Final Course Post!

This has been quite a semester! I am extremely glad I decided to take TE 448. The amount of material I have learned will help me out a great deal in my future classroom. Although I was aware multi-cultural literature is important, I was unaware of just how important it was. I also have learned about ‘insider’ authors, which is a term I never heard of before taking this class. However when evaluating multi-cultural literature, it is important to not determine if the literature appropriately portrays a particularly cultural group solely on this fact. As I mentioned on one of my earlier blogs “this course has been a challenge for me since I am only a sophomore. Most of the students in TE 448 are seniors and have more experiences they are able to bring to class discussion. However hearing everyone’s thoughts and experiences has helped me learn many new things about multicultural literature.” However, as the semester has progressed I have felt more comfortable contributing to group discussion. I have gained insight to the importance of multi-cultural literature and what to look for when determining if an author is an ‘insider’. I still struggle on determining if particular literature is authentic. Although an author might be an ‘insider’ to a particular cultural group many stereo-types might be used.

One of my goals in my first post was to be able to gain a vast amount of knowledge and different ways to incorporate the literature into my future classroom. This goal has certainly been met. One of the things I enjoyed about this course was not only reading a novel on a particular cultural group but having a chance to look at the other examples my teacher brought in. This gives me more of an understanding of the books which are available. I also enjoyed our final project for the same reason. Although the hardest part of the project was choosing/finding particular books, I now feel more comfortable picking out literature for my future classroom. At the beginning of the course I was intimidated on how I was going to go about selecting literature. I am more aware now because I understand how to search for books by using resources online, award lists, as well as searches at the library.

As I mentioned in one of my old posts this course has opened my eyes to many different issues that are currently going on within today’s society as well. Not only do I understand the importance of multicultural literature, I have a better understanding of how hurtful certain organizations are to particular cultural groups. Another concern aside from determining authentic literature is how to implement GLBTQ texts into my classroom (if I was to teach elementary school). I believe it is very important which needs to be discussed but am unaware of how much detail on the subject should be covered in the classroom. I think books like And Tango Makes Three touches the subject appropriately and would be great to use in the classroom. In conclusion, I have learned a great deal in TE 448 which will help me out in the future!!

Reflections Post

Due to my major being Special Education, I was interested in reading literature about persons with disabilities. I enjoyed reading all four books which I reviewed. They all dealt with issues of diversity in a positive manner and vividly depicted the struggles and challenges one deals with. When I went to the East Lansing Public Library there was an assortment of books to choose from. However, I found many of the picture books to be distasteful and they did not portray disabilities in a positive light. The books I selected all had life lessons tied into the stories as well as optimistic experiences with the main characters.

There are many patterns which I found in all my books. With all the books I read I noticed all the characters struggles were displayed in the beginning of the novels. In half the books the main characters were ridiculed for their disabilities. As the stories progressed the characters were able to learn to overcome their challenges. For example, in the beginning of A Mango Shaped Space the main character was embarrassed and made fun of when she was unable to do a math problem in elementary school. She saw various colors and would not share these experiences with anyone. As the book progressed she embraced this occurrence and become comfortable talking about the colors and numbers. This incidence also happened in The Deaf Musicians. The main character was kicked out of his band and told that no one wanted to listen to a deaf musician. However he did not let them tear him down and stuck with the goal of becoming a musician. His friends ultimately apologized to him and realized how wrong they were.

The books as a whole set would be great to be used in my future classroom. I thought the writers all had great “insider” backgrounds on the subjects they talked about. Out of the two books where the individuals were deaf, I preferred reading The Deaf Musicians over I Have a Sister—My Sister is Deaf. I found the Deaf Musicians to have more of a plot and powerful life lesson intertwined into the story than I Have a Sister.

Lane, Glenna. Looking Out for Sarah. Massachusetts: Charlesbridge Publishing, 2001.
Mass, Wendy. A Mango-Shaped Space. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2003
Peterson, Jeanna. I Have a Sister – My Sister is Deaf. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1997.
Seeger, Pete, and Paul Jacobs. The Deaf Musicians. New York: G.P. Putman’s Sons, 2006.

Professional/ Critical Resource of A Mango-Shaped Space

“Wendy Mass, author of A Mango-Shaped Space, published by Little, Brown & Company Children’s Publishing, is the winner for middle school. The main character Mia is a sensitive 13-year-old girl who comes to terms with a rare neurological condition called Synesthesia. The story is an introspective look inside the world of one who perceives letters, numbers, and sounds as colors. Mass’s exceptionally descriptive prose makes Synethesia understandable and intriguing. The story demonstrates that, although acceptance from family and friends is important, the most important aspect in accepting one’s own differences is to realize that they are an integral part of who one is (“Schneider"). ”

This review was on the American Library Association website, explaining why A Mango-Shaped Space won the Schneider Family Book Award. I agree with this review and truly enjoyed reading this book. It was a fast read and hard to put down. I never heard of Synethesia before reading this book and found the disability to be extremity fascinating. I continued to read up on the disability on the internet and found Mass’s descriptions to be accurate. The events and I also believe that this story shows the importance of family and friends. Mia realizes this but also learns that the most important person that you need to be true to is yourself. This is a great message for children as well as all adults.

Mass, Wendy. A Mango-Shaped Space. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2003.

“Schneider Family Book Award Recipients”. American Library Association. 2008. American Library Association. 10 April 2008.

I Have a Sister -- My Sister is Deaf

Peterson, Jeanna. I Have a Sister – My Sister is Deaf. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1997.

I have a Sister—My Sister is Deaf vividly describes Petersons experiences growing up with a sister who is deaf. She explains throughout the picture book all the adventures they go on and the things her sister is unable to do. Her sister plays the piano but is unable to hear the tune. Instead, she listens to the vibration of the cords to guide her. She is able to say minimal words in school as well as lip sync. In order to for each other to communicate, her sister asks her to take off her sunglasses so she can talk with her eyes.

The illustrations are done in black and white sketching. There would have been more power behind the story if the images stood out more with vivid colors. Instead, the story comes across simple and the reader is unable to see the emotion in the characters faces. Jeanne Peterson is considered to be an “insider” because she also has a sister that is deaf. She also goes to many communication classes with her mother and sister. Peterson explains “people who are deaf, or who grew up in families with deaf parents or brothers and sisters, are important to me. I want to understand their very special culture, their world (Peterson)”.

I have a Sister—My Sister is Deaf demonstrates many things in life that children take for granted. She explains how her sister can never hear the phone, as well as the sound of wind chimes. However she is also jealous of her not being able to hear all the frightening noises including the thunder and branches breaking from rainstorms.

A Mango-Shaped Space

Mass, Wendy. A Mango-Shaped Space. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2003.

“A Mango-Shaped Space”. Wendy Mass. 2008. Wendy Mass. 14 April 2008.

A Mango-Shaped Space vividly depicts a young girl dealing with Synesthesia. Synesthesia is a disorder in which ones cognitive pathway crosses with the other and leads to involuntary responses. Mia is diagnosed with the most common type called color Synesthesia. Mia sees letters, numbers, and names in specific colors. At the beginning of the novel she keeps these visions to herself, unaware that there is a term for her disability. Mia was worried after prior events in elementary school that she would have been made fun of and called a “freak” if someone discovered that she saw different colors (Mass). Mia’s cat named Mango is where the title of the book comes from. Although her cat was grey, the sounds he made were mango colored.

This novel not only educates students on synesthesia but also on being true to ones self. Once Mia puts trust in her family, and talks about the colors she’s been experiencing, she was able to get help and support from those around her. Children are able to relate to this book in many ways. Mia suffers two losses throughout the book, as well as troubles with family and friends. At one point of the novel a tragic event results in Mia losing her color. This novel also helps those out who are dealing with this disability and unaware they have Synestheisa.

A Mango-Shaped Space received numerous amounts of awards. The novel won the Schneider Family Book Award from the American Library Association in 2004. The book was also awarded the 2005 Great Lakes Great Book Award as well as named one of the top 40 Young Adult novels in 2004 by the Pennsylvania School Librarian Association. Wendy Mass does not have synesthsia however in order to have a more “insider” perspective she went to great lengths to research the subject. For months Mass interviewed Synesthetes as well as many researchers from the American Synesthesia Association. She was also in an international correspondence group for researchers and Synesthetes. Mass would read what the group members wrote and compare the differences in their stories. The author also made sure to diagnose her main character with the most common form of Synesthesia. This way, the book was more authentic because Mia’s diagnosis was considered to be more realistic (“A Mango”).

The Deaf Musicians

Seeger, Pete, and Paul Jacobs. The Deaf Musicians. New York: G.P. Putman’s Sons, 2006.

The picture book The Deaf Musicians is about a boy who slowly is going deaf. Lee plays the piano but as his hearing becomes impaired he gets kicked out of his band. Lee then learns about the school of the deaf. He then creates a band where they played instruments with their hands. As the story progresses their band plays on the subway. The passengers are so impressed by their ability that they would miss their spots in order to watch the performance. Lee’s old band members praise his performance, telling him how fantastic his new band is. He learns to compensate for his deafness but is still able to do what he really enjoys doing.

This book helps one realize they are able to overcome obstacles as well as the various ways to hear and enjoy music. Children learn from this book to not give up on their dreams and let others tell you what you can or cannot do. Once Lee became deaf, the musician’s in his first band told him that he was unable to play music. However he did not give up on his dream and continued to play music.

The pictures throughout The Deaf Musicians are lively and full of color. The notes and music played are bright ultimately making the sounds come to life. This novel earned the Schneider Family Book Award from the American Library Association in 2007. Pete Seeger was an “insider” on the subject because he would attend a music festival each year called the Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival. This festival has sign-language interpreters on all the stages. His Father, Charles Louis Seeger, was also deaf.