Last Class Session Reminders

I feel like I've already said this several times, and posted about it previously, but just in case, here are some last minute reminders about what is expected for our last class session. (I know it can be hard to keep everything straight, with the expectations from all of your different classes.)

• Here is a final checklist for class Wednesday:
• Hand in blog log.
• Bring to class the books you reviewed for your final project, to share with classmates.
• On your blog you should also have:
  Final project: 3-5 book reviews (depending on if you used picture books or novels or a combination), 1 professional resource review, 1 post in which you reflect on an aspect of your project as a whole

"Public" post for final project:

• Over the weekend, you should have received an invitation to be a contributor to the "Issues of Diversity in Children's and Adolescent Literature" blog. Respond as directed to this email. Choose one or more of your book reviews to post on this blog. Remember to follow the model for full citation and labels for the posts.

For next week (finals week) due Wednesday, April 30, class time

• Final course post: Find some time in the upcoming week to reread your questioning the text papers, look over the course syllabus, and page through the course readings. Then write a short reflection that highlights how your thinking about diverse literature has changed over the semester. What have you learned? How has your reading/understanding of diverse literature changed over the semester? Do you have new questions/concerns? Where will you go from here? Focus on whichever prompt(s) make sense for you! (This is not a course paper. The idea is to highlight, in a concise manner, a few key points!)

Any questions? See you in class!

Session 13 - GLBTQ Lit and loose ends, Final Projects

This coming week in class:

• We will be discussing GLBTQ literature, with Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan for our book discussion. Everyone will be writing their final Questioning the Text paper this week.
• One of the short articles we are reading is also by Levithan (2004), and the other by McLean (1997). Come to class with your responses to these articles and ideas to contribute to class discussion.
• You might also want to check out a blog on GLBTQ lit called Worth the Trip--an excellent resource and just great reading.

• We will also spend a bit of time in class catching up on a bit of review we didn't get to last week. Be prepared to review what questions you should ask of diverse lit and what characteristics you should look for in diverse lit. We'll compare to the list you made earlier in the semester and see how you've progressed.
• I'd also like to revisit what questions you still have, what is still troubling you, about issues covered in the course. What work will you still have to do when you leave this class?

Blogging:

• How does your Blog log look? Are you up to date? Will you be ready to turn in your log on the last day of class (that's when it's due)? Note any extra credit blogs (also not part of your assigned # of blogs.)
• There will be one more required blog, (that "counts" on your log) that will be a reflection of the semester. I will discuss more details on what that should entail in class.

Answers to some questions about Final Projects:

• Your final project will be a series of posts on your blog. These do NOT count as part of your regular blogging assignment.
• Each book review should be posted as a separate blog post. Your review of the professional resource is also a separate blog, with full citation for the resource. One more separate post for your reflection of your final project as a whole.
• You will chose one (or more if you like) of your book reviews to post on our "public blog" which was begun last semester, and will carry on next semester as well. You will receive information on how to post there next week.
• Bring up any further questions in class or comment on this post and I will reply for everyone.

I like you to think about how you would like to share your final projects on the last day of class. I have some ideas, but I'd like to hear your input.

Week 12

Just a reminder that there is no class this week, April 2. Papers originally scheduled for April 2nd are now due on April 9th when we are next in class. Remember that this week off is intended as time for you to work on your own on your final projects. Good luck and I'll see you one the 9th.

Session 11 - Asian Pacific American Literature

This week we'll be reading and discussion Project Mulberry. The accompanying articles are:

• Siu-Runyan (2002): This article focuses on "Books that teach about the Asian and Pacific Island peoples of Hawaii". What does it add to your understanding of that population? Of the purposes and need for multicultural literature in general?
• Yamate (1997): As of 1997, what was the state of publishing for Asian American texts? What type of research might you do to explore whether anything has changed over the last 10 years? What themes might you find in Asian Pacific American literature?

This week Group B is writing Questioning the Text papers for Project Mulberry.

Session 10: Latino/a Literature

This week we will be exploring Latino/a Literature, reading and discussion Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz Ryan (who you might remember as the author of Esperanza Rising, one of our texts from TE 348). For our supporting reading, note as follows:

• Ada (2003): This chapter is from the book A Magical Encounter: Latino Children's Literature in the Classroom. Some things to think about while reading: Why does Ada use the term "Latina" to identify herself? How is this connected to her understanding of self and history? What does she add to our understanding of the insider/outsider debate? To our understanding of the Pura Belpre award?
• Barrera and Quiroa (2003): This chapter is from the book Stories Matter: The Complexity of Cultural Authenticity in Children's Literature. Why is it important to consider the use of Spanish in texts? When does it enhance the text? When does it detract from the text? How might audiences of Spanish/English and English speakers be accommodated?

This week Group A is writing Questioning the Text papers. Note the change in the timing of posting on the Drop Box on Angel (I've given you a bit more time).

Blogging: Don't forget to post your required blog on developing a Personal Philosophy, by class time on Wednesday. This blog counts as one of your ten for the blog assignment. If you have attended one of the extra credit options and are posting a blog (rather than turning in a paper to me) that also should be posted by class time on Wednesday, but as extra credit, it does not count as one of you blogs for the blogging assignment.

Extra Credit Opportunities

I was asked today if there were any other extra credit opportunities possible, and I didn't think so at the time, but I did see another good opportunity just today--it's also for tomorrow evening (Thursday), but for earlier.

GLBT Safe Schools is sponsoring a Safe School Seminar tomorrow (Thursday) on teachers' and schools' legal rights and responsibilities towards gay,lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning students, teachers, andparents. Details are below: Legal Rights & ResponsibilitiesAttorney Jay Kaplan from the ACLU will return to provide an overview of the teachers' and schools' legal rights and responsibilities towards gay,lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning students, teachers, and parents. He will also give us an update on the current legislation affecting Michigan schools, including the school bullying bill.Thursday, March 13, 2008 5:00 - 6:30 252 EH Erickson Hall Pizza will be served.

If you attend this seminar and write a one page paper or equivalent blog post on what you learned, you can earn up to 2 points of extra credit.

If you attend the Native American Seminar (detailed in an earlier blog posting), you don't need to attend the whole three hours, but at least half of the time, (1 and 1/2 hours), and write a 1 page paper or equivalent blog posting, including which presenters you listened to and what you learned. Let me know if you have any questions.

Final Projects

The final project is an opportunity to practice selecting, reviewing, and researching books on a topic of your choice. You will also be sharing your work, not only with your classmates, but with a larger educational community.

During session 7 read through the directions and rubric for the final project and I passed out a hard copy of these documents in class. They are also posted on Angel.) Here are some links that you might find helpful:

• Sample book review that models the format of the review: MLA citation, book cover, summary of book, critical component, labels. (Remember that "critical" can be a positive or negative evaluation. The important aspect is that you draw on our work in the class to thoughtfully consider the text as a piece of literature.)
  
• Sample professional/critical resource: Remember that this can be a review of a resource as a whole OR can be a post in which you share a focused idea/question from the resource.
  
• Link to "public site" at which you'll post one or more of your reviews. (Don't worry about this now, I'll provide directions on selecting and posting your final work later in the semester.)
• Although this is an optional post, you might want to write about why you are focusing on your topic and/or where you are "coming from" as a reader. Here's an example post from a student last term talking about her interests.

Remember you are welcome to work with other students with the same interests as you, sharing resources and giving each other feedback on the reviews you write. (You will still need to each select your own books and professional resources.) I will post a discussion board forum on each class sections Angel site, with a thread for each category, to make it easy to connect with other students who have chosen the same topic. (It's okay if you want to change your mind from what you originally signed up for--just let me know.)

Please post questions and comments about this project here. That way everyone will benefit from the discussion and responses that result from your questions.