Like Anne, I enjoyed reading The Book Thief and I was surprised that I hadn't read it before this class. It's just the kind of novel that I'd pick up when browsing the shelves of Borders. I also was distracted by the narrator cutting in all the time, but I learned to embrace the omniscient nature of Death and actually look forward to what he would tell me next. I was first intrigued by the character of Liesel because she didn't give me a lot of information about herself, as I'm used to with a protagonist character. I was glad my buddy, Death, was always there to fill in the gaps. I think the only way to teach this novel is to pair it with other WWII and Holocaust pieces. I liked the new perspective from the traditional Diary of Anne Frank and even Night, but I think this story is best paired with a non-fiction piece to help hammer some of the main ideas home. I also loved the color references and how Death gave me a snippet of how and why those colors were important to various upcoming scenes.
I first saw A Class Divided during another graduate class. I was equally horrified and intrigued. It really made me think about how discrimination affects people to their core, forever. I don't know that this experiment would be permitted in a third grade classroom today, but I applaud Jane Elliot for her success with the eye color experiment. She's secretly one of my educational heroes and I can appreciate not only the experiment, but the planning, thought, and preparation that went into it. What an awesome teacher she must have been! I felt the need to see what others thought of her experiment, so I looked her up on Wikipedia (I know...not the best source, but certainly the fastest!). If I believe what is sourced there, Jane Elliot is no longer welcome in her small town of Riceville, Iowa. If you're wondering about the other side of the coin, check out the "Legacy of the original exercise" on Wikipedia. I think she's awesome, but I can appreciate why not everyone would, especially in 2009.
The first thing I noticed about the "Teaching Holocaust Literature" article was that it was written by a teacher who works in Chambersburg. I love that. The sentence completion exercise was the first point that made me go, "Hmmm..." I think it's a valid exercise, and I can appreciate the ways it makes students analyze their own discriminatory patterns, but I would definitely have to rework it in the middle school classroom. What I liked the most about the article was how the author works to make the literature she teaches relate to her students, whether they believe it does or not. Half the battle is convincing the kids that it's worth their time and that they DO have something to gain by reading text outside their comfort zone or depth of knowledge and awareness. I was shocked that kids swore at her based on her lesson, but maybe that's the difference between school districts and grade levels. For those of you who wondered what I thought about that, I was equally horrified. I'm glad my students would not think to utter such words, much less direct them at me.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
American Born Chinese
I've heard good things about our next novel, Persepholis, but when I saw that both American Born Chinese and Persepholis were graphic novels, I was fairly certain I would not only have difficulty reading them, but wouldn't be able to get into the story. I was sorely mistaken on both accounts.
I started American Born Chinese by reading the ABC portion inside the flap of the front cover and learned how three stories would be combined into one in this novel. That intrigued me. I found it more alluring than the information on the back of Boy Meets Boy because there were only three main characters to worry about. I wanted to see where their stories would take me. I decided to stop judging the format of this novel and try to enjoy it.
This novel is an "easy read" in terms of how quickly the reader can move through it from beginning to end, but there are some complexities that I didn't expect to find. It wasn't all about the expressions the characters had on their faces when they delivered lines, but the writing that made them stand out to me. I did, however, enjoy the Batman-esq "Bang!" "Pow!" "Whack!" that I couldn't help but look at (and laugh at) during the Monkey King parts of the story. I found that the characters were well-developed and the storyline held my attention until the very end. There is no question that my students would EAT THIS UP, hook, line, and sinker. The graphic novel is great for reluctant readers (much like I thought Monster would be, but for different reasons). I always urge my students to select novels that have more words than pictures, but in this case, it's a bit different. American Born Chinese has the relation factor that other novels may not have - the language and struggles of the characters are ones that my students also use and face every day.
I'm not sure what else I would use to teach this novel as supplemental materials in terms of other graphic novels, cultural novels or materials, or even something completely different. I'm anxious to hear what others have to say after our discussion last week about "teaching culture" versus exposing students to various cultures through the literature they read. I would, however, consider incorporating items from a colleague's recent trip to China to perhaps reverse the way the characters felt upon their arrival in America and allow students to experience being "different" in a culture they don't fully understand.
As for the article, "Cultural Reflections," I found myself nodding in agreement and feeling that I could have written several of Gaughan's experiences about my own first-year teaching experience. One essential question that came to the surface during my reading was, "How can teachers continue to improve their practices and pedagogy?" Gaughan's answer is found in reflections the teacher writes himself/herself. I WISH I had the time (or energy) during my first year to keep a journal log of my experiences teaching in a city school district. As I think back, I remember kids spitting sunflower seeds into the heater vents, finding a cockroach running up my neatly-constructed bulletin board, locking my belongings up with a padlock every day (and still having $20 stolen from my desk drawer), and breaking up fights that left desks askew and the remnants of hair weaves on my classroom floor. If I were the crying type, I would have been in tears every day.
I learned from my first year that I'm the surviving type. This is only because there were little glimmers of hope that occurred as well: a Thank You note from one of my English as a Secondary Language learners who really took command of the English language that year, a stuffed bear I received as a gift from one of my students (which still lives in my classroom today), the first time I demanded that paragraphs be turned in on time and they actually were (in the spring semester), and the one and only time every student in my class received a 100% on the weekly spelling words, due mostly to the in-class strategies I used once I figured out these kids weren't going to do any work at home (which was also a spring semester revelation).
It is because of these experiences, both good and bad, that I am the teacher I am today. I may have hated having to go through my first year, but having made it through that time, I wouldn't trade it for anything. As Gaughan mentioned, most teachers get into education because they had a favorite teacher when they were students themselves. I had many favorite teachers and when students enjoy my class and learn from my teaching, I feel that I've come full circle.
I started American Born Chinese by reading the ABC portion inside the flap of the front cover and learned how three stories would be combined into one in this novel. That intrigued me. I found it more alluring than the information on the back of Boy Meets Boy because there were only three main characters to worry about. I wanted to see where their stories would take me. I decided to stop judging the format of this novel and try to enjoy it.
This novel is an "easy read" in terms of how quickly the reader can move through it from beginning to end, but there are some complexities that I didn't expect to find. It wasn't all about the expressions the characters had on their faces when they delivered lines, but the writing that made them stand out to me. I did, however, enjoy the Batman-esq "Bang!" "Pow!" "Whack!" that I couldn't help but look at (and laugh at) during the Monkey King parts of the story. I found that the characters were well-developed and the storyline held my attention until the very end. There is no question that my students would EAT THIS UP, hook, line, and sinker. The graphic novel is great for reluctant readers (much like I thought Monster would be, but for different reasons). I always urge my students to select novels that have more words than pictures, but in this case, it's a bit different. American Born Chinese has the relation factor that other novels may not have - the language and struggles of the characters are ones that my students also use and face every day.
I'm not sure what else I would use to teach this novel as supplemental materials in terms of other graphic novels, cultural novels or materials, or even something completely different. I'm anxious to hear what others have to say after our discussion last week about "teaching culture" versus exposing students to various cultures through the literature they read. I would, however, consider incorporating items from a colleague's recent trip to China to perhaps reverse the way the characters felt upon their arrival in America and allow students to experience being "different" in a culture they don't fully understand.
As for the article, "Cultural Reflections," I found myself nodding in agreement and feeling that I could have written several of Gaughan's experiences about my own first-year teaching experience. One essential question that came to the surface during my reading was, "How can teachers continue to improve their practices and pedagogy?" Gaughan's answer is found in reflections the teacher writes himself/herself. I WISH I had the time (or energy) during my first year to keep a journal log of my experiences teaching in a city school district. As I think back, I remember kids spitting sunflower seeds into the heater vents, finding a cockroach running up my neatly-constructed bulletin board, locking my belongings up with a padlock every day (and still having $20 stolen from my desk drawer), and breaking up fights that left desks askew and the remnants of hair weaves on my classroom floor. If I were the crying type, I would have been in tears every day.
I learned from my first year that I'm the surviving type. This is only because there were little glimmers of hope that occurred as well: a Thank You note from one of my English as a Secondary Language learners who really took command of the English language that year, a stuffed bear I received as a gift from one of my students (which still lives in my classroom today), the first time I demanded that paragraphs be turned in on time and they actually were (in the spring semester), and the one and only time every student in my class received a 100% on the weekly spelling words, due mostly to the in-class strategies I used once I figured out these kids weren't going to do any work at home (which was also a spring semester revelation).
It is because of these experiences, both good and bad, that I am the teacher I am today. I may have hated having to go through my first year, but having made it through that time, I wouldn't trade it for anything. As Gaughan mentioned, most teachers get into education because they had a favorite teacher when they were students themselves. I had many favorite teachers and when students enjoy my class and learn from my teaching, I feel that I've come full circle.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Monster and Multiculturalism
I've always been a fan of reading texts that investigate cultural backgrounds different than my own. It's interesting that the first unit I teach at the start of each new year is interwoven with multiculturalism. This unit teaches students about all aspects of informative text, though our focus is on personal memoirs. The culminating activity for this unit, which we just finished typing last week, was a personal memoir detailing a memorable or life-changing event that occurred in the past. My texts of choice when teaching about personal memoirs? Amy Tan's "Fish Cheeks" and Bill Cosby's "The Only Girl in the World for Me" from his book, Love and Marriage. Do I have a large number of Asian or African American students who would select these memoirs if left to their own devices? Probably not. The common theme is that both memoirs detail events that occurred when the authors were ages 12 and 14, and that's how I draw my students in.
Hade's article reminded me of this point when I read his perspective on multiculturalism in the classroom on page 240. He writes that multiculturalism exists in three different aspects. First, it examines how western culture views other cultures. Second, "Multiculturalism means searching for ways to affirm and celebrate difference, while also seeking ways to cooperate and collaborate across different groups of people." This is why I choose to incorporate different cultures into the first unit of study I teach. The third aspect that Hade discusses "is a reform movement based upon equity and justice." Multiculturalism should foster equity between all cultures, races, classes, and genders in society. The last part of this section of Hade's article that I found interesting was when he discussed us becoming tourists in the practice of multiculturalism. He writes about students learning what they can from different cultures without understanding how to "effect real change." I think the job of the classroom teacher is to make clear how cultural differences affect students and make a link between the reader and the author of multicultural works. My students are more aware of traditional Chinese customs and what it was like growing up as an African American in the city of Philadelphia because I selected works that could open their minds to the cultures that exist outside of suburban Mechanicsburg.
I think that teaching Monster would be another way to further expand the minds of students who do not typically read texts that involve African American protagonists. Would suburban white kids find a link between their own lives and that of Steve Harmon's? I think they would. One of the themes of Monster involves actions and consequences, which is a very real thing. Myers writes at the end of the novel, "As the author, I'll be satisfied if the reader forms their own opinions about these decisions and the consequences." I think that's the point behind teaching multicultural texts - allowing students to form their own opinions and make their own connections, which will hopefully lead to a worthwhile learning experience.
Hade's article reminded me of this point when I read his perspective on multiculturalism in the classroom on page 240. He writes that multiculturalism exists in three different aspects. First, it examines how western culture views other cultures. Second, "Multiculturalism means searching for ways to affirm and celebrate difference, while also seeking ways to cooperate and collaborate across different groups of people." This is why I choose to incorporate different cultures into the first unit of study I teach. The third aspect that Hade discusses "is a reform movement based upon equity and justice." Multiculturalism should foster equity between all cultures, races, classes, and genders in society. The last part of this section of Hade's article that I found interesting was when he discussed us becoming tourists in the practice of multiculturalism. He writes about students learning what they can from different cultures without understanding how to "effect real change." I think the job of the classroom teacher is to make clear how cultural differences affect students and make a link between the reader and the author of multicultural works. My students are more aware of traditional Chinese customs and what it was like growing up as an African American in the city of Philadelphia because I selected works that could open their minds to the cultures that exist outside of suburban Mechanicsburg.
I think that teaching Monster would be another way to further expand the minds of students who do not typically read texts that involve African American protagonists. Would suburban white kids find a link between their own lives and that of Steve Harmon's? I think they would. One of the themes of Monster involves actions and consequences, which is a very real thing. Myers writes at the end of the novel, "As the author, I'll be satisfied if the reader forms their own opinions about these decisions and the consequences." I think that's the point behind teaching multicultural texts - allowing students to form their own opinions and make their own connections, which will hopefully lead to a worthwhile learning experience.
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