December 6, 2007
Dear Critical Thinkers,
This has been a great
learning semester for us: working with Charlotte & her 4th graders in an authentic writing project from start to finish;
dialogue about relevant issues about race theory; guest speaker Ricky Lee Allen; opportunity to talk among yourselves about
course text in literature circles format; engage in book club discussion; develop a web site of your intellectual property
related to our course; venture to new places outside our stuffy classroom setting.
I hope I have stretched
your thinking since the first day of riding on the Little Red Apple Transit Bus. Do you remember how uncomfortable you felt
playing the Barnga game? Learning new things is similar to feelings of uncertainty, discomfort, lack of suredness, questioning
confidence. Being introduced to the theories of race theory and making whiteness visible during our course is just the beginning
of a change of perspective. No doubt you will see it more often in our educational literature.
I strongly encourage you t read about it on your own. This is an opportunity for you to weigh in on your own thinking
and question the curriculum content within our own teaching practice as well as the information perpetuated within our society.
Asking you to think about
RECONCEPTUAL thinking is nudging you to reconsider the 'truths' that we, as educators, will be perpetuating in our classrooms.
Let's think twice about what we want to include when we talk about Thanksgiving and the Pilgrims. Let's aim for historical
accuracy even when it counters what we read in our beloved textbooks. How will we discern authentic and accurate information
from that which the dominant society wishes us to believe, however inaccurate? Whose voices are being left out of the information
disseminated and how others being ignored or abused are critical questions of thoughtful, inquisitive critical thinkers, as
teachers should be. My hope is for you to develop into such an educator.
DECEMBER 6 we will meet
in our UNM classroom for our:
AUTHOR'S CHAIR &
last literature circle text discussion
________________________________________________________
Remember your chapter
assignments (literature circle):
1. Color of Water readers:
Chapters, 1,2,3,4
Ben, Kim, Jean, Heather,
Tyson
2. Prince of Pond readers:
Chapters 5,6,7,8
Mary, Danny,
Alberta (excused), Jillian
3. America short stories readers: Chapters 10, 11, 12, 13
Robert,Shaun, Shauna,
Sandra, Joanne
_________________________________________________________
Family Stories:
If you did not give me
your hard copy, I will print your family stories from your website.
Email me your 4th grade
family story(ies) so editors have a backup copy.
Miscellaneous:
Review Sleeter, Starnes
& IRA article (racial literacy) by Rogers & Mosley.
Bring your book club
books for one last read and discussion (and to return).
Editors will be meeting
to compile the anthology on Wednesday, Dec. 5 at 1pm at Frances'
UNM office.
November 28, 2007
Forward email From
Word Trust Educational
Services wrote:
Greetings
Professor Frances Vitali,
Race is difficult to talk about. It is the conversation that no one
wants
to have. I'm writing to you because, as an educator, you might be
interested in World Trust's new video teaching
tool produced and
directed by Dr. Shakti Butler, Mirrors of Privilege: Making Whiteness
Visible.
Based upon the responses thus far, Mirrors of Privilege:
Making Whiteness Visible represents a quantum leap in
generating
authentic dialogue and critical thinking skills related to important
learning about race
and culture. This film is groundbreaking because
the voices of conscious white men and women, committed to social
justice, present a pathway for learning and analysis through the
powerful medium of film.
Their
respective journeys speak to unmasking "whiteness" as part of
white identity development in the U.S. According to Shauna Marshall,
Academic Dean, Hastings College of the Law this film manages
to "...
engage white Americans in an honest discussion that has eluded this
nation for 30 centuries.
This is a film that ALL Americans need to see".
If you are interested in more information about Mirrors of
Privilege:
Making Whiteness Visible, please visit:
http://www.world-trust.org/videos/index.html
http://eb.mktgservices.com/c.asp?id=644898&c=a704edde042ace63&l=3>
______________________________________
AILA listserv entry
Oct. 29, 2007
Dear Readers,
Check this out. Does this remind you of
anything?
(Uma Krishnaswami's Children’s Literature presentation, authenticity, authentic voice, cultural
sensitivity, cultural appropriation, reconceptualism)
F.Y.I........................Enjoy........................Frances
Loriene
Roy wrote:
>Thank you, Rachel, for considering the comments on the AILA list. I look
>forward
to seeing a revised calendar that I can endorse with the other
>fine products available through ALA Graphics.
>
Cheers,
Loriene
Roy
ALA President
On Fri, 26 Oct 2007, Satia Orange wrote:
Below is a message
from Rachel Johnson re: stated concerns about the
poster in the ALA Graphics catalog:
"Thank you for responding yesterday with very thoughtful and
constructive
criticism of the American Indian culture poster and
bookmark produced
by ALA Graphics. I have waited a day to respond to
your comments,
as I wanted to read all of them carefully and reply with
the same thoughtfulness. ALA Graphics, in its desire
to celebrate
American Indian heritage reached out to native publishers and
organizations. We were unable, in the short time we had, to find a
partner to donate suitable
art for a poster. As a result, we did an
independent search and selected the art of Paul Goble.
We
regret that greater consideration was not given to the implication
of the art chosen. We understand that this
image is not reflective of
indigenous culture and that an image by a Native artist would have more
appropriately
expressed appreciation for the values of the American
Indian community. We are consequently withdrawing the poster
from our
January catalog and website.
Furthermore, I am asking for suggestions of Native artists
so that ALA
Graphics can begin research for
the creation of a new poster. I ask
that
you email me, Rachel Johnson, directly at rjohnson@ala.org.
Please put
*American Indian Poster* in the subject line, so that I may keep
track of your ideas. With
your input, and the advice of AILA members,
we
hope to create something to make everyone proud. We
hope that the
American Indian library community can accept our apologies."
Rachel Johnson
Director, ALA Graphics
Satia
Marshall Orange, Director
Office for Literacy & Outreach Services
American Library Association
40
East Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611
312-280-4295
sorange@ala.org
http://www.ala.org/olos
*******************************************************************
Loriene Roy <loriene@ISCHOOL.UTEXAS.EDU>American Indian Library Association
<AILA@SI-LISTSERV.SI.EDU>Re: ALA Graphics Responds to Concerns about Native American Month poster Fri, 26 Oct 2007
AILA@SI-LISTSERV.SI.EDU
Thank you, Rachel, for considering the comments on the AILA list. I look
forward to seeing a revised calendar that I can endorse with
the other
fine products available through ALA Graphics.
Cheers,
Loriene Roy
ALA
President
On Fri, 26 Oct 2007, Satia Orange wrote:
Below is a message from Rachel Johnson
re: stated concerns about the
poster in the ALA Graphics catalog:
"Thank you for responding
yesterday with very thoughtful and
constructive criticism of the American Indian culture poster and
bookmark
produced by ALA Graphics. I have waited a day to respond to
your comments, as I wanted to read all of them carefully
and reply with
the same thoughtfulness. ALA Graphics, in its desire to celebrate
American Indian heritage
reached out to native publishers and
organizations. We were unable, in the short time we had, to find a
partner
to donate suitable art for a poster. As a result, we did an
independent search and selected the art of Paul Goble.
We
regret that greater consideration was not given to the implication
of the art chosen. We understand that this
image is not reflective of
indigenous culture and that an image by a Native artist would have more
appropriately
expressed appreciation for the values of the American
Indian community. We are consequently withdrawing the poster
from our
January catalog and website.
Furthermore, I am asking for suggestions of Native artists
so that ALA
Graphics can begin research for
the creation of a new poster. I ask that
you email me, Rachel Johnson, directly at rjohnson@ala.org. Please put
*American
Indian Poster* in the subject line, so that I may keep
track of your ideas. With your input, and the advice of
AILA members, we
hope to create something to make everyone proud. We hope that the
American Indian
library community can accept our apologies."
Rachel Johnson
Director, ALA Graphics
Satia
Marshall Orange, Director
Office for Literacy & Outreach Services
American Library Association
40
East Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611
312-280-4295
sorange@ala.org
http://www.ala.org/olos
November 29 Update
Dear Teachers as Writers,
ANNOUNCEMENT from VAL TULLEY (FMS TITLE I READING COORDINATOR)
Requests UNM students HELP! who can come to Tibbetts on:
DATE: Monday, Nov. 19 and Tuesday, Nov. 20
TIME: 10:30am, 11:50am, 12:45 pm, OR 2:30pm
RE: to administer one-on-one Reading Screening (similar to running
records) with 6th grade students
Val specifically asked for UNM students to help out on this.
Come a half-hour before the testing time so she can review the test
with you, if you can!
This would be a great experience and a way to meet Valerie Tulley
connected with FMS!
_____________________________________
FOR FINAL BOOKS:
1. everyone send .doc file of your student(s) final book narrative WITH
BIO
2. DO NOT HAVE AUTHOR BIOS FOR: Kianna, Joseph, Arieliz, Ian, Derek.
Please include last names and send ASAP to include with thier story.
3. Mandatory Editor's Meeting scheduled at 3:30pm to talk about
Anthology & Bookmarks
4. I will pick up the rest of the final story copies from Chalotte on
Monday, Nov. 19.
5. Nov. 29 will be a Read/Tell Rehearsal for students. They will have
their final book copy then. (Tyson will not be able to there.)
____________________________________________
AUTHOR'S CHAIR
Changed from Nov. 29 to Thursday, Dec. 13 6-8pm in Village Square
____________________________________________
CLASS MATTERS:
1. We will meet after Charlotte's at Red Lobster - Thank you, Heather!
2. We will finish where you left off with Starnes, Sleeter and
CRT:Rogers & Mosley articles.
3. POST ON YOUR WEBSITES YOUR final family story (11/15), Ricky lee
Allen's Reflection, Midterm and Weekly Reflection.
If you want to add pictures to yourwebsite, you will have to scan it or
use ones from the Internet. For scanning, take your photo to SJC
computer lab and ask for help, or...... Be resourceful as I know you
are!
4. NOW IT IS TIME TO ADD YOUR position as a reflection about
RECONCEPTUAL THINKING. Reference our blog at
http://unm-farmington.tripod.com/315/
5. Dec. 6 we will have our own AUTHOR'S CHAIR.
a. I will make copies of your stories from your websites.
b. We will finish up our last literature circle chapter discussions
that day also. Please read chapters in preparation.
c. We will showcase our websites also.
d. I will have a creative final recap of the course content.
e. Should we order pizza for that day?
6. SIGN IN & OUT at Apache School's office. We are guests who must
follow their school policy which is standard for ALL schools.
7. Course evaluations complete-Nov. 29.
Have a HAPPY DAY OF GIVING and RECEIVING THANKS!
Yours Truly, Frances______________
Nov. 12 315 Update
Good Morning All & Happy Veterans' Day!
Eleanor Schick will be at the FPL today and tomorrow (11/12-13)
Monday-9:30am & 2pm (cookies & Cocoa)
Tuesday-9:30am
Stop by and meet her!
Also tonight 5-8pm in Rm. 127- if you can make it-Dr. Lois Meyer will
be discussing proposals to the NCLB legislation.
________________________________
CHARLOTTE BRADSHAW PREPARATION:
~MONDAY, Nov. 12
FINAL COPIES of 4th graders' family stories DUE - give to Charlotte so
students can work on illustrations.
~Thursday, Nov. 15
YOUR family Stories due. PLEASE POST TO YOUR WEBPAGE!
Have one hard copy with you.
~PREPARE FOR AUTHOR'S CHAIR
Have children practice reading (or telling preferred) their stories for
Nov. 29! Rehearse what the Author Chair will be like as they read/tell
their stories.
~Please keep your webpage updated with your weekly reflections of your
interactions with your 4th grade student(s).
~Shauna, Shawn, Ben & Jillian will have an editors' meeting, Thursday,
Nov. 15 after class.
_____________________________________
OTHER CLASS Preparation:
*We will discuss Sleeter, Starnes and recent Critical Race Theory
article, Nov. 15.
*We will finish up with your last literature circle discussion
on Dec. 6
*Final class Dec. 13?????? We will talk more about it!
A great week to you..................Frances
______________________________________
NOVEMBER 8, 2007
DEBRIEFING RICKY LEE ALLEN
Debriefing – Ricky Lee Allen
·
Writing Relay:
One thing you agreed with. One question. Read and Add a question. Answer a question.
·
Read my Reflection
of RLA at https://fvitali.tripod.com/315/
·
How’s my
trust level these days?
·
Reconceptualist
thinking & Articles Starnes and Steeler Nov. 15
Thank you for attending Dr. Allen’s talk. There was good people, good food and good things
to think about. I encourage you to email or call RLA.
If you were in disagreement or conflict with anything Dr. Allen talked about please include your
thoughts in your reflection. Please remember to respond to the following in your reflection also:
·
What did you get
out of the presentation?
·
Questions that
were generated by the speaker?
·
How would you
use the information you learned?
·
Your own reflections/reactions?
·
Evaluation of
the speaker?
·
EMAIL Update:
cc cbradshaw@fms.k12.nm.us
For 4th grade students in Charlotte’s class: we have two weeks left, Nov. 8 &
15 before their Authors’ Chair on November 29 at 6pm. PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS.
MUST DO’S & READ CAREFULLY & THOROUGHLY:
1.
Print revised
copies of student stories, including your own story.
2.
Have students
decide on their story illustration and let students work on them.
3.
Leave room in
the final draft for the placement of the picture.
4.
Share your family
story (and illustration-optional) at the beginning of each session. Ask for feedback using 6 Traits: organization, word choice,
voice, fluency. You are coaching them in using the vocabulary and solidifying their understanding of each concept.
5.
NEED each student
to write a brief bio about themselves. Name, number of sisters & brothers, interests, hobbies. What do they want to be
when they grow up? Something like this- only a guide. This will be on the student book marks we create for them to present
at the Author’s Chair. (New idea!)
6.
I am asking Jillian,
Ben and Shaun to be the editors the anthology. Make student bookmarks using student illustrations.
Meet in SCJ old library area in the back-Joanne will scout out a prime area for us!
RICKY LEE ALLEN
Thank you for attending Dr. Allen’s talk. There was good people, good
food and good things to think about. Now that you have heard and seen
Ricky Lee Allen, what did you think?
I encourage you to email Ricky Lee Allen if you would like to speak to
him yourself. He is interested in doing a telephone conference
follow-up if you are interested.
His phone & email are:
505-277-7247
rlallen@unm.edu
If you were in disagreement or conflict with anything Dr. Allen talked
about please include your thoughts in your reflection.
POST YOUR REFLECTIONS ON YOUR WEBSITE (include the following):
What did you get out of the presentation?
Questions that were generated by the speaker?
How would you use the information you learned?
Your own reflections/reactions?
Evaluation of the speaker?
Of course, this issue prompts more discussion and Ricky Lee Allen's
talk was just a beginning. Instead of reading articles and discussing
them such as Steeler and Starnes, it is also an advantage to have
someone live and in person whose moral center is grounded in critical
theory, anti-racism and white privilege in education. Exposure to these
perspectives informs us as to what is being thought about and talked
about in scholarly and educational literature.
I invite you to read my reflection of Ricky Lee Allen at
https://fvitali.tripod.com/315/id6.html
_________________________
November 3, 2007
Going to Charlotte's classroom is optional this Thursday, Nov. 1 (which
I would recommend). FOLDERS FOR KIM, SHAWNA, BEN, ROBERT ARE WAITING
FOR YOU AT DAWN'S DESK (UNM).
As process writing coaches, you are responsible for:
1. student folders
2. writing feedback notes weekly about their writing.
3. Writing summary notes about suggestions/comments from peer writing
conferences
4. Sharing your edited stories each week with your students
5. Incorporating 6 Traits in your process writing discussions and
conferences.
Please continue to add your weekly reflections from working with your
students. Continue to refine your own writing. Please do not be a
hypocrite by asking your students to do something you yourself are not
doing, which would be editing, sharing your work, receiving feedback
and revising your work. Remember your family story final drafts will be
included in the anthology collection also!
We will discuss your ethnographic reflections on Nov. 8.
Please print this out and safe for your records!
Thank you............................Frances
See you this Friday!
____________________________________________
Dear UNM Students & Colleagues,
An article by Cory Frolik about Ricky Lee Allen's visit appeared in the
Daily Times this morning. Available at The Daily Times
http://www.daily-times.com/news/ci_7335556
Please read to get a sneak preview of the content of his talk. During
the evening,please feel free to ask questions. This is what a
university setting is all about inquiring minds, questioning ideas,
ideals, stimulating dialogue. Inquisitive minds want to know. That's
what teaching and learning is all about. Yes?! Enjoy yourselves
tomorrow evening and seek opportunities to just not 'be there
physically because you are required to attend' but to become engaged
with the content and to challenge your own ideas and that of the
speaker!
We have dinner reservations made at Boone's Thai Restaurant. If you are
going to join Ricky Lee Allen afterwards for dinner, let me know
tomorrow (Friday) before his talk.
Until we meet again.......................Frances
________________________
N.B. Children's Literature students are included in this event -you are
most welcome to attend - as extra credit! This will be an extension of
Uma Krishnaswami's presentation coming from a different perspective.
_____________________________
Oct. 29 Update
Dear Process WRITING COACHES:
Three Rivers was a relaxing environment in which to dialogue leisurely
about book and textbook literature circles. Thank you for setting it
up, Alberta. Thank you, Sandra for the IHop arrangements the previous
week.
Nov. 8 please be prepared with having read chapters for the last round
of textbook discussions.
Nov. 15 please be ready to discuss Starnes & Sleeter articles in a
literature circle.
REMINDERS: please use format of literature circle when discussing your
chapters & articles. That is-summarizer, discussion director,
vocabulary enricher, literary luminator, illustrator. I never see
anybody drawing anything during your discussions. Rember, you are
practicing the art of literature circles so you will feel comfortable
engaging future students in them. Take this time to practice with your
peers now!
ALSO, Ricky Lee Allen will be our guest speaker this Friday, Nov. 2 in
Rm. 127 (downstairs from our UNM classroom).
Please add reflection to your web site about his presentation including:
1.What you got out of his talk;
2.Questions generated during his talk;
3.How are you going to use this information;
4.Your own reflections;
5.Evaluation of him as a speaker.
You should have received the flyer already!
____________________
Going to Charlotte's classroom is optional this Thursday, Nov. 1 (which
I would recommend). FOLDERS FOR KIM, SHAWNA, BEN, ROBERT ARE WAITING
FOR YOU AT DAWN'S DESK (UNM).
As process writing coaches, you are responsible for:
1. student folders
2. writing feedback notes weekly about their writing.
3. Writing summary notes about suggestions/comments from peer writing
conferences
4. Sharing your edited stories each week with your students
5. Incorporating 6 Traits in your process writing discussions and
conferences.
Please continue to add your weekly reflections from working with your
students. Continue to refine your own writing. Please do not be a
hypocrite by asking your students to do something you yourself are not
doing, which would be editing, sharing your work, receiving feedback
and revising your work. Remember your family story final drafts will be
included in the anthology collection also!
We will discuss your ethnographic reflections on Nov. 8.
Please print this out and safe for your records!
Thank you............................Frances
See you this Friday!
____________________
October 25, 2007
Dear Students & Colleagues,
A flyer announcing Ricky Lee Allen's visit is attached. Please feel
free to share with others who may be interested in hearing him speak.
Our UNM students in Educating Lingusitically Diverse and Social Justice
will be the main audience. Also seating is limited.
Thank you!-)................Frances
Dawn Sells wrote:
Greetings UNM Instructors,
The attached flyer announces the much anticipated guest speaker from
UNM, Dr. Ricky Lee Allen, a Professor in Language, Literacy &
Sociocultural Studies. If you plan to attend, please RSVP with Dawn @
566-3480 or email to unmf@sanjuancollege.edu by November 1st. Share the
flyer with others who you think will benefit from Dr. Allen's visit.
Dawn Sells
Educational Site Coordinator
UNM - San Juan Center
_________________________________
October 20, 2007
Thank you, Alberta, for setting this up for us!
Alberta Smallcanyon wrote:
>Frances, Three Rivers said we could meet at their place next Thursday.
>I saved the time between 2:00 - 4:00pm in the back patio room. It's
>pretty airy but they do have heaters to keep it warm and if it gets too
>cold we can move inside and best of all it's private. I gave them your
>name and the UNM class. So this is a go!! Alberta
_______________
YEAHHH, AZTEC TIGERS.....GGGGRRoooowwwwwllllllll!
44 to 12!!! COngratulations, Ben, 7-0!!!!
_______________
UPDATES for next week, October 25:
1. Please read your chapters in preparation for your literature circle
discussions. Remember to use the roles of dicussion director; refer to
excerpts to emphasize your points; point out special vocabulary words
concepts, phrases; summarize each chapter; use illustrations, charts,
visuals to highlight key points; make connections to your prior
knowledge/experience.
For our class, from my reading, I will be collecting key concepts
highlighted in each chapter as a way of culminating our collected
readings.
Each group will also have an opportunity to share key points of their
dialog after each literature circle. We will begin with each group
sharing highlights of their discussion. For the next literature
circles, keep a written/visual document of your collected dialogue.
Each member could contribute to the document, so when you present you
could use it to refer to!
2. Add your STORYTELLING or PRIME TIME Reflections to YOUR OWN
websites. (Add a new page and remember to click "done" AND "Publish to
Web"!-)
3. Remember to add your weekly reflections on 10/18 Writing conference
to your web site.
4. Remember to add your thoughts about RECONCEPTUALIST thinking on your
web site. Refer to our course blog at
http://unm-farmington.tripod.com/315/
5. I AM poems should be posted to your websites by now.
6. Think about how you will coach your Apache students in the next
revisions of their stories based on their conferences. Using the 6
traits-suggestions about: organizations of their ideas, word choices,
flow of their story(fluency), voice, is it interesting for listener. Do
not settle for less-challenge them. Prompt them with questions-provide
exmples from your story. Read them a family story (book from library?)
and ask them to point out what makes the story interesting--ask them to
try that in the writing of their own stories! Talk to them, approach
them and respect them as writers.
7. In our text, check out pages 318-344 about PROCESS WRITING! Process
writing is an effecting writing and reading approach with
linguistically diverse students! You are all practicing effective best
practices with your students. Make it work for them!
8. Will be emailing you responses to your midterms soon!
9. PRINT OUT AND SAVE THIS COPY FOR YOUR RECORDS!
Thank you & let me know if you have any questions, suggestions or
concerns!-0...............Frances
_________________________________
October 17, 2007
Thought this Native American Listserv question would be of interest to
us! Enjoy reading!
Cultural Sensitivity awareness………………frances
Karen Vigneault wrote:
>I just wanted to say regarding mary mccarthy... the first step is for
people to realzie all native americans are not the same .. so when
someone asks" what did native AmericaNs wear " the first response would
be ... "which tribe are you asking about ? As a california indian I
have to deal with people assuming all the time we are the same as
indians that lived in teepees, or wore mocassins or used drums or
hunted buffalo... my tribe did none of those things..
>
>Karen Vigneault
>tribal librarian
>Santa Ysabel Indian Reservation
>
>academic librarian
>Maric College
>
>~ Maquinna, Nootka Chief, early nineteenth century ~
>Once I was in Victoria, and I saw a very large house. They told me it
was a bank, and that the white men place their money there to be taken
care of, and that by and by they got it back, with interest. We are
Indians, and we have no such bank; but when we have plenty of money or
blankets, we give them away to other chiefs and people, and by and by
they return them, with interest, and our hearts feel good. Our way of
giving is our bank.
>"All that man needs for health and healing has been providedby God in
nature, the challenge of science is to find it."Philippus Theophrastrus
Bombast that of Aureolus Paracelsus(1493-1541)
>Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2007 08:38:11 -0600From:
McCarthy_M@CDE.STATE.CO.USSubject: Native American questions in Virtual
Reference environmentsTo: AILA@SI-LISTSERV.SI.EDU
>Hello
>I'm seeking guidance on how to help guide others. In one of my jobs, I
work online with our virtual reference service,
http://www.AskColorado.org/ . I don't run the service, but I work with
the person who does which I pretend gives me a little influence. The
questions range in subject and over 50% of the questions are from a
K-12 audience. I'd like to approach our Best Practices committee with
recommendations on how to deal with *teachable moments* in regards to
Native American issues.
>I have received questions like Q1) "What did Native Americans wear when
they were alive?" and Q2) "What did Native Americans live in when they
were alive?"
>My first (emotional) responses are "The same things the living ones
wear today: clothes" and "The same things the living ones live in
today: homes", responses which I do NOT send. This is one of the
reasons we have prescripted responses in the software - so staff do not
allow their frustrations to run away with them. I do not know how the
other 300 librarians of the service react to these questions, so I'd
like to suggest some Best Practices for them to follow.
>
>When I receive one of these questions, I generally send a message like
A1) "I'm not sure I understand the question. Could you please explain
it a bit more?"
>If this yields similar results, I send a statement like A2) "Please
type the question exactly as it appears on your homework sheet."
>Sometimes the student hasn't reworded the question and the statement on
their homework sheet is the offensive one. I guess I'm holding out hope
that the students are just unaware or untaught, as opposed to the
teachers actually being so ignorant as to put such questions on a
homework sheet. My next (emotional) response is "Put your idiot
teacher online," but I don't send that response either.
>A3) After this, I will try to send an informational page about the
number of living people who self-identify as Native. If I cannot find
something good quickly, because time is crucial when working with teens
online, I send the Census.gov site about Colorado's population, which
at least highlights the Native population in our state. I highlight
the fact that X number of people living in Colorado today are Native,
so clearly their question needs some refining as Native people today
likely wear the same type of clothing the student him/herself wears.
Or sending something like Or "This is why I'm confused by your
question, as there are many Native Americans alive today."
>*What resources and responses would you recommend we send at this
point?*
>
>A4) Then I follow with a question like "Were you looking for *historic*
information about a particular tribal group?"It may be that our
librarians are starting the interaction with something like "Were you
looking for information about a particular tribal group?" and not
including the word "historic" as part of that question. I'd rather it
be part of Best Practices that they take the time, with one or two
lines, to educate one-on-one in regards to Native communites today,
then move on to the specifics of the patron's question. The best way to
get them to do this is to make it easy, ie. giving them the responses
and resources to use.
>I also receive the same type of questions in regards to Holocaust
studies, most especially "Why did Hitler kill all the Jews?". I follow
similar steps sending:A1) "I'm not sure I understand the question.
Could you please explain it a bit more?"A2) "Please type the question
exactly as it appears on your homework sheet." A3) At this point, I
generally send a site which is a census of world religions, and point
out the number of individuals alive today who self-identify as being
Jewish. A4) I then ask if they are looking for historic information
about the people killed in the Holocaust and/or sites about Hitler's
writings and speeches in regards to Jews. I also take the time to send
resources which show that many different types of people were killed
during the Holocaust. I'm thinking of approaching the Association of
Jewish Libraries with a Best Practices request too.
>What course of action would all of you recommend? Should we work
together on Best Practices for dealing with these questions in Virtual,
or any, Reference environments? These Best Practices could be shared
with the other virtual reference services, both inside and outside
North America. Virtual Reference offers a chance, one-on-one, to help
educate students when clearly their schools aren't always getting the
job done. Is this something that AILA members would consider working
on, maybe getting to the point of making these recommended Best
Practices available on the website? Thank you for your consideration,
>mmcMary McCarthySupport and CollectionsColorado Virtual Library\\
___________________________________
October 11, 2007
Dear Teachers,
That has a nice sound, doesn't it. Thank you for the work you are doing
with Charlotte Bradshaw's 4th graders. Please continue to add your
reflections, insights and/questions to your web sites.
Let's plan to do something nice for Charlotte at the end of the
semester, shall we? begin thinking and talking about some ideas!
Someone made an observation today that it felt as if fourth graders
were more comfortable and becoming more open in sharing their stories.
Do you think it is because they have you as a captive audience and are
validated and recognized as having something important to share about
themselves and their families? For those children who are still
reserved, the greatest, yet most rewarding challenge, will be in
finding a way to engage them to open up!
Reminder:
Please read over your dimensions of learning in your course syllabus
and reflect on your learning thus far in our course. Please include
suggestions for me, the instructor as well as your midterm grade. Post
your reflections to your individual webpages by creating a new page for
MIDTERM REFLECTION.
Remember to make copies of 4th grade students and your writing drafts
for your writing conferences.
Following our Apache session, we will do literature circles with your
book clubs: Frog, America & Color of Water (as a practice for our
textbook chapter discussions).
We will schedule our textbook chapter literature circles on October 18,
25 and Nov. 8. Please be prepared by having read your scheduled
chapters. Each group will present highlights of their discussion to the
whole group.
Have fun at the Storytelling Festival this weekend.
PRIME TIME at Bloomfield Early Childhood Center (BECC) is next Monday,
Oct. 15 & 22 at 5:30pm. Post your reflections on our course blog at
http://unm-farmington.tripod.com/315/
I look forward to checking on your websites now that you have most of
the glitches figured out!
That’s all for now! Let me know if you have any questions or concerns!
Thank you……………………..Frances
_____________________________________
September 28, 2007
Dear
315ers,
Good
to see all of you in your element at Apache engaged with your student(s). Please add your reflections of your time there and
last week's to your reflection webpage (for 315).
ALSO:
Some
REMINDERS:
Thank
you for being on time at 1pm.
Meet
at 2:30 pm Kiwanis Park across from the
Burlington Building AFTER our Apache classroom session. Find
a good place and begin reading in your literature groups.
Danny
will post 9/27 highlights on blog.
Think
about your philosophical stance as a Reconceptualist (or not) and what that means to you and your role as a teacher. Post
your reflections to your website. Give yourself time to mull it over; you can always edit it as time goes on.
Read
your assigned chapters in preparation for your group discussion in the next two weeks. Identify vocabulary, make connections-personal,
other readings, experience, etc; questions raised, disagree with text, new discoveries, text exceprts you like in particular,
summary of each chapter, any AHA moments.....all these are things to think about while reading and preparing for your discussions
of the text chapters.
Read
article by Steeler. Please be prepared for discussion.
Prepare
for your brainstorm session with your Apache student(s). How will you approach it? Will you do a brainstorm of ideas of your
personal stories first as a model and then ask them to brainstorm their ideas. Do you need paper? WHat back ups will you have
if this doesn't work the way you have planned? Are you becoming familiar with your 6 Traits writing model which will be your
guide throughout this project?
We
will define and talk about LITERATURE CIRCLES next week at the park.
PLEASE READ AND PRINT THIS OUT FOR LATER REFERENCE.
_____________________
September 19, 2007
News of upcoming poetry reading from Venaya Yazzie!-) Frances
Mark your claendars!!!!!
Venaya J. Yazzie wrote:
>ms.frances,
>how are you? i'm good.
>i'm fyi-ing you about an upcoming event.
>flyer is attached.
>ahe'he
>venaya
>greetings,
>northwest new mexico arts council (nwnmac) is pleased
>to announce a literary art event:
>Perpetuating Navajo IV: Contemporary Dine Poets
>Friday, October 19, 2007
>@ the
>Totah Theatre
>Historic Downtown
>315 Main Street
>Farmington, NM
>nwnmac has agreed to sponsor this event again, therefore it is free.
All and any support and response in the number of people who attend is
vital. it would a blessing if you could let all your students and
other educators know of this unique literary event. we need to pack
totah theatre to make an impression for the Arts in the Four Corners.
>farmington needs to support the Arts, you know. we as a city are ready
for something new to do with the arts, if we could just get over that
hump we'd have a renaissance!!!
>i have attached a press release and an official flyer that you can send
or print.
>many thanks for your support of the literary arts.
>sincerely,
>venaya yazzie, secretary
>505-947-7086 c.
>
>+++++++'When I was very young, my father used to say there was a power
in me - an energy that comes from the earth and the sun, from the
lightning and the many colors of the rainbow.' C.G.+++++++++
>be good, take care! venaya j.
> ............................................
September 7, 2007
Thank you for such a fun time yesterday. I am glad that you are
becoming more comfortable to relax and enjoy each other's company,
including mine!
Here are some reminders from our class:
Thursday, Nov. 1-NO CLASS (because we will be meeting on Friday!)
Pen in on your Calendar - Friday, Nov. 2
Ricky Lee Allen UNM classroom 4-6pm
Dinner following optional
Please continue to work on your first draft of your family oral story.
Also work on your I AM FROM poem to add as an INTRODUCTION TO YOUR
WEBPAGE. You can enter it on Sept. 13 when we work on your webpages!
Remember to find a book related to family to be ready to share with
Charlotte Bradshaw's students-just in case. Make sure you are
comfortable reading it, too-just in case!
MEET AT APACHE SCHOOL-Sept. 13 and for our future sessions at 1pm.
Please be there 15 minutes early to park, sign-in, etc. BEFORE 1 pm.
That's all for now. I will add Ricky Lee Allen, the Six Traits, Barnga
links to our blog soon so stay tuned.
Take care............................Frances
P.S. If you have any questions or concerns, please give me a holler!
P.S. S. Going camping this weekend!
_____________________
