LANGUAGE ARTS-NEW MEXICO

Poetry is Back

The poet Elizabeth Alexander will be reading at the Obama inauguration.  From the Washington Post:

Inaugural Poet Selected: Elizabeth Alexander

After a hiatus of more than a decade, poetry is returning to the inauguration of the American president.

The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies announced today that Elizabeth Alexander, a prize-winning poet at Yale University who grew up in Washington, will read at the swearing in next month of President-elect Barack Obama.

Elizabeth Alexander. (Courtesy photo.)

It is the first time that “poetry’s old-fashioned praise,” as Robert Frost called it, will be featured at the ceremony since Bill Clinton's second swearing in back in 1997.

More here.

Nelson Mandela's Biography or Shakespeare

From the BBC:

Many lie over books 'to impress'

Nearly half of all men and one-third of women have lied about what they have read to try to impress friends or potential partners, a survey suggests.

Men were most likely to do this to appear intellectual or romantic, found the poll of 1,500 people by Populus for the National Year of Reading campaign.

The men polled said they would be most impressed by women who read news websites, Shakespeare or song lyrics.

Women said men should have read Nelson Mandela's biography or Shakespeare.

Among the 1,500 who took part in the research were 864 teenagers.

About four in 10 of the 1,500 said they had lied about what they had read to impress friends or potential partners - 46% of men and 33% of women.

Among teenagers, the figure rose to 74%, with most saying they would pretend to have read social networking pages or song lyrics.

Read the rest here.

Opening Night

Here's a great article about Valencia High School drama teacher Ignazio Sanchez and the recent production of "A Christmas Carol" his students' staged in Los Lunas.  In a more just world, high school theater would always get this much coverage:

Impressive stage, great costumes mark Valencia High production of Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'

Julia M. Dendinger News-Bulletin Staff Writer; jdendinger@news-bulletin.com

The drama classroom at Valencia High School is abuzz with activity and the controlled chaos that marks the final week before the opening night of a major production.

On Saturday afternoon, several dozen VHS students and community volunteers gathered at the school for a dress rehearsal of Charles Dicken's "A Christmas Carol."

Cast members pull together costumes in various stages of readiness. There are capes with straight pins in the hem and dresses in need of finishing. Cratchit kids pair period shirts and vests with modern day track pants.

Drama teacher and theater director Ignacio Sanchez deftly instructs cast members and crews on what is still left to be done. "It's always like this — it all looks like chaos and then, when the curtain goes up, it all comes together," he says with a nervous laugh.

More here.

Celebrate Milton's Birthday

Today is the 400th anniversary of John Milton's birthday.  Read about him in Newsweek, consider the question "Milton vs. Shakespeare," or listen to the faculty of Cambridge University read all of Paradise Lost (twelve hours worth).   

Nobel Literature Laureate Le Clezio ("who now lives mainly in New Mexico") Speaks

From The Guardian:

The 2008 Nobel laureate JMG le Clézio looked to the wider world in his Nobel lecture last night, warning of the dangers of information poverty and calling for publishers to increase their efforts to put books in the hands of people around the world.

Speaking at the Swedish Academy, the 68-year-old French writer defended globalisation and hailed the internet's ability to "forestall conflicts", suggesting the web could even, perhaps, have put a stop to Hitler, through "ridicule".

But the novelist, who has travelled widely in Thailand, Mexico, Panama, Africa and South America and now lives mainly in New Mexico, poured scorn on the idea that the internet could transform the lives of people around the world on its own.

"To provide nearly everyone on the planet with a liquid crystal display is utopian," he said. "Are we not, therefore, in the process of creating a new elite, of drawing a new line to divide the world between those who have access to communication and knowledge, and those who are left out?"

For Le Clézio, the book, despite its old-fashioned appearance, remains the best tool for disseminating information to the furthest corners of the planet.

"It is practical, easy to handle, economical," he said. "It does not require any particular technological prowess, and keeps well in any climate."

Read the rest here.

Small Schools

The think tank Think New Mexico is pushing for smaller high schools.  It's an idea that's hard to disagree with--there isn't much to recommend huge schools where students (and teachers) feel like cogs in a machine.  But the problem with school reform these days is that everyone has an idea to sell--small schools, charter schools, requiring algebra in the 8th grade, you name it.  Wouldn't it be interesting if the teachers in the schools and districts that were supposed to change actually got to design the changes?  You can find a summary of Think New Mexico's Small Schools report here.  (It looks as though you have to pay for the full report.)

Governor Richardson's Education Priorities for 2009

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson--soon to be U.S. Secretary of Commerce--recently announced his education plans for the upcoming legislative session.  Most of the proposed changes have to do with tying budget allocations to district-developed accountability plans.  How this will impact English language arts teachers is unclear.  Also included in the plan is a measure to require teacher in-service professional development to be held "outside of the instructional day."  While that might not seem like a change, Richardson is proposing that students be in school a full 180 days.  This could mean additional days added to the contract year for some teachers.  Read the press release here.www.governor.state.nm.us/press/2008/dec/120208_04.pdf

Ashes to Austen

From the Daily Mail:

Jane Austen museum forced to ban fans from scattering human ashes in her garden

By Emily Andrews
30th November 2008

The 17th-century cottage, with its quintessentially English garden filled with flower beds and herbs, has long been a place of pilgrimage for devotees of Jane Austen.

Now it seems increasing numbers are choosing the author's former home, which has become a museum in her honour, as their final resting place.

Museum staff have been shocked to find mounds of human ash around the grounds, left by relatives creeping in to honour the final wishes of loved ones.

Read the rest here.

Looking for a book to read over the winter break?

The American Library Association recently released nominations for the 2009 Best Books for Young Adults.  The list includes titles that will appeal to all kinds of readers--the romantic, the futurist, the realist, and the dreamer.  First up on my list?  The Fortunes of Indigo Skye by Deb Caletti. It's about an 18-year-old waitress who receives a $ 2.5 million tip from a customer.  Check out the book list here.

Digital Teens

There's a new study out from the MacArthur Foundation on teens and their use of digital media. 

“It might surprise parents to learn that it is not a waste of time for their teens to hang out online,” said Mizuko Ito, University of California, Irvine researcher and the report’s lead author. “There are myths about kids spending time online – that it is dangerous or making them lazy. But we found that spending time online is essential for young people to pick up the social and technical skills they need to be competent citizens in the digital age.”

You can find more information as well as a link to the entire study here.