YALIT/Crit

Reflection on Ray's Seminar

What pieces of the seminar folder did you find most valuable?

The article Harlem Connections: Teaching Walter Dean Myers’s Scorpions in Conjunction with Paul Laurence Dunbar’s The Sport of the Gods is very valuable to me. The author Mark I. West talks about how he teach “Literature for Adolescents” by pairing books that date before 1970 with  contemporary young adult novels with similar theme. His students are required to read both books with  chosen theme, and they respond to this pairing positively.  I‘d be interested to try this method in my teaching.

What did you enjoy most about the seminar?

I enjoy the part about the author Walter Dean Myers’ life. It’s amazing that he can accomplish so much, yet he is not even educated as most writers do. It’s very inspiring to me, personally. Myers says that “writing can be learned by anyone truly interested in language and literature…Writers don’t fail because they don’t write well, they fail because they don’t produce.”

If you came away from seminar wanting to read any of these books, which would you pick up and why?

Shooter will be the book that I would pick because it is about the violence of teens. Thinking about most recent Virginia Tech shooting and other incidents that have happened in high schools or colleges, we do need to find out what is behind the motive of violence, and how can we understand those problems as educators and maybe how can we do some preventive work.

What contributions did you make to the seminar?

I am definitely a good listener and an active participant during the 45-minutes’ seminar.

What connections can you make between your experience of seminar and teaching adolescents?

Again, I will adopt the method of pairing books in my classroom as I mentioned in #1 question. In doing comparison, students learn not only the theme but also the history through 1970’s novels. On top of that, I believe that it is interesting for my students to learn what different young adults do in different time.

What suggestions do you have for your seminar facilitator?

Ray has done a wonderful job. My suggestion is that I hope Ray can also print out the paper he writes about this seminar.

What are you applauding? What was most effective that your fac. did during the seminar?

Ray was obviously well prepared to his seminar topic. He introduced us the author’s life and works in depth. I am applauding for him!

Reflection on Lindsay

What pieces of the seminar folder did you find most valuable? The bibliography that Lindsay created is extensive. This will be very helpfu when looking for new anthologies for my classroom. Also the article from the English Journal about the short story fair is very useful. It's one thing to have more stories to choose from, but having new ways to teach creatively is crucial. I can't wait to try this!

What did you enjoy most about the seminar? Linsday came to her seminar with experience teaching the short story fair, which was very helpful for our understanding of how it works in a classroom. She also spoke with enthusiasm on this topic, which inspired all of us to want to try this method of teaching the short story.

If you came away from seminar wanting to read any of these books, which would you pick up and why? I will definately pick up On the Fringe and 13 first. Linsday had the first and recommended the second to me because of the age group that I teach. Both of these titles have stories written by well-known YA authors who already appeal to students and teachers, so this is why I think they are a great starting point. Something familiar.

What contributions did you make to the seminar? I was able to share experiences from the classroom with Linsday and the other participants. I think this was helpful in continuing a discussion.

What connections can you make between your experience of seminar and teaching adolescents? Again, the teaching ideas were very helpful, and I will definately try them in my classroom next year. Also, Lindsay's point about knowing what our students like to read so that we may help them choose from the texts was a helpful reminder of the focus of this seminar.

What suggestions do you have for your seminar facilitator? Please keep in touch so that we may share more teching ideas in the future!

What are you applauding? What was most effective that your fac. did during the seminar? She was well prepared to talk about many of the texts in depth and offer suggesstions for students and teachers with particular reading interests.

Teenage Fathers

This is the official invitation to my seminar for next week. I apologize for the lateness. I just felt as if I should not put the invitation out until my folders were complete. Anyways, I know there was already a seminar on teenage pregancy. My seminar may overlap a little, but I hope not too much. When teenage pregnancy is discussed, the focus is generally on the young mother and her child. My focus is on the other person involved in teen pregnancy - the father. I have found three wonderful novels that focus on teen pregnancy from the dad's point of view. The novels are "The First Part Last," "Holding on to Max," and "One Night." Each of these novels gives the father's perspective which I feel is often lacking. Teen pregnancy is a serious issue in the United States. Although the teen pregnancy numbers are dropping, it is still an issue that cannot be ignored. Through great literature, it can be discussed and perhaps one more teen pregnancy might be prevented. In addition to the information on the novels, I also have included several lists of novels that deal with this issue as well as other important adolescent issues. Because many of you may not see this before class (I may not have time to check this again either), just let me know in class who would like to join me next Tuesday. Thank you and have a great day.

Kevin Brooks....Seminar

Kevin Brooks is an author that I came to through a list of recommended authors from Stearns.  At first, my selection of Brooks was kind of arbitrary based on the fact that I didn't have a seminar topic and was not optimistic about finding one.  Because of this I was initially worried about what I would find when reading British author Kevin Brooks...Well the verdict is in, and I think the guy is great.  He has published ten novels since 2002.  He has won numerous awards for his first two novels Martyn Pig and Lucas, in both the UK and here in the States.  Martyn Pig won the ALA Book of the Year award.   The author has a wonderful ability to capture the little details of life, the day to day things, that add great color to his imaginative and intricate narratives.  His novels inevitably involve a murder, a cover up, or a mysterious crime that haunts the book's characters from afar.   His protagonists are distinct and interesting, and always unique.  Some of the stories are quite violent and macabre, but I think that this is likely to be his biggest attraction for YA audience.  His books are fun to read, full of surprises, excitement and plot twists that are stunning, but realistic.  I could see a kid reading one of his books, and being unable to stop themselves from reading all of them.  The stories have a way of infecting you, always compelling and dramatic and violent.  Kevin Brooks also plays on the supernatural, but he does so in a way that forces the reader to reexamine their own attitudes, rather than suspend their disbelief.  His novels always have a tone of hyper-realism so when the reader is asked to accept the fact that a young boy might be able to read the thoughts of those closest to him, to feel and experience the murder of his sister as it is happening, we are glad to go along for the ride.  We find ourselves wondering if the kid really does have ESP.  Lots of fun.                                                                                                                                                                                          

His novels also deal with community, with the ways certain people are excluded and cast out, and with love and loss, with death and coming-of-age.  The novels I have read also vividly portray the English cities and countrysides in ways that young readers will find interesting.  The subplots of gypsy camps and forgotten rural villages, isolated on the moors, where there are no police, and only one phone booth that is usually out of order, will keep young readers riveted. 

I hope to talk about issues of community and otherness, of life and death, and of the exceptional ethical dilemmas that each of Brooks' main characters seem to grapple with.  I will be speaking directly about four of his works, and will likely have some others to display. 

So this is an invitation to my seminar...welcome...I think it could be fun, and a bit scary....I haven't figured out yet how to get battering rains and howling winds into the classroom, but it would certainly help me set the tone for these often dark and forbidding tales of young kids, fighting for life and love in very adult situations.  I know some of you haven't yet filled your quota of seminar participation...I have heard Jerry and Li Li already express interest.  I plan on bringing a couple of extra folders, just in case.         

Reflection on Jerry

What pieces of the seminar folder did you find most valuable?

The bibliography of books and websites was very helpful. I look forward to using this to gather more information for literature circle folders in the future.

What did you enjoy most about the semiar?

Jeyy showed a strong enthusiasm for each of his books. He was very specific about what makes a worthy American Indian text. Very helpful!

If you came away form the seminar wanting to read any of these books, which would you pick up and why?

Of course, I will read the book that Jerry gave me first. Then I would probably pick up the book of YA poetry. I do not have the titles because I already have placed the folder in my classroom for student viewing. I'd read both of these titles first because they seem most valuable for my classroom library and the students that it teach.

What contribution did you make to the seminar?

I think all of the participants contributed with questions. We asked about the differences between American Indian texts written by American Indians and writers from other cutures. Jerry made the point that a lot of older American fiction about American Indians was told from an outsider's point of view, and often romanticized the American Indian character and experience.

What connection can you make between your experience of seminar and teaching adolescents?

I think it is crucial that when we present books to teenagers that we give them the right information, as I am sure we would all agree. If we are to understand the art of literature, we have to be aware of perspective. We cannot teach critical literacy if we ourselves are not aware of the language associated with power.

What suggestions do you have for your seminar facilitator?

My only seggestion is that he use this literature in the classroom and continue his research on this topic with other cultural texts. It was awesome to participate in this seminar, and I am sure, students would get a great deal out of it as well.

Why are you applauding? What was most effective that your fac. did during the seminar?

I loved hearing the information he had to share about the issue of presenting books written by authors who write frm the inside of culture.   Jerry also had read a wide variety of texts and was prepared to talk about each one. This was very effective in peaking my curiosity to read more than a few of the texts presented. Great work!

Seminar Fest!

I know we're all looking forward to our last seminars of the semester with Ray, Lindsay, Celinda and Joe.

Lindsay and Ray's are closed.

Celinda and Joe will have spots. If you have been in 2 seminars thus far, this is a good opportunity to sign up for a third. So do look for their invitations.

If you've been in three then do let others take these slots.

I look forward to hearing more about Jerry's seminar.

Thanks!

The Lovely Bones Movie?

I saw this recently and thought of Tamara's death seminar:

http://movies.about.com/od/moviesinproduction/a/lovelybon011805.htm

Clearly, I'm in the dark about current movie news, since this story about Peter Jackson making the film version of Alice Sebold's vastly popular book is a couple of years old. Anyone hear any updates on it? I'm having trouble envisioning this book being made into a film (or at least in a way that will do the book justice), but I'm curious to hear who has been cast in the roles, etc.

Comments, Myers subject

I think there is a "rule" if I am limited to the number of people that I can have in my seminar. I mean I realized that there have been only three people in each seminar (since I have all ready attended the amount required) but I didn't think that it had to be that way "no matter what!" I'm just saying that I don't think an extra person will throw off the class that much or maybe in my own non chalant way I am conveying a "no big deal attitude" toward this concept. I just thought we had a little bit more "breathing room" or freedom on how to conduct our projects, that's all. We are all grad students and I thought the class would be a little bit more flexible toward our personal needs since we are more "collegues" than students. It's no big deal though, I'll just keep the folder for my own personal records.

Sure, Karen!

Of course you have my permission but I'm taking a flight out to San Diego, on the 16th so I won't be able to attend the last class. I'm sure that won't stop you from having a great intellectual discussion and I wish I could be there. However, I made these plans months in advance so it would not be in my best interest to break them.

Dean Myers

I'm sorry, I didn't know that there was a "rule" on how many people could attend a seminar. I thought you needed to have at least 3 people in it, I didn't know that this was the "maximum amount" which you could have even if more people wanted to attend. So many rules, so many regulations-I can't keep up with them all; worse than high school! I think that's pretty sad because I know a lot of you want to attend and I hate to through away these extra folders. I don't remember who signed up but I do know I had about four or five names and Li was one of them. I left the "remembering" up to those who signed up for the seminar. If you do remember being one of the first three, let me know and I will confirm it with you. If not, then I'll just hand out the folders in class to the first individuals who want to attend.

I just was informed that the seminar may be on the 10th instead of the 3rd so I may just be handing out folders for Thursday's class but I'm not sure.