When I first came to TE 448 I was unsure what to expect however I must say that I did not feel that real challenge was to be part of a class on Diversity. Boy, was I wrong. My brain sometimes hurt after leaving the class, not literally and not in a bad way. The class made me think. It challenged me intellectually and gave me the opportunity to learn knowledge that can eventually be applied to my classroom.
My readings/understandings of diverse literature have changed significantly. I never before would have questioned the text and its authenticity or have checked to see whether or not the author of the literature I was reading was an insider/outsider/informed. Although these issues are of great importance I question whether or not questioning the text can be sometimes unsettling. As a future teacher I think that I will not only question the text but I want to also weigh out the positives against the negatives. I want to look for the positives in the book otherwise I am sure any novel may provide certain flaws, some unnoticed and some noticeable.
I want to chose books that my students can relate to/identify with; and I don't mean that I will only by books that share the same cultural background as my students. I still want my students to be well-rounded. In order to obtain such a characteristic I want my students to explore books of all types of cultures; something that I have learned in TE 448. I never really thought about the role diverse literature can play in peoples lives. It can create awareness and teach people of differences and similarities that are not solely on such factors as skin color.
I have all the tools and now it is up to me to use them. I am not concerned with any questions I have about diverse literature. I have come to learn that it is a challenging topic and something that may not give you the answers right away. I am ready to apply my new learned knowledge but I am not ready to stop learning!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
Final Reflection
I chose five picture books on African American culture. I wanted to choose this category because I believe that African Americans have struggled throughout the years and throughout the years changes have occurred to benefit the lives of African Americans. Although each book was unique, one characteristic that I believe provided the most inspiration was the issue and theme of slavery.
Slavery is a painful and frightening part of our history as Americans, a part which many elementary school teachers would rather not discuss. But our silences about slavery are potentially more damaging to the well-being of our children than the pain associated with learning about slavery. The silences hide from Black children who they are and prevent all children from thinking about what kind of people they want to be. Children of all backgrounds need to feel empowered when they are faced with the fearful events of slavery, and I believe that stories about resistance to slavery and the hope of freedom are critical to giving them that sense of power. Children also have to learn about the pain of slavery, however, or they won’t be able understand why people struggled as they did to become free. Each book I selected has the ability to inspire children to think and learn about hope and struggle, as well as all having extraordinary illustrations. This set of children's books provide, in most part, a knowledge and history of events that have taken place throughout history even though they are not all non-fiction books. I believe that the integration of history in fiction books is an important quality when choosing great literature for children!
Slavery is a painful and frightening part of our history as Americans, a part which many elementary school teachers would rather not discuss. But our silences about slavery are potentially more damaging to the well-being of our children than the pain associated with learning about slavery. The silences hide from Black children who they are and prevent all children from thinking about what kind of people they want to be. Children of all backgrounds need to feel empowered when they are faced with the fearful events of slavery, and I believe that stories about resistance to slavery and the hope of freedom are critical to giving them that sense of power. Children also have to learn about the pain of slavery, however, or they won’t be able understand why people struggled as they did to become free. Each book I selected has the ability to inspire children to think and learn about hope and struggle, as well as all having extraordinary illustrations. This set of children's books provide, in most part, a knowledge and history of events that have taken place throughout history even though they are not all non-fiction books. I believe that the integration of history in fiction books is an important quality when choosing great literature for children!
Professional/Critical Resource
Pierpont, Katherine. "Doreen Rappaport: Celebrating the Not Yet Celebrated." BNET: Buisness Network (2006): 1-3. 20 Apr. 2008 .
Below is an excerpt from a review on "Freedom River" by Doreen Rappaport:
One of her most notable picture books is the deeply poetic Freedom River (Hyperion, 2000), which brings us the story of John Parker, an ex-slave who bought his freedom and helped to lead slaves from Kentucky across the river to the free state of Ohio. Illustrator Bryan Collier, who employs the use of watercolor and collage in this remarkable book, shows the reflection of the river on each of the slaves' faces."
I believe that this review encompasses the many themes throughout Rappaport's novel "Freedom River."
Below is an excerpt from a review on "Freedom River" by Doreen Rappaport:
"This spirited author searches out the stories from our history that may not have otherwise been told:
"For anyone who was involved in the Civil Rights movement, the anti-war movement or the feminist movement - it doesn't leave your soul. It's embedded in you, " said Doreen.
It's hard to get through reading one of Doreen Rappaport's books without drawing in a deep breath of incredulity, shock or awe. As a writer who has made a career out of shining a light on "extraordinary, ordinary people," Doreen's books bring kids' attention to the not-so-pretty side of life and the turbulent, disturbing times in our history. When we met with Doreen in her New York City apartment this February, we spoke at length about how she initially became drawn to the stories of, as she refers to her subjects, "not-yet-celebrated Americans."
Unknown heroes. In 1965, Doreen traveled to Mississippi to teach music at a freedom school. The Civil Rights movement was in full swing in the South and she encountered many people who would have given anything for the rights that she herself had and took for granted. "These were heroes that nobody had heard about. I couldn't believe their courage," she said. She wanted to celebrate her students' heritage in her music classes and teach them African American spirituals and freedom songs."One of her most notable picture books is the deeply poetic Freedom River (Hyperion, 2000), which brings us the story of John Parker, an ex-slave who bought his freedom and helped to lead slaves from Kentucky across the river to the free state of Ohio. Illustrator Bryan Collier, who employs the use of watercolor and collage in this remarkable book, shows the reflection of the river on each of the slaves' faces."
I believe that this review encompasses the many themes throughout Rappaport's novel "Freedom River."
Book Review: Freedom River
Rappaport, Doreen. Freedom River. 1st ed. New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 2000.
Doreen Rappaport is the author of numerous nonfiction and historical fiction books for children which attempt to convey American and world history to children ages four to seventeen. As a young woman Rappaport was a music and reading teacher, first in the ethnically diverse New York City and New Rochelle public schools, and later in a Southern "freedom school" for African-American students. Teaching in the Freedom School in McComb, Mississippi, was what first inspired Rappaport to write about history. The African-Americans she met in Mississippi "were heroic" in their struggle to secure their rights thus inspiring her work, "Freedom River," which won a Coretta Scott King Honor Award.
"Freedom River" is a picture book that relates the true story of John Parker, an African-American businessman who bought his own freedom and helped others to gain theirs via the Underground Railroad. Rappaport writes on just one of many incidents in which Parker helped families escape from Kentucky, a slave state, across the river to freedom in Ohio. In one of Parker's journeys he helped an African American couple escape with their baby from the slave state of Kentucky to the free state of Ohio. The white owner knew the slave parents would never leave their child behind, so he had the baby sleep at the foot of his bed; but Parker stole the baby, tricked the master, and led the family across the river to freedom. Rappaport frames the incident with a biography of Parker, who may have helped as many as 900 African Americans. This biography and notes at the beginning and the historical note at the end strengthen the story's impact.
Because John Parker's dangerous journeys demanded courage, self-sacrifice, and careful planning the story has the ability to uplift the African American race. Freedom River tells how John Parker risked his life to rescue a couple and their baby in the fight for freedom. It is a story of courage and determination , while also being a story about the power of prayer!
Doreen Rappaport is the author of numerous nonfiction and historical fiction books for children which attempt to convey American and world history to children ages four to seventeen. As a young woman Rappaport was a music and reading teacher, first in the ethnically diverse New York City and New Rochelle public schools, and later in a Southern "freedom school" for African-American students. Teaching in the Freedom School in McComb, Mississippi, was what first inspired Rappaport to write about history. The African-Americans she met in Mississippi "were heroic" in their struggle to secure their rights thus inspiring her work, "Freedom River," which won a Coretta Scott King Honor Award.
"Freedom River" is a picture book that relates the true story of John Parker, an African-American businessman who bought his own freedom and helped others to gain theirs via the Underground Railroad. Rappaport writes on just one of many incidents in which Parker helped families escape from Kentucky, a slave state, across the river to freedom in Ohio. In one of Parker's journeys he helped an African American couple escape with their baby from the slave state of Kentucky to the free state of Ohio. The white owner knew the slave parents would never leave their child behind, so he had the baby sleep at the foot of his bed; but Parker stole the baby, tricked the master, and led the family across the river to freedom. Rappaport frames the incident with a biography of Parker, who may have helped as many as 900 African Americans. This biography and notes at the beginning and the historical note at the end strengthen the story's impact.
Because John Parker's dangerous journeys demanded courage, self-sacrifice, and careful planning the story has the ability to uplift the African American race. Freedom River tells how John Parker risked his life to rescue a couple and their baby in the fight for freedom. It is a story of courage and determination , while also being a story about the power of prayer!
Book Review: Follow the Drinking Gourd
Winter, Jeanette. Follow the Drinking Gourd. 1st ed. New York: Alfred a. Knopf, 1998.
Jeanette Winter has written and illustrated almost 50 books for children, including Diego, Emily Dickinson’s Letters to the World, The Librarian of Basra, Georgia, and Mama. Her art with flat colors and perspectives in the folk art tradition have brought her many honors. She lives in New York City.
Winter's picture book relates the story of an old white sailor called "Peg Leg Joe" who went from plantation to plantation in the pre-Civil War south, teaching enslaved blacks a folksong that he wrote, the lyrics of which held directions for following the Underground Railroad to freedom. This particular story focuses on the journey of one group of runaways who travel according to the directions of the song to reach the Ohio River, where Peg Leg Joe himself is waiting with a boat.
However, its emphasis on the role that white people played in the black flight to freedom make it an unbalanced introduction. "Joe had a plan" appears repeatedly in the text, making it sound as though the idea of escape and freedom originated with him, rather than with the people who were living the horror of slavery. Throughout the story, the people who are escaping are depicted as being wholly dependent on the elements and on the actions of benevolent whites, rather than on their own thoughts, ideas, and decisions. This notion is reinforced in picture after picture, as the faces of the five blacks are wide-eyed with fear while they look for the next sign from Joe to tell them what to do. They never show the expressions of courage and determination that mark the faces of the white characters in this book. Follow the Drinking Gourd is aptly titled in that it presents a history of black Americans as followers, rather than as leaders. This story does however without a doubt engages children by bringing history to life.
Jeanette Winter has written and illustrated almost 50 books for children, including Diego, Emily Dickinson’s Letters to the World, The Librarian of Basra, Georgia, and Mama. Her art with flat colors and perspectives in the folk art tradition have brought her many honors. She lives in New York City.
Winter's picture book relates the story of an old white sailor called "Peg Leg Joe" who went from plantation to plantation in the pre-Civil War south, teaching enslaved blacks a folksong that he wrote, the lyrics of which held directions for following the Underground Railroad to freedom. This particular story focuses on the journey of one group of runaways who travel according to the directions of the song to reach the Ohio River, where Peg Leg Joe himself is waiting with a boat.
However, its emphasis on the role that white people played in the black flight to freedom make it an unbalanced introduction. "Joe had a plan" appears repeatedly in the text, making it sound as though the idea of escape and freedom originated with him, rather than with the people who were living the horror of slavery. Throughout the story, the people who are escaping are depicted as being wholly dependent on the elements and on the actions of benevolent whites, rather than on their own thoughts, ideas, and decisions. This notion is reinforced in picture after picture, as the faces of the five blacks are wide-eyed with fear while they look for the next sign from Joe to tell them what to do. They never show the expressions of courage and determination that mark the faces of the white characters in this book. Follow the Drinking Gourd is aptly titled in that it presents a history of black Americans as followers, rather than as leaders. This story does however without a doubt engages children by bringing history to life.
Book Review: Circle Unbroken
Raven, Margot T. Cirlce Unbroken. 1st ed. New York: South China Printing Co., 2004.
Margot Theis Raven has been a professional writer/journalist for thirty years, working in the fields of radio, television, magazine, newspapers and children’s books. Her picture books include Angels in the Dust, an IRA Teachers' Choice, and Night Boat to Freedom. She lives in Charleston, South Carolina. "Circle Unbroken" was inspired by her Kiawah Island home and her admiration for the enduring Gullah culture and the insights of the 1930s WPA Slave narratives collection.
"Circle Unbroken" is a book about the origins of the intricate technique and art of basket making as preserved by the Africans who were brought to America as slaves and their descendants. A grandmother guides her granddaughter's hands as she teaches her the art of basket sewing. When the child asks her how she came to make baskets, the woman's answer goes back to a time when one of their ancestors, the child's "old-timey grandfather," is being initiated into manhood in a village in Africa. Part of the rite involves being able to make a grass basket woven or coiled so tightly that it can hold water. Soon after this event, the young man is captured, transported to America, and sold as a slave at an auction in Charleston, SC. During the day he works the fields, but by night he makes baskets, and this skill is passed down from one generation to the next. Raven's text masterfully frames several hundred years of African-American history within the picture-book format.
This picture book is accompanied by many different themes including African American heritage, the story behind basket weaving, the importance of family history and tradition and the theme of slavery. I believe that the context of the book gives important information based on historical events and would be a great read for any child acquiring new information on African American culture and tradition!
Margot Theis Raven has been a professional writer/journalist for thirty years, working in the fields of radio, television, magazine, newspapers and children’s books. Her picture books include Angels in the Dust, an IRA Teachers' Choice, and Night Boat to Freedom. She lives in Charleston, South Carolina. "Circle Unbroken" was inspired by her Kiawah Island home and her admiration for the enduring Gullah culture and the insights of the 1930s WPA Slave narratives collection.
"Circle Unbroken" is a book about the origins of the intricate technique and art of basket making as preserved by the Africans who were brought to America as slaves and their descendants. A grandmother guides her granddaughter's hands as she teaches her the art of basket sewing. When the child asks her how she came to make baskets, the woman's answer goes back to a time when one of their ancestors, the child's "old-timey grandfather," is being initiated into manhood in a village in Africa. Part of the rite involves being able to make a grass basket woven or coiled so tightly that it can hold water. Soon after this event, the young man is captured, transported to America, and sold as a slave at an auction in Charleston, SC. During the day he works the fields, but by night he makes baskets, and this skill is passed down from one generation to the next. Raven's text masterfully frames several hundred years of African-American history within the picture-book format.
This picture book is accompanied by many different themes including African American heritage, the story behind basket weaving, the importance of family history and tradition and the theme of slavery. I believe that the context of the book gives important information based on historical events and would be a great read for any child acquiring new information on African American culture and tradition!
Book Review: Nappy Hair
Herron, Carolivia. Nappy Hair. 1st ed. New York: Alfred a. Knopf, INC., 1997.
Carolivia Herron is an author of children's and adult fiction, a developer of multimedia educational programs, a scholar in the field of classical epic and African American literature, and an Assistant Professor of English at California State University, Chico.
"Nappy Hair" is a unique and vibrant picture book that uses the African-American call-and-response tradition, a family talks back and forth about adorable Brenda's hair. "It's the nappiest, the curliest, the twistiest hair in the whole family." The family delights in poking gentle fun with their hilarious descriptions, all the time discovering the beauty and meaning of Brenda's hair.
"Nappy Hair" has a title that one might think has negative connotations associated with it, however there is pride in the hair of the child, and her hair is what is part of her African American identity; an identity that little Brenda should be proud to have and the proof is on top of her head!!
Carolivia Herron is an author of children's and adult fiction, a developer of multimedia educational programs, a scholar in the field of classical epic and African American literature, and an Assistant Professor of English at California State University, Chico.
"Nappy Hair" is a unique and vibrant picture book that uses the African-American call-and-response tradition, a family talks back and forth about adorable Brenda's hair. "It's the nappiest, the curliest, the twistiest hair in the whole family." The family delights in poking gentle fun with their hilarious descriptions, all the time discovering the beauty and meaning of Brenda's hair.
"Nappy Hair" has a title that one might think has negative connotations associated with it, however there is pride in the hair of the child, and her hair is what is part of her African American identity; an identity that little Brenda should be proud to have and the proof is on top of her head!!
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