Final Reflection of 7E:123

Wow, it's hard to believe the semester is at an end! Well, this class far exceeded my expectations on a variety of different levels. First off, I really liked how the class was set up. It was a very comfortable, open environment that encouraged everyone to participate in class-wide discussion. I really enjoyed working together in our groups, especially during "The Misfits" book. I thought it was extremely interesting and fun trading our elementary/middle school perspectives of how name calling and stereotyping effected us all on a personal level. Probably the most memorable activity I will take from this class was the day we worked on poetry - and had to read our designated poem out loud to the class. It gave us the opportunity to be goofy, creative, fun, and unique. It's amazing that just changing how we say the poem can alter its tone and the way others around us interpret the poem.

Aside from my in class experiences, I really thought this class as a whole was fantastic - especially for any student going into elementary education. My first presumptions about this class was "Great, what could there really be about children's literature that I have to learn - besides that it is super easy to read?" Reflecting back over the semester it is amazing how many different layers there are to great children's literature. Unlike novels, children's literature can utilize some of the most important tools of all, keeping students visually and physically engaged in their reading. I have seen many books that have pop-out additions, books with different sized fonts, different shapes, colors, types of illustrations, etc. It is amazing at the extent to how great children's authors construct their books. They are much more meticulous and methodical than I ever thought children's authors would be. From every single illustration to every single word, I have come to understand and appreciate children's literature for much more than my old stereotype of it. It is creative, intuitive, funny, and a whole list of other adjectives that I won't waste time listing. Overall, fantasic course. Nothing more need be said.

"Love That Dog" by Sharon Creech

Contrary to my minimal expectations of the story, I actually really enjoyed it. I think that many young kids can relate to Jack considering many young boys share the same perspectives he does about poetry. Jack exclaims that poetry is "Just for girls" and refuses to participate for a while. Finally, his teacher struck a chord with his emotions and Jack became inspired by a male poet to write a poem about his deceased dog. After Jack realizes he enjoys expressing how he feels about his dog, he has a new found perspective regarding poetry. I think this story is great to integrate into a poetry unit in any classroom. It helps break down gender stereotypes/barriers that may hold back other male students from participating, similar to Jack. Although I have taken a variety of Gender + Society classes, it still baffles me where these stereotypes come from. Obviously, the media and other traditional influences tell our society what is expected of each gender. However, I believe there are deeper roots than just the media that these stereotypes have been formed - and that we must look at the origins of "the traditional" American gender roles to start looking for patterns. These gender biases will always exist, but I believe it is our job as educators to help introduce a variety of literature and role models to help break down these stereotypes so all students feel comfortable to participate in any activity.

"Northern Lullaby" by Nancy White Carlstrom

This poem story has a very light-hearted calming tone all throughout the book. As the reader progresses through the book, the author is telling goodnight to all different aspects of nature, such as "mother willow" and "grandpa mountain." Obviously nature is a very large part of this author's life, and she illustrates it in such a way that makes the reader appreciate it with her. Illustrations seem to emphasize shading and realism, as well as uses very soft colors. The author's inspiration for these pictures come from the Alaskan winter environment, as the reader can observe through vast snow and warm winter fires. These soft colors help contribute to the poem's smooth and calming tone. Although there seems to be nothing special about this picture poetry book, I believe it would be a great book to read to a child before they fall asleep.

"Quilt Alphabet" by Lesa Cline-Ransome

This poem picture book would be fantastic for kindergarten students. Each of the two adjacent pages is dedicated to a letter from the alphabet, followed by a large picture of what the poem talks about. For example, on page "D" there is a large picture of dolls, and there is a very short 4 line poem that talks about what the image is. One aspect of the poem book that I thought was interesting was that the author never actually mentions on each page what the designated word actually is. So for letter "D," the author never says the word doll, thus the student is supposed to deduce from the picture and text what word the author is talking about. This can make for a fun activity in the classroom with your students, and can easily keep them engaged and wanting to participate. Obviously since kindergarten students are unable to read very well at this point in school, you would have to read them the poems. But you could ask questions like "So what is this a picture of? What word do you think the author is talking about?" The illustrations are created from watercolors, and attempt to give a somewhat realistic portrayal of what it is trying to convey.

"Come With Me: Poems For a Journey" by Naomi Shihab Nye

In this poem picture story, each of the two adjacent pages are dedicated to a short poem along with collage-based illustrations that are rather colorful. Each of the two pages' poems talk about random topics that little children participate in all the time, such as observing others, being physically active, telling/keeping secrets, etc. When I read these poems, I compare them to the little motivational quotes that are seen on posters and in other forms of literature. Honestly, I did not really care for this poem book - all of the poems were arbitrary and there was no consistent subject/topic.

"How We Are Smart" by W. Nikola Lisa

This is a poem book that has eight different poems that talk about different influential historical figures that all have different skill sets they excel at. One page is separated into the poem of the famous figure, and the other side of the page is a water-color based illustration of the person. One aspect of the story that I really liked was that right below the person's poem on each page, it gave a mini biography about the famous person. This is beneficial to students who are not knowledgeable regarding the famous person - in that they are able to read and gain background information about this famous person. Each poem talks about how these different historical figures are unique and skilled, and at the end of each poem it asks "Are you smart like _______?" I thought this is a great poem compilation for young children because it shows that even though everyone has their own personal things that they excel at. So if a student is not good at something like reading very well, maybe they excel at art. Thus, this book helps open up new role models for a variety of students with different skill sets.

"Harlem" by Walter Dean Myeres

"Harlem" has a relatively relaxing tone for a poem picture book. It talks about everything that Harlem had to offer for many of the diverse people that inhabited it. Throughout the poem, the author talks about the different things to do, people, places, etc. of Harlem, and how they were special to the town. The illustrator uses a variety of creative illustrative techniques such as ink and collage to construct the world he is trying to convey. Each illustration has rigid sides, so it is fairly obvious to tell that they are all constructed from different magazines, newspapers, etc. I think a book like this would be beneficial to students learning about diversity - and how different American towns across the country play a role in making American the ever changing melting pot it is today.