Week 4: Using Urban Children’s Literature to Increase Literacy
Week 4: Using Urban Children’s Literature to Increase Literacy
How can we make connections between young people’s lives and the contents we attempt to teach?
When I was in elementary school I don't remember my teacher reading a book that I felt I fit in or a
book that I can reflect on base on my lifestyle. In my household, we spoke only Spanish and in school,
I spoke English. In my elementary school, we can say it was 75 percent white and 25 percent Black,
Hispanic. I was put in ENL Program class to help me with the different subjects in class that I was
struggling with. In that class, I love getting pulled out of my original classroom because it was like my
escape. In my original classroom, I felt I was alone I didn't have friends I was always lost with questions
to ask. My teacher would just keep going on with the lesson and leave me in the back either drawing
or reading a book I couldn't even read because it was too hard. When it was reading time I noticed all
the books that my teacher had in the classroom I could never relate to or see myself in the books.
It was either white characters, nice houses with big backyards, with pets, nice neighborhoods.
Things that I wish to have and to one day live in a house like that.
When I was in elementary school I don't remember my teacher reading a book that I felt I fit in or a
book that I can reflect on base on my lifestyle. In my household, we spoke only Spanish and in school,
I spoke English. In my elementary school, we can say it was 75 percent white and 25 percent Black,
Hispanic. I was put in ENL Program class to help me with the different subjects in class that I was
struggling with. In that class, I love getting pulled out of my original classroom because it was like my
escape. In my original classroom, I felt I was alone I didn't have friends I was always lost with questions
to ask. My teacher would just keep going on with the lesson and leave me in the back either drawing
or reading a book I couldn't even read because it was too hard. When it was reading time I noticed all
the books that my teacher had in the classroom I could never relate to or see myself in the books.
It was either white characters, nice houses with big backyards, with pets, nice neighborhoods.
Things that I wish to have and to one day live in a house like that.
In using Urban Children’s Literature to Increase Literacy, the author discussed how using CRT
culturally relevant teaching to draw on student's cultural knowledge and prior experiences in ways
that affirm student's cultural heritages, forge connections between home communities and school,
and provide a foundation for meaningful and effective instructions. (Ladson- Billings, Gloria)
culturally relevant teaching to draw on student's cultural knowledge and prior experiences in ways
that affirm student's cultural heritages, forge connections between home communities and school,
and provide a foundation for meaningful and effective instructions. (Ladson- Billings, Gloria)
How can we get to our students to read books that they would be more interested in?
As a future educator, we need to take time to get to know our students and build strong, trusting,
positive relationships with learners and their families. Using books in our class that our students
can reflect their neighborhoods and communities, or places they’ve lived. We can use culturally
relevant literature books in which the students can find themselves, their families and their
communities. I think if I had these books in my school I would have loved reading more.
positive relationships with learners and their families. Using books in our class that our students
can reflect their neighborhoods and communities, or places they’ve lived. We can use culturally
relevant literature books in which the students can find themselves, their families and their
communities. I think if I had these books in my school I would have loved reading more.
Having culturally relevant books for our students would allow them to have more personal
connections to the literature and would be able to find their cultural identities through text.
(Bishop 1997).
connections to the literature and would be able to find their cultural identities through text.
(Bishop 1997).
In the article, I found this chart useful for us to look at to help us make culturally Relevant lesson
plans for our students. (Fleming, Chapter 1) Something to look at for the future :)
plans for our students. (Fleming, Chapter 1) Something to look at for the future :)
Questions:
1. What do you think is the outcome of not representing students from all backgrounds in
classroom?
2. How do we give students access to the kind of literacy achievement that will open doors to
opportunities in the larger society? (Au, Kathryn)
3. How do we know how students are feeling when they are obligated to read a book that they
can’t relate to?
4. Do you think it's important for students to be open to talking about their lives in the classroom?
5.How can we help our students use their imagination to put themselves in the book they are reading?
1. What do you think is the outcome of not representing students from all backgrounds in
classroom?
2. How do we give students access to the kind of literacy achievement that will open doors to
opportunities in the larger society? (Au, Kathryn)
3. How do we know how students are feeling when they are obligated to read a book that they
can’t relate to?
4. Do you think it's important for students to be open to talking about their lives in the classroom?
5.How can we help our students use their imagination to put themselves in the book they are reading?
Resources that are available to us while we are blocks and when we graduate would be the
Curriculum Resource Center room 1125 in the Education Building (CRC). CRC has tons of books
that are diverse and I would encourage you all to go in and check some out for our future classrooms.
We also have a book on families, social issues, environment, racism, disability, and more.
If you have questions feel free to ask me, I also work there by the way.
Curriculum Resource Center room 1125 in the Education Building (CRC). CRC has tons of books
that are diverse and I would encourage you all to go in and check some out for our future classrooms.
We also have a book on families, social issues, environment, racism, disability, and more.
If you have questions feel free to ask me, I also work there by the way.
According to More Mirrors in the Classrooms, “When the content from a particular lesson was outside of students’ experience, teachers often drew on cultural understandings, resources in the neighborhood, and familiar experiences in the lives of their learners as a bridge to learning new material (Ladson-Billings 2009)” (pg. 3). With this statement, I go back to your question of “Do you think it’s important for students to be open to talking about their lives in the classroom?” and to answer I believe yes. I say yes, because like the statement points out knowing a students background can become beneficial in the classroom. In order for students to find a connection between lessons, sometimes we as future educators have to start at home. Knowing about our student’s life outside the classroom can provide a better understanding of how each student can learn and process new material. It also helps the student(s) become open within the classroom because they are free to show their cultural beliefs.
ReplyDeleteMost of the questions you added are things that we should reflect on and ask about ourselves- how would we feel if we were put in these situations, do we think it’s fair, & what are our learner outcome expectations? In the reading it talks about building a culturally responsive practice, “Culturally relevant literature increases students’ engagement and interest in learning, and also allows them to draw on funds of knowledge-their cultural and linguistic assets and lived experiences-to engage with, interpret, and respond to texts as they develop as readers and writers”(Fleming, 2006, p.5). I found this to be one of the most important points in this reading, because again, it allows for personal reflection. I found it interesting that you mentioned being pulled out of your general education class for ENL as being an “escape” in your personal experience. We often hear about how we shouldn’t pull students out because of what it does to their self-esteem and it hindering their learning etc.. I would have to say that hearing an opposing view of someone who has actually gone through this and having a different perspective veryinsightful, this really just blew my mind.
ReplyDeleteDora,
DeleteI wanted to talk about my personal experience because in many occasions people only talk about how taking these students out their classroom is negative. In my case I found it helpfully and enjoyable. My teacher was the best she would help us with the work sheets we would get in our original classroom, help with our reading levels, and she would even ask if we needed her to explain our work sheets to us in Spanish. I like being in my ENL class because I felt comfortable to ask my teacher for questions I had and she also would work with me one- on- one which help me a lot.
First, the question about what the outcome is of not representing our students I think is an issue that occurs way too often in most of the classrooms in the United States. The problem is that when we aren't representing our students, we aren't encouraging and supporting them as we should be doing. When a student walks into the classroom and doesn't see anything that relates to them or anyone that looks like them, they start to think and believe they aren't welcome there. It is also very important to represent all of our students in our literature and our lessons because students will be more engaged and interested if they feel included and connected. In the reading by Fleming it referred to "successful teachers" and then described them as those who spent significant time getting to know all their students and creating positive relationships with the students and their families. This stood out to me because in order to be considered a successful teacher, these are the things that are essential to our teaching methods. Our students are the most important aspect of our classroom, and we have to be prepared to treat them in such a way. If each of our students isn't represented and included in our classroom and in our literature, then we will fail as a teacher and be incapable of being the best teacher possible.
ReplyDeleteI feel like the school system in the United States should be more inclusive, because how can we give a good education to some students, and then hardly any education to some students? For your first question, "What do you think is the outcome of not representing students from all backgrounds in the classroom?", the outcome will be that the students with different backgrounds are always going to be a step behind. For my example I will just be talking about a student, where English is not their first language. If the student is trying as hard as they can, and doing whatever they need to do, they still will not be where they need to be if the teacher is not trying to help. In regarding your third question, I think we can openly see when a student is not interested in the book they have to read. They won't be focusing on the book, won't be doing the reading assignments, and just seem overall bored. Something teachers can do, is go to the public library and check out books that show diversity. There are a lot more books coming, and if they are not in the school library, there might be some in the public library.
ReplyDeleteI find it really interesting how you enjoyed leaving the classroom when your ENL teacher came and got you that you felt that was your 'way out'. My experience was a lot different. I did not like when my ENL teacher took me out of my classroom away from all of my friends. In Costa Rica I went to a bilingual school so 99% of my life I was taught English and Spanish at the same time, so when I came to the U.S. i just needed to be surrounded by people who only spoke English so I could get out of my comfort zone so I could start using my English more. When my ENL came and took me out of class I felt like I was being singled out just because of where I came from they didn't really care how much English I knew or if I was struggling in the class (which I wasn't). I didn't like spending an hour of my day getting told what I already knew or just sitting there because other students needed the ENL teacher more than I did, I felt like I was missing out on the learning that was happening in the classroom and I just wanted to go back with my friends. Unlike most ENL students I liked staying in my classroom because I was challenged to get out of my comfort zone and do and learn things that I didn't know how to do.
ReplyDeleteAriana,
DeleteI enjoyed reading your experience thank you for sharing. It was interesting that we both were in ENL class but had different experiences. I believe my experience was different because all my friends were in my ELN class, so that was the only time I would see them. When I was in my ENL class I didn't feel like I wasn't learning. My teacher would help us with our class work explaining it to us in Spanish if we needed too. I would say being in my ENL it help me learn to understand what was being ask to do on my worksheets or even my homework.
The comment at the end about using the CRC is great, and an excellent reminder of the amazing resources we have as students right now. Literature reflecting students in the classroom is really important, but it seems it is less common than I thought. According to Fleming from More Mirrors in the Classroom, "...finding themselves in the text or, as Moll (2000) writes, "at least in some texts" is an experience that is rare for many urban public school students living in the United States, particularly in under resourced city schools serving children of color." (pg. 4). So, you are not alone in your experience. I take it as a challenge to find as many books with "non-standard" situations (gay parents, POC characters, transgender, parents in jail, homelessness, etc.) as I possibly can. I think it's so important that children see themselves represented in books, because as a child, I was represented so much in literature, and it was such a joy to find a character that was just like me. My hope is that I can find a book that every child in my classroom can relate to, individually. It is really discouraging to children to read when they don't find a book that interests them, or that they relate to. Reading should be enjoyable, and for some kids it will only be enjoyable if it's relatable.
ReplyDeletePaige,
DeleteThis article really wants to encourage teachers to use culturally
relevant literature books in which the students can find themselves, their families and their
communities. We as future educators need to start collecting books for our classrooms that can relate to our students. The students would love to see a library full of books that they can explore their identity. The CRC also has free workshops and events with banned and challenge books that we give out to those who go to the events. Free books :)
To answer your first question, I think the outcome would be that students would feel left out. I think the student would feel like they are not part of the class, and feel like the teacher gave up on them. Students need to feel like they are part of the classroom, and need to be able to see themselves in the classroom, if not they will not want to be in class, and they will not enjoy school.
ReplyDelete-Taylor Hall
Your first question, "What do you think is the outcome of not representing students from all backgrounds in classroom?", is very interesting. I remember when I was in the third grade I had went to a school where I was the only black person in the classroom. I believe I felt further away from everything. When we learned about amazing people doing amazing things, I noticed nobody looked like me. This didn't make me think that I couldn't be amazing it just made me feel further away from amazing things. The only time when we learned about someone black in a positive light was when they brought up Martin Luther King Jr., after we learned about him, we seen a movie. In the movie a black kid goes back in time and deals with the hardships of segregation. The movie made me cry, it showed African American students all dirty and in a disgustingly old school. I didn't understand why I was crying; I think it was because even when I was that young, I noticed that African Americans were only represented in bad way. The movie made me feel so uncomfortable and alone. Not representing all students can make some feel left out and different. It also might make them feel as though they don't matter, or that they can’t do certain things (like being successful). I believe it is important to represent all students from every background so they feel comfortable to be themselves and so students can relate to the things you teach.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you incorporated your life experiences. Growing up, I was never in a situation where I felt left out because of my culture and I never had to experience a language barrier. It's really eyeopening to read and hear about experiences that other people have had in the school systems. Gaining knowledge of others experiences, I believe I can answer your questions to the best of my ability. Regarding the first question, I feel like students would feel lost in their schooling and out of place. Not only would it be disadvantaging to their academics but also their social lives.
ReplyDeleteI also think it is important to integrate students background and interests increases the learning because it draws more attention to them and they would have something to relate to. The outcome of not representing all backgrounds in the classroom is that the students might feel they do not have anything to relate to which decreases interest in the topic. If they have something they can relate to or just a new culture they are introduced to in general then they will be more interested. Students who read something that they do not relate to may feel out of place or just uninterested in the book so they cannot learn properly. I do think it is important for students to be aware of others cultures but the classroom setting has to be comfortable in order for them to feel like they can openly share with the class. Students can use their imagination in genres they like and it does help a lot if they enjoy the book so they can imagine.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate you sharing your life experiences and how you personally felt when you were in elementary school. I had friends growing up who had to go to a separate room with the ENL teacher. I don't remember asking or them informing me on how they felt about that. I definitely hope my students do not feel as if it is an escape method. Hopefully I can find some common ground with them feeling comfortable in the classroom to at least attempt at reading aloud, or sharing things. This wasn't in primary school, but when I was in high school (I think sophomore yr. but not completely sure) I read a book called The House On Mango Street. Which from what I remember is about a young hispanic girl and it shares some Mexican traditions throughout the book. It reminded me of my mom and her walk of life. The others name is also Sandra which is my moms name so it just had some weird vibes and connections for me. There's books out there that share so many different walks of life- we as the educator just have to go out of our way to find them! And I can't wait to do so! But, to answer your first question. I think the result in not representing all backgrounds in our classroom is a loss in interest. A loss in our trust because if we can not find something in common or have lessons that our students connect with, then they won't have trust in us to tell us basic things that then encounter. It won't allow our students to understand that we all have different shoes, and our shoes walk on different grounds. You should read the book I mentioned before, I think you would enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteThis is in regards to your first question " What do you think is the outcome of not representing students of all backgrounds in the classroom"? is a crucial idea that's needed to be addressed. Having educators and adults in general that look like you is a big deal for students. I throughout most of my life I've had about two to three black male educators that have had a big impact on my life. Being in a room that full of diversity I still couldn't find people that kind of looked like me . I was the one student who was the artsy weird type. The only teacher I knew who I could relate and learn from was my assistant music teacher who was black too. His teachings one how to incorporate different styles of music helped me a lot into integrating with other classes I was taking too. That's what inspired me to become an urban educator . I wanted to help kids who looked like me give a different perspective on what a black man can be than just picking up a mic or a ball. As future educators I believe its important to have representation of all races/ethnicities in the classroom so no one feels like they're left out.
ReplyDeleteThis article and blog really made me think about my upbringing. I was primarily raised attending Catholic schools (until 7th grade) and public schools (8th-12th). I noticed the cultural change between the two institutions such as catholic schools had uniforms, mass, and high expectations for the students; whereas public schools allowed students to do as they pleased, they could wear, say, and participate in whenever they wanted. I was in total shock changing school systems. Looking back neither one of the schools had a curriculum that represented me until February and even then it was they same few African American heroes that like to display...Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, and Frederick Douglass (just to name a few). I was fortunate to be involved in after school activities that helped me learn more about my culture and how people like me made changes in their communities and around the nation. I even got the opportunity to portray them in plays. I learned about African folklore and learned how to connect them to me and my family. As an adult I learned that although I come from a lower middle class family, they sacrificed what they could to get my sister and I the best education they could afford and filled in the missing cultural pieces with programs and activities outside of school. I understand that not all families can afford to do these things but I imagine how it would be if families didn't have to do that as much anymore. Having a Cultural Relevant Curriculum will help students bridge that gap between home and school. One thing in the article that I really appreciated is when they explained the difference between Multicultural literature and Culturally Relevant literature. I hadn't really thought about the difference before it was explained, now I will consciously make better book selections for my students.
ReplyDeleteAnything that has to do with our students needs to be talked about in the classroom. We need to be able to relate and connect with our students and through culture is probably the best was to do it. If we can get our hands on different books and activities that are inclusive, then our students will be more engaged and want to learn because they are learning positive things about themselves and their cultures. Yes, some subjects are going to be a but touchy but in reality the touchy subjects are happening to kids every single day and it might not being talked about. If these things aren't being talked about in school, there is a chance they might not be talked about at home either, so where are these kids going to learn about it or have someone to talk to about it? A teacher is responsible to teach every student, not just just the ones that are easy to teach, but everyone. So, when leaving a student out is completely going against what a teacher is supposed to do. When you mentioned that you felt like you needed to escape the classroom, it was very upsetting, teachers should keep a class engaged and should be having fun with learning and including all students.
ReplyDeleteRepresenting our students should be a top priority for us as educators. We have to go out of our way to learn who our students are to be able to gain a greater understanding of them. When we know who our students actually are and what they enjoy we then will be able to represent our students. We will be able to do this by having books in the classroom that relate to their different demographics, creating lesson plans over several cultures, creating activities that our students are interested in, and having artwork or flags around that classroom that the students identify with. Children are more intrigued in learning and reading when it is something they truly enjoy or it is something they can relate to. Whenever I have been able to relate to something in school, the workforce, friend groups, etc. I always get a peace of mind. It makes me feel welcomed and that I belong. As teachers, we have to strive to make every single student feel like they belong and are welcomed. To do this, we have to embrace each student for who they are.
ReplyDeleteI believe it is extremely important for students to feel comfortable enough in my classroom to share their personal experiences. I want to build a community and family in my classroom, no one should feel afraid to speak/share what's on their mind. A sense of belonging can do wonders for the environment of a classroom. I would know because in every classroom where I felt as if I mattered I was more open to my classmates and broke out of my shy shell. A students culture should never be stripped away from them in the classroom but embraced.
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you incorporated your experiences as well to go with the topic. As a future educator we should try our best to incorporate all the students backgrounds and try to make an educational learning experience for everyone in the class. I was also put into an ESL class because my dad mistakenly put Urdu as my first language. So, I had to continuously take tests that I was clearly passing and was annoyed because they knew I was doing well but still didn't stop making me do tests. Even though we had different experiences with it. I think it was the opposite for me. I felt more comfortable in the original class setting and more uncomfortable in the ESL class because they were making me feel like I couldn't understand anything.
ReplyDeleteThis is hard for me to answer because I never paid attention to something like this when I was in elementary school. I now can look back and realize that the students who were culturally different from me would feel left out. They would feel like they didn't belong in their classroom. That is something that is not acceptable. There are many small things that can be included in a classroom to make a student feel better such as books, music, crafts, or bringing in things from home that a student identifies with. I think it is very easy for a teacher to accommodate every student. A student who doesn't feel included in a learning environment will not want to be in the environment. The student will most likely start to hate school because they can't relate to anything being taught to them. By including all cultures the student will feel included and intrigued to learn about their culture and other students culture. It will seem less dominated by the majority.
ReplyDeleteIn middle school and high school, we had a program called ELL (English Language Learning) and would also pull kids out of the classroom to work on their reading & speaking. They also felt the same way as you about it being their escape from feelings so different from everyone else. I understand that this made them feel better but I feel that pulling out the kids and them wanting to be out of the classroom isn’t as good as some people would think it is. In the reading, it talked about how when the students feel accepted and noticed in the classroom, they are more likely to be engaged and participate with the other students. For us teachers to achieve this, we need to treat every student as their own person & not ignore the ones that are not doing as well as others. We need to find common ground with every student and incorporate their values and interests in the classroom. We could do this by reading/providing books of all cultures, bring in different symbols of different cultures to share to the class (or show and tell), and have students share stories to the class about themselves daily (ask how their day was the day before). I feel like if we achieve this, students wouldn’t need to escape the classroom and would feel more welcome by their peers and students.
ReplyDeleteTricia Crandall
ReplyDeleteWhat I think is the outcome of not representing all students is that you will have kids in your room who don't know how to be themselves. If kids don't see themselves in literature, then how will they feel comfortable expressing themselves?
As teachers, we need to provide a wide array of books in our classrooms that represent all different kids of cultures. And we need to advocate for our school library to have the same.
We may be able to tell how a student is feeling when reading when we ask them comprehensive questions or if they have a hard time understanding the book. Their answers and understanding should help us know how that student feels about the book.
I do think it's important for students to be open to talking about their lives. It's important for kids to relate their personal lives to what they learn in school. To help students imagine themselves in the book they are reading, I would tell them to find something they can easily relate to. For instance, I know girls who could relate to Hermione Granger because she was clever and intelligent. So, they hung onto that throughout the Harry Potter series.
Julissa,
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you related this to your personal life. I as well went to a school like and what happened to you about ENL, I as well went through that even though I spoke English well. I do believe reading books that relate to your students of all different backgrounds would be beneficial not just for them, but for their classmates as well to become aware that not everyone's lifestyle is the same. I believe reading books that the students want to read and that can relate to them can benefit them in reading and concentration in the classroom. It can open their imagination to other things. Reading books that students can imagine themselves in it or can relate to them can help them not feel left out or as they don't matter. Everybody has a story due to where they are from or what their culture is, they should be proud and able to express their selves the way they want.
I enjoyed reading about your school experience, but I am super disappointed in your teacher. How do you feel comfortable as a teacher if you just throw your struggling students in the back of class and act like they are no there? Books are definitely one way a teacher can bring different cultures into the classroom especially for students that are not strong in English. It is hard to help when the teacher is not a Spanish speaker but doing research and knowing what resources are available is needed. The chart that was pulled from the reading shows that the benefits definitely outweighs any kind of threats that could be brought up.
ReplyDelete- Deja Shelton