Literature Across Cultures: Beckman

Monday, July 1, 2024

Beckman - Week 5

The article just re-affirms how important multicultural literature is in our classrooms. I thought the quote at the end of the article was very powerful, “Students are the voices of the next generation and deserve access to multicultural literature. Students need to experience inclusive and affirming literacy learning by seeing reflections of themselves in classroom texts.” (Ezell & Daly, 2022, p. 38). The importance of voice is that it is what drives change in our country, so it is important for us to facilitate and encourage student voices, but also give them the opportunity to listen to voices that are different from their own. I think using your voice, but allowing others to have their own, are equally important skills for students to use. As well as discerning when someone’s opinion may not be right, but being able to stand up and disagree in a way that is helpful.

I think that regardless of your role in society, teacher, parent, community member, it is important to have a voice of your own and listen to the voices of others. As a teacher, I still need to listen to my students’ voices and concerns, even though I am in a position of power of them. Same as a parent still wants to / should hear their kids out when they come to them with concerns or complaints. This aligns with another quote from the article, “Every person develops a sense of who they are through the relationships they hold with family, friends, and society.” (Ezell & Daly, 2022, p. 36)

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

2 comments:

Brenna LJuly 1, 2024 at 5:07 PM
Brett,
I love the quote you pulled from the article. I would agree, it is very powerful! You made a great point about voice driving change in our country. The importance of a voice of your own is very strong, as your voice can be a culmination of your multiple identities, even if you look and identify with another person who may have a very different voice.
If we do not allow young children to be heard and have the understanding that they have a voice, they will not use their voice in the future to promote positive change.
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Morgan DibertJuly 3, 2024 at 1:09 PM
Hi Brett,
I agree with you that the last statement is very powerful. It really shows the weight that we as teachers have on our shoulders. It is our job to help guide these a little humans into the world, which ultimately will impact our lives. I also agree with you the importance of giving voices to others. We should absolutely be listening to our students and what they have to say. A lot of them have many experiences that I don’t have and I enjoy hearing their reasoning for different situations. Finally, I like that you talk about how parents need to listen to their students as well. Many times parents just push their kids aside and not actually listen to what they have to say. I think the better parents and students have open communication with each other, the stronger willed and stronger voice the student will ultimately have.
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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.

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

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 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.

Post Week 2: The Way to Rainy Mountain

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.

Post Week 1: Questions on Reading

You've been asked to post a question on the readings as your blog post. Here are some ideas to help you get started: You may have noted the publication dates of the readings and wondered why you're reading articles written in 2005. The reason is that the issues raised and discussion in each of the articles are applicable 16 years later. Do you agree? Disagree? Both? Explain why and pose a question to help your reader understand what you find to be the same or different. Or, if one of the two of the readings stands out to you, explain why that’s the case, but also post a question based on what stands out. Or, if something is confusing or problematic for you, what do you find confusing or problematic? With what do you agree or disagree? Be sure your question is open ended so that your colleagues can use it as a basis for discussion.

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.