TE 448 Reflection

Taking the course Issues of Diversity in Children's and Adolescent Literature has really opened my eyes to issues of diversity that will be important to consider when thinking about what types of literature to include in my future classroom. While I feel I have always been aware of the importance of including a wide range of diverse texts in the classroom, this class has made me more confident in my descisions about being able to judge which books are positive representations of diversity, and which ones reinforce negative stereotypes or reflect different underrepresented groups in a negative way. After reading the articles assigned in class I have developed a greater awareness and appreciation for the importance of including diverse literature into the curriculum and finding a place for it in the classroom. It is important for all children to feel like they are represented. Children should be able to find a text that has characters like them so that they do not feel like they are alone, and can see that other people have struggles similar to their own. It is also important for students to have positive representations of others that are different from them. By inlcuding texts into the curriculum that represent a variety of different cultures and backgrounds, students may be more willing to accept others that are different from them and come to see their similarities. Diverse literature can work as both a mirror and a window when it comes to children's acceptance of diversity. I am more aware now of the power that the images presented to children have on their forming beliefs about people who are different from them, and it is important to counter act the negative images by providing them with positive examples. After reading several books focusing on different issues of diversity and coming up with questions regarding their representation of a particular underrepresented group, I feel that I have gained important insight that will help me judge the quality of other books that may appear in my classroom. It is an important role of the teacher to provide students with literature that will help them form opinions that lead to acceptance and understanding, and remove texts that reinforce negative stereotypes. TE 448 was a positive experience for me, and the knowledge that I gained will be very beneficial to me when choosing which books to include as a future teacher in my classroom.

Final Project Reflection

I chose to do my final project on children’s literature that focuses on characters with developmental disabilities. This topic is especially important to me because my mother is a special education teacher, and as a future teacher I will also have many students with special needs in my classroom. From doing this project I was able to see how children with developmental disabilities are represented in literature. All three books that I used in my final project feature characters that are portrayed as being “different” from their siblings or peers. While all the books focused on developmental issues that are somewhat different, including autism and Down syndrome, the messages that each book presented were very similar.

The main focus of the books was not on the developmental disability itself, or how these people are different, but how important it is to accept people for who they are, recognizing their similarities and seeing the good in their differences. Some of the books, such as “Ian’s Walk” and “My Brother Sammy,” begin by pointing out these characters differences in order to express the frustration that some people, such as siblings, may encounter when forming relationships with people who have special needs. The struggle of others to come to understand and accept their peers with developmental disabilities is a common theme throughout all the texts. By the end of the book, however, the message is clear that it is important to try and understand the differences and accept that person for who they are. Many times throughout the texts other characters struggle to accept that a person with developmental disabilities may not do things the way everyone else does. These characters sometimes express feelings of frustration and embarrassment with these character’s actions. These are realistic feelings that one might have when accepting someone with developmental disabilities into their life, but once those people are able to accept others differences and try to see things from their perspective, they see the benefit of having that person in their life. In “Ian’s Walk” and “My Brother Sammy,” siblings come to accept each other for their differences and realize how much they care about having that person in their life. In “Me and Rupert Goody,” Jennalee comes to realize the special influence that an outsider, Rupert, has had on her life and the life of her Uncle Beau. Each book sends a positive message of understanding and acceptance.

Trying to find children’s books that include characters with developmental disabilities was somewhat difficult. I wanted to find books that included positive representations of characters with these disabilities and in my search I found out about the Dolly Gray Award. This award is given to authors and illustrators that positively portray characters with developmental disabilities. Each of the books I chose to read had received this award, and even still I was unable to find many of them at the local library. I finally was able to find the three I reviewed at the library in my home town. The fact that it was so difficult to find books that included characters with developmental disabilities, even award winners, opened my eyes even further to the importance of including diverse literature in the classroom. Every student deserves to be represented in the classroom, especially when they are a part of a group that is commonly over looked. Whether students with developmental disabilities are present in the classroom or not, it is always important to relay messages of understanding and acceptance of all people.

Critical Review

Bousquin, Marilyn. "Ian's Walk: A Story About Autism." The Horn Book Magazine 74.n3 (May-June 1998): 334(1).

After reading a few children’s books that include characters with developmental disabilities and reviewing their quality as pieces of diverse literature, I wanted to see how other important resources viewed the books. I found one review of “Ian’s Walk” to be very insightful. Marilyn Bousquin of The Horn Book Magazine explained that while the book is not directly about autism, it describes the relationship between Ian, and autistic boy, and his older sister, Julia. Bousquin gives a description of how Julie accounts for her brother’s actions by explaining in a “sensitive yet short-fused voice” how Ian does things “differently.” This term could be offensive to others who do not like to portray people with developmental disabilities as “different.” She also states that the author never explains what autism is beyond “Ian’s brain doesn’t work like other people’s.” This is an important fact for someone who is looking for a book that would help explain specific facts about autism to others. Bousquin provides the reader of her review with examples from the books text that allows the reader to see how autism and people with autism are presented in the book. She also gives a helpful description of the style of the illustrations and the meaning behind their presentation, explaining that “Low-key watercolor illustrations casually offset Ian’s idiosyncrasies with Julie’s frustration and impatience; the pictures appear as spontaneous and unselfconscious as a snapshot in a family album.” After reading the book, “Ian’s Walk,” and the review published in The Horn Book Magazine, I feel that the review gave a thoughtful explanation of how the book presented issues of autism, while providing helpful criticism that would allow people to decide if this book could be useful to them in their search for quality books on this topic.

The Horn Book Magazine provides many helpful reviews of children's books. More information can be found at www.hbook.com