I spent my day at a conference at AU dealing with critical literacy. The presenter, Dr. Jerry Harste, discussed using children's literature to build a curriculum. There were numerous interesting ideas of things that could be done in the classroom. However they were geared more toward an elementary classroom. As a high school teacher, I found myself thinking about how these ideas could fit in my classroom.
One class where I plan to work in some of these methods is my ecology class. To begin with, I think that often it isn't acknowledged that a textbook is not a neutral text. As we use our textbook, I need to find ways to help the students realize that it is not neutral, that it is written with its own bias.
Despite the age of my students, I think children's literature can still play a role in what I do. There are children's books about most topics, and using a relevant book could be a good way to begin breaking apart and analyzing the bias in what we read. Additionally, there are children's books that could be used as a starting point for social action by students.
This conference helped show me ideas of ways that I can branch out with what I do in my classroom. Even in a high school classroom, children's literature has the potential to be a powerful tool.
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3 comments:
Hi Sarah,
I think some of the texts used by Harste could be more interesting for younger kids than older kids however I do think the strategies he shared can be used with any age group.
I think your idea of deconstructing the text book would be terrific! Keep us posted on how that goes.
thanks
vivian
It seems that no one really grows up. I agree that children's literature has a place in higher grades. High schoolers can appreciate the face value message of the book but they can also address the book on deeper levels than the intended age. I am a history teacher so the hidden messages and biases uncovered or not are very interesting when it comes to children.
I agree with you that children's literature can be used throughout a high school classroom.
Oftentimes, one can use a picture
book as introduction to a topic in any given school subject. This also is a valuable tool because it can work to build both confidence and understanding for those students who struggle with reading.
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