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Dear Educationalists,
In our LLSS 315 course experience we will
have the opportunity to see critically from different perspectives and to consider: what it means to educate and to honor
funds of knowledge; what knowledge is valued and by whom; and our critical lens as educators.
We will have an opportunity to work with
Apache
Elementary School teacher Charlotte Bradhsaw and her 4th graders
on a family history Chautauqua project this semester. This interaction will provide you with a rich, hands-on practicum experience.
In your dual role as both teacher and student
you may gain practical experience and bring more value and understanding to our course text content.
I am looking forward to learning alongside
all of you!
Frances Vitali ____________________________________________
May
3, 2008
Dear
UNM partners,
I
have attached an invitation that Charlotte's 4th graders will
give to their parents on Monday.
Charlotte
and I met on Saturday to talk about our great May 8 event! Chautauqua storytellers and guests will have programs for May 8.
Some
things to do before showtime this Thursday:
1.
I think a way to end your time with our students would be to write each of them a letter, sealed in an envelope, and addressed
to them. We will present them with our letters at the end of their performance.
Write
about how you have enjoyed working with your student, what you learned from them, what they learned in the process, their
strengths, any fond remembrances. It does not have to be long but it should be heartfelt and sincere. Taking time to pen a
letter to our students is much more valuable than any gift we could give them. Type or handwrite your letter; it is up to
you. You may personalize it any way you wish. You have a bond and connection with your students and your letters will reflect
this.
2.
UNFORTUNATELY, we will not have time to videotape our Chautauqua characters this Thursday. Please keep your characters alive
and feed them regularly by telling their stories whenever you can.
3.
Update your webpages before Thursday, May 8, so they are complete. I will review them and post final grades Friday, May 9.
4.
Charlotte wanted to know if we wanted to go out following
the Chautauqua performance on Thursday night-dinner, appetizers, drink, etc. It would be a fun way of sharing some time with
Charlotte outside the classroom and for closure of our work
with her this semester. We will probably finish at Apache around 8pm, I would imagine.
______________________________________
April 30, 2008
Dear Chautauqua Characters!
As planned, Machele Day will be at Apache School Village Square
tomorrow, Thursday, May 1 at 12:30 to set up to videotape 4th graders.
We will have students use the gym to 'wait in the wings' until their
turn where they can practice their stories.
I will have a scheduled list available for videotaping tomorrow. We
will have enough time (I hope) for only Apache students on May 1st.
OUR CHAUTAUQUA CHARACTERS videotaping will be on MAY 8. Machele will
provide us with a video camera and microphone and we'll do our own
videotaping. Do you want to meet before the students' scheduled
presentation to their families and videotape each other? Let's talk
about it more when we meet tomorrow, OK!
AFter Tibbetts we will return to our classroom to listen to Laura
McClenny from the San Juan Partnership. Don't forget to add your
reflections about guest speaker Vicki Bruno from last Thursday to your
web page.
Until manana.........................Frances
________________________________________________
20 March 2008
Remember your role as coaches and movie directors as help guide
4th graders through the process of finding their character, their character's voice, their character's story in bringing their
character to live through their eyes. Something to ponder in your directing debut:
- What makes a good story is what will make a good presentation.
- What is their treatment?
- How will they introduce their character through song, poem, narrative?
Will they jump right into the character beginning with character telling the audience something? Will they formally introduce
the character? Will they introduce the character through a conversation?
- How can they best tell the story in an intersting way?
March 18, 2008
Dear Characters!
Drum roll please!-)..................Take a look at the students you
will be working with on your Chautauqua experience. Have a notebook or
journal to write your notes, reflections, & plans each week. Remember
to add to your Chautauqua Observations on your webpage.
As teachers we are always reflecting on what happened, and how to take
students to the next step in the process. In this context, it will be
to help them become storytellers and bring their characters alive. Each
student may need different kinds of coaching and strategies. This is
why you will need to learn about each of your students and first
connect with them so that you build a trusting relationship on which to
grow and evolve together in these next weeks. Please be on time and
ready to talk with your students and begin brainstorming their ideas
with them.
Got questions-give a holler. See you this Thursday 3/20!-) Frances
Charlotte Bradshaw has
your student assignments
____________________________________________
17 March 2008
Dear
Chautauqua Performers,
It was a great honor to meet your presented characters as they meant a great deal to you. Continue
to refine and polish them for another debut.
I was thinking, would you want to do a Chautauqua performance for your
family members before we perform again in May?
Scoop for March 20:
We will meet in Charlotte Bradshaw's classroom
this Thursday, March 20 at 1pm. I will send you your student assignmets once I receive them from Mrs. Bradshaw.
When
you meet with your 4th graders:
1. Encourage students to Brainstrom ideas - web or mind map.
This is an important step
and cannot be left out of the process.
2. Engage them to talk about each of their character ideas. Probe and prod them
with questions and your storytelling curiosity about why this character is important-what part of their story will they tell.
After Spring Break
3. How will they make their story and character interesting to listen to and watch.
4.
They will begin to write about their character and share drafts in writing workshops. They will practice telling their character's
story adding gestures, voice, movement details.
You will be coaches helping the students shapre their family characters
into a developed performance!
Enjoy the process and keep your reflections to post to your 315 Weekly Reflection web
page.
Reminder:
....Make
sure you add your Chautauqua character, your I AM POEM and YOUR MIDTERM REFLECTION to your web page also.
....Where
shall we meet after our Apache visit. Any ideas???!! Open to suggestions! Bring your anthologies and textbooks on Thursday
also!
16 March 2008
Dear Chautauqua Storytellers,
I
look forward to meeting all of your characters this Thursday, MARCH 13 in Charlotte Bradshaw's classroom at 1pm. Thank you
for signing in at the office before going to her classroom.
Charlote and I have matched you up with her 4th grade students-some
of you have 3 and some have 2 students to work with. They are all fantastic children! You will meet them soon enough.
She
was excited about introducing our family characters to the 4th graders on Thursday so the children will see what their final
outcome may look like.
After Charlotte's we can match up at the Farmington Public Library to debrief, do literature
circles with our text chapters so bring your 315 text and review PARTS I & IV.
I will be checking your webpages
this week also.
Reminder to complete and post your midterm reflections to your webpage. I will do the same!
Thank
you. Give a holler if you need any help!-)frances
_____________________________________________
13 March 2008
Finally our time to work with Apache students has arrived. Your
showcase of Chautuaqua characters was a dramatic and inspiring beginning! Hold on to your characters and let them continue
to grow and evolve through you. From the students' responses, I think they are anxious to begin work on their own family character!
29 February 2008
Dear Novelty Seekers,
Great
to reconnect with all of you!
I xeroxed copies of the guided imagery to give to you next Thursday!
Reminders:
1.
Continue to work on your ideas, story treatment of your Chautauqua
characters. We will share them with your peers next
Thursday.
2. Read from your book anthologies and meet with your reading group at
your designated spot from 1-2:15pm
and let's meet at the FARMINGTON
PUBLIC LIBRARY at 2:30pm for the rest of our class!
3. Bring your 315 textbook
with you to review chapters in PART I & IV.
That's all folks....................Frances
27 February 2008
Dear Chautauqua Friends,
Wasn't
Houdini great! I am putting photos on a webpage at unmfarmington.tripod.com/houdini/
so check it out!
Thank
you for carrying on without me. That is an indication of how independent and responsible you are as learners and leaders-both
great qualities of an educationalist!
REMINDER:We will not be meeting for class on Feb. 14 & 21. On Feb. 28 we
will meet at Charlotte's class at 1pm. Please mark your calendars for this important date.
THINGS TO DO:
Things
to focus on during the next two weeks:
1. Your Chautauqua family character
...Brainstorm potential characters
...Choose
a couple of characters and map out some story ideas
...Settle on one character you feel you could connect with
...Research
background-if necessary for accuracy of story details
...think about the highlights of this character's life and how you
want to tell the story.
...Share your story and character with a peer and get feedback
...Revise story, share story,
revise story, share story, revise, share
...Rehearse story in small group and then in front of entire audience
...We
will be videotaping your characters at the end of April.
We will basically be following the same process with 4th grade
students. Working on your characters now will prepare you for your work with the 4th graders and helping them with this process.
2.
Read text chapters in PART I & PART IV.
3. Order and begin to read one of the anthologies listed in our
syllabus.
Look under BOOK TALK on our blog for more info about the three books
3 February 2008
Dear Educationalists,
So good to finally meet all of you in our 315 class. Look forward
to our learning adventures together. I was impressed the way you took to your webpages. Please view your linked pages
at
Reminders:
- Thursday, Feb. 7 we will meet at Apache Elementary School
at 1pm. Please arrive early to sign in and go to the Village Square. Houdini will begin promptly at 1pm. The three 4th grade
classroom of students will be there for the event.
- Finish:
(a) I AM POEM (WHO AM I) - see poetry handouts -
based on YOUR beliefs, customs & language- post to your web page;
(b) Family
Crest;
(c) Reading NACIREMA article &
consider questions
3. After Houdini's
presentation we will review the syllabus and share family crests, I AM Stories & Nacirema article.
4. I was the
scribe for 1/31 class meeting. The schedule for scribes is as follows:
2/7 Sarah | 2/14 Nick | 2/21 & 28 Nikki | 3/6 Christine | 3/13
Hannah | 3/20 Cassady | 4/3 Frances | 4/10 Nancy | 4/17 Shantel | 4/24 Elsie | 5/1 volunteer |
Please print out and save these weekly reminders for your future reference.
Until we meet again........If you have any questions, give me a holler!-)......Frances
___________________________________________________
3 February 2008
Dear Children's Literature & Educating Linguistically Diverse Students,
PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ this forward from Debbie Reese:
Fwd:
Troubling information re John Smelcer's claim to Native identity
Reese's webpage is linked to our course blogs. She is a Nambe Pueblo who
has an American Indian Children's Literature blog and reviews books for
cultural sensitivity and authenticity. You should become familiar with
her blog and her reviews. She is respected in the academic community.
This is a recent post of hers. This begins your foray into critically
thinking about the legitimacy of what is authored and why this is such
an important concern for Native Americans. As educators
(educationalists), we, too, must be sensitive to what we read as being
authentic by asking critical questions and invite our students to start
asking these questions on their own.
Debbie Reese's blog and THE TRAP by Smelcer article can be found at
http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/
Now you are starting to read and understand literature from a critical
lens. This is good!-)...................Frances
(N.B. CHILDREN'S LIT READERS: This may be something you may want to
reflect on in your reading reflections-just an idea.)
_________________________________________________________________
Feb.
3 Debbie Reese wrote:
Dear Colleagues,
>Last weekend I started reading a book called THE
>TRAP, by what I thought was a Native author, John
>Smelcer. In 2007 it was listed as a "Best Books
>for Young Adults" by the American Library
>Association. That's an influential listing.
>Alexie's YA novel is on it this year.
>
>I read the first 20 or so pages on Sunday. It
>reminded me of my grandmother's kitchen. I said as much on my blog that
day.
>
>Within a short while, I had a few emails from
>people who told me Smelcer isn't Native. I was
>pointed to a series of articles in the Anchorage
>Daily News. Smelcer had been hired at U Alaska
>Anchorage, but resigned in the midst of an
>investigation into his credentials and materials
>he submitted in his application. Part of the
>investigation was about his identity.
>
>It's pretty messy... The article quotes his
>father, who says Smelcer is adopted and didn't
>grow up with Native community, and he also says
>that Smelcer uses his (the father's) identity for
>personal and professional gain.
>
>I've followed up, with queries to the Ahtna
>tribe, and heard directly from his father,
>confirming all that is in the Anchorage papers.
>His father notes that Smelcer continues to
>identify as Native and has also started saying
>Cherokee, but that the Cherokee part isn't true either.
>
>I've written two blog posts about it.
>http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com
>
>The book may be well written, and it could have
>stood as such, but the false claim to Native
>identity sullies the book and compromises the
>integrity of books written by Native people. By
>that, I mean that, in children's lit, the
>powers-that-be will use this situation to say that authorship does not
matter.
>Debbie A. Reese (Nambé Pueblo)
>Assistant Professor, American Indian Studies
>University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
>Native American House, Room 2005
>1204 West Nevada Street, MC-138
>Urbana, Illinois 61801
>
>Email: debreese@uiuc.edu
>TEL 217-265-9885
>FAX 217-265-9880
>
>My Internet blog and resource:
>American Indians in Children's Literature
>To get to it, visit my bio and click on 'Web Page'
>http://www.nah.uiuc.edu/faculty-Reese.htm
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