Hello Everyone,
Please follow this link to view my social story. This is a personal story of my struggles with sexual identity from childhood to my current status as a happily married man. I have also embedded the story here, but the link might provide a better view. This is still a draft, so please offer any constructive feedback. All comments are welcome of course. 🙂
http://misterhb.edu.glogster.com/comingout/
Stephen
Unsurprisingly, on a personal level I love this. Which is wholly distinct from my assessing the assignment itself. 🙂
Max and I got married in 2004. Being gay seemed so traumatic 20+ years ago. Now it seems rather…normal. Homophobia, though, sometimes gives me a quick reminder. 🙁
Keep telling your story. Whatever medium you choose.
Hi John,
Thankfully it does seem rather normal now, but homophobia is still out there and is a quick reminder of why we shouldn’t go back to the closet. Being proud gay men in society should help everyone get over it – I hope! Diversity is a huge and important issue and I think teachers may not talk about it enough in the classroom. There should be ongoing conversations regarding gender identity, sexuality, diverse families, etc., so our kids get to see a normal that is not always that visible.
🙂
Cheers
Stephen – this was a very very moving story and I am so glad that you felt comfortable enough with us to share it – you are so right in that it offers an opportunity for education – As I viewed your story, I had several young men in mind that “came out” during their final year in high school in my own classroom and suffered with them as they faced the consequences in our small community. Bravo to you – I wish I could have had a story like yours to show them for comfort.
As for your format, I had no idea that Glogster could be so enriching – I have seen examples of static posters that I thought were a bit too simplistic, but your addition of videos – created by yourself at that – made for a much more enriching experience.
Thanks again for sharing your story – it was great to see your face “live” as I could only hear your voice and view a photo of you during our Skype sessions.
Hi Stephen,
You used a powerful tool and I loved how you’ve integrated different media. Plus, the story itself is meaningful, and moving. As Brenda mentioned, your story encourages reflection on this issue and allows the community to empathize with those suffering from sexual segregation. May I ask your permission to share your story with a friend? He is an active participant of the movement for legalizing gay marriage in Chile.
Thanks for sharing!
Angela.
Hi Angela,
Please feel free to share my story with your friend in Chile, and you can also share my email if he would like to discuss anything with me further. My partner Dennis and I are encouraging educators in our school district to have conversations with students regarding sexuality and gender identity issues to support the normalizing of something that is quite normal.
My email: stephenhawkins@sd28.bc.ca
Cheers,
Stephen
Thanks Stephen! I will send your email and story to my friend. Wish you all the luck in this cause!
Cheers,
Angela.
Stephen,
Great job on your story. This Glog looks much better than what my students ever created. Of course beyond the Glog is the story that you have shared. Thank you for so open.
Ken S.