1. What were some things that you did to create your role through use of language, information in/images used for your bio?
First of all, I knew that my own thoughts were bound to leak out, so I picked a perspective that I could relate to, a public school student's parent opposed to the proposed dismantle of the public school system.
2. What arguments were you making to convince other roles to support your position?
My main arguments were that I didn't have the time or money to homeschool my child, or send them to a charter or private school. I believe in the government's role of providing tax-paying families with educating their children.
3. What evidence or reasons were your employing to support your positions? Do you think that this evidence or reasons were effective in convincing others to adopt your positions?
I cited other countries and their stance on educating their youth. On the other hand, I disagreed with countries like Germany that administer tests that either send students to the work force, technical school, or University, depending on their scores. Given this logic, students wouldn't be able to enjoy their extra curricular activities or social lives because they are so worried about passing a test that will predict their future. My character in this role-play didn't well in high school and barely made it to college. Once enrolled in college, she excelled and graduated wit ha good GPA. She wouldn't want her child to take a test that determines their future based on their academic level at grade 10.
4. Which roles had the most versus least power in this role-play? What are some reasons that these roles did or did not have power? What were some strategies that the roles with power employed?
I felt like the business owners and principles had the most power and the students and parent had the least because these people make the decisions and have the money and power to change. The parents and students have to fight in large numbers to get the results that one administrator can make in an instant.
5. Were there differences between your personal beliefs and those of your role? Did your own personal beliefs on this issue change at all due to the role-play?
I guess I became more open to a change in the system when it was proposed that it could still be a public school system, just a different one. But them again, why don't we just reform rather than dismantle?
6. How might you use an online role-play in your teacher to address certain issues or teacher about an event or text?
I think it would be great to use to get to know a character in a book better. Also, students learn that they have to defend their arguments rather than just host them. Furthermore, students can learn a lot by choosing another point of view, like being a devil's advocate. Their opinions may change after assuming another role.
I've never done one of these role-plays where I directly mirror the beliefs that drive me as an educator. I think it would be interesting, but I imagine it's harder to distinguish the facts that you already believe before the roleplay from the facts you find from the role play. This exercise would be interesting to do with something from literature, I have not done that, but I've done creative writing with perspective taking portions, that have allowed students to conduct similar role playing without the one on one interaction. Maybe I should be more opening to using this role play as a way of letting this into the classroom.
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