LANGUAGE ARTS-NEW MEXICO

The Debate Continues

Here's an interesting article from the Los Angeles Times about teaching (or not teaching) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn:

John Foley figures he has pretty much maxed out on explaining to African American mothers why it's OK to call a black man the N-word -- as long as it's in a novel that is considered a classic.

For years, English teachers have been explaining away the obvious racism in Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." And for years, the book that perhaps best explains Americans' genetic predilection for hitting the road, only to later find themselves, has stayed near the top of many high school reading lists.
However, with an African American about to be inaugurated as president, Foley wonders whether 'Huck Finn' ought to be sent back down the river. Why not replace it with a more modern, less discomfiting novel documenting the epic journey of discovery?

Read the rest here.

Teachers as Heroes

NCTE sponsors an interesting blog through the NCTE Inbox.  Check out the latest column and comments regarding the unrecognized ways in which teaching is a heroic profession.  Read the blog here and share your observations on the nature of the job with other NM teachers by posting a comment on our homepage.

A Belated Happy Birthday

Edgar Allen Poe turned 200 on Monday, January 19.  We're a little late celebrating, but here's a NY Times slideshow featuring some of Poe's manuscripts and the classic video of Vincent Price reading "The Raven." 

Praise Songs

From the NY Times, here's the text of the poem Elizabeth Alexander read at the inauguration today and a video piece about high school students in the Bronx who wrote their own poems for the occasion. 

Are Americans reading more literature?

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) released a new study indicating more Americans are reading prose fiction--the first significant increase in 26 years, according the report's authors.  Of note to language arts educators is that the increase was especially significant in the 18-24 age range.  It's good to know any students leave us with a desire to read.  The NEA report falls short, perhaps, in recognizing the wealth of reading activity done by adults.  Why? Because the study did not take into account the reading of nonfiction prose.  Download a version of the report here or read an article about it here.

Books, Books, Books

Here's a great book list from teenreads.com.  It's called the Ultimate Teen Reading List, and it includes more than 300 titles that teens will enjoy.  See if your old favorites are on it or find something new.

French Teachers Protest Reforms

From the International Herald Tribune:                                                            

SAINT-LO, France: French teachers hurled shoes and other objects at police Monday to protest President Nicolas Sarkozy's high school reforms, prompting police to respond with tear gas.

France's leading teachers' unions demonstrated in the western city of Saint-Lo at a cultural center before Sarkozy gave a New Year's address to education officials. Protesters and police exchanged blows, and one store window was smashed. No arrests or injuries were immediately reported.

Major unions refused to attend the president's speech because they oppose the government's education reforms.

Sarkozy's government wants to modernize the education system to make French students better prepared for the job market. But the government is also seeking to cut costs and bureaucracy across several sectors.The education reform includes changes to high school curricula but also job cuts among administrators and teachers' aides.

Many fear the job losses will lead to overcrowded classes and limit the number of subjects taught in schools.

Read the rest here.

Risky Business

Carl Glickman uses the language and tone of the original 1983 "Nation at Risk" report to skewer the business community's notion that they know what's best for American education:

We feel compelled to report to the American people that the business and financial foundations of our society are presently being eroded by a rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our very future as a Nation and a people. What was unimaginable a generation ago has begun to occur— companies that extolled themselves as models of excellent practices have deceived the American people with sloppy, undisciplined, and greedy practices that are driving  Americans out of their homes, threatening their retirements, and dashing their hopes of a financially  secure future. Indeed, if an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre corporate financial performance that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act of war.

His satiric piece concludes by recommending that businesses be required to publish a report card every year, based on a series of standardized assessments. Read the rest here.

More on Poetry

John Lithgow (3rd Rock from the Sun) talks poetry with Bill Moyers here.  Watch the video and witness Lithgow's impressive recitations. 

Do Adults Understand Kids' Reading Preferences?

In an article published in the Washington Post, the question is raised as to whether literature that has won the Newbery Award is really all that appealing to young readers.  It's not a new question, as many teachers and librarians know.  The article makes interesting reading, however, because of several issues it addresses.  What is age-appropriate literature?  Are some themes too alienating or depressing to continually revisit in literary reading?  How do we decide what literature to use with our students--is the status of a medal enough to merit the inclusion of a book in our curriculum?  Read the article here and post your thoughts about the topic.