Literature Across Cultures: Akkeramnn

Tuesday, June 11, 2024

Akkeramnn - Week 2 Blog

As a teacher, it is my job to help students value and understand varying cultures, societal roles, traditions, beliefs, and ideas (McKoy & Sabis-Burns, 2007). For this to be true I must begin with myself. “If teachers are expected to teach students about diversity using multicultural literature, they have to first be exposed to this literature themselves” (McKoy & Sabis-Burns, 2007, p.51). The first step of exposure was taking this class. Now that I’ve been exposed to what I lack and since I work with lower elementary students I need to read more multicultural children’s literature. Using children’s literature in my classroom will “provide students with vicarious experiences they would not otherwise have” (McKoy & Sabis-Burns, 2007, p.51) because I work in a district where the percentage of diversity is small.

I would implement a similar idea as McKoy & Sabis-Burns (2007) did with the pre-service teachers having them “read literature that reflected their cultural, racial or ethnic backgrounds” (p.52). I say similar because while we read the same books I would not have my students write a paper about “how they felt the books represented them” (McKoy & Sabis-Burns, 2007, p.52). Instead, we would make a chart listing how these books made us feel. Another direction I could take would be to read the books to the class and then have the students make a video about how the books made them feel. This exercise allows them to understand themselves, their culture, their race, their ethnicity, and their environment more.

After reading books that reflect the student's culture I would then go into reading multicultural children’s books. Since I work with lower elementary students “their first exposure to others who are different takes place in the reading materials found in their classrooms” (McKoy & Sabis-Burns, 2007, p.51). As a class, we would discuss the book and we would fill out a Venn Diagram so that my students “see differences and similarities and learn to appreciate both theirs and others’ cultures” ( McKoy & Sabis-Burns, 2007, p.51).

References

McKoy Lowery, R., & Sabis-Burns, D. (2007). From borders to bridges: Making cross-cultural connections through multicultural literature. Multicultural Education, 14(4), 50–54. https://moodle.morningside.edu/mod/resource/view.php?id=1149965.

6 comments:

Kirsten CampbellJune 11, 2024 at 3:40 PM

Emily,
I love the video idea. It is essential to know how our students are feeling as readers. I have seen the video review used a lot with choice boards for second graders. The video review would be more beneficial to students because it brings more of a classroom community feel to it. Sometimes, writing is hard to understand, but you can see expression and tone with a video. Have you had your students create video responses before? I am just wondering since you did not want students to write.
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Emily AkkermannJune 12, 2024 at 2:31 PM
Hi Kristen,
I have had my students create video responses and they love doing it! I usually gain more from them this way than if they have to write. I've used Flipgrid which allows students to see other student's content. That would definitely bring the community feel to the classroom.
I've used this format because most of my students are below the benchmark for reading therefore writing is even harder. Making a video takes out the hard and allows them to speak their thoughts.
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Kiley BolinderJune 15, 2024 at 1:22 PM
Emily-
Working with lower elementary could be tricky. What a great idea to use a video for students to share their feelings. It is a fun way to give them voice and be able to share their own stories while also practicing their speaking skills and sharing their thoughts beyond just the classroom, making it more meaningful to them. The videos could easily be shared with the student's parents or kids in other classes if student permissions at your school allowed.
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JenJune 17, 2024 at 6:00 PM
Emily, I am so pleased to hear you say that you're going to read more multicultural literature written for the student age you teach. You are applying the ideas from class to your own teaching context, and that's exactly what I'd hoped to see.
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Post Week 4: Pre- and Post-Conceptual Perspectives

Some thoughts to help you brainstorm your post: Nineteenth-century travel writing caused those who read about other cultures to formulate their ideas about those cultures directly from the writing, so much so that if a person chose to travel to a country he or she had read about prior to travel, the traveller was often disappointed in the actual country and culture. In our current technological existence, our ideas of what places and people are like can certainly be informed by how they are depicted in text and on the multitude of screens we use to interface with the world. What informs your perspective? How might the ways in which we experience people, ideas, issues, cultures, and so on, be impacted by how we learn of them? Are the benefits and drawbacks to the use of the technology available to us? What might some of those be, and why?

Your post is due Thursday at 8 pm.

Responses should be posted by Sunday at 10 pm.

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The critical text which accompanies your primary reading for the week explores ways in which we as teachers might use other cultures' literatures in our classrooms to move students from superficial, stereotyped perspectives to a fuller understanding of not only individuals from other cultures, but themselves, too. In your blog post, share with your colleagues how you might incorporate ideas from the article in your own teaching.

Your post is due Thursday at 8 pm.

Your responses are due Sunday at 10 pm.

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As you frame your question, be sure to summarize the article, then provide context for your question. Cite the text appropriately.

Questions to be posted by Thursday.

Responses (to at least two colleagues) to be posted Sunday.

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How do the issues examined in the article affect you as a teacher and as a person living in today’s world? What is the importance of having a voice? Of being heard? Are there differences in your response based on the role(s) you inhabit? Teacher, parent, individual community member, brother, sister, child, global citizen, and more—we inhabit many subject positions. Are there ways to bring those needs/expectations/responsibilities together?

Posts are due by 8 pm Thursday.

There is no set number of required colleague responses this week, but you are expected to read all posts and to respond as class discussion.

Post Week 6: Article Summaries and Commentary

In this week's reading, you met a narrator who draws the reading into a short story with a decidedly hushed, slower tone. The couple introduced to us has experienced an unimaginable loss. How might that loss be affected by their cultural dislocation? Draw on the supplemental readings as you consider the question.

Your post is due Thursday at 8 pm. As was the case last week, there is not a set number of responses, but you are expected to demonstrate through responding that you have read and engaged with all class posts.