Appleman, Chap. 5

Overall, I thought the chapter provides some excellent activities to use in the classroom and with feminist literary theory. After discussing with students the nature of feminists and the dimensions of the literary theory (i.e. portrayal of female characters, influence of female writers, gender roles, etc.) an activity such as the one in the appendix would be very suitable. The activity asks students to examine common American objects, people, or events from both a traditional and feminist perspective. Something major that should be taken from this: how our society still remains a very much patriarchal society. As Bonnycastle (1996) states, feminist literary theory "...doesn't need to be revolutionary, but, like Marxism, it does aim at changing the world and the consciousness of people in the world" (p. 76). This consciousness can, however, be particularly difficult for male students to grasp, especially those who have a strong identification with masculinity. Examples of some of the heated debates that took place between male and female students in the classroom exemplifies the true struggle for power between men and women, and I'm not sure I'm completely comfortable with students attacking each other (p. 88). But then again, maybe this is necessary in order for the male students who are hesitant to look through this lens to truly acknowledge the woman and her importance to society...?

In addition to the works that are mentioned, I think, as always, that Alice Walker's The Color Purple can be a great text to apply feminist criticism. It of course pits the protagonist, Celie, in the midst of a loveless relationship with a cynical and degrading man, one that is forced upon her and views her as his property. Mr. ____'s initial behavior and attitude directly reflects the perceived "value" of A.A. women at the time time. This relationship could be the focus of the criticism, but there are some interesting points worth noting. Typical and non-typical gender roles are portrayed (i.e. the domesticated Harpo) and the dynamism of Mr.______ provides the story with some interesting motifs. Moreover, I like a book such as Beloved where a more matriarchal perspective is employed. This can get students to realize that there have been some very powerful women who continue to lay the foundation for the voices of future women.

Webb, Chap. 6

On one hand, I can see how African-American students, their parents and community members may object to Huckleberry Finn's portrayal of Huck's A.A. friend, Jim, and the use of degrading language. But on the other hand, why should students not be allowed to read and discuss this book when the larger issue of racism is still very apparent in today's society. Webb states that "controversial issues are a part of the learning process" (p. 109), and I wholeheartedly agree. Is it not the truth that the portrayls of slavery and white / black relations present in the novel were very much a part of American history? Sure there may be some exaggerations or use of foul language, but won't students be subjected to these same issues outside of the classroom anyway? And I am aware that many believe that Twain depicted Jim from a white, stereotypical point of view, but what about A.A. authors who have done the same with their A.A. characters, i.e. Walker's construction of Celie in The Color Purple? Although Twain's beliefs about A.A. seem contradictory, doesn't it reflect a deeper sentiment present in America at that time? I guess what I am trying to get at is that even if Twain sent mixed messages about race and the nature of the A.A, he too can be subject to criticism while reading the novel.

Although I can see the novel being taught in high schools without using a New Critical perspective, I am still questioning two big issues raised in the chapter, and I'm not sure the author has resolved them for me. 1) How do you address using the racial ephitet that appears 213 times? and 2) how can you ensure that the A.A. students present do not feel uncomfortable or are looked to as an "expert" when talking about race relations?

Webb, Chap. 2

After reading this chapter, it was clear to me that the issue of homelessness could definitely be integrated into a literature course considering the plethora of novels that address the issue. What is more important is the ambiguity of the causes of homelessness, and as Webb's students began questioning these causes, the issue became particularly relevant to me. Rather than just seeing these people as "lazy" or unfortunate, it was worthwhile to consider social and environmental factors that contributed to their statuses. It was also refreshing to see how students became concerned with how homelessness affected their community and school.

When Webb began discussing New Criticism, I did not initially see the connection he was trying to make. The introduction to the literary theory seemed out of place organizationally, until of course he described how this theory led some students to question the relevance of the homelessness issue. Webb states that his students wanted to learn about characters and other literary elements instead of examining historical and cultural perspectives. These students were like me, thinking that close readings of texts and paying close attention to the language was what reading literature was all about. But again, as I am coming to realize, these students need to be reminded to step out of their comfort zones to examine the bigger factors that come to play in these novels, i.e. cultural, social, and political factors.

I want to very briefly mention a concern that was raised during our last class, one about negative or depressing subjects being at the center of cultural studies. Webb states that "Cultural studies does not confine English classes to merely sober or depressing subjects such as the Holocaust or poverty, as important as these issues are" (p. 26). If not, than what are some more inspiring topics...?

Appleman Chap. 4

"This is a particularly appropriate moment in the history of literacy education to introduce Marxist literary theory into our classrooms" (p. 59). Although I haven't even heard of the Marxist lens until about two weeks ago, I feel that examining political and social issues, especially the issue of class or socioeconomic status, is very important. It seems that nearly every novel has some ties to the issue of class struggle, usually the struggle for power during times of affliction or great prosperity. The catalyst of this struggle is clearly competing ideologies, which is also a part of Marxist criticism. One group or class is always seen as superior/inferior to others, and this is no different in American society today and throughout history. Those who have money have power. It is useful to examine this phenomenon because our students inevitably come from various social classes; Appleman seconds this by stating "As we acknowledge the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of the students who will read and discuss literary texts together, we also might acknowledge the need to consider particular issues of race and class deliberately and thoughtfully" (p. 59). Whenever issues of class are discussed, like the students talking about Hamlet, I feel there may be some resistance by students to talk about their own economic statuses. How do we as teachers avoid students becoming afraid to talk about their social classes, or should this issue of "uncomfortabilty" with one's own social class be directly exploited?

MCTE Fall 2007 Conference Reactions

The fall 2007 conference was my second MCTE conference in three years (attended fall 2005), and each time I attend I walk away with several wonderful, novel teaching strategies and/or ideas to bring into the English language arts classroom. Whether the presentations cover technology in the classroom, peer teaching, writer’s workshop or expanding literacy practices, they all provide teachers and future teachers alike with ways to enrich language arts instruction. Further, and most importantly, these presentations attempt to make reading and writing more meaningful to the students.
The keynote address was given by the incoming president of the NCTE, Kathleen Blake Yancey, and her focus was on “21st Century literacy.” We were asked to define this phrase, and in doing so words such as technology and networking unanimously filled responses. Throughout her address Yancey stressed using a wide-range of technologies, or literacies. Additionally, she emphasized that texts are constantly being enhanced by computers, and we must explicitly show students how to navigate these programs.
Although I garnered many quality ideas from the sessions I attended, her address was the presentation which really hit home for me. Due to computers and the internet, there has never been a time in history where so much information is widely available to the citizenry; thus, students can explore texts in multiple ways. But if they do not know how to access this information, it is useless to them. Any opportunity technology provides to further explore texts or other English language arts topics should be seized by the teacher. Moreover, when students and teachers are networked outside of the classroom (weblogs, myspace, etc) it will inevitably increase performance.
Coinciding directly with the technology theme was the Session B presentation on digital storytelling, given by two Michigan high school teachers from the greater Grand Rapids area. Instead of just writing a story or response, students can have fun (doesn’t this exist anymore!?) using a plethora of multimedia to bring their story to life by incorporating music, narrative and images. The digital story can be as simplistic as a slide show or as advanced as a mini-movie, and it can include the informational, persuasive, or evaluative genres. Usually a project such as the digital story should span approximately a two-week period, where students are given time to learn how to use programs such as Windows Movie Maker or Imovie for the Mac. Not only are the students using technology and other downloadable programs, they are allowed to make critical decisions that enhance their unique story or report. I am a little apprehensive, however, about the copyright issues, but the teachers’ pages on Wikispaces gives several links that discuss what can be taken and what cannot.

Webb Chap. 5

"The way we think about Shakespeare's day has great implications for the way we think about Shakespeare's Plays...developing conceptions of history that connect Shakespeare's time and our own, offer to resuce Shakespeare from an abstract 'greatness'..." (p. 80). It seems that the more and more I read about new historicism--or cultural materialism--the more logical it has become for me as a future teacher to examine the historical, social and cultural contexts in which a literary work either contains or refers to. How could so much of my secondary school literary instruction neglect the historical and cultural lenses? When a historical perspective is broadened or naturally used in conjunction with a cultural studies approach, students simply have more information helping them to make meaning of or attach significance to that particular work. These approaches seem even more logical because many students seem to be intimidated by Shakespeare's use of language. Additionally, since a majority of his plays were written during the 16th Century, it is imperative that students understand what fueled Shakespeare's writings; this can only help clarify students' misconceptions. For example as Webb states, students are often mystified by his "abstract greatness," meaning they often believe Shakespeare is relevant and necessary to study simply because the teacher said so. As the quotation references, much of this 'greatness' comes from Shakespeare's inclusion of his surroundings and references to other significant historical events in his writing; examining them will nevertheless enrich students' explorations of Shakespeare.

Carey-Webb, A. (2001). Literature and Lives: A Response-Based, Cultural Studies Approach to Teaching English. Chap. 1

The genesis of Webb's integration of reader response and cultural studies is the primary focus of chapter 1. He admits he basically stumbled across the idea when he began teaching a unit concerning the Holocaust in his Contemporary World Literature course. Interestingly enough, Webb states that his teaching began to move away from a narrow emphasis on literature to one with broader cultural and historical significances. What I found most helpful, however, from this chapter was the mutualism, per se, that existed between the two literary theories. Webb acknowledges that reader response can be a little ignorant of the text and what literature means when it is the only theory used. Similarly, employing cultural studies alone may tend to lineate student thought. But if cultural studies is used to fuel reader response, I feel as if the benefits could be innumerable for both the teacher and students. Instead of trying to find some character to directly relate to, they are supplemented with a cultural context which extends the text to include film, etc. to base their connections on. When students are asked to examine issues and cultures which are unfamiliar to them, they are inevitably raising their global awareness. Consequently, they are less likely to hold preconceived notions about a particular group of people or things. If we as teachers don't take the time to examine diversity, we are implicitly perpetuating prejudice. For these reasons alone, cultural studies seems like a valid approach.