"Lizzie McGuire"

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Home : 2004 : March : 22

"Lizzie McGuire"
By Former Teacher

I'm revealing my sophisticated television viewing habits here, but does anyone watch the Disney Channel show "Lizzie McGuire"? Just last night (Sunday) was the episode where Lizzie and her friends Miranda and Gordo sign
up for a "Factathlon" to try to win a trip to Miami. The other team hits the books and studies dates and names. Lizzie's team's advisor has them act out history and play cards to learn math skills and listen to period music. During the match, the other team can answer all the questions and Lizzie's team bombs. But the friend Miranda has a very telling line: regarding the Emancipation

Proclamation, she says that President Lincoln signed it to bring slavery to the forefront of the conflict. He wanted to make a point. She doesn't remember exactly WHEN it was signed, but she sure knows WHY. Lizzie says she doesn't know when certain historical events took place, but she knows how the people felt and what is was like to live then.

Which is more important? Do we want students who can spout facts, or do we want informed citizens who know how to make choices and decisions because they understand why people made the choices they did in the past?

You really can learn a lot from television!

One test taken during one slice of time in student's life. Don't we all wish we were evaluated this way? Yeah, right.

I evaluate George Bush based on the day he determined that Iraq had WMD. And to be non-partisan, I evaluate Bill Clinton on the day he perjured himself regarding his affair. Nothing else they did matters, just one day in each president's tenure. (I'm not trying to be political; pick any event in any person's life. I'm just trying to make a point.)