Literature is an overall important part of the education of a young child; it can determine the outcome of one’s education. Using Canadian authors in our Canadian classrooms gives us a sense of identity and acknowledgment to the success of our own country. Using Canadian literature is also a way to show and share important contemporary issues regarding Canadian youth and children, and also a historical value of Canadian history you may not receive from a text book. Many examples of this history would be internment camps, home children and residential schools.
These great works can enhance our teaching because they are fresh and new. Yes it is always easier to use the works we are comfortable with, for example To kill a Mocking Bird, but there are always new books coming out from Canadian Authors dealing with similar issues that you can use to compare literature, and current and historical events. Much of the contemporary novels being released will deal with newer issues that youth are facing today; issues which were not relevant 50 years ago.
2. What personal response and professional comments can you make about the course materials and what you learned about literature (in class and Moodle)?
Reading Canada from a professional viewpoint was an incredible resource which allowed many different authors and genres to be recognized. The case studies were particularly helpful as they gave ideas for teaching strategies that you personally could build upon or change. The different types of genres were also useful from a professional viewpoint, because many of these genres I would never have known about because I was never deeply invested in those genres or authors.
The assignments helped make reflections on different works and allowed a relationship to be built with literature. Increasing my own awareness of literature and broadening my own perspective into literature will help me become a better instructor to inspire literature in young readers.
Moodle had many great resources, and while I didn’t get the opportunity to see all of it, what I did see I have marked in my google search engine. I enjoyed the websites for Orca publishing and the 49th shelf and also the 25 YA books to read. I have also enjoyed writing my blog about what I have read and may implement something similar into my PS3.
3. What were your experiences of putting together a literature portfolio? How can the pieces in your portfolio apply to your own teaching with your students?
As said before, I believe there is an immense importance for literature. I hope to take the portfolio I have started and build on it with my classes. I hope to inspire them to create their own portfolio and engage themselves in literature. I was able to reflect on moments of my life where literature was the most memorable, and reflect on the great times I had with my Mother and my family. Literature can be individual or it can be shared and I credit my love for literature to those family moments. Writing the blog or doing a book talk was a great way to show your accomplishments for finishing a literary work. For some, finishing a book may be hard to do, so adding the creative aspect (like making a movie) into the end would help them have fun after something so difficult.
4. Final observations/ reflections of 4265: What else did you notice or learn about becoming a teacher, including your reading interest, knowledge, skills and ideas?
I have observed about myself that censoring an issue may relieve the parents worry, but it removes away the context of a story which is relevant and important. Whether that issue is controversial or not, those issues do exist in many YA readers’ lives and they need to have an outlet or something tangible to relate to, even if that tangible thing is a book.
There are many books I am uncomfortable with which I would choose not to read, but I would not stop a young adult reader from reading those books because of my personal bias towards the material or content.
I really enjoyed how someone mentioned that one book is not meant for everyone, but there are books out there meant for someone. This idea could really help students engage in literature because they are allowed to invest in their own desires instead of being forced into one’s desire.