What can I say? Wow! I am loving these readings. Beyond Tolerance was an incredible article. There is such an important message that Raquel Cook brings across. Through her experiences with 9/11, she found out what education is really about and why we need it.
Kids today are hooked into the media. They believe what they hear from the TV which we all know we cannot always believe. It is all about having the latest technology and video games. I notice this even at the daycare I work at--the school aged kids are hooked on their Nintendo DS’s. I found myself thinking what are these kids going to be like in the future?
Cook talked about questioning the future of her students through what they saw important in the media. The students could not tell her anything about history or anything that can be truly meaningful to their lives. Cook began to teach World Literature and redecorated her whole room, making it into a journey. The students would travel and experience pieces of literature from all over the world. The way Cook described her room, I would think the students would be excited to learn about World Literature. I can remember learning about World Literature, and it was not the most thrilling reaction. The walls were blank and I was not exactly sure what to completely expect, but my teacher made it a completely different experience. Students may feel World Literature is a history lesson but history comes out of literature.
On page 20 of Beyond Tolerance, you can see the students transforming through different world events that have occurred. Pictures are powerful and can represent literature. Pictures can speak a thousand words. Students were told when these photos were revealed to America the media was lying. The students began to realize you cannot trust the media.
“English is a language; we use language to communicate ideas; history and culture are the exchange of ideas; language is history is culture is power” (20). I think this is an incredible quote. This is what literature is about. I could not agree more with what Cook had to say right there. You can get so much out of literature, and it can have an amazing impact on you and your students. This can bring other students to speak out. “YOU HAVE A VOICE” (20). Teachers need to encourage and remind their students that they have a voice--they have a say to say what they want especially in a classroom where is it encouraged. If you want your students to speak openly, you have to be willing to as well. Students will feel more comfortable.
“What will they use their voices for” (20). The students matured and changed their feelings. On page 21, her students talked about joining the Peace Corps, and making a difference. I liked how Cook assigned the homework, especially for a senior classroom. There was just one rule to stay in the geographical region. The students were able to use their best abilities and what they were passionate about to design their homework which all worked into literature. Through different experiences, it exposes students to new things.
As teachers, we have to go beyond the tolerance level to find the voices we know our students have. We are “to teach communication, inclusion, curiosity, and questioning” (22). That is what English is and what is so great about being teachers.
A lot of people mentioned the above quote in their blogs, and you are right it really stands out and impacted most of us as we read Cook's article. That quote is what literature is about. I also believe that we should emphasis that students have their own opionins and should voice them. Pictures do say a million words, so bringing in pictures to prompt the students to express their ideas on a topic that'll be discussed is a good idea to start class with. Many of the students will have their own opinions as well as many will comment similarly.
ReplyDeleteTo my it is really important to have a classroom that looks the part. That being, the desk set up, book cases, as well as what is on the walls of the classroom. Students will be in this classroom for so many hours, so we as teachers needs to remember what we put on our walls should impact students to progress each and every day, not bore them. If our classroom looks the part and our teaching techniques work well, we should emphasis the students to find their own voice that we know is inside.
Beyond Tolerence was such an insperational article for me and I'm so happy it seemed to be that way for others. I like the title of your blog. I believe students finding their voice is so important! I hope after all of these articles our class has been reading this semester our class is going to make amazing future teachers.
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