I agree with Tena. I've been thinking about what my district or school does, but really everyone is encouraged to integrate multicultral literature into the classroom. I don't think everyone does so though. I do not like certain months or weeks, and prefer to teach multiculturalism throughout the year. Also, I don't make a huge deal out of it. We don't have special projects for multiculturalism, but it is integrated into the curriculum - if that makes sense!
On Nov 11, 2007 4:06 PM, TLP <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Here Here! I think the saddest thing for me was seeing a teacher who > had offered Mildred Taylor's "Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry" (can't > underline in Yahoo!) as a class novel and students created the > traditional Book Project...I think it was called Fancy Folders. > Anyway, students wrote they felt no connection to the characters and > that they rated the book poorly. How sad to see such an excellent > piece of children's lit utilized this way. Yes I don't play "Black > History Month." or Latino week or whatever! I teach history lessons > with all the cast of characters! Our literature is rich and diverse. > The kids recently read and reflected on an article by Toni Morrison > about reading. We have some poetry by Niki Giovanni. I have a student > reading Maus by Art Spiegelman that wants to present it in a book talk > and I cannot wait... > > On Nov 11, 2007 6:51 PM, meg krause <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Bill asked about how schools deal with diversity. > > > > This is especially pertinent for me. My school launched this year > > with a workshop with Enid Lee on Multicultural Teaching. We are a > > small K-5 independent school whose mission is to close the achievement > > gap for low-income, minority children. We are working hard to think > > about content and pedagogy and how we can be more inclusive. Enid Lee > > edited a marvelous text, Beyond Heroes and Holidays, that has helped > > us raise awareness of issues surrounding diversity. It is my belief > > that it is not enough, or just, to celebrate Black History month or > > Latino Heritage month. OR, if schools do celebrate these months, we > > need to move beyond recognition of Rosa Parks. The teaching needs to > > become broader and more critical as the children move up the grades so > > that they grow and push their thinking about the contributions of > > minorities in our country. > > > > Meg > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Meg Krause > > Waterside School > > 535 Fairfield Avenue > > Stamford, CT 06902 > > w: 203/975.8910 ext. 23 > > fx: 203/975.9655 > > m: 203/561.6136 > > > > _______________________________________________ > > The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > > > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. > > > > Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive > > > > > > -- > Tena > > _______________________________________________ > The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive > -- - Heather "The world of books is the most remarkable creation of man. Nothing else that he builds ever lasts. Monuments fall; nations perish; civilizations grow old and die out; new races build others. But in the world of books are volumes that have seen this happen again and again and yet live on. Still young, still as fresh as the day they were written, still telling men's hearts of the hearts of men centuries dead." --Clarence Day "While the rhetoric is highly effective, remarkably little good evidence exists that there's any educational substance behind the accountability and testing movement." —Peter Sacks, Standardized Minds "When our children fail competency tests the schools lose funding. When our missiles fail tests, we increase funding. " —Dennis Kucinich, Democratic Presidential Candidate _______________________________________________ The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive
