Teaching Multicultural Literature and Discussion Forums

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Teaching Multicultural Literature and Discussion
Forums

• TLWYA Inquiry Project
• Alston Davis

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Inquiry Question

• What is the benefit of reading Multicultural text
  in the classroom and using a discussion forum?

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Outcomes-Based Education Matrix

• Matrix

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Integration

• Wolsey (2004) states, Discussion online provides
  an effective means of literary exploration.
  Through discussion groups, students are allowed
  time to think about their responses to literature
  and to the comments of other students in the
  group.

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Integration

• Face-to face discussions in class may fail
  because Students may not be prepared for
  assigned roles or readings Students may rely
  too heavily on the discussion role sheets
  (perhaps because they are doing what they think
  the teacher wants) Students may not be engaged
  with the discussion process Appropriate
  modeling of discussion skills may not have
  occurred The curriculum is crowded, so
  discussion becomes rushed and fragmented
  (Grisham Wolsey, 2002).

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Integration

• Wolsey (2002) adds that with discussion boards,
  The immediate advantage is that the teacher can
  participate in every group because the online
  discussion is not occurring in real time.
  Students are free to explore the literature,
  their peers responses, and their own experiences
  as they contribute to the discussion.Leftwich
  (2002) states, The use of culturally diverse
  childrens literature in the classroom can
  enhance students learning and teachers
  instruction. Reader Response Theory

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Technology Competencies

• I used Rubistar for my Learning Outcomes Matrix
• Quick Topic

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Implementation

• 8 fifth grade students from last year
• 3 boys, 5 girls
• They read _Number the Stars_
• Answered questions on Quick Topic
• After they read, answered questions on an
  Inspection of Assignment sheet

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Implementation

• Danish Jews
• Student Rubric

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Question 1

• What do you think about people from different
  cultures? Do you know anyone that has had a
  difficult time in school or outside of school
  because of their background or how they look?

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Answers

• Chessfreak I think that people from different
  cultures shouldn't be treated badly by how they
  look.I know someone who is from a different
  culture... me! I'm from South Korea(my parents
  were born there in Asia)but I'm born from Texas.
  Everyday, well, almost, I get teased around by a
  lot of kids in school. I would ignore them or
  tell the teacher. I get teased by my looks like
  my eyes, language, and my flat nose. Here are
  many examples people thuoght of me... people call
  me Chinese Girl, Little Japanese, and Kwinechiwa
  (hello in Japanese). It gets me inoyed a lot when
  people call me that. People would call me flat
  nose, weird eyes and lots more. Sure this name
  calling stuff is inoying but somehow I get used
  to it. It happens like now and then. I just wish
  I looked like a true american so people will stop
  calling me names, but that won't change. That's
  just a little wish but I don't need it because I
  know I'm still an american no matter what people
  call me because I know I'm still born from Texas
  and you can't change that. About Seven or six
  years I have been teased but my friends don't
  tease me because we know each other very well.
  It's just like don't judge a book from it's
  cover. A book is just like a person so don't
  judge a person by their looks you first have to
  know them. I have a lot of frienfds because they
  are nice to me and I'm to them. I don't care how
  they look I just care about the inside of them.
  If anyone clls me a name, how would they feel
  like if they were called that. I know I would
  feel sad because I have experenced it. I'm still
  an american and your an ameriacan so don't judge
  me unless it's something nice.ToolbarsManiac123
  I don't know anybody that has troble getting
  along because of their culture.Hockeyman123 I
  only know a few people from different cultures
  that were my friends.One of them lived rightup
  the street from me.They pick on her and call her
  Chinese.Her name is,Lisa.She can be really nice
  and really mean.

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Answers Continued

• Dancergirl I think people from a diffrent
  culture should not be picked on just because they
  are diffrent or look diffrent. I think you can
  learn alot from people that are from a diffrent
  culture because they do and think diffrently.
  Yes, I know someone that comes from a diffrent
  culture, her name is Lisa and she is from Korea.
  People somtimes pick on her and think she is
  chinese. But it doesn't matter how you look, it
  matters what kind of person you are
  inside.Sockface123 I think that different
  cultures are like different books. they all have
  diferent covers, fonts and stories. They think
  differently and alike. Some are rivals and some
  are allies. Whatever the country or culture they
  are all different and alike in their own way.
  A.K.A DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S
  COVER!!!!SOCKFACE123 OVER AND OUTGymnast247
  People from different cultures should be treated
  like the same as other cultured people are. I
  know a friend she is from Korea and born in Texas
  , she has trouble in school , people pick on her
  and call her names beacuse she looks diffrent ,
  that is sad. ( Also my dad works with jews and
  he respects them even though they do not get some
  holidays off he still respects them. you should
  respect people!!!!!!!!
• Already I notice a difference in responses
  compared to last year.

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Question 2

• Describe Annemarie and Ellen's relationship.
  Explain how you would feel if you were forced to
  hide or escape from people who think you are
  different.Dancergirl Annemarie and Ellen's
  friendship is very strong even though Ellen is
  jewish. Annemarie and her family have helped
  Ellen and her faimly from getting captured
  because they were Jews. Annemarie and her family
  were taking a huge risk and could be killed even
  though they were not Jewish, but they were
  helping one escape.I can imagine how hard and
  terrifying it would be to be in hiding from
  people that want to capture and kill you like
  Ellen and her family did. It would be very
  frightening and my family and I would probably
  not stay in one place because people would be
  looking for us.Sockface123 I think that
  annmarie and ellen have a very strong
  relationship as in they stand up for each otherI
  would be terriffied if Ihad to hide from people
  that wanted to kill me gulp because I was
  different. that would be very scary.SOCKFACE123
  OVER AND OUT

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Question 3

• Describe your feelings toward the book about the
  theme of war and any thoughts you have up to
  Chapter 5. How would you feel if you were
  Annemarie, Ellen, or Peter?Hockeyman123 If I
  were Ellen I would be really scared because my
  parents are getting relocated in Sweeden and the
  killing the Jews in Germany.If I were Annemarie I
  wouldn't be to scared because I am Danish and I
  wouldn't get harmed.If I were Peter I would not
  be scared at all.This is the student that
  thought the topic of war and what the Jewish
  people went through was funny in the beginning.

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Question 4

• From the point of view of Annemarie, describe how
  you felt when you had to deliver the package to
  the boat.Horseygirl i WOULD BE SCARED BUT I
  WOULD FINISH MY TASK. I WOULD NOT LET ANYONE
  DOWNToolbarManiac123 I would have been very
  scared if I were Annemarie. It would have been
  interesting,though,to be on official adult
  business. But you would run the chance of having
  a soldier kill you.

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Question 5

• Has this book changed how you feel about people
  from different cultures? Explain why or why
  not.Dancergirl After reading Number the stars
  I felt more of what Jews were going though back
  then. So the book sort of changed how I feel
  about people from diffrent cultures, some of them
  are treated badly because how they look or do
  things, and by reading this book I feel sad for
  them.(Horseygirl This book has changed the
  way that i feel because it showed me that just
  because they are from diffrent cultures and they
  just look diffrent dosent mean they are and that
  is a bad thig if you dont know that.They probley
  speak diffrent. people from diffrent cultures are
  still nice.Sockface123 I thought that it was a
  bad book before I read it but now I think that it
  is an ok book. It made me think about war and how
  terrible war is. It also showed me that different
  is not bad.Hockeyman123 Sometimes they can
  change my feelings if they are really strong.For
  instance Number the Stars really changed my
  feelings about danish people.That book was
  really,really good but I think it needs more
  detail and action about the war and Sweeden.

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Results

• Students were engaged and responded to the
  questions quickly because Quick Topic was a new
  tool.
• Students consistently said that they do not
  think it is right to pick on people who are
  different from you.

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Results Continued

• They saw how hard it was for Jewish people during
  WWII.
• The students got the point about Annemarie
  having to take on an adult role because of the
  circumstances of war.
• The students saw what it was like to be judged.

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Inspection Sheet Results

• 1. What did you like about answering questions
  from _Number the Stars_ on the message
  board?Dancergirl That you dont have to get a
  contract, you can just answer questions on the
  computer. Also it is fun.ToolbarManiac123 I
  liked being able to see other peoples answers
  and build off them.Hockeyman123 It is more fun
  that writing it down on paper.Horseygirl It was
  very exciting and it was much funner than the
  contracts but we could not always
  question.Sockface123 That I got to get a cool
  name and I felt satisfied when I got a lot
  done.Girl Geo I liked when I got to type my
  opinions on the message board.Chessfreak I
  liked the message board because you got to choose
  your own secret name and you dont have to write
  because you might have messy writing.Gymnast247
  Because it was different than writing a paper.
  Writing on paper gets boring after a while.

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Question 2

• 2. What did you dislike about answering
  questions from _Number the Stars_ on the message
  board?Dancergirl Nothing, I loved
  it.ToolbarManiac123 I disliked that sometimes
  there were not enough computers for me to get
  on.Hockeyman123 I didnt dislike
  anything.Horseygirl I did not like that if you
  dont have a computer you cannot do it at
  home.Sockface123 I didnt dislike it.Girl Geo
  I disliked that when you typed you saw your
  message on the main screen.Chessfreak I dislike
  that I wrote the most of anyone in the
  group!!Gymnast247 People could see your
  answers, copying, picking on what you wrote.

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Question 3

• 3. Did you learn anything new about yourself and
  your reactions toward people from a different
  culture?Dancergirl YesToolbarManiac123
  YesHockeyman123 YesHorseygirl I learned that
  people should not be treated different.Sockface12
  3 I dont knowGirl Geo Yes, everyone should be
  treated equalChessfreak No, because I am from a
  different culture than everyone elseGymnast247
  Yes

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Question 4

• 4. If you had read this book last year would you
  have the same reaction to the story?Dancergirl
  Yes, because I loved it, and if I read it again I
  would still love it!!ToolbarManiac123
  NoHockeyman NoHorseygirl YesSockface123
  Probably notGirl Geo SameChessfreak
  NoGymnast247 I dont know if I would have
  understood everything, so no I guess.

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Results

• The students enjoyed the discussion board better
  than contracts. This book is going to be so
  much better because we dont have to write
  anything! Hockeyman123
• If you had read this book last year, would you
  have the same reaction to the story?
• 2 students-YES (2 girls) not changed from last
  year
• 5 students-NO (2 girls, 3 boys) changed from last
  year
• 1 student-SAME (1 girl) same as last year

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Drivers and Restrainers

• Students stayed on task and were motivated
• Enjoyed learning something new about Jewish
  culture
• Attitudes changed-mainly boys

• Not enough representation of student thoughts on
  multicultural literature
• Needed to be reminded of rubric
• Student responses and screen names

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Reflections

• Students gained maturity from last year.
• Students enjoyed discussion board but would use a
  threaded discussion board next time.
• Would have used choices of literature instead of
  one book.
• Discuss student rubric in depth.
• Explain they can respond to and create new
  topics.

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References

• Gorski, Paul and Covert, Bob (1995-2005).
  Defining Multicultural Education. Retrieved
  February 22, 2005 from http//classiclit.about.com
  Leftwich, S. (2002, September). Learning to use
  diverse children's literature in the classroom A
  model for preservice teacher education. Retrieved
  February 22, 2005 from http//www.readingonline.or
  gWallace, Deborah A. (July 1998). Teaching
  Multiculturalism Focus on People. Retrieved
  February 22, 2005 from http//www.readingonline.or
  gWarlick, D. (2002). Raw materials for the
  mind. 3rd ed. Raleigh, NC The Landmark
  Project.Wolsey, T.D. (2004, January/February).
  Literature discussion in cyberspace Young
  adolescents using threaded discussion groups to
  talk about books. Reading Online, 7(4). Retrieved
  February 22, 2005, from www.readingonline.org