For session 13

This week is a good reminder that topics doesn't always fit tidily into discrete sessions! I'm very aware that we are in the middle of some great discussions and don't want to artificially cut them off. At the same time, the end of the semester is near!

Here's my tenitive plan for Monday (11/26) and Wednesday (11/28):

• Housekeeping:
  
• Wrap up discussion of Jewish American literature and debriefing on blogging
• GLBTQ literature--if we need to extend this into next session, we will.
• Discuss plans for final session/Final project
  
• SIRS forms
  

Are there other topics that people want addressed this week? If so, write a quick comment. :-)

To prepare for class, please bring:

• Confessions of a Closet Catholic so that we can wrap up our discussion and think of what questions we want to ask Sarah Littman
• Boy Meets Boy, your questioning the text papers, articles for our discussion of GLBTQ literature
  
• Your updated log of blogging (last page of syllabus). You will not have completed your blogging, but I want to check my records against yours before the end of the semester.
• Ideas about how you would like our last session to look. For example, any preferences on how we share projects? (I have some options, but would like your input as well.)
  
• Any questions you have about the end of the semester and/or the final projects.
  

Best Books 2007

Here's a link to the School Library Journal's Best Books 2007.

I think some of the same questions we asked about awards might pertain to these types of lists:

• What do people notice about the books as a set? In what ways are the books "diverse"? Or, whose stories are being told? In what genres? By whom?
• How was this list constructed? How are these lists helpful? What are the limitations of such lists?
• Anyone find a book that they think they otherwise would have missed? Any favorites that are missing from the list?
  

What was it like to talk with your group on-line?

For those of you who held your discussion on-line what was that experience like? How was it similar or different from meeting in class? What seemed to be gained or lost? How might this experience impact how you think about your own future teaching?

What was it like to meet, in person, out of class?

For those of you who have met in person for your discussion, what was that experience like? (Where did you meet? How did conversation go? etc.) How was it similar or different from meeting in class? What seemed to be gained or lost? How might this experience impact how you think about your own future teaching?

"Free" applications/Feed by M.T. Anderson

The other day in class I shared the concerns coming out of the Dean's office about using Google applications for university business. (The main concerns being around copyright, privacy, and the fact that the information might not be backed up.) I'm going to start being more careful about reading user agreements before clicking "I agree" and would encourage all of you to check out the Blogger agreement. :-)

I've noticed that a couple of people's blogs have public service announcements in them now. If yours is one of them, did you place those announcements/ads there? Or did Google? Or did Google, with your permission? Why might this matter? Would it matter more if you were blogging with your own students? Are there shades of gray? In other words, is a public service announcement ok, but an ad for soda not?

What about applications like Facebook, which collect marketing data based on one's profile? Would that be ok to use in the classroom?

I don't want to scare people away from using technology, but I do think we have to become increasingly more savvy about our choices. Particularly as teachers! I haven't decided whether to stick with Blogger or move to Edublogs or another application for next semester... What do people think?

I can't end this post without mentioning one of my all-time favorite young adult novels--Feed by M.T. Anderson. What intrigues me about the book is that it suggests so much about how technology might change our lives--for good or bad.

Talk on No Child Left Behind

“Considering the Policy and Practice of No Child Left Behind”

Wednesday, November 14, 2007 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Erickson Hall, room 252
Refreshments served

Since it was signed into law in 2002, the reauthorization of the Elementary & Secondary Education Act (more commonly known as No Child Left Behind – NCLB) has been a controversial piece of federal legislation designed to improve the educational opportunity and achievement of students across the country. For this conversation, we have invited panel of educators to talk about the law from their perspectives, including involvement in reauthorizing the law, urban classroom teachers, and urban principals. We will explore the disparities and connections between the policy and the practice, as well as the effects and potentials of the law.

Additional Information:
Overview of No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/education/no_child/basics.html

Evaluating 'No Child Left Behind' by Linda Darling-Hammond. http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070521/darling-hammond

A Chance to Make it Better: Reauthorization of the ‘No Child Left Behind’ Act by Sharif Shakrani. http://www.educ.msu.edu/neweducator/spring07/NewEd-spring07.pdf, see pp. 28-31.

Urban Perspectives is offered through the Urban Educator Cohort Program -MSU College of Education

The Holocaust in Literature

Choosing which novel to use for the week on Jewish American literature was difficult. As you'll see in the memo that you've been assigned for session 12, one of our considerations was whether to choose a book which focused on the Holocaust or whether to choose a book that was contemporary realistic fiction. Although we chose the latter, the ways in which the Holocaust is remembered is obviously a significant part of Jewish American culture. (Or, more broadly, American and world history.)

In addition to the books listed in the memo on Angel, you might check out:

• "What makes a good Holocaust book?: Beyond oral history". (Posted on Angel and available through MSU electronic resources.)

• Art Spiegel's Maus: A Survivor's Tale is an interesting text to consider because it is such a compelling example of a memoir told in the form of a graphic novel. (We didn't consider it for the class because it is really adult or maybe young adult reading.)

• "Michigan Teacher's Workshop on Holocaust Education". This day-long event is a chance to meet with other educators who use literature related to the Holocaust in their classrooms. The year I attended the focus was on the use of memoir. Although we did discuss students' responses to texts, the focus was much more on our readings and what is intellectually and ethically complicated about representing such a significant and horrific historical event. Spaces are limited and there is an application process. If you are interested, check the MSU Jewish Studies website for information early next semester. (And if you do want to attend and want help writing your personal statement, email me!)

I'll add to this list as I think of other resources. We can also have a conversation around the topic. What resources do you know of to support this type of work? What questions or concerns do you have?

Child_lit mailing list

For anyone who likes keeping up on news having to do with children's literature and/or wants to join a virtual community of people who are interested in children's literature more generally, I would suggest joining the child_lit list serve.

To give you a taste of the types of conversations that we have I went back to look over the emails from the last several days. Right now I'm following a spirited debate about religious objections (and, for a few, praise) to Philip Pullman's Dark Materials Trilogy. (More on that later.) Yesterday there was a strand of discussion on "basketball poetry" and representations of jail/prisons.

For more information about the list serve, including how to subscribe, visit:

http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~mjoseph/childlit/about.html

The only downside to the list is that it can fill up your box pretty quickly! There is an option to subscribe and receive everything in a a daily "batch" email.

Safe Schools Seminar this Thursday!

For anyone who wants to continue our discussion of the Harry Potter series and get a preview of some of the ideas we'll be talking about in class later in the semester, come to the Safe Schools session! If you haven't attended one, I think you'll find them low-key and informative. Everyone is welcome.

Beyond Dumbledore’s closet: Issues and Trends in

GLBTQ Children’s and Adolescent Literature

--Why is everyone talking about the Harry Potter series? Why does representation matter?

--Where can you find GLBTQ adolescent and children’s literature? What professional resources are available to help you think about these books?

Time: 5:00-6:30 FREE PIZZA

Date: Thursday, November 8th

Location: Erickson 252

A story you don't often hear about the Holocaust

I came across an article in the LSJ last week called "Exhibition honors Muslims who saved Jews from Nazis". Since I had spent part of the day rereading some books about the Holocaust written for children, my mind jumped to the idea that this is a story that doesn't get told. (Both in its particulars and in a more general sense that the Muslims in the story are the heroes and don't see Jewish people as enemies.)

Session 13: GLBTQ literature

I'm posting this early because I know that some people are working ahead and have 'complicated' schedules near the end of November. :-)

Read:

• Boy Meets Boy
• McLean (1997): What is McLean's rationale for considering GLB(TQ) literature as "multicultural"? What stereotypes and inaccuracies does she suggest we watch out for? This article was written in 1997. Are you familiar with any books that you think do a "better" job of representing GLBTQ characters?
  
• Levithan (2004): Although Levithan is directing his words to librarians, they also apply to teachers. What does he mean when he writes, "Being gay is not an issue, it is an identity. It is not something you can agree or disagree with."
  
• Optional: Barnard (1994): (Posted on Angel) Why does the author suggest that heterosexuals not identify themselves as such in these discussions? What do we mean by "heterosexual privilege" in a teaching context?
  

Write (everyone):

• Write a questioning the text paper and submit it to the dropbox by 6 pm the evening before class
• Bring "Blog Log" to class to hand in. (Last page of syllabus). Although you can continue to post and comment, I'll use these to check that my records on blogging are up-to-date. (Obviously you will not have done the final post.)
  

Feel free to comment and ask questions (particularly since we won't meet the week before this session.)

Session 12: Jewish American Literature

We won't be meeting together for session 12. Instead, you will have the option of arranging to meet with your discussion group for a face to face discussion and/or discussing the texts through blog posts.

As is indicated in the syllabus, everyone will read:

• Confessions of a Closet Catholic
  
• Silver (2002): What criteria does Silver suggest for evaluating books?
  
• Kimmel (2003): How does Kimmel understand the "Jewish content" of his stories?
  
• Group C members write a questioning the text paper and submit it to the dropbox by 6 pm the evening before your class was scheduled.

Here are some additional texts for you to consider. (We would have looked at in class):

• Read "The Shoebox" (posted on Angel). Which shoebox do you think the boy intended to take with him? How does this story connect to larger themes/issues related to Jewish identity and history?
• "Jewish book choice" memo. (posted on Angel): This is a letter that I wrote to the team when we were trying to decide which book to use as the selection for this week. After reading about the options, which would you choose for the course? Why?
  
• One of Kimmel's picture books. (Available at most libraries/bookstores) Do you agree that his work includes "positive Jewish content"? Do the stories seem universal in some respects? You might also check out some of the award winners.
  

If you are going to meet in person:

• Arrange when and where to meet with your discussion group. You can meet on campus, for coffee, at someone's house. (Just be sensitive to transportation/$ issues.) In some ways this might be a more "authentic" discussion than an in-class meeting.
  
• Discuss Confessions, the readings, and "The Shoebox", and/or the letter.
  
• Take notes on what you discuss and whether/how this meeting felt different or lead to different types of ideas than a whole class session.
• Post a description of your meeting and 1-2 key ideas that came out of discussion on your blog. You may also contribute a comment to the "what was it like to meet out of class?" post on the class blog.
• You are welcome to read other blogs and participate in those discussions as well!
  

If you are going to have your discussion on-line:

• Cs begin one strand of discussion on their blogs by posting a very abbreviated version of their QTT paper
  
• As and Bs (and Cs, if they want) should begin strands of discussion on their own blogs. Here are some ideas: post a short response to the Silver/Kimmel articles. (This could be an interesting quote, idea, question, connection, etc.), post a response to "The Shoebox" or "Jewish book choice", raise another question related to Confessions, share a profession resource you find on-line, etc. Remember that short, focus posts often lead to focused responses!
  
• Everyone in your discussion group needs to participate in each strand of discussion. You might set up a schedule to decide when the initial posts are made and a "closing time".
• Contribute a comment to the "What was it like to discuss ideas on-line?" post on the class website.

We'll talk about the timing of all of this. Remember that you'll be preparing for session 13 as well, so you'll have to manage your time (especially because some of you will be traveling over the Thanksgiving break)!

Feel free to comment and ask questions (particularly since we won't meet this session!)