Bolinder-Week 5

Week 5: Toward a Social Justice Ethic: What is an American, Anyway?

The article discusses ways to effectively include multicultural literature in the classroom and why it's important.  They affect me as a teacher and as a citizen.  As a teacher, it is my job to prepare students to be positive active citizens in their community.  Part of this is preparing them academically, and part of this is preparing them to be critical thinkers and how to engage in thoughtful discussions regarding what is going on in the world around them. In order to do this, students need perspective and practice with being thoughtful regarding things that are both familiar and unfamiliar.  The article mentions multicultural literature as a mirror, window and a sliding glass door. Being able to utilize the text in all of these ways, depending on what they are reading is an essential skill for students.  Outside of being a teacher, it is a necessary skill to have open minded, informed discussions with those around me about the world we live in. Our world is filled with so much disagreement and inability to listen to those around them. I think often we want similar things as those around us, like to live in a positive community, and have a well run country that treats people well, but how we are able to do this is what leads to different opinions.

I believe that no matter your role-teacher, mother, student, daughter, etc.- it is important to have a voice and be heard. No matter your role, you have a lived experience as a part of society that includes both positive and negative lived experiences. In order to make improvements in the space we live, we need to identify areas for improvement. For this to happen, it is necessary that people have a voice to share their thoughts and perspectives.  We have discussed recently about the many intersections of identities that people possess. These different intersections also make up different experiences.  By bringing them together we are able to connect with people more easily. While we may not be able to agree with someone through the lens of race, perhaps through the lens of motherhood we can connect and more easily empathize with others.  

When in the classroom you attempt to respond to the question "What does it mean to be American?", utilizing the strategies mentioned in the article would be very beneficial.  The article mentions explicit instruction about multiple identities which would be a great place to start.  From there, using platforms to give students opportunities to use their own voices is a great strategy. The article suggests using classroom discussion, paired with proper discussion norms and rules.  They also mention using a blog as digital platform for students to share their voice.  The more students can share, the more opportunities they have to learn from their peers. The article also recommends using self reflection journals or surveys as another way for students to share their voice and allow both teachers and peers alike to learn more about each other.

References:

Ezell, S., & Daly, A. (2022). Honoring Multiple Identities Using Multicultural Literature. Texas Association for Literacy Education Yearbook, 9, 35-41.

DeFord Week 5

    On one level, the issues examined in the article and the book affect me less than they may affect other teachers. I teach at a private school with policies that excludes the majority of students that might attend a public school. Many of the students share the same faith identities, making my teaching context a homogeneous one in which students' insular experience can sometimes become problematic to their education. Although my school does have ethnic diversity, many of the other identities claimed by today's population are conspicuously absent from my classroom. Fortunately, many families step up and support their students' growth by ensuring that they participate in activities and events that expose them to a broader experience of cultures and beliefs around them. Many, if not most, of my students are transfer students from public schools, so they have had the opportunity to meet and interact with people who see the world differently from themselves. Certainly, few of my students have come from a situation like the one described in Drown. I have met a few parents of my students, however, that are probably familiar with the lifestyle described by Diaz. 

    On another level, the reality of my teaching context makes it perhaps more important for me and the other teachers at our school to ensure that our students have a wide range of exposure to other ideas. I think our teaching team does a good job of exposing our students to other popularly-held beliefs and ideas. One project required in an 8th grade class at school requires students to articulate their own opinion on a controversial topic (e.g. abortion, etc.) and then interview an adult who disagrees with them. I'm thankful that our teachers are willing to push our students out of their comfort zones to learn more about others. It's also very important that my students learn how to respectfully agree or disagree with others. Ezell and Daly (2022) explain that "Multicultural literature has the capacity to foreground stories and experiences of individuals and communities who have been silenced and have experienced injustice." When we understand the background stories of those around us, whether we agree on things like politics or religion, we have a better grasp on their rationale for their beliefs. My goal for my students is that they become more and more gracious toward all people around them while simultaneously becoming more and more grounded in their own beliefs. 

Díaz, J. (1997). Drown. Penguin

Ezell, S., & Daly, A. (2022). Texas Association for Literacy Education Yearbook (Vol. 9).

Campbell - Week 5

 Kirsten Campbell

ENGL 478 G

Week 5 Post 

As the article states, “Students are the voices of the next generation and deserve access to multicultural literature”(Ezell & Daly, P.38, 2022). Multicultural literacy exposes students to diversity and plays a crucial role in shaping their identity. It allows them to see themselves as reflections in text and apply new knowledge to their communities. The importance of having a voice or being heard is that students see this in a role model; it could be a parent, sibling, an online influence, or a character in the media. Adolescence is the most influential part of our lives because we grow and discover more about ourselves than we thought. A lot of adolescent literature is about finding yourself; as you find yourself, you find your voice. While your students read, they reflect on their lives with the character, further developing the beliefs that influence them to find their voice. Your students need to be heard because how does it feel not to be heard? When you are not heard, your ideas slip under the rug with no one noticing, and you feel alone, and no one else understands you or has similar views. When you are heard, it is such a powerful thing. “With great power, comes great responsibility.” It is silly to quote Spider-Man, but it is as powerful as that. Your voice can change the perspective of others, add to views, or it can hurt others. Having diverse literature in our classrooms will provide a window, a mirror, and a sliding glass door and create open-minded learners, critical thinkers, and powerful speakers. When we have powerful voices, it can make the most essential class discussions, which impact people. 

I enjoyed Figure 1 in the article because it teaches students from a young age how to appreciate others and their differences. It is also a way for students to involve their whole family. Before creating the web, you can make a little take-home sheet that parents can help with, and the questions will be about family, ethnicity, holidays, and food. I also thought about a column with rules to follow, and then the students could sign their names on it, which would be a part of our class constitution. Classroom rules, learning about diverse cultures, and encouraging voices can bring those expectations and responsibilities together. 

References:

Ezell, S. & Daly, A. (2022). Honoring multiple identities using multicultural literature. Texas Association for Literacy Education Yearbook, 9.

Salow- Week 5

 The issues addressed in “Honoring Multiple Identities Using Multicultural Literature” by Ezell and Daly center on the need to address the identities of all of our students and some ways that teachers can do that. This article mostly speaks to practices that would be easier to implement in a reading class, which I teach, so I found the information to be applicable in nearly every way. One of the first questions I thought to myself was is there an age that identity as a focus makes the most sense? I mean this in the way of it being a year long discussion and discussed whenever the opportunity arises. I do think that discussing identity is absolutely necessary and important, but I think that the discussion would be better suited, and more in depth at some of the older ages. I teach 6th grade, and knowing all of the changes and struggles that my students go through, to add this what some could consider pressure to identify yourself when you are still trying to figure it out may not be the most conducive to a meaningful discovery of identity. I am not saying that it shouldn’t be talked about or discussed, but at the 6th grade level I think it would be more appropriate to analyze characters' identity and then by the end of the year give them the opportunity to apply the skills that we have discussed in class to themselves. 

It is so important for students to have a voice, but we still have to give students the time and space to find and use those voices in a productive way. I know many people who know they have a voice, but they use it in a way that is more harmful than productive. I do not mean just the people that disagree with my views. I mean the people who spout off loudly, but then are unable to have a normal productive conversation with respect coming from both sides. Those skills really need to be emphasized to our students while they are still in the process of or starting to find their true voice. 

The roles that I inhabit at this point in time are teacher, wife, daughter, friend, member of society, and soon to be first time mom. I would say that while reflecting on these positions now, there are some differences. The values and beliefs that myself and my husband have are going to heavily affect the way that we raise our children. That being said, I am not going to teach those beliefs or values to my students because I would not want someone to do that with my children. I believe that it is a teacher's job to allow space for students to feel safe and opportunities to learn and grow. It is not my job to raise them as my children. I do love them as my children but, they are not. I can wholeheartedly disagree with how parents are raising their children, but it is not my place or my job to raise them. The article discusses many great ways to allow the students to grow and develop their identity on their own.

References:

Ezell, S. & Daly, A. (2022). Honoring multiple identities using multicultural literature. Texas Association for Literacy Education Yearbook, 9.

Meyer- Week 5

Throughout life, we all experience different identities and need to voices to be heard. The different subjects we are in our lives may bring on a different importance of our voice and what we want to be heard. As a mother and a teacher, I feel it is my job to make sure my children and students voices can be heard and acknowledged. We owe it to them to make sure they they feel empowered and can give them a sense of identity. The way I teach them may be different but it is the same end goal. One way we can bring all these multiple identities together is by having multicultural literature available whether that be in the classroom or at home. Students are the voices of the next generation and deserve access to multicultural literature (Ezell and Daly, 2022).

Multiple identities are in every single classroom and set of students we teach. Many time students feel silenced in the classroom about their multiple identities. This affects me as a teacher because by silencing these issues, students do not feel empowered and they lose their voice. Every person wants to have a voice and be heard regardless of if your a child or an adult. Having a voice and feeling heard can make students more successful. It can give them a sense of belonging. It is easy for us to shut down other people's voices we may not agree with but everyone deserves to be heard. Every person develops a sense of who they are
through the relationships they hold with family, friends, and society (Ezell and Daly, 2022). Children learn at a young age who they are and eventually learn to silence that as they arrive in school and it is not welcome. That is why teachers, myself included, need to incorporate more multicultural literature in the classroom. In order for students to be fully seen and heard at school, their multiple identities must recognized and honored (Muhammad, 2018). Teachers can normalize this by incorporating students into collaborative discussions. Normalizing discussion about identity is one way to help students learn about who they are and how identities and experiences differ. ( Ezell and Daly, 2022). As a community, we need to come together to make all identities welcome!

References:
Ezell, S. & Daly, A. (2022). Honoring multiple identities using multicultural literature. Texas Association for Literacy Education Yearbook, 9.

 

 

Schiefelbein - Week 5 - What is American Anyway?

Helping my students to connect to multicultural texts can be tricky when there is little diversity in the classroom.  Although this is the reality in my school, my students can still gain the skills and mindsets that are essential for learning from others' experiences.  This article reminded me of the intentional planning I do to ensure that the culture in my classroom is inclusive.  I want my students to feel supported in their pursuit of finding their voice in my classroom and beyond.  One of the key elements that I implement is a Social Contract that outlines how the students agree that they will treat each other.  Although it sometimes feels inauthentic in the beginning, it becomes a valuable tool throughout the term.  One positive impact the Social Contract has had on my classroom is that, over time, the students begin to lead more of the discussions in class.  Eventually, each student gets an opportunity to lead the class in a book-talk about book that they have read independently.  This has been a really valuable strategy in getting students to choose texts that are outside their comfort zones.  Encouraging students to read a variety of literature and to share their experiences with texts can be empowering both for the presenters as well as the audience.

I also want my students to know how valuable their voice and perspective is to the content in our class.  I use identity webs to get students thinking about, and talking about different branches of their identity.  Identity webs also set my students up for the complex narratives they will encounter in the literature we study together.  Ezell and Daly mention revising these identity webs at several points throughout the year, giving students space to reflect, and to make changes as they broaden their understanding of themselves.  I hadn't thought of making additions and changes to these webs throughout the year, and I think it would be a valuable exercise in the future.  Engaging in these reflections would help my students to develop a deeper understanding of how their identities change.  In turn, I think my students will be more willing to share their perspectives with others. 

References

Diaz, J., & Lago, E. (1996). Drown. Riverhead Books.

Ezell, S., & Daly, A. (2022). Honoring multiple identities using multicultural literature. Texas Association for Literacy Education Yearbook, 9, 35-41.

Lampman- Week 5

While reading this article, my mind kept going back to the book bans and different laws that are going on around our country.  I just keep asking myself, “How did we get here?  Why do certain individuals get to decide what is acceptable to read and what is not?” One of my favorite authors had a few books that were banned in Texas, and she was not quiet about it.  Jodi Picoult took to social media and called out the politicians on their decision.  This made me wonder what are these politicians afraid of? 

 At the beginning of the school year, we had an all staff meeting from our superintendent advising us not to give surveys that ask about personal items such as, family dynamics, feelings, and so forth.  This was due to a law passed in Iowa.  While I do not know what the law exactly stated or forbid, I know it made the leaders of our school districts uneasy and put things into place that seems crazy to me.  In my classroom, my students are my family and I want to know everything I can about them. This is how we get engagement and show them that we care.  Why can’t I ask them how they are feeling and the makeup of their home lives?  

I do think as a teacher, we can be scrutinized more for our responses and or personal beliefs.  I know in 2020, I put a Black Lives Matter photo as my profile picture on facebook.  My facebook is private, however, people can still see my profile pictures, and I am okay with that.  I had heard from a coworker that there was a family that attends our school district that was appalled that I would have such a thing on my facebook, and that “she hoped I wasn’t teaching these things to my students.”  I did some self reflection after hearing this and for a second, I thought about taking it down.  But, here’s the thing… This is where it’s important to use my voice and not to be ashamed for standing up for people who need it.  If that parent would have come to me to speak, I would have told them that I do think Black Lives Matter.  I do think we need more training in the United States when it comes to unconscious bias.  I do want to make sure every person feels safe in this school district and to know that we are all important.  

That being said, it is hard to stand up to people that you care about such as your family members, coworkers, community members, etc.  But, if no one ever does, how do we change racism, equity, and inclusion?  Ezell and Daly states, “Multicultural texts create opportunities for students to feel visible, included, and valued, yet literacy educators are often challenged using these texts in ways that honor students' multiple identities and address the intersections of identity and (in)justice.” (2022, p. 35).  We have to be a voice and we have to stand up for each other.  

I think the 3 practices are great steps in starting to honor multiple identities.  I really liked the examples of the identity web and I could see my past students enjoying this activity.  If I were to go back into the classroom, there are many books that I have been exposed to over the course of my Master’s program that I would want to add to my library.  I also think setting up discussion norms is so important, and through this class, we have all had an example of this.  

Resources:

Ezell, S. & Daly, A. (2022). Honoring multiple identities using multicultural literature. Texas Association for Literacy Education Yearbook, 9.