Books and Technology

I’d like to begin by saying lasts week’s class really got me thinking- are we part of the dumbest generation? I think many of us could really argue both ways. I think in some ways technology has taken away some of our excitement to learn and gain knowledge mostly because we do not need to- we have Google! On the other hand, we are all very smart when it comes to technology. Today society revolves around technology so in that aspect are we the smartest generation? I honestly cannot really argue for one side, but I can say that if we are considered “dumb” it is probably due to the lack of reading (this probably does not really apply to us personally but it will to our students). Good thing it is our job to create lifelong readers.

I read Bauerlein and Stotsky’s article “Why Johnny Won’t Read.” This article talks about gender differences in relation to reading. In the past decade or so studies have shown that adolescents book reading has decreased pretty significantly but also that boys have decreased much more than girls. Bauerlein and Stotsky point out that in schools curriculum has taken out many books that would initially appeal to boys. This made me think of Tarasiuk’s Robert. Was he not offered books that appeal to young men or did the teacher just need to take a different approach to reach him? I think it is more to deal with a teacher’s approach, I think a good teacher can even make the required, boring books interesting. I mean I am sure that Bauerlein is making a good point, and I do understand that there are gender preferences when it comes to reading (that’s why I am all for the idea of students having a say in what they read) but I think with the right strategies teachers can get their students to read.

Tarasiuk’s article was really interesting; I want to do her activities with my students. I think her ideas would help get adolescents, boys and girls, to read more often.  It is a way to incorporate students’ interests and vast array of technological knowledge with literature. As we say time and time again, we need to relate what we teach to our students lives and this does this very well. When our goal is to create lifelong readers with many students who do not enjoy reading, we have to find ways to make reading enjoyable and I think Tarasiuk’s approach is awesome.

and just for fun I love this children's book

Based on a school banning a book entitled Open Minds to Equality "because it presents a “morally neutral” view of homosexuality"www.slapupsidethehead.com

         

       It is almost disheartening to know that I may enter an English department that tells me not to teach specific books. I can’t believe that may job may be jeopardized because of a book.  I completely understand that some books seem or may be really too inappropriate for middle school or high school students, but I also think there has to be clear justifiable reasons to why these books are too inappropriate. Are they that inappropriate that no student is to read it, or may they just be inappropriate for some students and if that is the case they can opt to read it? Are they to inappropriate that those opposing the book need it banned immediately, or can the teacher(s) and those opposing the book discuss their reasons for or against it?

                Webb focused his article on Huck Fin. I found it pretty interesting that it is one of the most read novels in high schools, yet it is still fought against. It was written over a hundred years ago but is still so controversial. That is pretty cool for Mark Twain, I mean I would feel awesome if a hundred years later people were still causing scenes over my work, but I feel like it does not reflect well on our society. If a hundred years later we cannot read a book about a white boy and a black man being friends, it does not say much for our society. I do understand that there is the repetition of a very derogatory term but I think readers should take into account and understand the context of the story and when it was written. I do know that I am writing from my own perspective and therefore cannot relate to African American parents or students but I do not really see a reasonable explanation to why this book should be banned. I honestly do not see a reasonable explanation to why many books should be banned. These banned books usually say the most, they get almost every student engaged, they get them to really think. As we always say, our students should not always be comfortable, and these books may make them uncomfortable but won't that be a better learning experience?

              Noll mentioned the best way to stand up against censorship is through communication. I completely agree. I think through clear communication to administration, parents, and most importantly our students we could help put a stop to censoring and/or banning books. Not everything is for everybody but I do not think that means that we take away the things that are not for some, because they may be for someone else. I think we should communicate with the students and parents what is being read, explain why it is being read, and then if the parents and/or students feel it too inappropriate they can be provided with an alternate text. There have to be ways to go about teaching controversial texts without upsetting everyone, I guess that'll be my job in about 2 years.

"Books won't stay banned.  They won't burn.  Ideas won't go to jail.  In the long run of history, the censor and the inquisitor have always lost.  The only weapon against bad ideas is better ideas."  ~Alfred Whitney Griswold

Having a Voice

When reading both Wink and Cook’s articles, Hade’s ideas of being a tourist continually crept in my mind. These teachers are clearly not giving these students a tourist’s view of history and culture; the students are getting a close in-depth view- actually more like an experience.  I think they are avoiding the tourist approach by trying to engage their students in what Wink called “creative conflict” (89). It calls students (AND teachers) to question their assumptions- to embrace discomfort. Cook and Wink are asking their students much more than just to read a book from another culture and be aware that it is there but rather to experience, connect, and create some form of meaning to it. They were challenging their students to do more than just read a novel or poem from history. I think from all the readings we have done in this class, it is clear that students learn best through challenge and experience. Experience and challenge is memorable and impactful- Cook named off many of her students’ future jobs and they all related to the content they learned in her class. 

I also think when dealing with a subject so relevant to students’ lives they need to be challenge to have their own opinions, which both teachers do. They want to create advocates, they want them to have their own distinct voice.  Cook doesn’t want her students to learn tolerance but rather inclusion; one has to have a strong voice for that because we are taught tolerance. Wink wants to transform her students’ apathy to feeling and creativity, and she noticed her students showed the most feeling in uncomfortable situations. Cook states that “education is about learning to live in a world community, about communication, and questioning and listening” and I think today that would a pretty good education to get, but to get it I think teachers have to challenge their students.

Lastly, we have to think about how we could take Wink and Cook’s ideas into our classrooms. I think most importantly we have to question and experience our own thoughts and assumptions. We cannot ask our students to do something we cannot do ourselves- also we are supposed to be good models for our students, right?  I also think we have to come up with a creative way to expose our students to different history and culture. Cook was extremely creative; I would have loved to be in her class. I think we need to create fun ways to for to students to be exposed to but also be able to think critically about the work. Once we have them thinking critically, they will then be on their way to forming their own opinions. I think it is hard to know how I’d really go about helping my students find their voice and opinions but I do know that I will need to challenge then and have them not just read the content but experience it.

Literature Circles

This week’s readings really complement each other because I think literature circles would work best in an untracked classroom. Also lc’s would help give students their individual voices that Christensen writes about. I was in “Honors English” (I use quotes because I honestly thought they were the easiest classes I had) all through high school and I really cannot see literature circles really working. First of all, most of us were all friends so we would probably only discuss the book when the teacher was watching, any other time we would talk about our social lives. I also think in “honors” classes students seem to be lazier because they are typically better at school, so in the lc’s I feel like only minimal requirements would be accomplished by the students. I also think the similar things would happen in other tracked classes (probably not for the same reasons though). Now I am not saying lc’s wouldn’t work in tracked classrooms because I am sure they do, but judging from my tracked high school I do not think they would really enhance the students’ reading practices.

                Pam, Oscar, Angela, and Toby from NBC’s The Office (sorry for Office references for the second week) form “Finer Things Club,” which is a club where they meet during lunches and discuss a book they are all reading. Pam is a white receptionist, Oscar a Latino homosexual accountant, and Toby a white human resources representative. All these people are very different, however can easily get together and discuss literature. Our students can do the same despite different cultures and learning levels. Christensen’s writings emphasize having a diverse, untracked classroom. With his efforts to teach untracked classrooms that embrace difference, his students seem to be more confident in their ability to read and write; they also seem more confident in the classroom overall. I think to have effective literature circles students need to be confident in their own thoughts and ideas. I think students would get the most out of their literature circles with a diverse group. I would not want to be in a literature circle of all students like myself. I think I learn best from those different from me, they present things that I may never have considered, or present the things I have considered in a different light. I think starting literature circles in an untracked classroom would be difficult at first, but most beneficial in the end. Although the students may be on different reading and learning levels, does not mean they cannot discuss a book. Also, I think, lc’s can really challenge and help all students. The students can even challenge one another within their literature circles. I’m sure literature circles can work in most classrooms if the teacher and students put in the effort, but I think teachers and students would have really beneficial literature circle in a diverse, untracked classroom. What do you think?

Oh and if any of you'd like to start your own Finer Things Club feel free: http://www.nbc.com/The_Office/justforfun/finerthingsclub/index.shtml