Personal Philosophy

This class connects to my professional goals in many ways. Being a teacher I will run into many children coming from different ethnicities and backgrounds. It is important for me to have diverse literature in my classroom and know what books are good representations of each culture. Not every book is going to be perfect, I know, but there are definitely some that are better than others. I can use information from this class to evaluate literature. I am also more aware of certain things in books and am able to pick up on certain stereotypes and assumptions that may be put in books whereas before this class I was not able to do so as well.
Issues of diversity play a large role in literacy teaching and learning. They are almost always incorporated in children’s reading in one way or another. I think it is important for children to learn about diverse issues and be able to read and write about them logically.
My personal philosophy about multicultural education is that we all must work together to form a learning environment which suits the needs of all children, knowing that they all come from many different backgrounds. Children’s literature fits into this philosophy in that while teaching I will have to find books and do assignments which cover a wide array of cultures. This is probably not something that will be required of me, but something I think is very important in an elementary classroom. Children should learn about those who are different and be informed of other cultures. This helps in schools when children wonder why someone looks or acts different than they do. Many times children do or do not celebrate certain holidays, and others will wonder why or why not. If I covered some of this information in my teaching there would not be open-ended questions put up by students and they would have a clear understanding of those who are different from themselves.
Some concerns I have with this philosophy is students asking me why it is important we learn about other people. Some students many not be willing to learn about other cultures because it does not directly affect them. I also see this as a challenge, in trying to get them to pay attention and really care about what we are discussing in class. I think it is very important to open young children up to diverse issues and get them thinking about it at an early age. If children begin thinking about diversity they will be more open to issues surrounding it. I truly think if I were opened up to certain issues when I was younger I would have a much stronger opinion on them and be more understanding to certain topics.

Al Capone Does My Shirts

Al Capone Does My Shirts was by far the best book I have read thus far. It was an easy read, but at the same time a book that was hard to put down. The very first page of the book caught my attention and I wanted to keep reading. The way it was written was very interesting and I enjoyed how the book dealt with many different issues. I do think the main focus of the book was on autism; however it seemed as if it may have been on Al Capone, hence the title. Before I began reading I have no idea what the book was going to be about. I thought something with Al Capone, but then wondered how this would fit into our class and be about diversity. Even as I started reading I felt there was a focus on Al Capone and was still a bit confused. Even as Moose talked about his sister I was confused, it didn’t hit me until a couple chapters in what was going on and how this book fit in with our class.
I definitely think this was a very cleaver way to write the book. I think if the book was written strictly on autism younger children would lose interest and could be a little confused themselves. Having the extra information and real life situations helps students relate to the book and then begin to enjoy it and understand what is going on. I still feel students may be a bit confused as to what is “wrong” with Natalie and why she stays ten years old and why she does things a little differently than the other kids.
I also feel this book could help students who live with or know an autistic child or adult. It could help them see that Moose and his family had to work around Natalie’s disability, but were still able to live a good life and have friends and fun. At times it was hard, but it is like that in really any family. Everyone lives with some type of situation that may change their lives in some way or another. This book places an emphasis on autism, but not too strong of one. I think this is a great way to write a children’s book. It almost makes autism seem like its not that big of a deal and that even if you are or know someone who is living with it, the day will go on and things will all work out for the best. There was a lot going on in the book, but not too much to where a child could get overwhelmed with all of the issues of the book.

Chief Illiniwek

Before watching the movie on Chief Illiniwek I never realized how it could be offensive to those who are Native American. I am from Norton Shores, which is right inside Muskegon. Muskegon High Schools mascot is the Big Reds, referring to Native Americans. The Big Reds are a very good football team and bring in many fans and spectators from all around. Never before have I heard of or seen anyone upset with the mascot or thought it offensive. This I am sure is because the percentage of Native Americans is very low in that area.

The Big Reds as far as I know haven’t had many problems with their mascot; however they did retire the Indian boy dance and logos. I think this was a very respectable thing to do. I don’t think mascots are put out there to be offensive or mock a certain culture. They are more for fun and help get the crowd involved in the game.

After watching the movie I do realize how this could offend some especially having the mascot be for a large university such as Illinois, which gets a lot of press. I was impressed with how hard the woman in the movie worked to get things changed. She really felt strongly about the issue and was determined to do something about it.