https://padlet.com/bekaadie/3hm463jnv3yl4g5r en-us 2021-09-20 00:09:50 UTC 2024-05-17 14:40:03 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f3eb.png bekaadie https://padlet.com/bekaadie/3hm463jnv3yl4g5r/wish/1754636918 My lens in this school policy was strongly influenced by the fact that I was educated in a country in which school uniforms were the norm. I wore a uniform every day from K through 12. I distinctly remember hating it and finding any way I could to fudge the rules. Looking back now, I would not change it. Weird, I know, but wearing a uniform gave me an identity and pride in my school, it reduced stress on me and my parents around buying and wearing outfits, and it did help me stay more focused. Sometimes when I got home from school, I would leave my uniform on to do my homework for that very reason. I also come from a country that does not value freedom of speech to the same degree as here in the US, and we do not consider our clothes as a method of expression with the same intensity either. 
I do not know which side of the uniform debate I agree with most, on the one hand, as an adult, I do see the benefits for school officials, parents and even sometimes to the students, of school uniforms. Especially after the huge debate over my 5-year-old wanting to wear her flowergirl dress to school. On the other hand, I know children in the US would hate wearing a uniform as much as I did, probably more so as Americans value their freedom of speech so much. I also think that there are problems with uniforms and religious expression as they typically would not allow things like a hijab. 

]]> 2021-09-20 16:30:13 UTC https://padlet.com/bekaadie/3hm463jnv3yl4g5r/wish/1754636918 bekaadie https://padlet.com/bekaadie/3hm463jnv3yl4g5r/wish/1754731651 I find this video an interesting and humorous look at at a social experiment of wearing a school uniform. Instead of an intellectual debate it helps to show how it feels to wear a uniform. For me, because I wore a uniform throughout my education, I could identify with the girls as they struggled with the restrictiveness. It also offers an American perspective to my more Australian one. ]]> 2021-09-20 17:01:08 UTC https://padlet.com/bekaadie/3hm463jnv3yl4g5r/wish/1754731651 bekaadie https://padlet.com/bekaadie/3hm463jnv3yl4g5r/wish/1757404803 This short blog from a school that has a uniform policy tries to explain their reasoning, providing an opportunity to try on a school official lens. As potential teachers, it is worth considering how a uniform could possibly enhance learning whilst also saving time dealing with issues around a vague dress code policy. Their points about safety and community I tend to agree with from my own experiences with wearing a uniform. During field trips, it is most certainly easier to spot children in uniforms allowing teachers to keep better watch on their students and also gives students who might get distracted and wander off a way to easily find their classmates. ]]> 2021-09-21 14:39:03 UTC https://padlet.com/bekaadie/3hm463jnv3yl4g5r/wish/1757404803 bekaadie https://padlet.com/bekaadie/3hm463jnv3yl4g5r/wish/1757538197 This opinion piece from The New Yorker is written from a fathers perspective. What I found interesting was his initial argument was freedom of speech and how uniforms inhibit this.  Whilst he does mention some of the other downsides of a uniform policy, I felt like his overall argument was about giving students the right to free speech and to him that means the freedom to wear the clothes that best express one's speech. ]]> 2021-09-21 15:15:43 UTC https://padlet.com/bekaadie/3hm463jnv3yl4g5r/wish/1757538197 bekaadie https://padlet.com/bekaadie/3hm463jnv3yl4g5r/wish/1760552098 This article from Thoughco is a good starting place for understanding the debate on a school uniform policy. Both sides of the argument are listed and additional information about a supreme court ruling which impacted dress code and uniform polies is provided at the bottom. However, it is slightly biased towards the pro side. The article includes information about parent and student support for uniforms but does not include information about those who do not support it. ]]> 2021-09-22 16:18:16 UTC https://padlet.com/bekaadie/3hm463jnv3yl4g5r/wish/1760552098 bekaadie https://padlet.com/bekaadie/3hm463jnv3yl4g5r/wish/1760595463 This cartoon is part of a article about the history of school uniforms. The article is very interesting and shows how the lens of the US as a collective was shaped. I found the cartoon funny because historically it seems that uniforms have created this pushback around student freedoms. However, the cartoon illustrates the tendency of students to want to look like their peers, which is kind of what a school uniform does.
The full article is here: https://school-uniforms.procon.org/history-of-school-uniforms/. ]]> 2021-09-22 16:33:25 UTC https://padlet.com/bekaadie/3hm463jnv3yl4g5r/wish/1760595463 bekaadie https://padlet.com/bekaadie/3hm463jnv3yl4g5r/wish/1764445494 Short and curly is a podcast series designed for kids that explores ethical questions and ideas. In this particular episode they look at the uniform debate. What is interesting is the comparisons between the kids they interview in Brisbane, Australia and those in Cleveland, Oklahoma. The Aussie kids are a lot more positive about uniforms, they either like it or don't mind them. However, the kids from the US have a much stronger and negative opinion. "I hate wearing a uniform" or "Some people want to be extraordinary and wear what they want to wear.” It really shows the cultural impact of uniforms. When you grow up wearing them, you might wonder what is the point of them but not enough to question the status quo. if you grow up in a highly individualistic society, the idea of uniforms is a threat to your freedom.

]]> 2021-09-24 01:16:56 UTC https://padlet.com/bekaadie/3hm463jnv3yl4g5r/wish/1764445494