Cultural Studies News of Note

When I first saw the image above, I was awe struck. What a clever idea! What a way to see the world. So in this spirit of seeing things anew, I have decided to include in this blog news item of note relating to cultural studies and the impact events have on US populations even when they occur a world away. I became increasingly interested in this field via 4 major events:

1) Last semester in my Advanced Composition classes, students were required to read A Long Way Gone: Story of a boy soldier by Ishmael Beah. The story was a mind-boggling, eye opener that left many wondering how any human could descent to such levels of cruelty and still function, let alone overcome.

2)During the summer of 2006, I embarked with fellow colleagues to Turkey for a month on a Fulbright-Hays Award. The views and varying terrains, the religious history and implications, the myriad of college and university campuses and its close proximity to Iraq and Iran made the trip a wonderful kaleidoscope of enriching learning experiences.

3) For three years I taught middle and high school English/Language Arts in a rural town in the panhandle of North Florida where many of my students (33%) were ESOL. I later taught 10th grade honor classes in Miami Dade among a much higher SES high school population where I still had a high number of ESOL students. There were major differences of course in the populations: the first were mostly of Mexican origin, and offsprings of migrant farm workers, many who were also undocumented aliens. The second set of students were from all parts South American, all Caribbean Islands, including Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Cuba. Their entry was "legal" and they were from middle to upper middle class homes. They each viewed the learning and/or mastering of English differently. I then went on to teach at Florida Memorial University in Miami and encountered much of the same type of ethnic diversity.

4) Living in South Florida for a total of 3 years is in itself a living, breathing classroom on cultural diversity and awareness. The clashes that often occurred due to misunderstandings and cultural biases were numerous.

And so, for these reasons, I have decided to collect news stories which highlight and celebrate all that diversity provides.

Enjoy!

Fall 2007

Fall 2007 was filled with meetings, conferences, papers, on campus events, plays, musicals, art exhibitions, tailgating, football and marching bands! Being an avid football fan, fall has always been my most favorite time of the year, after all Christmas will soon be here. Furthermore, the weather cools, longer walks are possible, leaves change their colors, more people are out and about in the neighborhood, the wind blows, lights go up, holiday festivities abound... I could go on forever; however, fall semester as a period of 16 or so weeks during the academic calendar is not my favorite time of the year.

Students are not able to balance the 'fun' of the season with the responsibilities a full load carries. Many work to pay for items that could be delayed - instant gratification seems to be a continuous holdover from one generation to the next. Couldn't students 'rough it' a few years, live on-campus, take the bus, wear clothes that are less expensive and require less maintenance, forgo the latest phone, I-pod, laptop, stay out of the mall... you get the picture. It amazes me how many students desire (and purchase) new cars with huge rims, but won't buy required textbooks for class and then, after failing a few tests or assignments because they were incomplete or failed to follow directions, say that they simply could not afford to purchase books (while texting a friend, sporting the latest coiffure, and flashing either a gold grill or mega gold jewelry). I know, it could have been a gift, it could have been handed to them by a family member - but, wouldn't you say to a cash wielding relative who is bent on buying you something that you would rather he or she purchase your books for English or African History?

I am also amazed by the fantastic lies I have been told over the years. There are too many to name, but look for the book at a store nearest you (once I get the time to write and publish it). It is alarming since I teach in the 'Bible belt' and an overwhelming percentage of my students say they are Christian and believe in the adage, "What goes around, comes around" a.ka. "karma." What is more alarming is that I teach English education and elementary education majors - future teachers. These future teachers have stated in many discussions or assignments just how strict they plan to be on their students and how they are not going to believe anything they say without substantial proof, yet they clearly don't practice what they plan to preach. If teachers lose their honesty and integrity, they will also lose respect; a dishonest teacher who lacks integrity and respect among his or her peers or students should simply not be teachers....

If not for football and family, fall would simply be just another 16 weeks of average educational humbug. Are you ready for some football?!

Shift Happens

Banned Books

NCTE - New York 2007

I was able to catch Beah's speech at NCTE in New York! He was awe inspiring and actually answered the majority of the questions we posed during class discussions.

1) He commented that people falsely assume that the healing process is instantaneous. He is still healing from his memories and his dreams which still haunt him. He continues to have night terrors and nightmares, but understands that he has to deal with them. He says he remains sane by saying to himself after having a bad dream, "I am in America in Brooklyn, what could possibly happen?" (West-White's inner monologue: Of course the crowd roared with laughter for multiple reasons: no doubt we all realize that our neighborhoods are not as safe as we would like to think, or because we have misconceptions about "unsafe" areas within America and that they deserve to be "unsafe".)

2) He was quoted as saying that he has killed more people then he would like to remember. Again, his response to this was that he is still healing and his past is apart of who and what he is and can't erase the past without effecting his future.

3) In Sierra Leone, he stated that the teacher was the only person with a book, so if you wanted to read the book you had to be nice to the teacher and run extra errands to gain favor. Thus, he was shocked when he began school at Oberlin and went to the bookstore and was give his books. He said he remarked, "Are you serious? These are all mine? To keep?" He used this to also comment on how his fellow classmates took so much for granted (Americans as well).

4) He stated that although he believed in God, he did not follow one religion. His father raised him Muslim and he attended schools to learn to read the Quran. His mother was Christian and he loved the songs and praise that occurs within Christian churches. His present mom (the lady in NY) is Jewish but practices Buddhism as well. He stated that all the religions share the basic tenets, but he doesn't know what religion he will experience...

5) He stated that he wrote the book in chronological order and that it was originally 500, 1.5 spaced pages. He felt no one would read that many pages from a new writer so he focused on the two main stories found in the book: childhood in Sierra Leone before the war and the victory of overcoming obstacles. (I didn't take notes, so I am pretty sure these were the two points. This is why I figured I better write this and send it out before I forget any more.)

Here are a few videos of Beah:

http://fora.tv/fora/showthread.php?t=728
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K4yhPSQEzo

Furthermore, as you probably know, much of the talk around this year's convention centered on technology. I attended a presentation by Kylene Beers and this is what she had to say:

As she visits more and more schools throughout the country she is finding a digital divide along racial lines. It's not that minority students aren't using technology, but much of the technology she has witnessed them using is the computer as a glorified electronic workbook for remediation. She further stated that she can walk down the hall and find white students doing things with technology such as uploading projects to the internet, creating digital stories (with a purpose), etc. She is saddened by the fact that simply putting minority at the back of the bus is not the issue, but rather not allowing them on the bus at all.

Since many of the new jobs created in the future will demand much techno savvy, not instructing and engaging them in meaningful uses of technology is almost criminal. Especially since not doing so will limit their employability, skills and quality of life. Take a look at Google's job application for further evidence. Also, google "lit trips" which have been created with Google Earth to highlight the places within a novel where the characters live, travel, author info, etc. for all grade levels.

First, you will need to download Google Earth if you have not.
http://earth.google.com/

Many novels have been done for you as a teacher, (Kylene demonstrated using Grapes of Wrath) but if one isn't there. Find out how to create one and go for it... I know you can do it!
http://web.mac.com/jburg/GoogleLit/Home.html

What's New in Google Lit Trips...
November 18, 2007: Lit Trip for Robert McCloskey's Make Way for Ducklings
October 27, 2007: Lit Trip for James Joyce's Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
October 6, 2007: Step-Guide for Creating Route Paths for Google Lit Trips

Here are a few other sites:
http://elemenous.typepad.com/weblog/2007/03/mapping_literar.html - this is also a good example of an eduation blog

http://web.mac.com/jburg/GoogleLit/Lit_Trip_Tips.html