Curriculum Planning and Alignment

 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
Does the Canon Need an Overhaul? Introduction “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” - Dr. Seuss Reading is one of the great pleasures in life.  Seuss, concisely and in rhyme, summarized its importance, reading opens your mind beyond yourself, broadens your knowledge and your understanding of the world.  Educators are often tasked with selecting literature to use in their classrooms which meet state guidelines, while engaging students in meaningful ways. Many do this by selecting works from a commonly accepted list known as a literary canon. Generations of students have read literary canon works as part of their required curriculum.  Jordan Bates defines  literary canon  as “a body of books, narratives and other texts considered to be the most important and influential of a particular time, period, or place”.  The subject of the literary canon is a polarizing topic amo...
Read more

Analysis: Yo Soy Joaquín - I Am Joaquín

Image
The Chicano search for identity is explored by poet Rodolfo Gonzales in his epic tale,  Yo  Soy Joaquín  -  I Am Joaquín .  The opening line, “I am Joaquín”, is not only a statement of fact, it is also an invitation for the reader to join along on the author’s existential autobiographical journey.  Joaquín is a metaphorical representation of the Chicano.   Yo Soy Joaquín -  I Am Joaquín  was written at the precipice of Chicano Movement of the late 60’s and early 70’s and has been credited as the premier work of the Chicano Literary Renaissance which began during this time of social and racial upheaval in the United States. (Hartley) The poem begins with Joaquín identifying the basic conditions of his life to this point: confusion, manipulation, loss of history, and the struggle to regain the culture of his people.  As the story progresses, it becomes clear thatJoaquín’s ancestry is extremely d...
Read more

Melinda

Image
Authority  “I have entered high school with the wrong hair, the wrong clothes, the wrong attitude.  And I don’t have anyone to sit with.  I am an outcast” – Melinda (4). The adults throughout the book  Speak  range from supportive to indifferent to abysmal in their interactions with Melinda and the other students. We meet Melinda as she is on the way to her first day of high school.  She feels ill-prepared physically for school – she doesn’t have the right clothes (wearing a skirt she hates) nor does she have the right hairstyle.  She feels alone and alludes to a recent traumatic event which seems to be the catalyst for lost friendships and anticipated bullying at school. Her day goes from bad to worse as Mr. Neck, “gray jock buzz cut, whistle around the neck thicker than his head” (9), seems to have it out for Melinda from the beginning of the first day. Mr. Neck is a jerk to Melinda in almost every interaction he has with her. He gets ...
Read more