Insider/Outsider

I strongly believe that multi-cultural literature is important for people of all ages to read. It is especially important to begin teaching diverse literature in the classroom at a young age. One of the most important factors to influence the authenticity of the literature is the author. Knowing the writer makes a big difference in the way diverse literature should be looked at.

There is an ongoing debate about whether or not diverse literature can be considered authentic and reliable if the author is not an "insider". An insider is someone who is part of a culture and chooses to write about it. They have first-hand experience and can relate to what they are writing. An outsider does not have this experience and therefor may not be considered reliable by some.

I believe that it is important for someone to have experience with the culture they are writing about in order to accurately inform readers. It is an important aspect of diverse literature, to me, to be as authentic as possible. An author with first-hand experience and knowledge of a culture is more likely to write accurately about that culture. I will be sure to choose diverse literature for my own, personal library written by authors sharing authentic information.

Native American Discrimination

After watching the video in class today about the controversy of Native American mascots in schools, I've gained a whole new perspective on the topic. Mostly, I was outraged. The comments made by ignorant people in the Chief Illini debate blew my mind.

One man said that the mascot antics of the University were honorable and dignified. He said they did not use plastic heads or the tomahawk chop. They are making a mockery of the American Indian people and they don't even realize it. The ones that do have a slight realization do not seem to care. They care about the tradition of the school and can't seem to open their minds to make the rightful change. The woman speaking about her American Indian background said that it would be better if they were outwardly mocking the heritage and making it into more of a joke with a cartoon character. Instead, they are making a mockery of an honorable tradition and culture.

Another man made a comment that shocked me even further. He said that minority rights aren't always right. Did he really say what I think he said? He actually thinks that minorities should have even less rights than they already have? It is absolutely ridiculous to think that this man thinks the rights of these people should be further taken away. It seems as though he could not be any more ignorant.

The way some people think is mind blowing to me. It is really hard to believe that so many people are as uneducated and as ignorant as they actually are. This is a controversy that should never have become one. Something needs to be done for these people and changing mascots is a small step towards them gaining the respect they deserve.

Introduction

My name is Julie and I'm a senior at Michigan State University. My major is elementary education and I have a focus in language arts. I am very interested in the material presented in TE448 for many reasons. I believe that all children should be exposed to diverse literature in the classroom. In order for this to be possible, diverse literature first needs to be presented to future teachers. Educating teachers leads to educating students. Presenting diverse literature brings about an awareness that many students may be lacking. Awareness leads to acceptance and knowledge of others. These are important things for students to gain in order to be a successful citizen in society. This class has a lot to offer all of us as future teachers and also as people who wish to be a positive influence on today's society. I hope to gain a new perspective from this course as the semester goes on.