How is blogging going?

I was new to blogging this year. I did not know what purpose it really served and I found it at first to be more of an annoyance to be honest. However, I am also in a teaching with technology course and have had a lesson and unit on blogging. I feel much more comfortable with it and understand how it is useful. I think that because I feel comfortable and familiar with blogging it allows me to try new things and take more risks with it. For example, my blog for my other class has video on it, pictures, and various links that are embedded. These kinds of features make me really excited!

In addition, we discussed in that class how blogging can and is helpful in classrooms, even with very young children. One really important way you can use blogs in your classroom is to keep in contact with parents. At the elementary level, it is really important to keep in constant contact with parents. I think this is a wonderful way to do that. Blogs are easy to add to and check and therefore could be a great resource for your families to use. It would also hopefully free up some email space of mine because general answers could be posted on the blog. I also think it is a great learning tool for students of all ages becuase it does generate conversations outside the classroom. Learning can be taken home just as it was for me about the Habibi debate. I wanted the conversation to continue and it was able to through my blog. I was able to see other people's sides of the issue as well through reading their blogs. It is a great student to student way of communication as well.

So although I was skeptical about blogging at first, I am able to see its benefits. I like that in this class we can blog on anything that stricks us, although sometimes you give us a particular topic. It allows for some structure but also much freedom which helps me keep interested and keeps the blogs for our classmates varied. I think it is a good resource to be introduced to through this class, especially this class is so heavily discussion based. The discussions seem to continue outside of class if students want them to and in certain cases I think there is always someone who wants to discuss more.

Arab American National Museum

I browsed through the website about the Arab American National Museum and became really interested in what it was all about. I was shocked when I read that it was the first museum in the world devoted to Arab American history and culture. It explains that the museum pays tribute to the diversity of our nation. I think that is absolutely the best purpose to have for a museum. By paying tribute to the diversity of our nation, we are also helping to educate about the diversity of our nation. I believe that education is the most powerful we can teach our children and adults for that matter. When people are informed about the Arab American population through something like this museum, the awareness of this minority group increases. For me, their mission statement sums up these points exactly by stating, "The Arab American National Museum's mission is to document, preserve, celebrate, and educate the public on the history, life, culture and contributions of Arab Americans. We serve as a resource to enhance knowledge and understanding about Arab Americans and their presence in the United States."

Going on the virtual tour of the museum really made me want to go to it. I think that especially after reading articles about Arab Americans and Habibi I have an increased interest to learn about this minority group. I feel that it would serve as a great educational tool for me. In addition, I think this would be a wonderful field trip for a class to take. In our TE401 class we went to the children's garden here at MSU and we discussed what makes for a great field trip. Since then, I have been thinking about the different places that Michigan has to offer for the education of our youth. This museum would be a great extention of learning about diversity in any classroom. I think that getting children out of the classroom is great but only if it is done in a way that is enhancing their learning and interest levels. The museum seems like a wonderful way to do this and is a great resource that should be taken advantage of in Michigan.

Habibi - Should we teach it debate

Today's video and discussion about the teaching of Habibi had me really thinking. I found it incredibly fascinating and wanted to talk about my views and opinions on the topic a bit more. I think that to take out this book in school curriculums (like bloomfield hills) is telling children that it is okay not to read books of other people's perspectives. It gives them an out to challenge their thoughts and religious beliefs. It allows children to only consider their own opinions and gives them no experience in critically reading and analyzing literature, a very important skill to begin developing in middle school. To not present this material is to not fully educate those students. A good teacher would use this novel as a learning tool and opportunity in his/her classroom in order to present a peice of controversial literature. Teacher's needed to incorporate other literature or articles that presents the "other side" of the story in order to make students, parents, and other faculty feel that this book is being taught with a purpose and with equality. By not teaching this novel, the bloomfield hills school district is opting to not create well informed and well-rounded students and citizens. This school district was not well educated on how this novel could be taught properly to benefit their students and community. If they were, the novel would have never been banned.

In regards to the video we watched, I think some of this professor's points about the novel were accurate and fairly expressed. However, he said that it did not give enough accurate history of what was happening at the time this book was set in. I have a problem with that statement becuase this book was not meant to teach history. This is why it is not classified or written with the label of historical fiction. In addition, like some of the course pack articles discussed it is not the job of the author to incorporate every perspective and historical fact into their children's literature. This would be overwhelming in a pleasure novel and unnecessary.

Native American Movie - Team Mascots

I couldn't help but be moved by the movie we watched. I think it was so important for me to see in order to give me a new perspective I would have never had the opportunity to hear. The main woman talking and protesting really moved me as a mother. She wanted the best for her children and was protesting in order to continue what little is left of her culture. It must have been so difficult to stand alone like she did for a while until others joined her cause. It had to be terribly difficult to be so increadably discriminated against. I could not believe her strength and courage. Therefore, it broke my heart when people, especially people from The University of Illinois, say words that were not only unkind but also ignorant. I felt that so many of the "fans" and alumni were so close and narrow minded that they could not even hear the other side of the argument. For me, that was the most frustrating thing. The lack of listening and understanding from citizens was truely disturbing. I think this video is one that could even be shown in upper elementary schools when discussing discrimination. It was done in a very professional and informative way and therefore was an effective video that really hit me hard. My heart goes out to that woman, her family, and "her people."

Insider / Outsider Debate

I feel that the insider / outsider debate is a difficult one to fully be committed to one side or the other. On one hand I feel that when someone writes from an insiders perspective, they write accurately and give a sense of intimacy into their writing. I think an insider has the ability to add personal details and information that an outsider might never be able to have access to in the same way. I think this can often make a story more believable and therefore engaging to the reader. It is also easy for the reader to know that what is being said in the text is legitimate and accurate information and therefore does not have to question the validity of it. This helps readers focus on the content of the book instead of having to question it. I also think an insider has a cultural perspective that an outsider can never fully obtain on the same level and that sort of personal connection will often come across in a story.

However, I do not think that outsiders should not be allowed to write stories about other cultures, especially if they are well informed about the subject or culture. I think many of time there are outsiders that have a great passion for another culture or have experiences that allow them to feel deeply connected with that culture or group. I think people are more likely to question the validity of a book writen by an outsider but it is not to say that the validity will always fall short of expectations. Insiders often experience things that although does not make them experts it does allow them to have some insight into a group or culture. I think with research and personal experience, an outsider can create a wonderful peice of literature that is accurate and compelling.

I think it is important to incorporate books from both insiders and outsiders into the classroom because it may be more inclusive for students. For example, if a student is not an insider about the Jewish Religion, but have researched it and have had friends that are insiders, they may feel that they are more connected to that religion than another student. They should feel that it is okay to have a liking towards groups and other cultures and I think by incorporating books that are written by a variety of authors teachers can accomplish this. When a student feels like they can relate to an author, whether an insider or outsider, that is when the books are most successful in reaching out to kids. Again I find it to be a difficult debate but ultimately I think when a person is well informed and well exposed to a different group or culture they should be welcomed to write about those experiences and knowledge.