Final Thoughts on the Course!

When I signed up for this course, I expected to hear what I've been hearing in every TE class: it's our job to educate children to be open and understanding with other cultures. I didn't think that I was going to be hearing anything new, to be honest. I knew diversity issues weren't a piece of cake, but I thought I had a pretty good grasp on how to handle certain things. I was wrong. I learned a lot, which meant that I barely knew anything to begin with.

The class that stood out to me was when we discussed Al Capone Does My Shirts. In that story, the character Natalie clearly had a disability, though the author never specified as to what she had. In my paper for that week, I had a lot of questions. I wasn't sure that the book actually portrayed Natalie correctly, in terms of creating a clear, accurate picture of a person with a disability. It was especially troubling to me because I am a special education (LD) major. This book was portraying my future student a little bit negatively. I had to question the writing in the story. After that, I looked for stereotypes in every book we read, and further questioned the story as to how the "minority" in the story was depicted. If anything, this class has made me obsessed with finding quality literature that causes me to think deeper about issues.

Another important class I can remember is when we watched "In Whose Honor?", and talked about schools using Native America mascots. I had always heard this issue, and I admit that I was a little bit stubborn in my views. After the discussion in class and the blogs I read, I started to become less narrow minded. I never thought of myself as not being able to see clearly, but hearing other peoples' opinions has allowed me to question myself a little bit more.

When I have a classroom in the future, I now realize how important issues of diversity really are. Writing the 'questioning the text' papers and having discussions over books has caused me to see that picking literature is not an easy job. There are a lot of elements to consider when building a classroom library. Hopefully I will take what I have learned in TE448 and apply it to my teaching in the future.

Thanks for a great semester!

Disablities In Children's Literature

When choosing an underrepresented group, I decided to go with something I’m interested in. I chose disabilities and did not believe that I would have trouble locating quality books. However, as I began my search, I realized that quality literature representing disabilities is hard to come by. Some of the books I browsed had characters with disabilities, but they did not play a key part in the story. Other books were written with the intention of providing information. Although both types of books mention disabilties, I wanted to find literature that included characters with disabilities in a way that could be used as a teaching tool. I finally decided to look at the list of Joan Blaska winners, which recognizes authors and their stories about disabilities. Here is what I found, along with a guide on what to look for when choosing quality literature depicting disabilities.
Enjoy!

 

http://lrts.stcloudstate.edu/showcase/joanblaska/default.asp

Article Review

Prater, Mary Anne, Tina Taylor Dyches, and Marissa Johnstun. "Teaching students about learning disabilities through children's literature." Intervention in School & Clinic 42.1 (Sept 2006): 14(11). Academic OneFile. Gale. Michigan State University Libraries. 18 Nov. 2008 
.

 Teaching Students About Learning Disabilities through Children's Literature
by Mary Anne Prater, Tina Taylor Dyches, and Marissa Johnstun

The article discusses the importance of quality literature dealing with disabilities. According to the article, quality books about disabilities “may be used to promote awareness, understanding, and acceptance of those with disabilities” (Prater, Dyches and Johnstun). The problem is that quality literature can be hard to come by. The authors of the article talk about what elements to look for when searching for books about disabilities. One of the most important things is the characterization used within the story. Characters with LD should have accurate feelings and be portrayed realistically in regards to the disability. Another vital quality is making sure all information about the disability is correct so that it is not mistaken for another. Sometimes literature is not clear as to what disability the character has. That means it is not quality literature, because readers are getting misinformed as to how a certain disability is depicted. Illustrations are a third thing to look for when trying to find quality literature. This is because beginning readers start “reading” the stories through the pictures. One problem with this is that characters with LD are hard to represent through pictures. The authors of the article warn not to select books where characters with LD look different: “Because LD is considered to be an ‘invisible disability,’ it is important that children with LD are not portrayed in illustrations as looking different from their typical peers” (Prater, Dyches and Johnstun).

Having such books in the classroom is imperative for several reasons. The first is that books about disabilities can meet an academic and social need for students. Many books are great openers for discussions about disabilities. Teachers should include these books because they “allow readers to look within themselves to understand feelings relationships, and experiences” (Prater, Dyches and Johnstun) that they read about. For those students with disabilities, the books provide a mirror of characters to which they can relate. Literature allows individuals with a disability to become more accepting of themselves.

Overall, this article was very helpful in learning how to find quality literature about disabilities. It showed exactly what to look for and what to avoid. The article provided a list of books toward the end; it even had a lesson plan.

"The Lion Who Had Asthma"--Jonathan London

(image from www.amazon.com)

London, Jonathan. The Lion Who Had Asthma. Ed. Abby Levine. Boston: Albert Whitman & Company, 1992.

Jonathan London begins this book by providing a note about asthma for parents in the beginning. He writes that his son, Sean, also has asthma, the chronic disease that affects around ten million Americans. In the note, he acknowledges how tough it is for families affected by the disease. However, the point of his book is to help people see that with imagination, asthma is not so scary. London writes of imagination, “It is not only an asset in the treatment of asthma but enhances life itself.”

“The Lion Who Had Asthma” is about a little boy named Sean. He is pretending to be all the animals in the jungle, until his breathing begins to bother him. Luckily, Sean’s mother brings him his nebulizer, which is a machine that administers Sean’s medicine to his lungs. The machine is large and scary looking, but Sean’s mother tells him to pretend he is flying an airplane. After the treatment is finished, Sean starts to play and once again is the king of the jungle.

I really enjoyed reading this story. For one, the illustrations are wonderful. On the left side, there is a picture of Sean and the text of what he is doing. On the right side, there is a picture of the jungle and the animal that Sean is imitating. As Sean’s breathing begins to become difficult, the big, colorful pictures disappear until Sean is doing his breathing treatment. By having the pictures colorful and coinciding with the text, children will appreciate the story more. Another thing I liked about this story was how the author handled asthma. He explains it in simple terms, so that children can understand the disease. London also acknowledges how a child with asthma might feel, by saying, “The lion feels tired and a little bit frightened. He feels like crying” (11). Asthma can be scary for children, and that is why I love the choice of words London uses. When Sean’s mom brings out the nebulizer, Sean becomes scared and cries. But with his mom’s prompting, Sean uses his imagination and turns the scary situation into something enjoyable. Suddenly, a frightening experience becomes fun. A third thing London does is show outsiders that children with asthma are not any different than the average child. Like everyone else, the boy in the story has a loving family. He plays with toys and uses his imagination. Most of all, Sean has the same feelings as everyone else. If an outsider saw the nebulizer, they might get scared and uncomfortable. London shows that Sean, too, is frightened. This allows all children to connect with him on a personal level.

Overall, “The Lion Who Had Asthma” is a wonderful tool for all individuals. Insiders, or children who have asthma, can relate to the main character. They relate to Sean as they see him become scared when his asthma is acting up. But children can also see that Sean uses his imagination, and suddenly it is not so scary anymore. On the other hand, outsiders (those without asthma) will see that children who have asthma are the same as anyone else. It also subtly explains what asthma is, but the terms London uses are so simple that everyone can understand. 

"Waiting for Mr. Goose"--Laurie Lears

(image from www.amazon.com)

Lears, Laurie. Waiting for Mr. Goose. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman and Company, 1999.

Laurie Lears also begins her story with an author’s note. The page explains how children with AD/HD struggle with waiting. However, she also notes that children with AD/HD are “innovative, creative thinkers”. Instead of focusing on the negatives, Lears says she is writing this story to show the strengths of this particular child with AD/HD.

The story is about a boy named Stephen. He struggles with sitting still and paying attention, something the adults in his life always seem to notice. Due to the attention of his inability to sit still, Stephen feels like he cannot do anything right. One day in the park, Stephen notices a goose limping by the pond. The goose’s limp is caused by a metal trap, which is stuck around its leg. Immediately Stephen devises several plans to try and free the goose’s leg. He surprises everyone, including himself, because he keeps trying patiently until he finally catches Mr. Goose.

This book should be included in the classroom because it talks to insiders and outsiders alike. From an insider perspective, Stephen’s feelings are relatable to other children with AD/HD. In the first couple pages of the book, Stephen expresses his frustration with his behavior, saying he “felt as if he couldn’t do anything right” (1). Children with AD/HD are often judged by their peers and marginalized in the classroom. Therefore, Stephen is immediately identifiable. Children who do not have AD/HD can also feel for Stephen. Nobody likes to get in trouble, so they will connect with Stephen in that way. Although the story deals with some frustrations of the condition, Lears also makes sure to include strengths of an individual with AD/HD. This is important for both insiders and outsiders. Insiders get a chance to see their strengths highlighted. The story shows Stephen’s motivation to do something, and other children with AD/HD see that it is possible for them to strive for goals as well. Children without AD/HD will ignore Stephen’s condition at this point in the story and see Stephen as one of them. Thus, Stephen’s AD/HD will become an unimportant detail. They will focus in on the “person first”.

In closing, “Waiting for Mr. Goose” is a positive story about a boy with AD/HD. His disability, however, is not the main focus of the story. This is helpful for both those with or without AD/HD. Insiders see Stephen as someone on their side while outsiders see Stephen as just another boy. Both views still make out Stephen to be a smart boy, and therefore make his AD/HD less of an issue. Lears does a good job writing a story about a disability without making the disability the main focus.

Sit Still! --Nancy Carlson

(image from kids.aduible.com)

Carlson, Nancy. Sit Still! New York: Viking Juvenile, 1996.

Unlike the previous two picture books, “Sit Still!” did not include an author’s note.

“Sit Still!” is a story about a boy named Patrick, who, like the title describes, cannot sit still. The first half of the story shows Patrick in numerous settings; he gets in trouble because he cannot stop moving. It is not until half way through the book that Patrick’s teacher makes a recommendation to see a special doctor. The doctor cannot find anything wrong; he tells Pat’s mom that he “simply can’t sit still” (20). His mom decides that she is going to find things to keep him occupied. Then he will not have all of his nervous energy. By the end of the story Patrick has a bunch of new activities to keep himself occupied.

Nancy Carlson’s picture book is a great story for children, both with or without attention difficulties. For children with AD/HD, they can see themselves reflected in the main character of Patrick. Children without AD/HD will see that Patrick is a lot like them at times. Every child has a problem sitting still sometimes, and because the book never mentions AD/HD, the story is more relatable to them. The illustrations in the book accompany the text in a humorous way that makes the story enjoyable. Even though the book is humorous, the underlying message of the story is still a good lesson. By the end of the story, all parties are happy. Children without attention difficulties have heard a good story and learned a little bit about what it is like for those who do have those difficulties. Children with AD/HD have found a funny story to which they can relate. Even caretakers and teachers benefit from this book. In the end of the story, there are several suggestions as to how to keep these individuals productive. Instead of just focusing on the negative aspects of those with attention difficulties, Carlson gives suggestions and shows that these children might just need more structure.

To sum it up, Carlson’s “Sit Still!” is a humorous story that appeals to all audiences. Children with attention difficulties see themselves inside the story, whereas those without AD/HD still get a relatable story. It is a good story to read and follow up with a discussion.

Prop Eight

When California "approved" of gay marriage back in May, I thought our country was finally moving forward. True, California is known as a liberal state. But I thought that other states would maybe follow its lead and propose similar laws.I had always struggled with how to state my opinion on same-sex marriage. I've been raised Catholic and attended a Catholic school for twelve years. Those years of education had me understanding marriage as a religious sacrament, the way that the Church recognized the union between a man and a woman. I saw a civil union, marriage recognized by the state, equivalent to actual marriage. It wasn't until I got to Michigan State that my thinking was challenged. I remmeber the first time the issue came up two years ago. My friend conversationally asked what we thought of gay marriage. Without thinking twice, I said that I supported gay couples being together, but I wasn't sure if I agreed with actual marriage. My friend's mouth dropped wide open and I immediately became embarrassed and never brought the subject up again.I can't even pin-point when my change occurred, but sometime in these last couple years I began to see things differently. Although my religoius values are still as strong as they were before MSU, I feel like I've become more open and begun to think for myself.Proposition 8 is a huge step backwards. As they stated in the State News, it is an embarrassment to our country to have proposition 8 pass on the same day that we elect our first African American president. If two men are in love as much as a heterosexual couple, why shouldn't they be proud and be able to call that person their husband? Marriage should not be defined as a noun as much as a verb. Currently, marriage means that you are committed to that person for the rest of your life, in sickness and health. Why does your sexual preference matter? The goal of marriage is the same for all people, no matter your sexuality. I think it's difficult to tell someone that their love doesn't matter, their relationship doesn't count, and their choice to spend the rest of their life with that person isn't as important as a man and woman choosing to do the same.Seeing proposition 8 pass was disheartening enough; to read, however, that some states like Arkansas even banned gay couples from adopting was devastating. A loving family is a loving family, despite the layout. People argue that those children may turn out "funny" because they are being raised by homosexual parents. To me, that is such a closed-minded statement. Research has shown, number one, that homosexuality may be a disposition that you are born with. Therefore, being raised in a homosexually-headed house would not make a different. Number two, is your child being gay really that awful of a thing? Think of what you are saying. If anything, the child would benefit from being raised in a diverse household, and come to be more tolerant towards "differences".When it comes down to it, marriage has about a 50-50 chance of lasting. People know this and still choose to get into a relationship, hoping it ends in union. Shouldn't everyone get that chance? Shouldn't everyone be able to see if they can find that special something?