impacted those kids entire life. They came back as adults saying how they still remember how it felt to be treated as if they were less than someone. I also thought it was really interesting that when we watched the second part today ,that dealt with adults, that after the exercise a lady STILL didn't see the big picture. It really made me mad that she kind of just brushed it off her shoulder and said that everyone faces discrimination at some point. She still didn't comprehend that discrimination was something black people faced every single day. I thought her actions versus the kids action just showed that it obviously needs to be taught from an early age that discrimination is never okay.
Watching the documentary, it made me realize how often people today discriminate. Discrimination isn't just towards people of a different race, it can be towards people with a different religion, different social groups, sexuality, etc. I also realized how powerful a person can feel just because they are told that they are superior than another group or individual. Connecting the dots, I realized that feeling superior can make someone more confident and bring out the worst in people. Also, being discriminated against can affect a person's performance level academically and also just in general because they feel badly about themselves. I think WHS should do a lesson like this sometime because everybody needs to experience what it feels like on the opposite end of discriminating in order to learn not to discriminate and judge people immediately.
Although I have seen this documentry before, it still really stands out to me. The first time I saw this film I was only in 7th grade, so my reaction and overall feelings towards the film were not what they are now. After seeign this film the second time makes me really think how amazing it is that in a matter of 15 minutes these group of 3rd graders can turn from being so friendly to eachother to enimes all over eye color. This documentry proves that no matter the age supiriority is very important to everyone. feeling infirior can change a persons mood in seconds.
I thought that Mrs. Elliot's exercise was really the best way to get the point across that discrimination is not right. You truly will never know what it feels like or how much it hurts to be discriminated against until you've experienced it for yourself. It really does affect a person mentally when they are belittled or brought down. It affects their work, and it does not motivate them to be the best they can. It is extremely saddening how some people feel the need to make others feel inferior in order to make themselves feel more superior. It is just sad very pathetic. Within minutes of Mrs. Elliot's exercise, some of the adults said they were already extremely uncomfortable by the way they were being treated. I can only imagine how difficult it was for the Jewish, Black, Homosexuals, Gypsies, and every race that was suffering all because of their appearance.
When I watched this documentary, I was amazed how in just a few seconds, good friends turned into bitter enemies. Although I have seen the documentary before, every time I watch it, I find a new insight. I've never seen the part of the documentary where she does the exercise with adults, which was equally as amazing. I found it to be interesting that the majority of the blue eyed people were white, and most of the brown eyed people were minority or mix. And by the end of the end of the exercise, most of the whites knew the feeling of being the minority and being treated differently, on just something as simple as eye color.
I personally thought this video was very good. I had previously watched it before and I was happy to see it again. I thought it was so crazy how quickly one authoritative figure could switch those third graders opinions so quickly. The fact that the teacher had such great power over a person's entire mental state really makes me begin to understand how Hitler was able to take over Germany with the teachers behind him. If you are told something for six years of your life by everyone around you, how are you supposed to determine if it is wrong or right? I really thought it was crazy to see that woman's reaction during the adult conversation. I think it is sad that she thinks that she could even relate to the life that the blacks had to struggle with. I was surprised to see the racist side of her come out. I didn't realize how deeply rooted racism can be and that even people you don't immediately think are discriminatory, underneath they are. Overall I am glad Mrs. Elliot did that experiment and I wish we did something similar in our school. It would really bring out different sides of the people we thought we knew our whole lives.
This film shocked me, not because of Mrs. Elliot’s unique teaching method, but because no one who has taken part in my education has had the forethought to teach a lesson even remotely similar in nature or effectiveness to that of hers. I understand that our current educational system could not allow children to openly discriminate against one another but I feel as if this lesson should be an exception. One of the main purposes of school is to prepare us for the real world and part of that is being able to understand the differences in the extraordinarily vast culture of our country. While the point was made that a lesson like this one could not make people feel like they had been discriminated against for their entire lives, it helped them to realize what it felt like to be outcast and disrespected due to a physical characteristic that they had no control over. I feel that incorporating a lesson similar to this one into the curriculum of students at a young age would yield nothing but benefits for their lives and the lives of those around them.
This documentary was a very good one that’s brought that major issue during the 1900’s to a real life classroom. I felt that the bravery of the teacher is something that needs to be regarded because she chose to use this experiment to the children that discrimination is wrong, knowing what the consequences that lied ahead for her. I never thought that there were teachers like this before I saw this film, and she has opened my eyes as she helped the next generation right the wrongs of the previous generation.
This documentary was really eye opening. It was amazing how quickly the kids were able to accept the fact that they were better than others because of their eye colour despite knowing them for years before. They turned on each other so quickly and accepted their new roles. At one point two of the former friends got in a fights over their new roles. It was also surprising how quickly they were able to accept that they were lied to and reverse the roles. I thought overall this was a very good lesson to give children especially at this age because they are at an age where they would go along with the lesson and understand the meaning behind it.
This documentary showed me how much an individual’s self identity can change or be affected by the feelings they have toward themselves as well as how easily these feelings towards oneself can change. Feeing inferior in society, just as the kids with blue and brown eyes did for a day, can great impact the way one acts around others. The documentary also emphasized to me how much discrimination is a mental barrier society rather than a physical barrio. The signs that separated blacks from whites were more mental barriers than they were physical. This is shown through how easily the kids acted differently and how easily they were persuaded, or how easily their minds were persuaded. From this video I learned a little bit about myself. When I am feeling inferior in a classroom setting, I do tend to perform much worse. For example, at the beginning of AP calc I felt intimidated by the teacher as well as the intelligence of the other kids in the class. The first quiz I did fairly bad on partly because of this lack of confidence., I had my first test the Thursday after we watched the documentary in class and after I realized that my feelings of negativity toward my strengths was similar to the feelings of the kids in the class that performed worse on the test. I have a much stronger feeing about the test than I did about that first quiz. I know intelligence getting my confidence down is not nearly as harsh as the discrimination in the documentary or real life setting, but it did prove me this about myself.
I noticed how in the video the reactions and actions of the people in the experiment were similar no matter 3rd graders or professional. The results of the experiment were quite similar. The people in the minority were offended and felt discrimination that they may have never felt before. I feel that the third graders benefited more than the professionals because they are more open to new ideas and can change previous opinions. I feel that some of the adults did not or refused to learn from this activity. The women who did a whole speech on how everyone, including her, has faced discrimination at one point or another and that this activity was unnecessary is one of those people who refused to learn. I was personally offended by her statement because I am sure she hasn't felt true discrimination on a daily basis and refuses to think of what that would feel like, a true racist. What Mrs. Elliot did was extraordinary and revolutionary. It helped teach people of all ages about the pain of being on the other side of discrimination. This helped students and adults realize that discrimination is wrong for any reason. I strongly support and believe in her experiment and I think it has helped change society, even just a little bit.
I really liked this film because it really showed how great an impact a person of authority can have on a group of people. I couldn't believe that by telling children that their eye color was what determined how smart they were, their test scores changed. Just by telling a student that their brown eyes mean that they are not as smart could make them do poorly on a test. I was a little surprised that none of the student did better when they were told their eye color made them less intelligent because I though that they might try to prove her wrong. Often when I am faced with a challenge and other people do not believe in me I try even hard to prove them wrong and surprise them. In addition, I really like that the documentary did not just show the children as third graders but as adults as well. This showed how great an impact Mrs. Elliot's activity had on the students because the adults still believed in what they were taught in third grade.
Although I have seen this documentary before, I took it in a much different way than I did when I was 13. I realize now that racism still exists, "superior" races still exist. I was astounded at how the children acted towards each other in such a short period of time I can't help but wonder how my 3rd grade self would have handled the situation. I like to think I would be kind to people who were considered the outside but honestly I listen to authority and I do not typically question authority. In the second half of the film a woman in the audience said that she had experienced discrimination and that she knows what its like to face discrimination. I was disgusted by her ignorance and hope to never come across someone with such a state of mind. Overall I was perplexed by how quickly people turned against each other.
the first half of this documentary a few times before, but watching it at an older age in a new perspective gained me a different outlook on the video. Also at an older age the more you pick up new things and reason. How the values of those children changing so drastically really shocked me. And even more watching the activity with adults was a whole new activity with a whole lot more rebalance and a whole lot less submission. Not to mention all the bystanders who were revealed in the room during the time period of the film. I’m a greatly admire Mrs. Elliot quite much for starting such a powerful chain and exposed children to grow in their beliefs about racism.
I was only here to see the second half of the film, but it was definitely eye opening. What Mrs. Elliot did was so effective. At first I was thinking there was no way it would actually work with adults, but she made the discrimination seem so so real, and I wonder how I would have felt and reacted in that situation. One moment that stood out to me in particular was when she said "when you start acting more brown" and the whole class kind of laughed because it sounded absolutely ridiculous but then Mr. Gallagher paused the video and told us that it was actually very common to say "when you start acting more white", which I didn't know before. That really shocked me, because what if say, kids in a classroom fifty years from now watched a documentary from 2013 and laughed at someone saying "that's so gay", because it sounds absolutely ridiculous?
Personally, i believe that what Mrs. Elliot had taught in this film was a great thing. I do not believe that this activity was cruel to the children because it was something they needed to hear and to learn. Children grasp onto things so quickly and by doing this two day excerise they were able to learn that it isnt good to judge others based on the color of their skin. This way they wouldnt learn otherwise at home or on the street. When she did the exercise with adults, it was a little different because almost no matter what, this activity would not change their minds since they are older and have strong set beliefs. But i do believe that this was a great activity to do overall with anyone at any age.
When the documentary started, I was extremely confused as to what was happening. I'm guessing it was an experiment to see how people reacted when a group is put in a situation that is demeaning to them. I was extremely impressed and almost taken with the shrewdness of Jane Elliott's arguing. She cleverly turned legitimate questions and opinions back at the blue eyed group. Even though her arguments in the exercise were so shallow and without viable evidence, she was able to use her tone to belittle her opponents and call for the support of the brown eyed people in her attack. I believe she is right when she said that this exercise should probably not be done with students and she would ideally want this exercise to never be needed to be done again. It must have been so insulting and aggravating to be in the blue eyed group that it would break the fragile soul of children.
This is the second time I've seen this film and this time it made a huge impact on me. I'm glad I had the opportunity to watch it again in a different perspective. It really teaches you huge life lessons and it impacts on who you are. The part that caught my eye was when the students were tested after they were being discriminated. It was Interesting to see that the children preformed worse after that. I wish we could show this film to the entire high schools and schools around the country. It moved me as an individual and I'd like to share it with my family so hear their perspective.
The first time I watched this video, I thought it was one of the most inspirational films I had ever seen. Now, watching it three years later, I find it even more inspirational because I know so much more about the history behind discrimination and the way African Americans were treated than I did then. I think Mrs. Elliot was very courageous in doing the study she did with her class because today that style of teaching would definitely not be accepted by society. However, I do believe the whole country could benefit from this type of education because discrimination still occurs today in the form of stereotypes and racial profiling. Mrs. Elliot's class obviously benefitted from this lesson and even after many years they remembered it and allowed it to impact their lives each and everyday. The key lesson Mrs. Elliot taught her students was that you can't judge a person by what's on the outside, but rather by what's in their heart, and I think this is something that more people should take into consideration and live by.
25 comments:
This documentary was very interesting to me. When the documentary started on the first day, I knew that the Brown eyed kids would get discouraged quickly... being the "inferior" group. What I didn't expect was the blue eyed kids not only accepting the fact that they were the superior kids, but going on the attack to those "inferior" to them. They all knew it wasn't true and that this was just an activity, but the class seemed to accept their roles. When the kid at lunch was called, "brown eyes" he was offended. That means a negative connotation truly began to be put on kids with brown eyes. I found it funny how quickly Mrs. Elliot was able to convince her entire class that the color of ones eyes makes one person better than another.
I was absent today for the second but of the documentary. When I watched the first part on Wednesday I was so amazed at how well the teacher did. I think she really got her message across that it isn't fair or right to treat people differently just because they aren't the same as you. I was happy that the children could relate and pick up on the message that she was trying to get across. I found it a little sad how all the sudden the inferior kids changed and became mean to the inferior kids all because one person told them they were inferior.
I thought it was very interesting that when kids thought they were superior to the rest then they scored better on tests. It must be a physiological thing in a humans brain. I also liked that Mrs. Elliot's lesson worked not only on third graders but as well adults. What I took away most from this film was the quote "never criticize a man until you've walked a mile in his moccasins." I understand that everyone has there own problems in life. It may not appear on the surface but you never know what someone is going through on their endeavors. Bottom line discrimination is something that should not exist in society because everyone should be treated the same way that you want to be treated.
What Jane Elliot, a 3rd grade teacher exposing prejudice for what it is, an irrational class system based upon purely unreasonable factors to such a young age was touching. In response to the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. over thirty years ago, Jane Elliott devised the controversial "Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes" exercise.I was amazed to see how the exercise labeled the elementary students as inferior or superior based upon the color of their eyes. To see some students who thought they were a minority because the "blue-eyed" kids put them down comes to show how cruel and mean little kids can be. I LOVE MY DARK BROWN EYES GOD BLESSED ME WITH!
I was absent this class.
I really enjoyed watching this documentary. When we watched the first part yesterday I was so amazed at the risk this teacher took for that time period. It was interesting to see how much she impacted those kids entire life. They came back as adults saying how they still remember how it felt to be treated as if they were less than someone. I also thought it was really interesting that when we watched the second part today ,that dealt with adults, that after the exercise a lady STILL didn't see the big picture. It really made me mad that she kind of just brushed it off her shoulder and said that everyone faces discrimination at some point. She still didn't comprehend that discrimination was something black people faced every single day. I thought her actions versus the kids action just showed that it obviously needs to be taught from an early age that discrimination is never okay.
Watching the documentary, it made me realize how often people today discriminate. Discrimination isn't just towards people of a different race, it can be towards people with a different religion, different social groups, sexuality, etc. I also realized how powerful a person can feel just because they are told that they are superior than another group or individual. Connecting the dots, I realized that feeling superior can make someone more confident and bring out the worst in people. Also, being discriminated against can affect a person's performance level academically and also just in general because they feel badly about themselves. I think WHS should do a lesson like this sometime because everybody needs to experience what it feels like on the opposite end of discriminating in order to learn not to discriminate and judge people immediately.
Although I have seen this documentry before, it still really stands out to me. The first time I saw this film I was only in 7th grade, so my reaction and overall feelings towards the film were not what they are now. After seeign this film the second time makes me really think how amazing it is that in a matter of 15 minutes these group of 3rd graders can turn from being so friendly to eachother to enimes all over eye color. This documentry proves that no matter the age supiriority is very important to everyone. feeling infirior can change a persons mood in seconds.
I thought that Mrs. Elliot's exercise was really the best way to get the point across that discrimination is not right. You truly will never know what it feels like or how much it hurts to be discriminated against until you've experienced it for yourself. It really does affect a person mentally when they are belittled or brought down. It affects their work, and it does not motivate them to be the best they can. It is extremely saddening how some people feel the need to make others feel inferior in order to make themselves feel more superior. It is just sad very pathetic. Within minutes of Mrs. Elliot's exercise, some of the adults said they were already extremely uncomfortable by the way they were being treated. I can only imagine how difficult it was for the Jewish, Black, Homosexuals, Gypsies, and every race that was suffering all because of their appearance.
When I watched this documentary, I was amazed how in just a few seconds, good friends turned into bitter enemies. Although I have seen the documentary before, every time I watch it, I find a new insight. I've never seen the part of the documentary where she does the exercise with adults, which was equally as amazing. I found it to be interesting that the majority of the blue eyed people were white, and most of the brown eyed people were minority or mix. And by the end of the end of the exercise, most of the whites knew the feeling of being the minority and being treated differently, on just something as simple as eye color.
I personally thought this video was very good. I had previously watched it before and I was happy to see it again. I thought it was so crazy how quickly one authoritative figure could switch those third graders opinions so quickly. The fact that the teacher had such great power over a person's entire mental state really makes me begin to understand how Hitler was able to take over Germany with the teachers behind him. If you are told something for six years of your life by everyone around you, how are you supposed to determine if it is wrong or right? I really thought it was crazy to see that woman's reaction during the adult conversation. I think it is sad that she thinks that she could even relate to the life that the blacks had to struggle with. I was surprised to see the racist side of her come out. I didn't realize how deeply rooted racism can be and that even people you don't immediately think are discriminatory, underneath they are. Overall I am glad Mrs. Elliot did that experiment and I wish we did something similar in our school. It would really bring out different sides of the people we thought we knew our whole lives.
This film shocked me, not because of Mrs. Elliot’s unique teaching method, but because no one who has taken part in my education has had the forethought to teach a lesson even remotely similar in nature or effectiveness to that of hers. I understand that our current educational system could not allow children to openly discriminate against one another but I feel as if this lesson should be an exception. One of the main purposes of school is to prepare us for the real world and part of that is being able to understand the differences in the extraordinarily vast culture of our country. While the point was made that a lesson like this one could not make people feel like they had been discriminated against for their entire lives, it helped them to realize what it felt like to be outcast and disrespected due to a physical characteristic that they had no control over. I feel that incorporating a lesson similar to this one into the curriculum of students at a young age would yield nothing but benefits for their lives and the lives of those around them.
I was absent for this.
This documentary was a very good one that’s brought that major issue during the 1900’s to a real life classroom. I felt that the bravery of the teacher is something that needs to be regarded because she chose to use this experiment to the children that discrimination is wrong, knowing what the consequences that lied ahead for her. I never thought that there were teachers like this before I saw this film, and she has opened my eyes as she helped the next generation right the wrongs of the previous generation.
This documentary was really eye opening. It was amazing how quickly the kids were able to accept the fact that they were better than others because of their eye colour despite knowing them for years before. They turned on each other so quickly and accepted their new roles. At one point two of the former friends got in a fights over their new roles. It was also surprising how quickly they were able to accept that they were lied to and reverse the roles. I thought overall this was a very good lesson to give children especially at this age because they are at an age where they would go along with the lesson and understand the meaning behind it.
This documentary showed me how much an individual’s self identity can change or be affected by the feelings they have toward themselves as well as how easily these feelings towards oneself can change. Feeing inferior in society, just as the kids with blue and brown eyes did for a day, can great impact the way one acts around others. The documentary also emphasized to me how much discrimination is a mental barrier society rather than a physical barrio. The signs that separated blacks from whites were more mental barriers than they were physical. This is shown through how easily the kids acted differently and how easily they were persuaded, or how easily their minds were persuaded. From this video I learned a little bit about myself. When I am feeling inferior in a classroom setting, I do tend to perform much worse. For example, at the beginning of AP calc I felt intimidated by the teacher as well as the intelligence of the other kids in the class. The first quiz I did fairly bad on partly because of this lack of confidence., I had my first test the Thursday after we watched the documentary in class and after I realized that my feelings of negativity toward my strengths was similar to the feelings of the kids in the class that performed worse on the test. I have a much stronger feeing about the test than I did about that first quiz. I know intelligence getting my confidence down is not nearly as harsh as the discrimination in the documentary or real life setting, but it did prove me this about myself.
I noticed how in the video the reactions and actions of the people in the experiment were similar no matter 3rd graders or professional. The results of the experiment were quite similar. The people in the minority were offended and felt discrimination that they may have never felt before. I feel that the third graders benefited more than the professionals because they are more open to new ideas and can change previous opinions. I feel that some of the adults did not or refused to learn from this activity. The women who did a whole speech on how everyone, including her, has faced discrimination at one point or another and that this activity was unnecessary is one of those people who refused to learn. I was personally offended by her statement because I am sure she hasn't felt true discrimination on a daily basis and refuses to think of what that would feel like, a true racist. What Mrs. Elliot did was extraordinary and revolutionary. It helped teach people of all ages about the pain of being on the other side of discrimination. This helped students and adults realize that discrimination is wrong for any reason. I strongly support and believe in her experiment and I think it has helped change society, even just a little bit.
I really liked this film because it really showed how great an impact a person of authority can have on a group of people. I couldn't believe that by telling children that their eye color was what determined how smart they were, their test scores changed. Just by telling a student that their brown eyes mean that they are not as smart could make them do poorly on a test. I was a little surprised that none of the student did better when they were told their eye color made them less intelligent because I though that they might try to prove her wrong. Often when I am faced with a challenge and other people do not believe in me I try even hard to prove them wrong and surprise them.
In addition, I really like that the documentary did not just show the children as third graders but as adults as well. This showed how great an impact Mrs. Elliot's activity had on the students because the adults still believed in what they were taught in third grade.
Although I have seen this documentary before, I took it in a much different way than I did when I was 13. I realize now that racism still exists, "superior" races still exist. I was astounded at how the children acted towards each other in such a short period of time I can't help but wonder how my 3rd grade self would have handled the situation. I like to think I would be kind to people who were considered the outside but honestly I listen to authority and I do not typically question authority. In the second half of the film a woman in the audience said that she had experienced discrimination and that she knows what its like to face discrimination. I was disgusted by her ignorance and hope to never come across someone with such a state of mind. Overall I was perplexed by how quickly people turned against each other.
the first half of this documentary a few times before, but watching it at an older age in a new perspective gained me a different outlook on the video. Also at an older age the more you pick up new things and reason. How the values of those children changing so drastically really shocked me. And even more watching the activity with adults was a whole new activity with a whole lot more rebalance and a whole lot less submission. Not to mention all the bystanders who were revealed in the room during the time period of the film. I’m a greatly admire Mrs. Elliot quite much for starting such a powerful chain and exposed children to grow in their beliefs about racism.
I was only here to see the second half of the film, but it was definitely eye opening. What Mrs. Elliot did was so effective. At first I was thinking there was no way it would actually work with adults, but she made the discrimination seem so so real, and I wonder how I would have felt and reacted in that situation. One moment that stood out to me in particular was when she said "when you start acting more brown" and the whole class kind of laughed because it sounded absolutely ridiculous but then Mr. Gallagher paused the video and told us that it was actually very common to say "when you start acting more white", which I didn't know before. That really shocked me, because what if say, kids in a classroom fifty years from now watched a documentary from 2013 and laughed at someone saying "that's so gay", because it sounds absolutely ridiculous?
Personally, i believe that what Mrs. Elliot had taught in this film was a great thing. I do not believe that this activity was cruel to the children because it was something they needed to hear and to learn. Children grasp onto things so quickly and by doing this two day excerise they were able to learn that it isnt good to judge others based on the color of their skin. This way they wouldnt learn otherwise at home or on the street. When she did the exercise with adults, it was a little different because almost no matter what, this activity would not change their minds since they are older and have strong set beliefs. But i do believe that this was a great activity to do overall with anyone at any age.
When the documentary started, I was extremely confused as to what was happening. I'm guessing it was an experiment to see how people reacted when a group is put in a situation that is demeaning to them. I was extremely impressed and almost taken with the shrewdness of Jane Elliott's arguing. She cleverly turned legitimate questions and opinions back at the blue eyed group. Even though her arguments in the exercise were so shallow and without viable evidence, she was able to use her tone to belittle her opponents and call for the support of the brown eyed people in her attack. I believe she is right when she said that this exercise should probably not be done with students and she would ideally want this exercise to never be needed to be done again. It must have been so insulting and aggravating to be in the blue eyed group that it would break the fragile soul of children.
This is the second time I've seen this film and this time it made a huge impact on me. I'm glad I had the opportunity to watch it again in a different perspective. It really teaches you huge life lessons and it impacts on who you are. The part that caught my eye was when the students were tested after they were being discriminated. It was Interesting to see that the children preformed worse after that. I wish we could show this film to the entire high schools and schools around the country. It moved me as an individual and I'd like to share it with my family so hear their perspective.
The first time I watched this video, I thought it was one of the most inspirational films I had ever seen. Now, watching it three years later, I find it even more inspirational because I know so much more about the history behind discrimination and the way African Americans were treated than I did then. I think Mrs. Elliot was very courageous in doing the study she did with her class because today that style of teaching would definitely not be accepted by society. However, I do believe the whole country could benefit from this type of education because discrimination still occurs today in the form of stereotypes and racial profiling. Mrs. Elliot's class obviously benefitted from this lesson and even after many years they remembered it and allowed it to impact their lives each and everyday. The key lesson Mrs. Elliot taught her students was that you can't judge a person by what's on the outside, but rather by what's in their heart, and I think this is something that more people should take into consideration and live by.
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