“You’re just like Kris Jenner, Ms. Madrid”.
-Grade 11 DP History Student on May 8th, 2015
That was a new one for me. I’ve never been compared to the matriarch of a family known for living their life on reality TV. So when I was compared to someone Urban Dictionary describes as “a fame hungry control freak who wishes she was 25” I got a little scared.*
But it was a compliment. I swear.
My grade 11 DP history kids created some kick-butt Crash Course–style videos. The videos were funny, informative, and clearly my kids had worked hard on them. I may be a little prejudiced, but I think they’re fantastic. So I wanted to share them with the world. I asked them to change their YouTube settings to public and I asked for permission to tweet them out. These kids, who moments before were squirming in their seats when their 10 classmates were watching, wanted me to share them as quickly as possible. And when I was having issues with YouTube the same kids were posting them on blogs that are looking a little dusty.
Some more awesome #16hisyis @TheCrashCourse videos, including @dionjdavis http://t.co/V9otmuWIIf & https://t.co/pwPqqVYcdR cc:@johngreen
— Rebekah Madrid (@ndbekah) May 11, 2015
Loving the @TheCrashCourse style videos made by my #ibdp history kids! https://t.co/ZQtWrWa9ED & https://t.co/TIMyMbQQqv cc:@johngreen
— Rebekah Madrid (@ndbekah) May 11, 2015
And it was in this confusion of sharing and technology snafus that I was called Kris Jenner.
When I asked my student to follow up her statement, she said I was trying to make them famous like Kris Jenner made her kids famous. They were excited I thought something they shared was cool enough to tweet out to my 2000 followers.** And of course they’re not going to be famous because of my one tweet. Nor do I want them to be. But I do want their voices heard. I hope they will feel special that I cc’d @johngreen on the message. And I hope they might get just a tiny bit excited when this blog post pings back to theirs. And if they hit double digits on their YouTube videos, that might be kind of cool. This isn’t about keeping up with the Kardashians***, but about telling my students that I think what they have to say is worth other people hearing.
Sometimes I check in with myself to make sure I’m using Twitter and building my PLN for the right reasons. But if I can give my students a voice outside the room, then I think I’m doing okay. And it’s little moments like this, when I’m compared to a woman who (according to the New York Times) “not just invaded the culture but metastasized into it”, that I think I might be doing something good.
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* There are days I wish I was 25, though. And there are days I might be a control freak.
** Kris Jenner laughs at this measly number, but it’s been 5 years building up to this point. Still surprises me people press that follow button.
*** I’ve actually never watched this show, so I have no real opinion on Kris Jenner beyond what I’ve learned just by being alive in the internet age. Not because I wouldn’t (I love terrible TV), but because I live overseas.
