Session 8: Preparing for Charlie's Point of View

Note: This is the only session for which the Monday and Wednesday sections have different assignments! This post applies to the Monday (002) section.

Blogging:

• If you haven't already done so, post the results of your group's award research. Be sure to cite and/or link to electronic resources you found helpful.
  
• Optional: Where do you stand in the awards debate? What purposes do they serve? Should awards be given for particular types of literature?
  

Read:

• From Charlie's Point of View
• Linton (1998): What does Linton say about the power of language? What terminology do you prefer when discussing this topic? Why? What would it mean to read Charlie's Point of View from a "disability studies framework? What types of questions would you ask about the representations in the text? How would you analyze those questions?
  
• Tal (2001) and Williams, et. al. (2005): In what range of ways have people with disabilities been portrayed in text? What criteria might one use to evaluate books that include people with disabilities? Is there anything you question about the criteria presented?
  

• Optional: Check out Richard Scrimger's website and/or blog. (I suggest after you read the book!) You might even write him and then report back to the class! On a less adventurous note, what can you learn about him from his on-line writing? What don't you learn about him?
  

Write (Everyone):

• Write a questioning the text paper and submit it to the Angel dropbox by 6 pm the evening before class.
  

In class we'll listen to a speech by the president of the National Federation for the Blind and talk about how the speech may raise new questions about From Charlie's Point of View.