In each of the stories I chose, the issue of a child being encouraged to perform within their native culture and the culture in which they are assimilating into are addressed. Each year, there are more and more children that are being integrated into American classrooms from countries all over the world, such as Mexico, Somalia, and Burma. Having such a diverse group of children is a blessing, as the children and teacher involved have the opportunity to gain more from learning about one another’s culture beyond what a textbook has to offer.
The mistakes that were made by the teacher in La Mariposa should be a lesson learned for individuals that are going to be educating children that do not speak a single word of English. It is imperative to take those children slightly further under the wing, just as a child with a learning disability would need a little more help and encouragement when engaging in classroom lessons and activities. To leave them out is not fair, and neither is forbidding them to speak in their native language or bring traditions of their native culture to school with them, whether it be their language, dress, food, habits, etc. I Love Saturdays y domingos does an excellent job portraying the integration of two cultures, as it shows how beneficial the young girl in the story is to have two sets of grandparents that can teach her about where she comes from, and what makes her who she is in terms of her current customs and traditions.
It is important that children who are either immigrants that speak only their native language, or those that are bi-lingual, are encouraged to assimilate into their new culture, but to keep their ties strongly held with their native culture. Teachers of these children should encourage them to participate in activities with their classmates and learn just as those around them are learning, but should also be allowed to engage with other children that speak their language, or are in the same boat in terms of learning a new language. Every child, no matter their race or ethnicity, comes from a different type of home where routines, traditions, and customs are different, but these differences should be seen as a positive way for them to learn from one another and get along with all different types of people based on gender, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc. Encouraging them to do so will only help them grow as people and broaden their perspectives for the future.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Bridge the Gap!
Nathenson-Mejía, Sally, Escamilla, Kathy. Connecting With Latino Children: Bridging Cultural Gaps with Children's Literature. Bilingual Research Journal. Washington: Spring 2003. Vol. 27, Iss. 1; pg. 101, 18 pgs
In the article I chose, it spoke of the importance of teacher’s relating to their students that are of different racial and ethnic backgrounds from their own by educating themselves on other cultures, and being able to provide their students with literature that they could relate to. A project was conducted for teachers-to-be to find quality multicultural literature for their classrooms and begin to create cultural connections between the literature they found, as well as their students. It focused solely on Latino/Latina literature, but strongly emphasized that teachers could use this method of finding quality pieces of multicultural literature to educate themselves on any race or ethnicity that they are unfamiliar with.
The four main goals of the project were as follows:
1. Create cultural connections between teacher candidates and their students.
2. Create connections between the books and children's lives (personal connections).
3. Enhance the verbal skills and abilities of their students in both Spanish and English.
4. Utilize literature to teach skills and strategies in reading and writing (Nathenson-Mejía).
The outcome of the project went rather well in terms of the teachers-to-be educating themselves on cultures different from their own, and were able to find quality literature to help their own understanding. In addition, passing this literature along to their students of both Latino and non-Latino descent helped them to feel as though they were included, as their language was integrated into the pages of the books their peers were reading. The results were documented as follows:
“The children's enthusiasm and the teacher candidate's reflection demonstrate that personal connections created by culturally familiar literature can be an effective means of engaging students in reading and writing” (Nathenson-Mejía).
As future teachers, it is imperative that we educate ourselves on different cultures so our future students feel as though they are understood. By finding multicultural literature that we can use to educate ourselves, and in turn have it in our classrooms for our students to find, we are doing a great service to ourselves and making students feel as though they belong.
In the article I chose, it spoke of the importance of teacher’s relating to their students that are of different racial and ethnic backgrounds from their own by educating themselves on other cultures, and being able to provide their students with literature that they could relate to. A project was conducted for teachers-to-be to find quality multicultural literature for their classrooms and begin to create cultural connections between the literature they found, as well as their students. It focused solely on Latino/Latina literature, but strongly emphasized that teachers could use this method of finding quality pieces of multicultural literature to educate themselves on any race or ethnicity that they are unfamiliar with.
The four main goals of the project were as follows:
1. Create cultural connections between teacher candidates and their students.
2. Create connections between the books and children's lives (personal connections).
3. Enhance the verbal skills and abilities of their students in both Spanish and English.
4. Utilize literature to teach skills and strategies in reading and writing (Nathenson-Mejía).
The outcome of the project went rather well in terms of the teachers-to-be educating themselves on cultures different from their own, and were able to find quality literature to help their own understanding. In addition, passing this literature along to their students of both Latino and non-Latino descent helped them to feel as though they were included, as their language was integrated into the pages of the books their peers were reading. The results were documented as follows:
“The children's enthusiasm and the teacher candidate's reflection demonstrate that personal connections created by culturally familiar literature can be an effective means of engaging students in reading and writing” (Nathenson-Mejía).
As future teachers, it is imperative that we educate ourselves on different cultures so our future students feel as though they are understood. By finding multicultural literature that we can use to educate ourselves, and in turn have it in our classrooms for our students to find, we are doing a great service to ourselves and making students feel as though they belong.
My Diary from Here to There/Mi diario de aqui hasta alla
Perez, Amada Irma. My Diary from Here to There/Mi diario de aqui hasta alla. San Francisco, California: Children’s Book Press, 2002.
In the story My Diary from Here to There/Mi diario de aqui hasta alla, a young girl named Amada must move with her family from Juarez, Mexico to Los Angeles, California. Her father had lost his job, and in order to support his wife and six children, they needed to move to the United States. Amada was less than thrilled, as she had grown up in Mexico, and loved her home, her beautiful country, and her family. She was also afraid that she would not be allowed to speak Spanish in America, and that she would be unable to learn English. The story is told from the perspective of her diary, so the reader is let into her most secret and deepest thoughts.
When it came time to leave and her family was driving along the Mexican/American border, she saw that both countries looked the same on each side. She then realized that as long as she had her family, she would be able to adapt to a new environment. Before she left Mexico, her Nana gave her a diary and told her to “Never forget who you are and where you come from. Keep your language and your culture alive in your diary and in your heart” (Perez). With this, Amada realized that just because she was moving to a country that was completely foreign to her, that did not mean that she had to forget about the life she had created in Mexico with her friends and family.
When children are forced to move with their family because there are better opportunities elsewhere, it is important that they understand that they are allowed to bring their culture with them, as it is at the core of their being. Amada was afraid that she would have to be an America when she moved, taking on the English language and forgetting everything she knew about being a Mexican. However, after her Nana and Papa encouraged her that it was acceptable and important for her to stay committed to her native culture, she realized that she was strong enough to accomplish that task. At the end she wrote in her diary: “Just because I’m far away from my friends and family, it does not mean they’re not here with me. They’re in your pages and the language that I speak; and they’re in my memories and my heart” (Perez).
In the story My Diary from Here to There/Mi diario de aqui hasta alla, a young girl named Amada must move with her family from Juarez, Mexico to Los Angeles, California. Her father had lost his job, and in order to support his wife and six children, they needed to move to the United States. Amada was less than thrilled, as she had grown up in Mexico, and loved her home, her beautiful country, and her family. She was also afraid that she would not be allowed to speak Spanish in America, and that she would be unable to learn English. The story is told from the perspective of her diary, so the reader is let into her most secret and deepest thoughts.
When it came time to leave and her family was driving along the Mexican/American border, she saw that both countries looked the same on each side. She then realized that as long as she had her family, she would be able to adapt to a new environment. Before she left Mexico, her Nana gave her a diary and told her to “Never forget who you are and where you come from. Keep your language and your culture alive in your diary and in your heart” (Perez). With this, Amada realized that just because she was moving to a country that was completely foreign to her, that did not mean that she had to forget about the life she had created in Mexico with her friends and family.
When children are forced to move with their family because there are better opportunities elsewhere, it is important that they understand that they are allowed to bring their culture with them, as it is at the core of their being. Amada was afraid that she would have to be an America when she moved, taking on the English language and forgetting everything she knew about being a Mexican. However, after her Nana and Papa encouraged her that it was acceptable and important for her to stay committed to her native culture, she realized that she was strong enough to accomplish that task. At the end she wrote in her diary: “Just because I’m far away from my friends and family, it does not mean they’re not here with me. They’re in your pages and the language that I speak; and they’re in my memories and my heart” (Perez).
I Love Saturdays y domingos
Ada, Alma Flor. I Love Saturdays y domingos. New York, New York: Schuster Children’s Publishing Division, 2002.
In I Love Saturdays y domingos, a young girl explains the differences and similarities between her time spent with her English-speaking grandparents, and her Spanish-speaking grandparents. On Saturdays, she spends time with her English-speaking grandparents and engages in activities such as watching movies about the circus, is told stories by her grandfather, and makes breakfast with her grandmother. On Sundays, she spends time with her Spanish-speaking grandparents. They take her to the seashore, fly kites, and play with their animals.
In this book, many Spanish words are integrated into the text when she was with her Spanish-speaking grandparents. The pages alternate between her activities with each set of grandparents, the American ones on the right, Spanish on the left. Each time she does an activity with one set of grandparents, she engages in a similar activity with the others on, so the words that are in Spanish were already spoken in English on the opposite page. This allows the reader to pick up on specific words and phrases, should they be interested.
The young girl in the story portrays to the reader that immersing themselves into two or more cultures is a fun way to experience life in two rather different ways. By spending time with each set of grandparents, she was able to educate herself on her family’s culture and heritage. She found that her grandparents had come from two very different backgrounds, and she was proud to be actively part of them, speaking two languages and taking part in traditions that both cultures had to offer.
In I Love Saturdays y domingos, a young girl explains the differences and similarities between her time spent with her English-speaking grandparents, and her Spanish-speaking grandparents. On Saturdays, she spends time with her English-speaking grandparents and engages in activities such as watching movies about the circus, is told stories by her grandfather, and makes breakfast with her grandmother. On Sundays, she spends time with her Spanish-speaking grandparents. They take her to the seashore, fly kites, and play with their animals.
In this book, many Spanish words are integrated into the text when she was with her Spanish-speaking grandparents. The pages alternate between her activities with each set of grandparents, the American ones on the right, Spanish on the left. Each time she does an activity with one set of grandparents, she engages in a similar activity with the others on, so the words that are in Spanish were already spoken in English on the opposite page. This allows the reader to pick up on specific words and phrases, should they be interested.
The young girl in the story portrays to the reader that immersing themselves into two or more cultures is a fun way to experience life in two rather different ways. By spending time with each set of grandparents, she was able to educate herself on her family’s culture and heritage. She found that her grandparents had come from two very different backgrounds, and she was proud to be actively part of them, speaking two languages and taking part in traditions that both cultures had to offer.
La Mariposa
Jimenez, Francisco. La Mariposa. Boston, Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998.
La Mariposa is the story of an immigrant child who moves from San Pedro, Mexico to California. When he begins school in America, he has a very difficult time fitting into the classroom, as he does not understand a word of English. Day after day, Francisco listens attentively to his teacher, but after hours of sounds that make no sense to him, he acquires headaches by the end of each day.
After meeting another boy in his classroom that spoke a little Spanish, he felt less timid about school. Francisco finally had someone that could relate to him and play with. However, when their teacher overheard their conversations, “She would say “NO ” with her whole body. Her head turned left and right a hundred times a second and her index finger moved from side to side as fast as a windshield wiper. “English English ” she repeated” (Jimenez). After this incident, Francisco’s friend Arthur avoided him whenever their teacher was around.
Forced back into silence, Francisco took an interest in a jar with a caterpillar in it next to his desk. Next to the jar lied a book with pictures of caterpillars and butterflies. Under each picture, a description of the stages a butterfly goes through were written, but in English. Francisco tried to figure out the words based on the picture, but he could not understand the words. During art lessons, Francisco did not understand the directions given to the class, so his teacher allowed him to do as he chose. Francisco drew several sketches of butterflies, and his teacher even hung one on the board, which flattered Francisco.
After several weeks, Francisco’s drawing disappeared from the board, but it was returned to him some time latter with a blue ribbon on it. Francisco was so proud of himself Eventually, he began to pick up on more English words, such as “okay” and “thank you”.
The process of assimilation for immigrant children is a long, hard road. Not only do they have to make new friends and get used to being a part of a new atmosphere, they must do it solely on reading others by their faces and reactions. This is due to the fact that they are unable to understand a single word that is being spoken. It is important for teachers to find ways to include their students, no matter what language they speak Also, the way in which the teacher reprimanded Francisco and his friend for speaking in Spanish was a terrible way to encourage Francisco to learn English. By scaring away his only friend that could interpret this strange new world Francisco was living in, she prolonged his learning of the English language even longer. I believe assisting English-learning students however possible and taking advantage of other bi-lingual students is the proper way for teachers to handle situations as in La Mariposa.
La Mariposa is the story of an immigrant child who moves from San Pedro, Mexico to California. When he begins school in America, he has a very difficult time fitting into the classroom, as he does not understand a word of English. Day after day, Francisco listens attentively to his teacher, but after hours of sounds that make no sense to him, he acquires headaches by the end of each day.
After meeting another boy in his classroom that spoke a little Spanish, he felt less timid about school. Francisco finally had someone that could relate to him and play with. However, when their teacher overheard their conversations, “She would say “NO ” with her whole body. Her head turned left and right a hundred times a second and her index finger moved from side to side as fast as a windshield wiper. “English English ” she repeated” (Jimenez). After this incident, Francisco’s friend Arthur avoided him whenever their teacher was around.
Forced back into silence, Francisco took an interest in a jar with a caterpillar in it next to his desk. Next to the jar lied a book with pictures of caterpillars and butterflies. Under each picture, a description of the stages a butterfly goes through were written, but in English. Francisco tried to figure out the words based on the picture, but he could not understand the words. During art lessons, Francisco did not understand the directions given to the class, so his teacher allowed him to do as he chose. Francisco drew several sketches of butterflies, and his teacher even hung one on the board, which flattered Francisco.
After several weeks, Francisco’s drawing disappeared from the board, but it was returned to him some time latter with a blue ribbon on it. Francisco was so proud of himself Eventually, he began to pick up on more English words, such as “okay” and “thank you”.
The process of assimilation for immigrant children is a long, hard road. Not only do they have to make new friends and get used to being a part of a new atmosphere, they must do it solely on reading others by their faces and reactions. This is due to the fact that they are unable to understand a single word that is being spoken. It is important for teachers to find ways to include their students, no matter what language they speak Also, the way in which the teacher reprimanded Francisco and his friend for speaking in Spanish was a terrible way to encourage Francisco to learn English. By scaring away his only friend that could interpret this strange new world Francisco was living in, she prolonged his learning of the English language even longer. I believe assisting English-learning students however possible and taking advantage of other bi-lingual students is the proper way for teachers to handle situations as in La Mariposa.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Final Project: Latino Literature
For my project, I want to focus on Latino/Latina children, and how they assimilate into a new culture (usually the American one), yet maintain their own language and culture. After searching for book reviews that pertained to my topic, I decided to go about it in two different ways.
First, I did a general search on Latina literature and found a few references to books within the article. This was helpful and led me in a direction to weed out a few books, and research some that I would potentially want to have in my classroom. My second tactic was to just go to the the library and check out a ton of books that seemed to be legitimate choices for not only my topic, but my classroom.
Now that I've set myself up with all of this information, I can't wait to dig into all of this material to offer up some suggestions for you on a topic that is rapidly growing in classrooms across America.
First, I did a general search on Latina literature and found a few references to books within the article. This was helpful and led me in a direction to weed out a few books, and research some that I would potentially want to have in my classroom. My second tactic was to just go to the the library and check out a ton of books that seemed to be legitimate choices for not only my topic, but my classroom.
Now that I've set myself up with all of this information, I can't wait to dig into all of this material to offer up some suggestions for you on a topic that is rapidly growing in classrooms across America.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Asian Pacific Americans: More Than 50 Different Groups!
In Sandra S. Yamate's article, she brings up the re-occurring issue Asian Pacific Americans must face quite often:
"Asian Pacific Americans are a diverse group. They are comprised of over fifty different ethnic groups who share no common history, language, religion, or culture. Some belong to families who have lived in the United States for five generations, no longer speaking any other language but English..."(Yamate, 96).
Quite honestly, while I was aware that there were more than two groups of Asians beyond Chinese and Japanese, I had no idea that there were over fifty ethnic groups. I can't imagine how frustrating it would if I was an American living in Burma and the Burmese thought I was German or Italian.
In Linda Park's Project Mulberry, Julia is put in this awkward position of being called Chinese:
“Well I reckon your momma will be able to get some good use out of them. Don’t Chinese people use a lot of peppers in cooking?” (139).
Julia was embarrassed and offended by this comment because she was, in fact, Korean. While it is clearly a sensitive subject for Pacific Asian Americans to be placed in the inappropriate ethnic group, children's stories and other sources that can inform those that sometimes make false and naive assumptions can be properly educated.
"Asian Pacific Americans are a diverse group. They are comprised of over fifty different ethnic groups who share no common history, language, religion, or culture. Some belong to families who have lived in the United States for five generations, no longer speaking any other language but English..."(Yamate, 96).
Quite honestly, while I was aware that there were more than two groups of Asians beyond Chinese and Japanese, I had no idea that there were over fifty ethnic groups. I can't imagine how frustrating it would if I was an American living in Burma and the Burmese thought I was German or Italian.
In Linda Park's Project Mulberry, Julia is put in this awkward position of being called Chinese:
“Well I reckon your momma will be able to get some good use out of them. Don’t Chinese people use a lot of peppers in cooking?” (139).
Julia was embarrassed and offended by this comment because she was, in fact, Korean. While it is clearly a sensitive subject for Pacific Asian Americans to be placed in the inappropriate ethnic group, children's stories and other sources that can inform those that sometimes make false and naive assumptions can be properly educated.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
I Get It!!!
Now that we're halfway through the class, I realize what the point of it is. When I was growing up, I was encouraged to find the lesson or the moral that lied within the text. After this week, however, I see that there are endless questions that can be asked by the teacher and/or the students to discover even more from the text.
I must admit I have felt somewhat discouraged the past few weeks. When we have gotten into groups and read stories that pertained to the topic we were discussing, the majority of the critiques of the books were negative. The discussion of the book often ended in "I would NOT have this book in my classroom." This led me to believe that those books were full of negative stereotypes and were ultimately not quality pieces of literature.
However, yesterday in class Deb stated that just because a book may have certain stereotypes, that does not mean a student should not be encouraged to read it. Even if the book does have stereotypes, some stereotypes are not meant to be offensive, and they can stem from some sort of truth. Beyond this, a book that may have negative material within it could be an excellent source for facilitating a discussion with the class. At this time, the teacher could ask a few probing questions to get the class really thinking about why the author chose to write their story in the manner they did.
When a text is throughly questioned, the reader has a better understanding of why the author chose to write the story from that particular perspective. I believe creating discussions based on questions that the students have is an excellent way to get to the root of the story, which is what critical literacy is all about. As teachers, we must encourage our students to ask questions, challenge their perspectives, clear their misconceptions, and be able to give them as detailed of an answer as possible to ensure critical questions in the future.
I must admit I have felt somewhat discouraged the past few weeks. When we have gotten into groups and read stories that pertained to the topic we were discussing, the majority of the critiques of the books were negative. The discussion of the book often ended in "I would NOT have this book in my classroom." This led me to believe that those books were full of negative stereotypes and were ultimately not quality pieces of literature.
However, yesterday in class Deb stated that just because a book may have certain stereotypes, that does not mean a student should not be encouraged to read it. Even if the book does have stereotypes, some stereotypes are not meant to be offensive, and they can stem from some sort of truth. Beyond this, a book that may have negative material within it could be an excellent source for facilitating a discussion with the class. At this time, the teacher could ask a few probing questions to get the class really thinking about why the author chose to write their story in the manner they did.
When a text is throughly questioned, the reader has a better understanding of why the author chose to write the story from that particular perspective. I believe creating discussions based on questions that the students have is an excellent way to get to the root of the story, which is what critical literacy is all about. As teachers, we must encourage our students to ask questions, challenge their perspectives, clear their misconceptions, and be able to give them as detailed of an answer as possible to ensure critical questions in the future.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
When Referring to People With Disabilities....
I thought the class would find this helpful after several people stated that they weren't sure what the correct or non-offensive terms to use were when referring to persons with disabilities or PWD's.
Do not say:
* normal person
* confined to a wheelchair
* afflicted
* crippled
* deaf and dumb
* gimp
* poor
* retarded
* suffering
* unfortunate
* victim
Instead, say:
* able-bodied or non-disabled
* wheelchair user
* refrain completely from the rest of the terms listed
Use respectful and descriptive words, such as "a person who is deaf", "a person with a learning disability", or "a person who has AIDS". They are, after all, a person FIRST and they want to be respected, appreciated, and productive, just like an able-bodied person in society.
Do not say:
* normal person
* confined to a wheelchair
* afflicted
* crippled
* deaf and dumb
* gimp
* poor
* retarded
* suffering
* unfortunate
* victim
Instead, say:
* able-bodied or non-disabled
* wheelchair user
* refrain completely from the rest of the terms listed
Use respectful and descriptive words, such as "a person who is deaf", "a person with a learning disability", or "a person who has AIDS". They are, after all, a person FIRST and they want to be respected, appreciated, and productive, just like an able-bodied person in society.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Acceptable Terminology
The readings were very helpful in terms of learning the "politically correct" terminology when referring to people with disabilities. What was even more helpful was the way in which Linton broke down some of the "nasty" words like cripple and described exactly why it is so offensive. It is important as a future educator to know the "nice words" to use when referring to or speaking with a child who has a disability. It would also be helpful if a parent of a student had a disability. After reading Al Capone Does My Shirts and seeing how hurt Moose was when his peers asked him if his sister was "retarded", the readings were solidified, as he was very offended by them call her such a hurtful name. There is a plethora of information on people with disabilities for people without to educate themselves with. Teachers especially need to use this information so they can properly educate their students about what is appropriate and what is not.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Look Inside. That's Where It Counts.
After reading Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes, I felt as though I had been given a very rare opportunity to get inside the heads of 18 people that could not have come from more diverse backgrounds. While the author could obviously not have gone through every experience the individuals she wrote about did, she really seemed to touch on very specific problems that not only teens, but people of all ages face in terms of race, gender, physical appearance, and loss of family members.
In regards to our insider/outsider discussions, this reminded me of a specific passage in Jacqueline Woodson's article that stated: "While I have never been Jewish, I have always been a girl. While I have never lived on the Upper West Side, I have lived for a long time in New York" (43, Woodson). She is simply stating that although she does not personally possess all of the qualities that her characters do, that does not make her unable to create an interesting story with situations that are concealed in today's society. I feel as though Grimes took the same path when writing Bronx Masquerade. She can not be all of the races that she describes in her story, but she does seem to make accurate assumptions about the students she creates. She then successfully tells the story of 18 people that seem to have nothing in common, but with encouragement to tell their own story, find out just how well they are understood by their peers.
In regards to our insider/outsider discussions, this reminded me of a specific passage in Jacqueline Woodson's article that stated: "While I have never been Jewish, I have always been a girl. While I have never lived on the Upper West Side, I have lived for a long time in New York" (43, Woodson). She is simply stating that although she does not personally possess all of the qualities that her characters do, that does not make her unable to create an interesting story with situations that are concealed in today's society. I feel as though Grimes took the same path when writing Bronx Masquerade. She can not be all of the races that she describes in her story, but she does seem to make accurate assumptions about the students she creates. She then successfully tells the story of 18 people that seem to have nothing in common, but with encouragement to tell their own story, find out just how well they are understood by their peers.
Arab Americans in the 2000's
In regards to the readings last week, I had to raise my eyebrows when it was stated that Arab Americans are going to be the Japanese Americans of the 2000's. I know how difficult it was for my grandpa when my older brother had a Japanese girlfriend in high school. Being a World War II veteran, it was hard for him to overcome his feelings and beliefs about her race.
With all of the veterans returning home from the War on Terror, I'm sure they will have similar feelings about Arab Americans, and people of Middle Eastern descent in general. However, society has come a long way since World War II, so perhaps judgments will not be as severely passed upon this particular group of people in the coming decades. Only time will tell.....
With all of the veterans returning home from the War on Terror, I'm sure they will have similar feelings about Arab Americans, and people of Middle Eastern descent in general. However, society has come a long way since World War II, so perhaps judgments will not be as severely passed upon this particular group of people in the coming decades. Only time will tell.....
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Insiders Know Best
In regards to the "insider/outsider" debate, I stand firmly on the side of the insiders. I agree with Rudine Bishop when she states: "...you have to know a culture intimately if you're going to reflect it accurately in your fiction." I believe that she is stating that while one does not have to necessarily be part of the particular culture about which they are writing, they must have a plethora of credible knowledge. Only then can an enriched piece of literature be created that could potentially be read by millions of people.
While I am not sure on how others may define the term "insider" I take the term to mean an author that is either a part of any given culture, or is extremely aware of how a culture goes about their every day life. Only then can that author produce a non-fiction or fictional story.
In the case that there is stereotypical or false information in a piece of literature, the author is ultimately supplying the reader with misleading information. If the reader is unaware of this, they will assume that the information is correct, and could proceed to spread the wrong ideas to other people.
In Violet Harris' article titled "No Invitations Required to Share Multiculturalism Literature", she makes an incredibly powerful statement:
"I selected the authors because they are experts in literacy and/or children's literature; they are informed about the group's literature; and they possess the critical consciousness that enabled them to assess the literature in a forthright manner."
These three reasons Hill uses in determining quality authors sum up the insider/outsider deabate beautifully. It is imperative that authors have the proper knowledge to develop a story that the readers can learn from and possibly relate to.
While I am not sure on how others may define the term "insider" I take the term to mean an author that is either a part of any given culture, or is extremely aware of how a culture goes about their every day life. Only then can that author produce a non-fiction or fictional story.
In the case that there is stereotypical or false information in a piece of literature, the author is ultimately supplying the reader with misleading information. If the reader is unaware of this, they will assume that the information is correct, and could proceed to spread the wrong ideas to other people.
In Violet Harris' article titled "No Invitations Required to Share Multiculturalism Literature", she makes an incredibly powerful statement:
"I selected the authors because they are experts in literacy and/or children's literature; they are informed about the group's literature; and they possess the critical consciousness that enabled them to assess the literature in a forthright manner."
These three reasons Hill uses in determining quality authors sum up the insider/outsider deabate beautifully. It is imperative that authors have the proper knowledge to develop a story that the readers can learn from and possibly relate to.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Why Diverse Literature?
I'm interested in diverse literature, as I fully intended on always working in an inner-city school, wherever I may end up in life. Therefore, having an array of diverse literature in my classroom is imperative to teaching children about the different issues that they will more than likely be exposed to, have they not already. The issues this kind of literature addresses may not be easily accessible to children, especially the younger ones. By providing these materials in my classroom, they will not go into the world with more questions than necessary, as long as I succeed in teaching the material in the literature. Also, students will learn that asking questions and being curious about issues that are foreign to them is a perfectly acceptable thing to do.
I hope to learn about several different books, authors, and issues to raise in my future classroom. After all, I can't educate others if I do not have the proper knowledge and resources to pull from!
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