# data[].attributes.body
Hi Eleanor,
I like your ideas on the importance of disrupting the narrative to expand and improve education. I too have hope that we can be agents of change and improvement in systems, large and small. Selecting varying texts and those that go beyond the cannon to include more diverse perspectives and characters is an important step in that. I feel that ABC is a great choice to do just that. While representing potentially marginalized students, it also opens up a conversation on why the images are stylized like they are. This in turn opens up that media literacy conversation you mentioned, which is also incredibly important. Guiding students to question the basis and origins of the racially charged images in ABC leads them to consider how powerful such messages can be. Thanks for the thoughts Eleanor.

# data[].attributes.body
I really appreciated the ideas from our reading this week, Freire hit the nail on the head. At this point being human is not enough. Much like in my blog post last week, it is clear that there needs to be change. And the change needs to start in schools. Perhaps the change will not be immediate however, each step towards the change will help. As educators we need to take advantage of the gift of teaching future generations and commit fully to creating an inclusive education. The readings we have done at the U have been pointing us in the right direction, however I think we need more. In the article from Harvard Kennedy, Racial Justice, Racial Equity, and Anti-Racism reading list, gives a good list of possible book selections. The list includes, How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi, Race Talk and the Conspiracy of Silence by Derald Wing Sue, Courageous Conversations About Race, Glenn Singleton, White Fagility by Robin DiAngelo, The Condemnation of Blackness by Khalil Gibran Muhammad, Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together by Beverly Daniel Tatum, Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson, The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander, Charleston Syllabus by Keisha N. Blain, From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation by Taylor, Keeanga-Yamahtta, The Color of Law by Rothstein Richard, The broken Heart of America by Walter Johnson, One Person, No Vote by Carol Anderson, Never Caught by Erica Armstrong Dunbar, The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin, Heavy Kiese Laymon, White Rage by Carol Anderson, How to be Less Stupid About Race by Crystal Fleming, and Race Matters by Cornel West, just to name a few. I do want to say, this reading list focuses mostly on the lived black experience, and while this is extremely important, we must realize there are other voices that need to be heard as well. Diversifying lesson plans is what will make us stellar future educators. While this blog mostly focuses on the black experience, there are many different experiences we must focus on as well.

Freire, P. (2018). Chapter 1. In Pedagogy of the oppressed. essay, Bloomsbury Academic.

https://www.hks.harvard.edu/faculty-research/library-knowledge-services/collections/diversity-inclusion-belonging/anti-racist

# data[].attributes.body
While reading The Hate u give by Thomas, I realized how closely the narrative lined up with our current situation. The themes, and the way Khalil was murdered, and the ways in which he was portrayed by the media are very similar to the George Floyd murder we experienced earlier this year. The US’ framework is still broken and needs to be fixed. As a future educator I strongly believe that we can learn through the books we read, however what do we do if we still have not learned. This is the reason I think it is important to be able to learn so that in the future we do not make the same mistakes. With the riots, it is clear change needs to occur. And educators are here to do the work, we are teaching future generations. I think we can learn from Starr in the novel. In the beginning she is worried about outside relationships seeing her reaction and judging her. However in the end we see her working with rioters and resisting the police. This type of action is necessary in order to see change. In another class we did a lesson plan based off the GF murder coorilating with the murder in The Hate u give. We decided to mostly focus on how they portrayed the victim after their murder. In the article Lawyers for ex-cop highlight George Floyd’s history of crime, drug use in court filings, written in Mercury News, it shows how the negative side of GF was portrayed as a means of justification. Tearing apart someones character after their death does not justify the reason of their murder. It is dehumanizing and wrong. This is exactly what I wanted to portray in the lesson plan we wrote. Perhaps if we teach from an angle such as this, we will bring light to these issues while remaining somewhat “neutral” while still conveying the issues in a way that allows for our students to be receptive. We can act as moral guides for students so that events like this might not occur in the future. Just because GF was a drug user and had frequent run’ins with the police does not mean we can justify his murder, he was human just like everyone else and should be treated with the same amount of respect. An example that comes to mind, someone dies of cancer, people do not blame them saying “well if he hadn’t smoked a pack a day or eaten fast food for every meal.” We look at how much of an impact their death has left on us, mourn their loss and blame the cancer. Why can’t we do the same with the police murdering people. The framework is broken, and needs to be exposed and overthrown. Teachers have a lot of power, we need to just know how to address the right things to make the change we all need happen.
Thomas, A. (2018). The hate u give. Balzer + Bray.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/09/11/lawyers-for-ex-cops-raise-floyds-history-of-crime-drug-use/

# data[].attributes.body
The books we choose as instructors will influence the students we teach. The UofM classes have done exceptionally well in choosing relevant books we can potentially use in our future classrooms. Media literacy is very important when it comes to the classroom. It is necessary to choose texts that carefully engage students from all backgrounds, races and economic backgrounds. Through the classes I have taken at the UofM I have realized that “including” students in learning is highly important and worthwhile. If a student does not feel represented, they will be less receptive to learning and less likely to participate actively in class. Therefore it is highly important to choose texts that include everyone. I think the classroom is also a place for students to be able to explore ideas like race and inequality. In the real world, students will not have the same grace that can be allowed in the classroom. Personally I believe that there is no better way to confront and possibly find solutions  to these types of issues then the classroom. We live in a community that exists through broken frameworks and it is our responsibility  as future educators to be able to allow students to process these frameworks in a “safe” way. Personally I would much prefer for the students to confront these issues on a small scale before experiencing them in the real world. A good example of an inclusionary text is American Born Chinese. The graphic novel conveys inclusary ideas through a comic style, this is both accessible and exciting for the students, therefore engaging them and allowing for learning to occur. In the article How the #DisruptTexts Movement Can Help English Teachers Be More Inclusive, Katrina Schwartz attests to this idea. Disrupting the narrative is the power teachers possess. We are teaching future generations, why not teach them in a way that they might band together through their differences rather than separate them with fear and hate as has been seen in the past and even current time. Perhaps educators can be the change this world needs. Perhaps we can sooth the pain of the past and present and prepare future generations for a brighter, safer and more cohesive society.

Yang, G. L., & Pien, L. (2007). American born Chinese. First Second.

https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/55039/how-the-disrupttexts-movement-can-help-english-teachers-be-more-inclusive

# data[].attributes.body
I couldn't agree with you more when it comes to speaking to a black screen. This time right now is probably the hardest that it has been for everyone collectively in a long time. It's hard to build a classroom community when the students are barley there when it comes to class. My CT created break out rooms and when she went into the the students were not talking to each other and their cameras were still off. You had mentioned "The article talked about how we must nurture our students and connect with them in order to unlock their ability to learn and accept information from us. I strongly believe this to be true, students must be able to trust you in order to express their ideals, beliefs and morals." Right now I and I know a lot of teachers are struggling with this because they cannot see their students, and their students are loosing all motivation when it comes to school. How can the students even begin to trust us when they don't know us. Or they don't really want to know us because we are a person online telling them what to do.
-Saroya Ireland

# data[].attributes.body
For this blog I wanted to write on what we believe the teaching experience to be versus what it actually entails. I decided to focus this blog around the article Building Community Out of Chaos, Christensen. I will be quite blunt, my middle school years do not exist in my mind due to the trauma inflicted by my peers. Those years I'm sure are tough on everyone, they are just especially tough when you don't fit in and walk to the beat of your own drum, much like I did. Personally I see the classroom as a mini "society" there is room to express one's values and thoughts on a small scale. I believe this, if done correctly, focusing on the right material, and depending on wether or not the class works well together; it will be very beneficial for learning. The classroom should be a place where we can solidify our beliefs, hear others opinions, learn new information and all grow together. Although I know this is not the case, ideally, I wish it could work. The article talked about how we must nurture our students and connect with them in order to unlock their ability to learn and accept information from us. I strongly believe this to be true, students must be able to trust you in order to express their ideals, beliefs and morals. This quote, "It's hard to build community when you feel like you're 'hoisting elephants through mud' as my friend Carolyn says." (Christensen p.2) Such a hilariously accurate quote, our main opponent will be our students resistance. Today my CT expressed she gets frustrated that the students don't turn on their cameras, she misses seeing their faces as well s being in person. This reminded me of this quote from the reading, the mental load of talking at a black screen hoping for a response is definitely like hoisting elephants through the mud. The article from The Greater Good, Four Ways Schools Can Support the Whole Child Beyond just teaching academics, schools can foster students’ development in their relationships, identity, emotional skills, and overall well-being. By Lisa Flook gives insight into how we can relate to our students and support them even outside of the classroom. I think sometimes as teachers, we forget how pivotal we can be in a Childs life, we may think we are just their teacher, however we have the potential to be so much more.

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/four_ways_schools_can_support_the_whole_child

# data[].attributes.body
Hi Eleanor!

I also really enjoyed Prosoff's assignment for having students write a personal essay about intersecting identities. It would be a great way to learn more about the students, and for the students to learn about themselves, which is so important in the formative years of adolescence. It's unfortunate that the assignment had to be a part of the Alexie book, but there are of course other ways to engage these powerful themes. I loved the resource link you shared as well– there were some really great ideas for giving students opportunities to share their voice, and I appreciated that there were options for all kinds of students. I also am having difficulty in deciding how exactly to manage any hate or racism that may come out in my classes. I agree that zero-tolerance is important, but so is not alienating our students. Hopefully, curating and encouraging a positive, cooperative class community and utilizing restorative practices will allow for such instances to be a rarity. It is important to set an example and model what leading with compassion and values looks like.

-Lizzy

# data[].attributes.body
For this blog I chose to write on Why I’ll Never Teach This Powerful Book Again written by Lauren Porosoff. She gives an interesting view into certain books’ impacts in the classroom. This quote gives insight into how she includes the students own intersecting identities, “At the end of the unit, each student writes and illustrates an “absolutely true” personal essay about their own intersecting identities...It’s the kind of writing assignment where even the essays with grammatical or structural shortcomings are good because they’re about topics that genuinely matter to students, and their voices come through. The last sentence of this quote really struck me. I think learning is much more impactful for the student when it “includes” them. Personally I would love to create a classroom atmosphere that always allows the students to be included on a personal level. Teachers who make the connections empathetically with students are the teachers that make the life-long impacts. The article I found to be most helpful was Eight Ways to Encourage Student Voice, written by Cris Charbonneau. This article went into detail about how important it is to include the students self in the classroom. It also gave insight on how to foster students' voices of self in the classroom. Allowing students to have a voice in the classroom and allow the space for them to explore intersecting identities is pivotal in my mind. It is extremely important to be able to make the classroom as inclusive as possible, and what better way than allowing all voices to be heard and let the students have “some skin in the game.” Also a commonly overlooked outlet for students is to allow for creative expression, Charbonneau highlights this, saying “The most powerful expression of voice is not only in thought, but in how those thoughts are shared.” This statement really stuck with me. This is also another thing we as teachers will have to mitigate, we will have to be able to play “referee” in a way to allow for all voices to be heard. Not only that but there will have to be a set of rules we stick to, when it comes to respect. Voices must be expressed in a positive and uplifting way. Students come from all walks of life and we must take this into consideration while still allowing for learning to occur. I am not sure what would be the right way to handle any racism or hate. I myself, am very much driven towards the zero tolerance policy, however I will have to alter my thinking, bulldozing people is not a way to get them to be able to accept new information. I am sure once I have a couple of years of experience as well as the aid of mentors I will be able to start to discern how to make this all possible. However at this current time I am not sure. I do however want to include intersecting identities as well as allow for each voice to be heard.

https://knowledgeworks.org/resources/8-ways-encourage-student-voice/

# data[].attributes.body
Hi Eleanor,
I think reading is an evolving process for the student as they draw upon their previous experience with the world. As the student encounters texts that are meaningful to them, they will have more interest in reading those texts. In this sense, the transaction between the reader and the text can be augmented by curating the texts for the reader. Rosenblatt discusses this topic when she writes about aesthetic reading, in which the reader’s attention shifts inwards, and new meaningful experiences can be had. The key, then, is for teachers to facilitate the literary transaction between the student and texts.

The situation with modern technology is very interesting, as you discuss. The Forbes’ article adds other elements to the transaction between the reader and the text, since the modern web allows for so many more kinds of transactions. For example, social media, such as Twitter and Facebook, add other “voices” to the reading transaction than the standard reader and the text. Thus, a student may encounter other readers of a text, who may present alternative perspectives of the text. Moreover, the reading transaction via technology (such as social media) may provide more of a back-and-forth conversation among readers of a text, or between the author of a text and multiple readers. This back-and-forth conversation is different from that of a simple one-sided transaction between a reader and a text.

Thank you, Adele

# data[].attributes.body
In the article written by Louise M. Rosenblatt, The Literary Transaction: Evocation and Response, they talk about how reading is a transaction. However I do not agree that it is singularly sided. I can understand how reading might be seen as a transaction the writer, the merchant and the reader the buyer, however in this modern day, I wonder if reading will be evolving. Ultimately this choice is up to the reader. In the article How Technology is Changing the Literary World, from forbs magazine, they focus on is how technology is changing the boundaries that constrain writing. We are all very used to working within a set framework when it comes to analyzing and reading literature. However I think it is time we look beyond this simplified version of interacting with the text. Technology calls for action forwards, and upwards. I am curious to see if in a couple of years literary readings become more fluid. That is to say, the writer can edit, change, or delete entire sections of their writing based off the feedback from the readers. This totally changes the entire dynamic of the reading/writing experience as a whole. If readers are able to make suggestions, the writers have the space they need to improve.

Now bringing these ideas into the classroom. With the aid of technology it will be much easier to treat readings as a “living document” I also think this way of writing/reading will allow the students to have the growth and drive to be motivated to write and interpret texts better. I also think that having technology be a part of the “living document” idea can help the students to stay engaged, while keeping them interested. As the forbes article mentions, making the writing process more interactive also gives readers more control. Reading and writing as expressed in Louise M. Rosenblatt’s article, The Literary Transaction: Evocation and Response connects to the Forbes article when considering reading becing more like a two way street. Previously reading was very linear, a single laned one way road from start to finish. However technology allows for the readers to interact with the reading, and explore their own ideas, even express those ideas to the writer. Technology is opening door we did not even realize existed.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2017/07/13/how-technology-is-changing-the-literary-world/#55c221ce4fc3

# data[].attributes.body
Hi Eleanor!
I completely agree that the gender and race and critical thinking classes in college truly shaped and changed my entire perspective and I have doubts that without those classes my life would be a lot different now. I am so grateful for those classes but at the same time, I feel that these classes should be introduced to children at the elementary, middle, and high school level. The first time that I truly thought critically about race, sexuality, gender, etc. should not have been so late in my education. I will also add that I LOVE Chicken Soup for the Soul, my aunt gave me one of their series books regarding middle school life and friends and just growing up and it really helped me on a mental standpoint to understand that I wasn't alone in my questions, fears, or experiences. Literally everyone should read these books! Thank you for sharing your favorite quote, I also really resonated with it!

# data[].attributes.body
Blog #4

For this blog post I decided to write on Narratives of Struggle by Bell Hooks. Although I am a white woman, I can empathize with the feelings and sentiments she writes about. Please do remember I am reading this through my own perspective lens, but will do my very best to highlight what I feel to be most pertinent. This quote in particular I could strongly relate to because education is powerful, “I wanted knowledge only to the degree that it would enable that suffering to end. I wanted education to offer the critical guidance that would provoke, stimulate awareness and the will to change. I learned about the importance of critical reflection, cultivating strategies that would ensure survival in the face of abuse and open up the possibility of a transformed future for us, the black poor, the underclass, the disinherited.” (P.54) Education can be a powerful way to change the mind. I connected to this quote on a deep level, in my college years, I took many race and gender classes, these were all pivotal in their own ways. They have made me into the person I am today. Knowledge and education to Hooks means the end of sufferings. She too was searching for guidance through her education, much like I am. I do not feel as though I have learned enough to be the best person I can be, there is always room for improvement. This quote especially made me think of the experience I had during my middle/high school years, “My mind became a place of refuge, a sanctuary, a room I could enter with no fear of invasion. My mind became a site of resistance.” (P.54) The kids were vicious with me, because I was seen as the outsider. In reality I just had not found myself yet. Although my grievances could never equal the grievances of people of color, I am able to empathize through the pain I incurred from being different. In her mind, much like me in mine, she is freed from the sufferings through her reading and writing. I read thousands of books all through middle school and high school but one that stuck out to me in particular was “Chicken soup for the soul.” https://www.chickensoup.com These set of books helped me enormously through this very painful period of time in my life. This quote from hooks also expresses the same idea, “I chose to be a writer in my girlhood because books rescued me. They were the places where I could bring the broken bits and pieces of myself and put them together again, the places where I could dream about alternative realities, possible futures.” (P.54-55) Reading, writing and learning are very liberating, life changing experiences. Hooks clearly values them at the same level as I do.

# data[].attributes.body
Eleanor,
I was somewhat surprised too by the sexist comments from the reading, but I also agree that it had some great insight into how to make reading more enjoyable through the contextual features of flow. I also thought that using inquiry and guiding questions was a great way to help bring clarity to what is being taught and encourage refection. I did some more research on my own and found an article that expanded on inquiry questions. Teachers want their students to make connections between ideas and continuously evaluate their reading and learning. To help facilitate, this teachers as guides who help students to greater levels of understanding through asking the right questions. Students become curious and motivated to learn when encouraged to make their own discoveries. The trick is to be a flexible teacher who knows when to move on or continue with a topic. Teachers need to give students time to explore and research a topic to produce something to demonstrate their understanding, but the timeline of this process is subject to change. Some students will be further along than others, but it is essential to allow students to work through their thoughts. Furthermore, some students hit road blocks in their inquiry journey. At this moment, teachers can come in and provide encouragement. Teachers can suggest that the student take a different approach or try to see a topic from a different point of view. Inquiry and guiding questions are no doubt a useful tool and I hope that I added some value to your post!

Mathis, G. (2015). “Inquiry-Based Learning: The Power of Asking the Right Questions.” Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/inquiry-based-learning-asking-right-questions-georgia-mathis. 

# data[].attributes.body
In the article Examples from English Literature, it is clear that there are some issues with classical “reading.” In the process of becoming a teacher I have realized more and more that oppression is in the majority of literature. I do however believe that the ways in which we confront this literature and discuss it determines the outcome. Just because there is oppression present, does not mean it is inherently bad. Yes, it will be hard to confront this but I strongly believe it is our duty to learn from the mistakes of the past and present and ensure they do not occur in the future. English, unlike any other subject, allows us to delve deeper into societal issues, racism, oppression and almost any other person’s experience. In the article, “A wider range of texts might also present students with alternatives to the predominant or commonsensical ways of thinking that have traditionally framed or hindered the ways they make sense of their own lives.” (p.71) This helps us to understand the concept I was trying to explain earlier. Although it may be very tough to address a wide range of issues, we must do it. I strongly believe we have become a society that has lacked empathy, it is time to enfuse this empathy back into society to heal the wounds of the past and present. If we are unable to put ourselves into someone else's experience, then how can we be expected to become fully functional adults. People who lack empathy are stunted, and are a reflection of themselves and their own self hatred. The classics are not inherently bad, what is bad, is the teachers who do not know or understand how to effectively teach them. I find it very difficult as a white woman to traverse this territory, however I am always willing to adapt my thinking to be better. I know that perhaps my teaching will never be totally neutral but it is my goal to become a neutral teacher that can give students new perspectives in a way that is constructive and in a way they can be receptive to the teaching. This article on “The value of teaching from a Racist Classic” written by Lennard J Davis gives some insight to this. https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-value-of-teaching-from-a-racist-classic/
Davis also found himself at a similar crossroads. “Why should I inflict this painful work on my students? If any ethnic group announces that a word, phrase, or book is offensive to them, should I not honor their unique subjectivity?” (Lennard J Davis) Ultimately he did decide to continue to teach the works he chose because he believes the lessons and perspectives override the negative slurs and connotations. I also agree with him because this world is filled with pain, we are confronted with it on a daily basis, if we do not confront and take care of this pain, how will we ever heal? 

# data[].attributes.body
Hey Eleanor! I really appreciate the post that you had on the reading for this week. The insight you had on this subject was really interesting! I enjoyed reading you analysis on Going with the Flow and how your personal experiences had a part in you interpretation in this article. I had never thought about the way you discuss inquiry questions and what that looks like within the curriculum you are presenting. Overall, I felt like the way you read these various articles says a lot about the experiences you have had within education, and how you would like to present these insights within your future classroom.
Good work!
- Emma

# data[].attributes.body
Although I am not fully for the somewhat sexist view of this author, I do believe most of the content to be relevant and true. In this article, Going with the Flow How to Engage Boys (and Girls) in Their Literacy Learning by Heinemann Portsmouth, NH, this quote stuck out to me. “What engages boys and heaps them to learn are the contextual features of flow. We found that our boys would read and enjoy and learn from almost any kind of text if the conditions of flow were met in the context of instruction. And our experience as teachers suggests that this would be true for girls as well. (P.56) This ties nicely into my next point, the article also mentioned inquiry questions. Inquiry questions are extremely important to a lesson plan. While I attended Luther College we had to take two specific classes. Paideia 1 and paideia 2, 1 was at the beginning of our freshman year and 2 was at the end of our senior year. Our overall guiding question was “What does it mean to be human.” This was the theme for both Paideia semesters and we read a multitude of books all while continually linking it back to “What does it mean to be human.” Although this was just a seemingly simple question, by the end of my time at Luther I no longer knew what it meant to be human, although it can be shown many ways. I took away that being human means empathy and compassion for others, having the guiding question also helped to tie all of our experiences in class together neatly. I would definitely incorporate this idea of the “guiding question” into my classroom, it is important for students to be able to get a clear idea of what they are learning and also have the space to be able to reflect on their learning. The second article I would like to bring into discussion is, But That’s Just Good Teaching! The Case for Culturally Relevant Pedagogy written by Gloria Ladson-Billings. This quote in particular from her reading is quite relevant, “Native American educator Cornel Pewewardy (1993) asserts that one of the reasons Indian children experience difficulty in schools is that educators traditionally have attempted to insert culture into the education, instead of inserting education into the culture.” (p.159) This is pertinent as well because although it is important to learn about culture, it is also important to be able to allow all culture norms to exist in the classroom. Using Luther College as an example again, the classes were very culturally relevant. In particular an African Literature class I took was truly breathtaking. However, the college itself did not have the community established to support students of color, making it near impossible for them to become established at Luther. There were many clubs, and different groups, however it was quite apparent after the first semester how many people of color stayed, and the large percentage that left. It is one thing to be able to study other cultures, however it is another to create an atmosphere that can be hospitable for the learning of all cultures. I would like to be able to find a way to incorporate all cultures inclusively into my classroom. Although I do not have an answer for this yet, I am sure that through my time at the University of Minnesota I will be able to figure out how to support the learning needs of everyone. 