House on Mango Street

Though this book had many themes and ideas to share to the reader, I found it a boring read and hard to keep focus on trying to get to the end of the book. I would consider using this book in my classroom to discuss the different themes found in it. But, I think that I would make the judgement whether to keep using the book or not after listening to my students thoughts on the book. If the students like to book and think that it was an easy read, then I would decide to keep it in the classroom. But, if students should have found it boring and hard to make it through to the end of the book, then I would consider trying to find another book that would be more suitable for my students to like and be able to read. I get the importance of one finding their own culture, I got no problem with that. As for me, I don't really care or consider culture and never really found it important, my own culture too (whatever that may be). To me, a lot of people make a big deal about their culture when I don't really care about it. Good, you care about your own culture, what does it have to do with me and why do I care what culture you want to be a part of? It's your own choice to pick what culture you want to be a part of, not me. So, why make a big deal what culture you are in front of me, because to me, you are the same as me. Living, breathing, you bleed and you die; you're human and that is all I could really care about.

Final Prject

I had chose the book "Always Running." The grade level for this book would most likely be for 9th-12th graders.

Overview:
For this unit, I would try to focus on the theme of adolescence. Rodriguez, the teenager of this story joined a gang and the book is about his growing-up experience while he was a gang member. During our readings I would occasionally as a class to go over any kinds of passages that would relate to our theme adolescence. I think that first as a class that we would look at the author's background to get the students to understand that we are reading his life, but like all books and movies on people, some things can be a little over exagerated and made-up. The students need to know that what may happened to the author may not be 100% correct, but it still is his story and we may still be able to relate our growing-up experiences based on what he wrote. As for passages that can relate to adolescence, we will be looking through the House on Mango Street to try and find any stories that can be related to adolescence. There will be quizzes and homework assignments based on the reading, and they will be given to the students after reaching a certain chapter. As for the final project, the students will write about their own growing-up experience that they have experienced and whether or not they can relate that experience with other students and any character from the book.

Objective:
Given the book that the class will be reading, the students will be able to understand and compare their adolescent experiences with Rodriguez, within the next couple of weeks.

Material Needed: Pen, Pencil, Journal, Overhead Projector (more to possibly follow).

Launch: 10-15 minutes
Students will be writing in their journals for the objective question on the overhead today, "What is adolescence? Can you relate your growing-up experience with Rodriguez? If not Rodriguez, then any other character in the book? If not, then how was your growing-up experience different compared to what you have read in the book.

Instruction: 45-50 minutes
Now that students have finished writing in their journals, they will be partnered up with other students and they will relate their growing-up experience with the other student, and the other student will do the same, therefore they will see if they have something in common, or how they are different from one another. The students will then collaborate ideas about the book that they have read and find and write other book characters growing-up experience and how it that character is different compared to Rodriguez. The student groups will also be required to come up with any other themes that they see in the book. Once each group is done, we'll come back together as a class and compared and contrast what each group found during their research.

Closer: 5 minutes.
Briefly discuss about the themes, and information that each group found and give a little feedback to the students how some of them met other students with similar growing-up experiences, along with Rodriguez, or another character from the book.

Homework: Finish researching about their growing-up experience with Rodriguez, or another other character, and find any more themes and ideas from the book.

Rubric (Assessment):
Journal entry on growing-up experiences- 25 points

Compared ideas with other student, on paper in their journals- 25 points

Possible themes and other characters growing-up experiences in the journal- 25 points

Participation in class discussion- 15 points

Grammar & Spelling- 10 points

Heritage Blog

I don't see the importance of literature books relating to my culture or heritage. All I care about if it is a good read. That can be either action, adventure, comedy, or etc. As long as I am entertained by the book. Also, I don't think that I have ever read any book that was related to my culture or heritage.
As for how I can connect to the Hispanic kids, if they were born in America, then they are like me; an American. I don't really think that people are African, Japanese, or Hispanic American if they were born here in America. If someone was born here in America, then they are American to me, its their choice to take those titles or not. I like Taco Bell, but I don't think that relates me to Hispanics much, or at all. People sometimes celebrate death, I don't really much care for it. To me, if you die, you die. I don't really consider that I have a culture and as for heritage, I'm related to those by my blood.

Preparing Culturally Responsive Teachers

I'm a history major and I like world history because that subject teaches me the history of different countries, their culture, religion, lifestyles, and etc. So, of course I'm all for teaching students different cultures that are in the world. But, thats a history course, I don't really see how reading literature books helps students better understand different cultures. That can go for both history and an english course. There are some students that are willing to learn about and understand different cultures, but there are some students that just really care about other cultures than their own. I don't really believe in the fact that justreading cultural literature books helps change people's views on different cultures because that doesn't happen to most people. It's like religion, you can;t always change everybodies opinions on different cultures or how they think. As for the article in which it tries to get us to think that we need to expose them to different cultural contexts and etc., take a world history class, because thats what its used for. I can't really see how bringing in cultural books into English helps because in all my past English classes, it was about how to wrtie a paper, the do's and don'ts on writing papers, how to fix them, and how to read. I don't think you're going to get much students to come to understand different cultures in a English class because most students just read the book and tell you how it ended and what theme the book explored. If you want students to better understand cultural context, have the students take a Cultural studies course, or world history course.

Final Project Book

I have not been able to find a final project book due to my busy schedule, but when I have the freetime I'll try to post something about whichever book I choose.

Discussion Panel

In class on Tuesday, we had a guest speaker come into the class and he told all of us different strategies thatwe could use to deal with hispanic students in schools. He told all of us that we can go to a website called SIOP that will help us find different strategies that we can use on the ESL students in schools.

Writing Prompt: In Class Blog

You're growing up kid, get over it. Because sooner or later, you will get over this situation. Don't give a crap what others do or say. Do what you want to do.

Hispanic Research

After tuesdays lecture, we were given a percentage rate of students with hispanic backgrounds that dropout of schools. Reasons for this is possibly because of low-income families, family responsibilities, or etc. Also, the attendance of hispanics in Detroit area is high, but the graduation rate is extremely low. I got to ask though, how is bringing in hispanic literature going to help students with hispanic backgrounds stay in school, let alone get better grades in an English Lit. class? I don't really see how lit. books get students better grades, from the statistics that I read, it seem that there is more outside influence that has students droping out, or not going to college. Maybe we should be focusing on how to counteract those outside influences and keeping students in schools, and actually graduate from school.

Expanding the Circle

Good article that really explains in-depth about how the curriculum in the schools can be negative for some students, and how the teachers aren't being blamed. I don't think that students of other cultures should be left behind while the other cultural students are flying by with passing grades. Its our jobs to make sure that all students are passing the classes and etc. You can think about some literature books that might be useful in teaching, learning and helping students with different cultural backgrounds. You can try to find an use hispanic, native, japanese, or etc. to better teach culture in classes, and have a better connection with you cultural students. All you really need t do as a teacher is open you mind and actually use you brain and think 'what could help?' Give it a try, you might surprise yourself. And if you can't think with you brain, then ask others; no shame in asking others. And if you can't do that then why are you wasting your time trying to be a teacher, get out of here and think.

Hispanic Experience

Have I ever really had an hispanic experience where I have actually interacted with someone with a different culture? I would say no, here in Kalamazoo, or at my home town in Lapeer. We had people with families that looked hispanic, but they never talked with a accent, in a different langauge, eat tacos (just kinding), or anything that linked them to a different culture. And if others of different cultures did, in Lapeer they were one of us (meaning we don't see any differences between culture. In Lapeer, they were one of us, a person, family, talks, eats, sleeps, and etc. The only difference we saw, or acknowledged in Lapeer was class rank, political, geek, jock, cheerleader, the girl people never wanted to call again (just joking, lol...or am I), and etc. Taco Bell sure as heck aint a hispanic place, or Que Dobas that I've been to. They're white as heck in there. If you guys know of any hispanic places that actually have a an actual hispanic culture, then please let me know and I go there t see myself.

Culturally Diverse Classroom

Hey, what ya know good? I got to say that this is a pretty good guidebook that I think teachers really need to read when they are struggling with handling and teaching ESL Students. I think that a teacher really needs to get involved and not push away their ESL students because thats kind of the wrong thing to do. Teachers aren't suppose to ignore students just because the teacher can't stand the student. Its our job to help all of the students in our classrooms, even if that means helping out the annoying students that disturb the classroom. If a teacher is having problems communicating with any ESL student, get someone who can help you communicate better between you, the teacher, and the ESL student. If you need an interpretor then ask the principal to allow you to bring an interpretor who can definitly help teacher have better communication with their ESL teachers. If you can't get an interpretor, then learn the students language then. We live in a country with more Hispanics in this country than any other culture with a different language. Learn the language if you need better communication between you and your ESL student. If you don't want to learn the how to have a better communication and understanding with your ESL students then don't become a teacher (and if you already are, quit then and quit wasting time in the classroom then.) Do ESL students need full attention in the classroom, its impossible because you need to help all the students in your classroom. But, you should take the time to get to know your students, ESL students included. I don't think that ESL students need full-time support because they feel segregated in schools, because there are other students, white, black, asian, native, indian, and etc. that feel segregated in schools. I know because I use to be one of those segregated students in school, and there were other students just like me. I just wish that teachers took an interest in us back in school and not toss us away like trash when we had problems with homework, school and other students, sports and etc. You, the teacher, can't just focus on hispanic students, you need to focus on all students of ever color. I know that this is a blog about hispanic, but I felt like I should just say something. Overall, great guidebook that can really help teachers think of ways to have better understadings and communication between them, the teacher, and their students.