Book awards....find out who won!

In case you haven't heard/read, click here for the full award list in 12 categories (Newberry etc). It was just announced this week Monday so it's still hot news :)

How many of the awards are you familiar with? We'll be spending time in class discussion some of these awards and the issues that surround them.

In conversation with Dr. Debbie Reese

I just had to make a post about this because I simply can't wait to tell you about this!

I emailed Debbie Reese to ask her our class question about descriptors/terms/names to use (e.g. Native American or American Indian). She emailed me back right away and pointed me to a spot on her blog that reads: American Indian? Or, Native American? There is no agreement among Native peoples. Both are used. It is best to be specific. Example: Instead of "Debbie Reese, a Native American," say "Debbie Reese, a Nambe Pueblo Indian woman."

She also said, and this is the really exciting part, that she'd be more than willing to be in conversation with us about the topic of American Indians in Children's/YA Lit. Super cool eh?!

She welcomes responses to her chapter (1997) that we read for this past week and/or any other questions we might have for her. I know that some of you said you really enjoyed reading her chapter; others of you wrote down questions/concerns. Please do take her up on this offer - her email is: debreese@illinois.edu. What a wonderful opportunity for all of us!

Some examples of excellent Questioning the Text assignments

I'm in the middle of responding to the first batch of Questioning the Text papers. Group A members - you're off to a good start. I appreciate the hard work you put into these papers.

In an effort to help articulate the assignment better, I think it would be helpful for you to see examples of Questioning the Texts. The goal of the assignment is to explore a question/issue rather than to "answer" it or suggest 3 possible "answers". I didn't use the word "explore" when I talked about this assignment in class but I think it's a really good one to use as it seems to capture this "wrestling with the text" idea rather than finding and making an argument.

Enough from me. Click here to find an article written by a fantastic children's lit instructor here at MSU and 3 of her students. It was published in Disability Studies Quarterly, Fall 2008, Volume 28, No. 4. Read through the three Questioning the Text examples to use as models.

American Indian discussion close to home (or at least my home!)

Here's the link the to newspaper article I mentioned in class about the school mascot debate in Saugatuck.

Here's a letter to the editor in response. Here's another. Here's yet another.

I'll keep you posted!

For Week 4 - Questions to guide your reading

Our topic next week will be:

The Insider/Outsider Debate & Expanding the Definition of Multiculturalism

Please read (all in course pack AND be sure to read in order):
Shannon (1994)
Sims Bishop (1994)
Harris (1994)
Cai (1998)

Suggestion for what to post on your blog this week:
-Initial thoughts on debate of who is "qualified" to write for a particular group/population of people (be concise and specific!)
-I encourage you to find quotes from the readings and post them on your blogs
-And, I encourage you to check out the blog and website I talked about it class (you can find a link to them on the right side of this blog).

Come prepared to debate whether authors should be “insiders” to the culture about which they write!

For Week 3 - Questions to guide your reading

o Cortes (2001)
· Examines the nature of stereotypes. What is the difference between a stereotype and a generalization? How are stereotypes created in the media?

o Reese (1997)
· Chapter in Harris text
· Covers a number of topics: background on Native American nations, key authors, stereotypes, problematic texts, teaching ideas, criteria.
· You should identify several key ideas, quotes, etc. that intrigue you. We will not review the whole text in class!

o Smith (2005)
· Cynthia Leitich Smith is an author we will feature next week. This article is a reflection on the critical response to her work.
· She also outlines some criteria to consider when choosing NA literature (or thinking about multicultural literature in general)

o Heart of a Chief
-What did you come away “knowing” about Penacook culture, based on your reading of this book? What was new or surprised you?
-Did you see evidence of stereotypes or generalizations in the text? Where? What were your thoughts around those passages?
-Does this book seem to be an authentic portrayal of a Penacook family? What questions might you ask about authenticity? What evidence would you use to back up your claims?
-Does this book seem accurate in its portrayal of a Penacook family? What questions might you ask about accuracy? What evidence would you use to back up your claims about its accuracy (or lack of accuracy)?
-Would you consider this book a piece of quality literature? Why or why not?

o “Questioning the Text” paper #1
· Submit the paper to our ANGEL dropbox by midnight on Tuesday
· Bring hard copy to class on Wednesday

Blogging information

Last year's 448 instructor (Valerie) posted a really helpful post on this subject.
I've cut and pasted it below:

* If you use a direct quote you need to put it in quotation marks or off-set it and give the source.
* If you paraphrase someone else's idea, you need to indicate that you've done so.

In most cases I think that doing this informally is fine. (Meaning you don't have to do a reference list like you might in a course paper.) For example, indicating the author's name and year of publication when you are drawing from a course reading or including the web address of where you drew a quote or big idea.

Here's where things get a little fuzzier, since a lot of our work is collaborative.

* If you are summarizing ideas formed in group discussion or sharing an idea that one of your classmates developed, you need to indicate that.

For example, if your analysis of a book is the product of a whole group discussion that helped you think of the book in new ways, say so. For example, "Class discussion helped me see..." or "One of my group members helped me understand..." or "Our debriefing after the such-and-such activity made me realize..." Or maybe leading with, "One of my group members wrote a questioning the text paper that made me look at the book in a different way".

Several positive things come out of acknowledging sources: it allows readers to track down written sources, it reminds us of the value of talking through ideas and hearing multiple interpretations of text and it keeps us "honest" in terms of sharing the credit for ideas.

More information about the Questioning the Text assignment

A number of you have been emailing me about more clarification on this assignment. Since this is the first time I've taught this course, I'm not quite sure what these papers will look like. So, I've cut and pasted some suggestions/tips/advice that former TE 448 instructors have given to their students. I hope it helps!

The goal of the assignment
-Intended to ask you to question the literature, as a piece of diverse literature. -We’ve been readings from scholars such as Harris, Reese, and Sims-Bishop. We can consider them as participating in an ongoing conversation around issues of diverse literature. These are for you to join in the conversation. How does this particular text fit in to the conversation?

To prepare for coming up with your question:
-Read articles, etc., then read novel with concepts in mind, return to articles OR read novel, read articles w/novel in mind, and then return to novel
-Use post it notes, highlighting, notes in margins to keep track of your thoughts as you read

In writing the paper:
-You should NOT summarize the book.
-You should NOT answer your question.
-You should NOT speculate on how children might respond to the book.
-You should NOT describe how you would use the book.

Reread the assignment guidelines and ask yourself if the question you want to pose can be answered by analyzing the text and engages in a discussion of the work as a piece of diverse literature.

Some sample questions
* In what ways does XXX function as a generalization or stereotype in XXX?
* Who seems to be the implied audience for the text? (i.e. What textual clues signal who the author assumes you'll identify with or what knowledge the reader does or does not bring to the text)
* How does the [genre/style/plot/or any other literary feature] position readers to think about XXXs XXX say about the relationship between XXX and members of the dominant culture?
* How is humor/tragedy/etc. used to...?
* How does XXX and XXX work to unravel the dichotomy of…
* What did [plot twist, particular character/etc.] add to the text?
* How does the text challenge ideas about [choose any dichotomy: modernity/tradition, gender, etc.]
* Using XXX’s framework, how would you characterize XXX?
* What does the title of the book…

Remember this is a conversation! Post your questions, thoughts, etc.

General ideas of how to unpack/elaborate on your question:
-A scene that we could consider in order to discuss this question is… (page number). I’ve chosen this scene because… (Or, this scene is puzzling because…)
-Asking this question is important because it will help us explore the differences between stereotype and generalization.

Check out these recommended books!

The Children's and Young Adult Bloggers Literary Awards (the CYBILs) have released their shortlist of finalists for this year's awards.

Categories include easy readers, poetry, young adult fiction, and many more. Click here for more details.

For Week 2 - Questions to guide your reading

As you do the readings for this week, I encourage you to take notes, mark passages, pose questions, etc.

Bishop (1997) (Harris Text, Chapter #1)
+ What is multicultural literature?
+ Why use it?
+ What issues might one consider?

Yenika-Agbaw (1997)
+ What is the relationship between reader-text-context?
+ What does it mean to read critically?

Tatum (2000)
+ What are our social identities? Why consider them?
+ This article should help you start thinking about the autobiographical poem.

TE 448 - Welcome!

Welcome!
Welcome to the class blog for TE 448, Issues of Diversity in Children's and Adolescent Literature, Fall 2008.

In this community blog along with your individual blogs, we will communicate and track your thoughts and perspectives on ideas addressed in this course.

I'm looking forward to getting started and to seeing where we go this semester.

On a different note, below is some advice on using/reading/posting to blogs for this class:

*Audience for blogs and confidentiality concerns.
Remember that your blogs are currently set up so that anyone can read them. This includes prospective employers, family members, and "the public". Never disclose information on your blog that you don't want to be public. This might include controversial positions which might be misread outside the context of the course.

*Consider your audience.
One audience for the blogs will be your classmates with whom you've built relationships and who know the context of the course. Another audience might be potential employers who might be interested in your ideas, your writing skills, and whether you "sound like a teacher". (I can imagine a principal asking herself, "Could I imagine this person creating a classroom blog that students and parents would read?")

* Rules of confidentiality:
Don't mention other classmates by name or with identifying information. Respond to ideas, not to people. If in doubt, choose the more confidential option. We have lots of "spaces" in which to exchange ideas in our class: our face to face meetings, our blogs, the questioning the text papers, and the Angel website. For example,if you want to pose a question that feels more personal or "risky", you might decide not to start that conversation on your blog, but rather start a discussion strand on Angel.

* As professionals, one of your tasks is to develop "professional discretion".
Although I read all posts and will contact you if I have a concern, it is ultimately up to you to make choices that demonstrate good judgment and respect for your classmates.In the future you'll be making the same types of choices with your students, parents, and professional communities!

* In terms of copyrighted material, you need to be aware of what you can and can not post on your blog. Posting the full text of a copyrighted article, for example, is a no-no. Providing a link to that article, a short excerpt, or summary of the article is fine.

Suggestions for posts to fulfill blogging assignment:

* Write a post that summarizes how you are thinking about one of the key questions we explore each week.

* Explore electronic resources connected to diverse literature and share them through your blog. Several of our readings so far have noted blogs you might want to check out--both by authors of articles and authors of children's literature

* Try adding elements to your blog. For example, you might create links to the blogs of people in your discussion group. Or you might create a space for professional resources.