Mancus, Dianne Sirna. "Influence Of Male Teachers On Elementary School Children's Stereotyping Of Teacher Competence." Sex Roles 26.3/4 (1992): 109-128. SocINDEX with Full Text. Web. 28 Mar. 2015.

In this journal article based on a qualitative and quantitative study, the researchers present the effects of a male teacher on kids in terms of the kids perspective of gender stereotypes. The article conclusion supports that having more diversity in teaching is good for education and helps combat stereotype. A large amount of the article focuses on methodology of the study. This helps makes the article more respectable because it shows the study was done with little bias. The authors use the survey result from the two groups and shows that male teachers have good benefits for students and yet having a male teacher does not influences kids in weather they want to be a teacher. This resource helps show the positive effects of male teachers and would be useful when describing the benefits of male teachers on kids.

Ellenburg, F.C. “Elementary Teachers: Male or Female." Journal of Teacher Education 26.3/4 (1975): 109-128. SocINDEX with Full Text. Fri. 28 Mar. 2015.

The academic article starts off informally. This is very unusual for such an article. This would often be seen as unprofessional. However, I feel it works for this article. It helps frame the subject of men in education. The author is male in education and he was able to tell his own story of what attracted him to it. The article is not reporting on on a study done by the authors. Rather it summarizes data from other studies in a comprehensive way and then it purposes what actions to take next. I liked the article. It first gives me more resources to draw from if that is ever the case. It also uses several studies to get it own results based on the different perspective of each study.

Hansen Paul, Mullholland Judith. "CARING AND ELEMENTARY TEACHING

" Journal of Teacher Education 56.3/4 (2005): SocINDEX with Full Text. Fri. 28 Mar. 2015.

This academic article was presented by teachers of an Australian university. The study focuses on a group of last year male education majors at the university. The focus of the study was the view of males with younger elementary students. The study was down mostly qualitatively and focuses mainly on quotes from the participants. For a qualitative study, the researchers went through great lengths to show the methods they use in the research. One of the interesting conclusion is a male perception of caring and teaching and how these perceptions change when they start actually teaching. It also reinforces the importance of males in education.

Etaugh, Claire, and Heidi Harlow. "Behaviors Of Male And Female Teachers As Related To Behaviors And Attitudes Of Elementary School Children." Journal Of Genetic Psychology 127.2 (1975): 163. Academic Search Complete. Web. 28 Mar. 2015.

This academic article focuses on the effects of the gender of a teacher on students. The data is highly qualitative. There is a good amount of focus on the method used. Overall there is some good info. One important side note is something that they barely mentioned in the method. They way they choose to observe kid was based on the seating chart which may not have been completely random. This research also support claims in contrast with what most of the other articles claimed. They did explain some of the reasons why they thought that it came about this way.

Sanatullova-Allison, Elvira. "Why Men Become Elementary School Teachers: Insights From An Elementary Teacher Education Program." Action In Teacher Education 31.4 (2010): 28-40. OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 28 Mar. 2015.

This academic article focuses on the reasons that men become teachers. It is a qualitative study based on interview with a few number of men used as case studies. The article focuses on specific cases and does not make generalisation. It does highlight trends between individual who goes into education as well as challenges they face and obstacles that could have dissuade them of going into it. The last focuses more on qualitative data that was gathered and comparing influences on males going into education along with that of those of females. It finds that even though the population is disportionate the reasoning for entering is often the same.

Chris Pelech

Dr.Walts

College Writing 2

30 March 2015

Project Proposal

For the final paper, the research service project, I am investigating males going to education, specificity elementary education. I want to focus on the perception of masculinity of the male teachers and of the students that they teach. I have several sources that show that men views of caring, for example, change from when they enter the field to when they actually have been teaching for several years (Hansen 5). Many of them did not think that caring was part of the job when they entered the field (Hansen 5). I would like to research more in-depth on what drew them into eduction and the things that could have detracted them. I think it would be interested to look into the economic choice of being in education and how that affects the perception of manliness. Since teachers do not get paid very well, how does this affects the old school view of the male as a provider. I also want to look into is this good students. Studies have shown that it has very little academic impact on the students (Mancus 2). Test results remain constant between male and female students and the gender bias in teaching was similar for male and female teachers (Mancus 2). However, it was shown to have good social effects (Mancus 2).. Having a more diverse teaching staff actively combated many stereotypes according to some of the sources I have found. It also tended to raise boys self esteem levels (Mancus 1). I want to focus on elementary students for several reasons. I think elementary education is one of the harder fields in education and at the same I think it is looked down on the most. I also think the care aspect of the job is an important part that would shape the view of masculinity of the male teachers because caring is in contrast with traditional male characteristics. 

Service Reflection

For my service hours I did two different activities.

The first activity I did was the transition program. The transition program is a program hosted by the department of Special Education at Lewis University. It was every other Monday from noon till 1pm. The program pairs up college students with college age students at the special education classes at the Lincoln Way schools. These kids are in a transition program, they still live with their parents until they are 22 and still go to school a bit but they are also starting to work in the real world. Dr.Sloan, who is also the director of Best Buddies, is in charge of this program for Lewis. The statement is as such very similar. The idea is making friends. Despite difference it is about making genuine friendships and having a good time with each other. We always met up in the courtyard. With the exception of myself, all of the other volunteers were special education majors or doubled in elementary education and special education. There were usually one or two males volunteer (including myself), although the students we worked with were split gender wise. Mostly we just played games like UNO or connect four. I loved the experience. The kids we worked with were of vastly ranging levels of functioning. Some kids needed a lot of help and we would need to help them find the washrooms. Other kids were very high functioning. If you saw them in public you might not know they had a major intellectual disability. I was surprised that I had genuine conversations about movies and food with them every time. Our culture likes to stigmatize them as being so different but the truth is there is more in common than what is different. One of the kids I worked with I really got along with well. He was a really happy 19 year old. He wore a Spiderman hoodie and he loved superheroes. I am a huge comic nerd. So we spent about a half hour talking about superheroes. He was just a real pleasant guy to spend time with, his positivity lifted my own spirits. Another experience I remember was one that shocked me. There was one student. He was 18 and just entered the transition program recently. He said he wish he could go to college. This was the first time I ever encountered some one in the program being aware of their own limits. It really shook me up. Every one of us are lucky. We have the abilities to shape our world. No matter what our original circumstances we can work to become smarter, stronger and more successful. Some people have limits and this was an uncomfortable thought I did not think about hard and long until this experience. I would definitely like to do more service work like this in the future. I realized that I had a lot of stereotypes but I worked with past them and realized that they were just that: stereotypes. When I move to Chicago I might try to work with a local chapter of best buddies or something similar.

The other work I did was with Free Geek Chicago. Free Geek Chicago is an organization with a mission of making technology available to everyone. It is a democratically ran, community lead, organization in Logan Square. They recycle old computers, resale old parts, puts together new computers and distribute them to those in need. They also educate people who do not know much about computers and have a build program (different from pure volunteer that I did) that allows people to work up to making their own computer. For middle income households, a desktop is a expectation. However, it is still as need in low income households but not all families have one. Free Geek goal is allow every family to have their own personal computer (“Free Geek”). The place is out of a cyber punk novel. The place is very much punk in itself. It in the basement of a building. You enter on the alley and go down steep stairs with a low ceiling and the only light bulb is flickering. Once in the basement, you are surrounded by row after rows of computers and parts. Free Geek teachers people about how to build computers and while they gain this skill they work on computers that are given to various charities. The volunteer group was diverse. People of every race and age (the minimum age is 14 but there were many kids who looked younger) where there. One of the lead volunteers, an older African American women, never had a computer before she learned about this place. She now is one of the lead volunteers and it has helped become more completive in the job market. She is not the stereotypical geek. Yet her knowledge and skill are enormous. Free Geek is about that: inclusion. It wants everyone to embrace their inner geekiness. I am planning to volunteer their more. They have open hacks where people can come in and learn to code that I am planning to help out with one day. I talked to Dr.Klump about having Lewis Comp Sci students volunteer there as well. It is nice being able to use specialized skills to help out. 

Works Cited

"FreeGeek Chicago." Free Geek. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 May 2015.