Diversity in Literature

Switching gears into multiculturalism, I feel that literature can be a great conveyor of widespread cultural attitudes as well as revolutionary ideologies regarding diversity. Daniel Hade's article proved to be an interesting one. While at times I disagree with some of his ideas, these deterrents were certainly outweighed with valuable insight on how we perceive literature and the world around us. Although I don't think I could see "The Lion King," one of my childhood favorites, as a commentary on gender roles, Hade makes me think to look deeper for these meanings into the texts that don't always have a clear message or theme about such issues. "Reading is inherently social and is dominated by culture. And the meanings we hold about race, class and gender... mediate how we interpret text" (Hade 3). When introducing and discussing these meanings in the classroom, Hade advises a slightly guided teaching strategy. He struggles with a learning-based approach and one that is too leading, so I think finding that balance, no matter what you are teaching, is imporant. He also states if you are too forceful with these topics you run the risk of "denying my students' freedom to make their own meaning" (Hade 5).

To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic novel utilized in this respect. While it is commonly used for good reasons, I think this text would be best supplemented by more raw pieces on discrimination. Prose pieces and poems are favorable options because they are not long and provide a contrast to the novel. The video really showed how powerful assimilation activities can be if they are done correctly. At first I was a little shocked to see something like this done with children so young, but I think the simulation was a complete success and it was done carefully and smartly. I have heard of such studies before as the one the teacher did correlating the children's academic performance with their position within the class, but in a modern sense it never hurts to be reminded how many students have private issues going on and are not able or willing to focus on their studies

Overall, from my readings I feel that I have learned to 1. look for multiculturalist views in texts where I wouldn't usually think to look 2. create opportunities to discuss these themes with your class.  With the second of these comes a question I would like to ask my fellow bloggers... How should you teach in a way to challenge your students and encourage them to look for multiculturalistic attitudes in their texts and everyday lives? Is it at all possible to change students' perspectives on learned cultural issues and beliefs? If so, how? I think one of the best ways is relating it to the students' lives and putting the concepts in a modern sense. We as English teachers will be teaching history when we teach literature because the latter is framed within the context of the time period. Texts we read today are viewed as classics mainly because they made a difference in their time, and when the students are given enough supplementary information to put the piece in that context, they might be able to predict the social consequences that were invoked.

Comics and Technology!

Before reading "The Conventions of Comics," I thought it would be neat to teach a graphic novel in my classroom but I didn't understand how much doing so would support the multiple intelligences and learning styles, and also introspective and analytical skills. Just as a large portion of human comminucation is nonverbal, there are many important messages that can be overlooked if one does not notice all the parts of the comic. American Born Chinese may not have the most visually stimulating or complex artwork, but it is a piece that many young adults can relate to and it teaches a good lesson: to embrace yourself and be proud of who you are. It goes without saying that students with ethnically rich backgrounds might appreciate a story like this, but I believe so would other students who maybe just feel like they do not fit in. I would probably teach this to a middle school LA class or maybe to a class where it is their first year of high school. The illustrated story is definitely a project I want to use with my students. It gives them a chance to express themselves, but even students that maybe don't have as much artistic skill can use a camera and still make an appealing work of art.

Coming from a high school that didn't have a lot of technological resources at its disposal, incorporating technology in my classroom is something I need to stay on top of. This is my first time blogging, for instance. But if there is one thing the younger generations are in tune with, it is technology and it seems like an opportune gateway to get students interested and uninhibited. I heard there's a SmartBoard class on campus and that would definitely be a good choice for any teacher, even ones (who aren't like me!) and haven't had the chance to use one in-depth. I observed a teacher at Greencastle-Antrim High School who let her students use the classroom laptops to do a similar project, which I believe were called photostories. They had to string together images that went along with a presentation they would give on background knowledge to the text. This teacher also used blogging as a tool, and I recall it really got some of the students to come out of their shells. After all, for some it is much less stressful to sit at home in your room and blog about your thoughts than saying it in front of all your peers on the spot. I want to take my students beyond Powerpoint to see what they can really do.

What Do Students Think of Reading?

Wilhelm's assessment of New Criticism, the intentional and affective fallacies, etc. really got me thinking on how much I value each side of teaching any text: the author, the teacher and the student. While the author of a piece had certain intentions when they wrote it, one can argue that text has no meaning until it is read because the reader's experience from the text is what gives it meaning. I have to say I somewhat agree. There is usually an accepted idea of authorial intentions from any given piece, and while I think this should be highly regarded, I also believe the student's initial reaction to the text is of great value. While the context in which a work was written is important to associate with it, sometimes maybe it is better to just let a student read something and hear their uninterrupted reaction within a modern context. Therefore, the student's reactions comes first and authorial intention second while the teacher is there to mediate and give his/her own interpretations when necessary (if that makes sense!).

When I first started reading the case studies of Joanne, Cora and Ron, I noticed it was a sharp contrast to having just read about the author's eighth grade remedial reading class in the introduction and some of the students in the first chapter. But as a teacher I will teach students who will be into everything I teach, who will resist everything I teach or just struggle time after time, and everyone in between. I thought it was really interesting how Cora said she only watches TV when she is sick and doesn't feel like thinking. It reminded me of how I am always preaching that TV is a passive activity and reading is an actively engaging one. When the three students write metaphors for their perceptions of reading, I thought this would be a cool activity to do on the first day of class. It could be a nice little add-on to the standard first day introductions and you can still get a feel for your students in relation to the class. You could even keep them until the end of the year and see if the students' opinions have changed at all. Wilhelm really makes it an agenda to make readers out of students, or at least to help them see the value in reading, and I think such an accomplishment would be priceless.

Literacy Profile

Growing up, I can always remember reading a bedtime story with my mom. Even when I was old enough to read on my own, for the longest time we would read to each other, whether it was Harry Potter or Redwall series. Throughout school, I read more of adolescent literature like Holes and Speak. I do not believe I was exposed to enough of the classics. I never really used to read for pleasure until recently, and I still probably don't read as much as the average English sec ed major. But when I do, I really enjoy reading nonfiction accounts. Right now I'm working on Shantaram and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. I also like reading science fiction, like A Wrinkle in Time.

Although I don't get as much time to leisurely read as I would like, I recognize how important reading is both from an English perspective and out of it. Reading skills are important in any subject to get a solid education. Outside of the classroom, you need to be able to read in order to communicate whether it is in your career or any other everyday application. I also believe reading is important for the creative mind. When you're watching TV, you're passively taking in everything on the screen just like everyone else does. But when you're reading, you're actively constructing the story in your mind, painting a unique picture in your mind. I want to convince my students that reading is important for all these reasons, and that they can read about whatever they are interested in.