My literature set is made up of books that include people with disabilities. The books that I have chosen to focus on are Thank you, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco, Ian’s Walk by Laurie Lears, and Big Brother Dustin by Alden R. Carter. These books all depict a person with a disability in a positive and realistic manner, in a dynamic manner, and having positive relationships with others. As a future special educator, I felt that it was important that I explore this category of children’s literature for this project because it is something that is often overlooked and not considered to be multicultural or diverse literature. I am excited to give my students the opportunity to see themselves in the literature that is on my bookshelves and to provide literature for them that is different from what they are normally exposed to. Our discussions across the semester and this project have allowed me to feel more confident that the literature that I pick out for my future library will benefit my students, not only because it is enjoyable to read, but because it will give them windows to see other cultures, and mirrors to see their own in.
Thank you, Mr. Falker is a book that tells the honest story of a young student’s struggle to feel smart and accepted in her classroom because of her dyslexia. With the help of a smart, understanding teacher, Trisha begins to understand her disability and works on ways to succeed in her typical classroom. Ian’s Walk shows the difficultly of having a sibling who is different and presents challenges. But it also shows the story of a young boy who has Autism and is happy and independent, not held captive by his disability. Big Brother Dustin gives its readers pictures of a young boy with Down Syndrome who plays the role of protector and isn’t forced into the role of victim. All of these texts are great examples of what the professional resource recommends putting on bookshelves for students to read. The authors were very intentional in the way they presented their characters to give their readers a way to learn more about a different culture and a way to identify personally with a piece of literature.
Monday, December 8, 2008
“Characterization of Mental Retardation and Autism in Children’s Books” Review of Professional Resource:
The professional resource that I have chosen to review is titled, “Characterization of Mental Retardation and Autism in Children’s Books.” It is by Tina Taylor Dyches, Mary Anne Prater, & Sharon F. Cramer, and was written in 2001.
This article analyzed the different ways that children’s literature portrayed people with disabilities. Before I begin, I must say that I don’t personally like the use of the term mental retardation in the title. Obviously, nothing negative was intended from the authors, but I think it’s an archaic term. Anyway, the article does a great job of breaking down the different criteria that should be used when deciding what literature to include when choosing children’s books that include characters with a disability.
The article points out that the images of characters with disabilities that are often presented to students at a very young age include classic characters such as the evil Captain Hook, the scary Hunchback of Notre Dame, etc. Always being accompanied with a less than desirable personality or situation. Realistically, these characters can be just as happy and beautiful as the typical fairy tale princess or as smart and popular as a typical character. The main three criteria are that the character is portrayed a.) realistically, b.) positively, and hopefully, c.) dynamically. I really appreciated the description of a positive portrayal as a future special educator. It emphasized that to be positive, high expectations must be set for the character; they must be shown as having reciprocal relationships with other characters, and emphasize strengths rather than weaknesses. To be realistic, the character must “demonstrate skills and knowledge consistent with their projected ability level” (234). This doesn’t mean that the text must highlight or point out the disability the character might have, but, instead, it must show the character with a specific disability in a context that is true to what it might actually be.
Another category of criteria that should be used when choosing children’s literature depicting people with disabilities deals with the relationships that are portrayed among characters with and without the disability. The article stresses that these relationships should be positive, the character with a disability shouldn’t be seen as a victim, dependant, or an invalid, and that they should be seen as capable of having reciprocal relationships. These criteria and the ones listed above are all very essential when thinking about what literature portraying characters with disabilities to include and exclude from a classroom library. I was very interested in this article because it was a source that allowed me to understand what I should be looking for in this specific type of literature, it also gave examples of texts that were desirable and texts that were not, and it gave in depth reasons why they should or shouldn’t be considered. As a future educator, I found this professional resource to be very informative and easy to read, which makes it likely that other educators and I will actually use it in the future.
Professional Resource:
Dyches, Tina Taylor, Mary Anne Prater, Sharon F. Cramer. "Characterization of Mental Retardation and Autism in Children's Books." Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (2001): 230-243.
This article analyzed the different ways that children’s literature portrayed people with disabilities. Before I begin, I must say that I don’t personally like the use of the term mental retardation in the title. Obviously, nothing negative was intended from the authors, but I think it’s an archaic term. Anyway, the article does a great job of breaking down the different criteria that should be used when deciding what literature to include when choosing children’s books that include characters with a disability.
The article points out that the images of characters with disabilities that are often presented to students at a very young age include classic characters such as the evil Captain Hook, the scary Hunchback of Notre Dame, etc. Always being accompanied with a less than desirable personality or situation. Realistically, these characters can be just as happy and beautiful as the typical fairy tale princess or as smart and popular as a typical character. The main three criteria are that the character is portrayed a.) realistically, b.) positively, and hopefully, c.) dynamically. I really appreciated the description of a positive portrayal as a future special educator. It emphasized that to be positive, high expectations must be set for the character; they must be shown as having reciprocal relationships with other characters, and emphasize strengths rather than weaknesses. To be realistic, the character must “demonstrate skills and knowledge consistent with their projected ability level” (234). This doesn’t mean that the text must highlight or point out the disability the character might have, but, instead, it must show the character with a specific disability in a context that is true to what it might actually be.
Another category of criteria that should be used when choosing children’s literature depicting people with disabilities deals with the relationships that are portrayed among characters with and without the disability. The article stresses that these relationships should be positive, the character with a disability shouldn’t be seen as a victim, dependant, or an invalid, and that they should be seen as capable of having reciprocal relationships. These criteria and the ones listed above are all very essential when thinking about what literature portraying characters with disabilities to include and exclude from a classroom library. I was very interested in this article because it was a source that allowed me to understand what I should be looking for in this specific type of literature, it also gave examples of texts that were desirable and texts that were not, and it gave in depth reasons why they should or shouldn’t be considered. As a future educator, I found this professional resource to be very informative and easy to read, which makes it likely that other educators and I will actually use it in the future.
Professional Resource:
Dyches, Tina Taylor, Mary Anne Prater, Sharon F. Cramer. "Characterization of Mental Retardation and Autism in Children's Books." Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (2001): 230-243.
Thank you, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco
Image from Google Images
Thank you, Mr. Falker is a picture book that follows Trisha, a young girl who was so excited to go to school and learn to read like her older brother. Instead of reading coming easily for her, all she saw were “wiggling shapes” and her excitement turned into intense frustration. “Trisha began to feel ‘different.’ She began to feel dumb.” Not only was reading impossible, even math was difficult, making her feel even worse. Her family moved to California where things weren’t much different at first. She still felt dumb and the kids still made fun of her, that is, until Mr. Falker began to see her strengths (drawing) and until he recognized why she was having problems reading. He showed her compassion when talking to her about dyslexia saying, “Little one, don’t you understand, you don’t see letters or numbers the way other people do. You’ve gotten through school all this time, and fooled many, many good teachers! That took cunning, and smartness, and such, such bravery. You’re going to read – I promise you that.” After meeting with Mr. Falker and a reading teacher after school for a few months, she began to read whole sentences, then paragraphs, and then books.
The first time I read this book, I loved it. Not only is it a great story of perseverance and success, it is an autobiographical story of Patricia Polacco, the author. She was the little girl whose life was changed by one teacher who recognized what her struggle was. It’s quite inspiring that she grew up to write children’s books after feeling stupid during her entire elementary education and not having any hope that she could do better. This text should be included in every classroom library because it has the capability to give this feeling to many students who struggle to feel smart or accepted in their class.
Trisha’s disability is written about in a very realistic way, discussing her inner struggle and confusion about why she isn’t like the other students. It also gives a very realistic solution: it’s okay that she is different, that, in her case, her disability can be helped with help. Although this is somewhat of a strength for this book, it could also be a weakness if a child read this and thought that a disability like Down Syndrome could be “cured.” Nevertheless, Polacco has written a book that many students and their families can identify with and draw strength from. It shows a positive, realistic depiction of a student struggling to understand her disability and to try and overcome parts of it. Students with dyslexia will be able to see themselves in a piece of literature when they are so often looked over, and students without a disability will be able to learn more about people who are different from them in some way.
Polacco, Patricia. Thank you, Mr. Falker. New York: Philomel Books, 1998.
Ian's Walk: A Story about Autism by Laurie Lears
Image from Google Images
Ian’s Walk is the story of a girl and her young brother who is autistic. She wants to go to the park with her friend, but her brother wants to come along. Like many older sisters, Julie does not want her little brother coming, but it is her sisterly duty to bring him and keep a close eye on him. Even though this is true, Julie describes another reason why it’s not always fun to bring Ian along: he has autism and his behavior isn’t always what is considered “normal” to other people. She describes all the places, sights, and smells that they encounter which cause Ian to react in ways that is either embarrassing for her or that draws attention to them. For example, in Nan’s Diner Ian is fascinated by the spinning ceiling fan, he doesn’t the noisy fire truck coming down the road, instead of smelling the flowers at the stand, Ian prefers to sniff the bricks of the nearby wall, put his face to the sidewalk instead of going to the pond, or eat dry cereal instead of pizza. When Julie isn’t looking, Ian wanders off by himself exploring. When Julie notices, she panics and only finds him when she tries to think like he would. She discovers him lying under a bell ringing it. On their walk home she begins to appreciate Ian and doesn’t complain about his individual behavior. As the story ends, Julie tells Ian what a good walk they had and “just for a flash” Ian looks at her and smiles.
I loved this piece of literature because it shows that a disability can be difficult for everyone; including the person with the disability and their loved ones. Even though it can be hard, this book gives a realistic view of Autism when it depicts how Ian’s senses things differently than his sister. These sensory differences are not uncommon for individuals with Autism, although it is different for every person. Although the text shows these differences and difficulties, it also shows Ian having a good time on his walk, and his sister accepting him and his individual behavior on their walk home. Ian is portrayed as capable of enjoying himself, not as a victim of his disability. Ian’s Walk won a Dolly Gray Children’s Literature Award in 2000 because of its positive portrayal of Ian. “The Dolly Gray Award is sponsored by The Council for Exceptional Children’s Division on Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities and Special Needs Project” (Dyches Article).
Lears, Laurie. Ian’s Walk: A Story about Autism. Illinois: Albert Whitman & Company, 1998.
Big Brother Dustin by Alden R. Carter
Found on Google Images
Big Brother Dustin is the story of a young boy with Down Syndrome who is expecting the birth of his younger sister any day now. He is excited and is involved with the preparation of her birth. Everything from the naming of his sister to the decorating of her room Dustin has a hand in. He takes classes to learn how to be a good big brother and is involved in the anticipation of waiting on the day she is born. After she arrives, he comes up with the name their parents eventually use for the new baby, he helps her swing, eat, he entertains her, helps baby sit, and plays with her. He seems to be a large part of her everyday life.
I chose to include this text because it was described in the professional resource as an exemplary example of a portrayal of a character with a disability in children’s literature. Instead of illustrations there are photographs that depict Dustin going about his day and planning for the arrival of his sister; making the story even more relatable. It shows Dustin in a very realistic and positive role. In different instances throughout the text Dustin is put in the role of protector for his little sister or is shown caring for her everyday needs.
One of the most interesting things that I found from this text is that the term “Down Syndrome” is never used to describe Dustin. As a whole, this story is not much different from many other pieces of children’s literature. There is nothing about it, besides the physical appearance of Dustin, to suggest that he has a disability. There is never anything that he must overcome or struggle against in the text. I think the author did this to show that, like every one else, Dustin and people with disabilities are very capable of living their lives in a way that pleases them and that is largely independent.
I think that by having this book in a classroom, students would see a side of persons with disabilities that they may have never considered. Often, young students don’t know that a person with a disability is more similar to them than different because they aren’t always exposed to people who are different from them; their experiences mostly limited to their families and classrooms. I think that the author intended for the portrayal of Dustin to relate to students with disabilities and show them something to identify with in literature, but also to allow students who are not familiar with disability to see a positive image of Dustin.
Carter, Alden R. Big Brother Dustin. Toronto: General Publishing, 1997.
Final Blog Post
When thinking back on all that we’ve discussed and thought about this semester, I first want to say that I’m very thankful that MSU offers a course such as this. Growing up, I remember very generic books in my teachers’ classroom libraries, mostly depicting white, middle class, typical families or people. I guess they just didn’t know any better or weren’t taught to consider the elements we’ve discussed. I feel prepared to try and make decisions about what to include in my library and actually enjoyed picking out what books to get for my final project.
As far as my reflection about what topics we’ve specifically discussed, I was impressed to find that during our last class session, we came up with around 23 themes. I loved reading our assigned books each week because they are books that bring up topics that I might not have thought to consider. Topics like: stereotypes & generalizations, identity & self-discovery, the insider/outsider debate, biases, power & authority, and individual perspectives within a group. These themes can completely change the reading of a text and can make its critical reader decide to include or exclude it from their library; eventually impacting and influencing the many students who will interact or not get the chance to interact with a piece of literature.
Something that I had not even considered before was the idea that even within a group, there are individual perspectives and differences that are completely unique to that person. Just because somebody belongs to a minority group of people who are often considered to have many things in common, they are likely very different from their peers or the other people in the group. It might have been something that I was aware of subconsciously, but our weekly discussions have made me apply this idea to many other things that I encounter daily.
Basically what I think this class and all of the themes boil down to for my purposes is what kind of teaching implications they mean for me as a teacher and for my future students. First, I think that I will be able to make educated decisions for my students about what literature to include in their classroom library and what literature to have them discuss and interact with during class. I believe that students have the need and the right to see themselves in literature and also to see people who are not like them in literature. Secondly, I believe that quality literature is not just well written. It takes time and consideration when choosing what to include. Again, I am very thankful that I’ve had the opportunity to participate in this course, and consider it an enriching experience.
As far as my reflection about what topics we’ve specifically discussed, I was impressed to find that during our last class session, we came up with around 23 themes. I loved reading our assigned books each week because they are books that bring up topics that I might not have thought to consider. Topics like: stereotypes & generalizations, identity & self-discovery, the insider/outsider debate, biases, power & authority, and individual perspectives within a group. These themes can completely change the reading of a text and can make its critical reader decide to include or exclude it from their library; eventually impacting and influencing the many students who will interact or not get the chance to interact with a piece of literature.
Something that I had not even considered before was the idea that even within a group, there are individual perspectives and differences that are completely unique to that person. Just because somebody belongs to a minority group of people who are often considered to have many things in common, they are likely very different from their peers or the other people in the group. It might have been something that I was aware of subconsciously, but our weekly discussions have made me apply this idea to many other things that I encounter daily.
Basically what I think this class and all of the themes boil down to for my purposes is what kind of teaching implications they mean for me as a teacher and for my future students. First, I think that I will be able to make educated decisions for my students about what literature to include in their classroom library and what literature to have them discuss and interact with during class. I believe that students have the need and the right to see themselves in literature and also to see people who are not like them in literature. Secondly, I believe that quality literature is not just well written. It takes time and consideration when choosing what to include. Again, I am very thankful that I’ve had the opportunity to participate in this course, and consider it an enriching experience.
Friday, October 17, 2008
"Blindness" Controversy
I was genuinely surprised after seeing the trailor for the movie Blindness. Perhaps I am naieve to think that people (movie producers, well-known actors, people in general) are more aware of controversial topics than the creation of this movie would suggest. Maybe I'm crazy and these people never thought something controversial would come out of this movie, but I can't see how this could be true. After reading the first article posted on the TE448 blog, I looked at the comments posted beneath. 3 out of 4 people were saddened and surprised at the movie. One woman said, "being the mother of a blind child, I can say that when I first saw the previews on TV, I had a feeling of sadness. It makes my heart sad that a movie portraying blindness as an epidemic could be made. I fight the daily war to make people see not what my daughter CANNOT do, but what she CAN do!" Something that I think needs to be the forefront in the argument against this movie needs to be that there are real, hard-working, good people who happen to be blind and can successfully live in this world. Having not seen it myself, I can gather from the trailor and the articles that the movie portrays people who are blind as infantile, sick, and blindness as something that ruins lives. These stereotypes/misconceptions are hurtful and completely untrue. Something that is the most surprising to me is that people who are supposedly intelligent could write, direct, and act in a movie that is so insulting to group of people.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Value of Blog Posts
What you find valuable about our use of blogs?
This class is not the first time I have used blogs to post about my response to readings or activites done in my classes. I think that overall using blogs is a good tool for professors and students to get their reactions down and further their understanding by thinking through what they want to say. It's easy to have ideas in your mind but to write something about it takes reflection and the need to demonstrate a deeper understanding.
I really like using blogs in TE448 because sometimes there's not enough time in class and it's nice to read through others' thoughts. Other than being useful in tracking my own understanding, it is an easy way to share what I'm thinking with the rest of the class. While sometimes it is frustrating to remember to post by a certain date, I do find it beneficial.
This class is not the first time I have used blogs to post about my response to readings or activites done in my classes. I think that overall using blogs is a good tool for professors and students to get their reactions down and further their understanding by thinking through what they want to say. It's easy to have ideas in your mind but to write something about it takes reflection and the need to demonstrate a deeper understanding.
I really like using blogs in TE448 because sometimes there's not enough time in class and it's nice to read through others' thoughts. Other than being useful in tracking my own understanding, it is an easy way to share what I'm thinking with the rest of the class. While sometimes it is frustrating to remember to post by a certain date, I do find it beneficial.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Discussion on Habibi
The discussion question that we focused on in our small group in class dealt mainly with the contrasting cultural expectations that Liyana's father explained to her. It wasn't okay for her to wear shorts but things like marrying her uncle were to "archaic." We discussed many reasons why a father might enforce these expectations with his daughter: protection and acceptance would probably play a big role. The character of Liyana never lingered on the different expectations for men and women, but making a text-to-text connection to the first poem we read discussed the narrator's feeling of extreme inequality when compared to her brother.
It was not my week to write a paper; however, while reading I felt that the Jewish people weren't portrayed very fairly. I'm not Jewish myself and, shamefully, know very little about what is going on in Israel, but I still felt like the story was one-sided. Dr. Waltzer (I think that was his name) did a very good job of informing me of some of the history behind this "hundred year war," as he put it. I think that Naomi Shihab Nye wrote a wonderful book that depicts a young, independent girl trying to make sense of her world, finding belonging in a family and location that makes up her history, and trying to bridge a gap that is somewhat hard to define. These qualities make this book worth reading and discussing with young adults. I also think that there were more sides to this story that should have been told to make this book an honest, well-rounded representation of Israel.
It was not my week to write a paper; however, while reading I felt that the Jewish people weren't portrayed very fairly. I'm not Jewish myself and, shamefully, know very little about what is going on in Israel, but I still felt like the story was one-sided. Dr. Waltzer (I think that was his name) did a very good job of informing me of some of the history behind this "hundred year war," as he put it. I think that Naomi Shihab Nye wrote a wonderful book that depicts a young, independent girl trying to make sense of her world, finding belonging in a family and location that makes up her history, and trying to bridge a gap that is somewhat hard to define. These qualities make this book worth reading and discussing with young adults. I also think that there were more sides to this story that should have been told to make this book an honest, well-rounded representation of Israel.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Insiders/Outsiders Debate
When thinking about the debate over who should write multicultural or diverse literature, I think that it ultimately comes down to credibility, accuracy, and authenticity. While many people can see outside qualities from a diverse group or a certain culture and then write about it, only those who are insiders to that group can write a piece of literature that is sensitive and portrays that group in a way that they approve of. I would define an insider as a person who is origionally from a particular group or someone who later becomes a member of this group by gaining a sufficent amount of information about them.
For a piece of literature to be credible, accurate, and authentic, I believe it is important for it to be written by an insider of that group. However, they are some exceptions to this. For example, the book that my group read during class about Native Americans was written and illustrated by people who supposedly had insider information having lived on a reservation later in their life. This piece of literature had rabbits on each page wearing blankets from different tribes. In the back of the book each blanket was identified and information was given about this tribe. After reading the review of this book, we realized that some of the information was inacurate. Also, the book was not authentic by having rabbits dressed up as Native Americans. As the article from last Tuesday's reading stated, this gives people the impression that all that has to be done to become Native American is to dress up like they think they dress. When an insider writes a piece of literature it is usually credible, accurate, and authentic.
For a piece of literature to be credible, accurate, and authentic, I believe it is important for it to be written by an insider of that group. However, they are some exceptions to this. For example, the book that my group read during class about Native Americans was written and illustrated by people who supposedly had insider information having lived on a reservation later in their life. This piece of literature had rabbits on each page wearing blankets from different tribes. In the back of the book each blanket was identified and information was given about this tribe. After reading the review of this book, we realized that some of the information was inacurate. Also, the book was not authentic by having rabbits dressed up as Native Americans. As the article from last Tuesday's reading stated, this gives people the impression that all that has to be done to become Native American is to dress up like they think they dress. When an insider writes a piece of literature it is usually credible, accurate, and authentic.
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