Literature Across Cultures: Week 5

Monday, July 1, 2024

Brown - Week 5 Post

I found a lot of similarities between this article and “Multicultural literature and discussion as mirror and window?” by Jocelyn Glazier and Jung-A Seo (2005). Especially when referencing multicultural literature as a mirror or window. However, this article introduced the idea of a sliding glass door. The article states, “Texts can also serve as sliding glass doors, inviting students to interact, exchange, and establish personal connections to new and unfamiliar experiences” (Ezell & Daly, 2022, p. 35). I believe this is a perfect description of multicultural literature, because it allows students to explore different cultures and ideas without any barriers between the character they are reading about and their own self. I also really liked that Ezell and Daly gave teaching strategies for teaching multicultural literature and gave ideas about including it in classroom libraries. Many of the strategies described using discussion, which is very important when students are exploring new ideas.

I believe it is crucial to have a voice and to be heard, as long as everyone is respectful to one another. Having a voice goes along with having an identity. One without the other does not usually happen. As a future teacher, I have always been cautioned in my classes to be careful— to make sure that my voice does not overpower any of my students’ voices. Everyone’s ideas, identities, and voices are important and everyone should be able to voice their opinions. Many students also look up to their teachers, so students have the potential to adopt ideas, whether positive or negative, from their teachers. Ezell and Daly quote Gholnecsar Muhammad when he defines identity, “Being composed of notions of who we are, who others say we are (in both positive and negative ways), and whom we desire to be” (2022, p. 36). “Who others say we are” becomes very important to pay attention to when having discussions, so no one is being disrespectful to others or having too strong of a voice that overpowers others’ ideas or identities. This applies outside of the classroom too. As a golden rule, everyone should be respectful to one another when sharing their voices with others no matter what identity you fall into in society.

References

Ezell, S., & Daly, A. (2022). Honoring multiple identities using multicultural literature. Texas Association for Literacy Education Yearbook, 9, 35-41. https://moodle.morningside.edu/ pluginfile.php/1431504/mod_resource/content/1/Ezell%20and%20Daly%20Honoring%20Multiple%20Identities%20Using%20Multicultural%20Literature.pdf

Glazier, J., & Seo, J.-A. (2005). Multicultural literature and discussion as mirror and window? Minority students in one U.S. high school class find their voices, but the majority students have a different experience. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 48(8), 686+. https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.morningside.edu/apps/doc/A132746287/PPPC?u= morningside&sid=bookmark-PPPC&xid=61f53cd6

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.