Looking Ahead to Week 7 - Award Groups

Session 7: Awards assignment

The co-themes of session 7 will be "practicing close readings of text" and analyzing awards for diverse literature. You'll only need to prepare for the second!

Everyone:

• Read the Aronson and Pinkney articles. What are the arguments for and against honoring books in specific cultural/social categories? What assumptions does each position rely on?
  
• Where do you stand in terms of the debate?
  

Award jigsaw: Research the following information for your assigned award.

• Is there an official website for the award? Are there other resources that provide information about the award? (Sometimes libraries or author blogs feature information not available on the official sites.)
  
• Why and when was this award created? What is the rationale for the award?
• Selection criteria: What books, authors, illustrators are eligible? How are the books judged?
• Who sponsors the award?
• Selection committee: Who chooses the winners? How do you get on the committee? How transparent is the process?
• Bring in books that have won or have been honored by the award. This will mean a trip to the library--you can coordinate this within your group. How easy was it to find the books? Do they have seals or other indications that they are award winners?
• It would be helpful if one person in the group could bring in a computer.
  

In class we'll teach each other about the awards, share books, and talk about the questions that our research raises. The "product" of your group work will be a collaborative post on your award. (Although you'll have time to work on this with your group, most of your research should be done in advance of class.)

Week 6 Blog Posts

Here are some ideas for your next blog post below. Feel free to post something on your own (which I noticed some of you have) or feel free to respond to the prompts below (pick one):

• What can you learn about Nikki Grimes through internet research? Post any interesting resources in a blog entry.
• Contribute a response to "How is blogging going?" by 6 pm the night before class (see ideas below)
  

You might write about:

• What you find valuable about our use of blogs
• What you find to be limiting or frustrating
• How you can imagine using blogs in the future
• Questions you have about the blogs
• Ideas for mini-lessons/discussions we might have in class

Arab-American Resource

The Arab-American National Museum is based in Detroit - I would like you to search through the site and comment (if you chose to) post some thoughts on this great resource right in our state.

Site: http://www.arabamericanmuseum.org/Home.id.2.htm

Post on your blog...Insider/Outsider Debate

TE 448ers - please post on your blog (by 6 p.m. Monday) your initial thoughts about the debate over who should be writing diverse children's literature - insiders (those who may belong to certain groups) or outsiders? Think deeply about what you believe and post those thoughts. Don't forget to write this in your blogging schedule at the back of the syllabus. I look forward to reading these before class! CK

Joseph Bruchac website

This is the website of Joseph Bruchac - the author of The Heart of a Chief , check it out!
http://www.josephbruchac.com/

Post your blog address

Please make sure you post your blog for class on ANGEL - it is a discussion board I have set up for you to post your address.