When I first heard about Washington High "banning" Little Brother by Cory Doctrow, I immediately felt shame because I lived and worked in Pensacola for six years. I didn't even want to be connected to a town who felt that action was OK (although at least I wasn't like a few of my friends who were alums of that school - they were really upset).
But, honestly, knowing Pensacola, it didn't surprise me. It's not really a radical town; conservative is a mild way of explaining the town. That still doesn't excuse this behavior. It is just wrong to tell kids they can't read something.
I was proud of the English teachers for continuing to fight against their principal about deleting the book from the summer program because he "didn't like it" (even though he didn't read it; I'm not sure how you don't like something you don't try). I was proud of the commenters on the news articles saying they were going to go out and buy it. I was proud of the students for still wanting to read the book.
But Cory Doctrow was just amazing. Sending free copies of the book? Making a video to talk to the students about their book being banned? Awesome. It took two easy steps to show that he cared - and he didn't even care that someone might not like his book, because he understands that not everyone has the same likes/dislikes. He just cared that kids were being denied the possibility of finding something they enjoyed reading.
We should never take books out of kids' hands. Like Doctrow, we should be putting them IN their hands.
So, bravo, Cory Doctrow, bravo!
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Censorship = bad
Censorship = bad.
There's not other way to put it.
Knowledge shouldn't be kept away from people. The more viewpoints we have, the better place the world can become. Its like the notion of truth. No one person holds the real truth, but the more opinions and ideas we gather, the closer we can get to the real truth. The more knowledge we share, the more we can learn about each other and come to a better understanding. The more understanding we have, the less fighting/arguing/war mongering we have - and what's wrong with that?
When we censor or ban books, we're just stopping information. And we shouldn't do that. The forefathers of the country left Britain and fought for our independence so we wouldn't have to deal with that ever again. And why would we want to?
On the flip side, do these people have every right to complain, gripe, dislike, and even not read what they don't like? Most definitely. If they don't agree with it, they have the right to not acknowledge it. But, should they prevent others from NOT reading it? No - and that's where the issue lies. It is perfectly OK for you to not want to read something, but it isn't right to FORCE your ideals on someone else (that didn't work so well for Hitler, now did it?). But, telling people that they can't complain about it is just as bad as taking a book off the shelf. They're also protected under the First Amendment. Just because you don't agree with it, doesn't mean it shouldn't be said. Because those disagreements also bring light or ideas to the forefront that others may not have thought of.
American was founded on the freedom of choice and we shouldn't try to change that. Students should be allowed to read what they want. Let them expand their minds. Let them explore. Let them find themselves. We aren't here to create robots, and if we fully control what they read, that's what we're doing.
I don't know about you, but the world in Fahrenheit 451 (yet another frequently banned/challenged book) didn't seem too appealing to me. So I say, let the kids read.
There's not other way to put it.
Knowledge shouldn't be kept away from people. The more viewpoints we have, the better place the world can become. Its like the notion of truth. No one person holds the real truth, but the more opinions and ideas we gather, the closer we can get to the real truth. The more knowledge we share, the more we can learn about each other and come to a better understanding. The more understanding we have, the less fighting/arguing/war mongering we have - and what's wrong with that?
When we censor or ban books, we're just stopping information. And we shouldn't do that. The forefathers of the country left Britain and fought for our independence so we wouldn't have to deal with that ever again. And why would we want to?
On the flip side, do these people have every right to complain, gripe, dislike, and even not read what they don't like? Most definitely. If they don't agree with it, they have the right to not acknowledge it. But, should they prevent others from NOT reading it? No - and that's where the issue lies. It is perfectly OK for you to not want to read something, but it isn't right to FORCE your ideals on someone else (that didn't work so well for Hitler, now did it?). But, telling people that they can't complain about it is just as bad as taking a book off the shelf. They're also protected under the First Amendment. Just because you don't agree with it, doesn't mean it shouldn't be said. Because those disagreements also bring light or ideas to the forefront that others may not have thought of.
American was founded on the freedom of choice and we shouldn't try to change that. Students should be allowed to read what they want. Let them expand their minds. Let them explore. Let them find themselves. We aren't here to create robots, and if we fully control what they read, that's what we're doing.
I don't know about you, but the world in Fahrenheit 451 (yet another frequently banned/challenged book) didn't seem too appealing to me. So I say, let the kids read.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Repost from September 2012
I did write along with you guys today in class, but I got a little ranty in my writing, so I went back and found my original post about this article. This was originally posted on Sept. 4, 2012.
I don't think we consider too much about how brave we are as a nation. Of course, there are still brave individuals - Andrew Tice is an example of that. But in general - are we really pioneering and willing to risk it all to continue to discover? To do what's right? I'm not sure.
I do think he has a point that we don't fight for truly noble reasons any more. WWII was definitely a noble cause - although no one realized how noble until they started discovering the work compas/the concentration camps. Still, it was greatly understood that Hitler was pure evil. And those who VOLUNTEERED, understood they were putting their lives in danger and that they may not come home alive. And yet, people still volunteered in droves until the end. Tehy weren't afraid to die - they knew what happened at the beaches on D-Day, and yet they still signed up. Lied about their age so they could go fight Hitler or even Mussolini or Tojo. Now, the Armed Forces struggle to get enough enlistment numbers. Sure, it was no problem right after September 11, but even a year later - numbers dropped - and they keep dropping. Too often people now join because they don't know what to do; can't get a job; can't get into school. Too often they aren't joining to be patriotic or to fight for this amazing country; they're just there because it is their last - and maybe only option. They aren't brave. Many times they just want to show that they are manly and brave and want to be "tough and strong." They're not serving our country - they're serving themselves.
We have become complacent; we take our freedoms for granted. And actually, before Sept. 11 - we thought we were untouchable - that nothing like that could happen to us. It was a wake up call, but a wake up call that didn't last long enough. We still think that we're untouchable and that we are right. We aren't always right. Sometimes we use our cowardice, hide behind it and become the big bully. We do this every time we put a new leader in place. Sometimes we do more harm than good. After WWII, and even during the end of it, we were seen as the good guys. That knight in shining armor. Now, we're not. We're rude, crude, obese and unwanted. As a nation, we need to take a deep look inside and see what went wrong to change that perception.
I think once we find what changed that perception and work on getting back to being the "good" guys instead of the perceived big bullies - we'll realize what went wrong. While Capitalism lets us live the American dream, I also think that it is what makes us complacent - lazy. Fat. Greedy. We don't look out for the greater good anymore - we look for the better "me." We don't care if others are struggling or suffering - as long as we're OK and happy that's all that matters. However, if we look out for others, Chances are that all of us will be better off. The base will be stronger, better formed, which is beneficial to us all. Looking to pull up the others is going to make everyone's arms stronger.
Austin has the guts he's writing about. But he is not doing this for the glory - he's doing this to get the story out. He's doing what too few journalists are willing to do. He is honestly trying to make a difference through telling other people's stories. But hes' not looking for the safe easy one He's flown halfway around the world to get out the untold story. And yet, most news outlets here are too scared and chicken to publish it. It's not pretty' it's not safe; it's doesn't come in a nice, neat little package. It's not what American's want to hear because we aren't brave enough to face the truth in the world and look at the nasty stuff that could infiltrate our lives. Instead, give us the happy. The fake. The bloated. The shiny. The plastic.
I don't think we consider too much about how brave we are as a nation. Of course, there are still brave individuals - Andrew Tice is an example of that. But in general - are we really pioneering and willing to risk it all to continue to discover? To do what's right? I'm not sure.
I do think he has a point that we don't fight for truly noble reasons any more. WWII was definitely a noble cause - although no one realized how noble until they started discovering the work compas/the concentration camps. Still, it was greatly understood that Hitler was pure evil. And those who VOLUNTEERED, understood they were putting their lives in danger and that they may not come home alive. And yet, people still volunteered in droves until the end. Tehy weren't afraid to die - they knew what happened at the beaches on D-Day, and yet they still signed up. Lied about their age so they could go fight Hitler or even Mussolini or Tojo. Now, the Armed Forces struggle to get enough enlistment numbers. Sure, it was no problem right after September 11, but even a year later - numbers dropped - and they keep dropping. Too often people now join because they don't know what to do; can't get a job; can't get into school. Too often they aren't joining to be patriotic or to fight for this amazing country; they're just there because it is their last - and maybe only option. They aren't brave. Many times they just want to show that they are manly and brave and want to be "tough and strong." They're not serving our country - they're serving themselves.
We have become complacent; we take our freedoms for granted. And actually, before Sept. 11 - we thought we were untouchable - that nothing like that could happen to us. It was a wake up call, but a wake up call that didn't last long enough. We still think that we're untouchable and that we are right. We aren't always right. Sometimes we use our cowardice, hide behind it and become the big bully. We do this every time we put a new leader in place. Sometimes we do more harm than good. After WWII, and even during the end of it, we were seen as the good guys. That knight in shining armor. Now, we're not. We're rude, crude, obese and unwanted. As a nation, we need to take a deep look inside and see what went wrong to change that perception.
I think once we find what changed that perception and work on getting back to being the "good" guys instead of the perceived big bullies - we'll realize what went wrong. While Capitalism lets us live the American dream, I also think that it is what makes us complacent - lazy. Fat. Greedy. We don't look out for the greater good anymore - we look for the better "me." We don't care if others are struggling or suffering - as long as we're OK and happy that's all that matters. However, if we look out for others, Chances are that all of us will be better off. The base will be stronger, better formed, which is beneficial to us all. Looking to pull up the others is going to make everyone's arms stronger.
Austin has the guts he's writing about. But he is not doing this for the glory - he's doing this to get the story out. He's doing what too few journalists are willing to do. He is honestly trying to make a difference through telling other people's stories. But hes' not looking for the safe easy one He's flown halfway around the world to get out the untold story. And yet, most news outlets here are too scared and chicken to publish it. It's not pretty' it's not safe; it's doesn't come in a nice, neat little package. It's not what American's want to hear because we aren't brave enough to face the truth in the world and look at the nasty stuff that could infiltrate our lives. Instead, give us the happy. The fake. The bloated. The shiny. The plastic.
Monday, September 15, 2014
IMWAYR - A Mixed Bag
Not much got read at school, and I didn't read much at home until the weekend. I'm going to blame homecoming for that. I'm hoping to get some of these finished this week that I've been dragging out because there does come a point where I will stop reading because it has been too long.
At school
Still working on The 57 Lives of Alex Wayfare; I'm a lot farther in it, and I'm really enjoying it. It's high paced, and keeps you wondering what's really going on as you read through. It gives you some bread crumbs but just enough to keep you reading to get to the next one.
At home
The Magicians by Lev Grossman - I started this yesterday, so I'm not very far into it. It is the first in a trilogy, and I was lucky because all three books are now out. Quinton Coldwater is thrust into a magical college and is trying to get his bearings. It reminds me of Harry Potter if Harry went to Hogwarts at 19 and was a little crankier. I am going to have to get a copy of it for the classroom (I got it on Kindle) because I think several of you would enjoy it.
I'm also still working through Dreams of Gods and Monsters, although I really haven't read any more of it in about two weeks.
Audiobook
Same as the past entries. I did use this month's credit for the second in the Delirium series, and I'm much closer to this one being finished.
Finished
Plan B by Jonathan Tropper - Four friends kidnap their movie star college friend to stage an intervention and get him off cocaine. The four sober ones realize that they've also gone up to upstate New York to detox for their own reasons. I REALLY love Tropper's writing. I read him for the first time this summer and have devoured the rest of his books.
Dollbaby by Laura Lane McNeal
Here's the write up from Goodreads:
"When Ibby Bell’s father dies unexpectedly in the summer of 1964, her mother unceremoniously deposits Ibby with her eccentric grandmother Fannie and throws in her father’s urn for good measure. Fannie’s New Orleans house is like no place Ibby has ever been—and Fannie, who has a tendency to end up in the local asylum—is like no one she has ever met. Fortunately, Fannie’s black cook, Queenie, and her smart-mouthed daughter, Dollbaby, take it upon themselves to initiate Ibby into the ways of the South, both its grand traditions and its darkest secrets.
For Fannie’s own family history is fraught with tragedy, hidden behind the closed rooms in her ornate Uptown mansion. It will take Ibby’s arrival to begin to unlock the mysteries there. And it will take Queenie and Dollbaby’s hard-won wisdom to show Ibby that family can sometimes be found in the least expected places."
For Fannie’s own family history is fraught with tragedy, hidden behind the closed rooms in her ornate Uptown mansion. It will take Ibby’s arrival to begin to unlock the mysteries there. And it will take Queenie and Dollbaby’s hard-won wisdom to show Ibby that family can sometimes be found in the least expected places."
This would be a good book if you liked The Help.
Up next
Still haven't comitted to Ashfall, and I really don't know what I'll pick up next at home. I have been considering the second in the Name the Star series (mostly because I'll be talking about that book Friday in class). We shall see.
Monday, September 8, 2014
IMWAYR - Distracted
It was another low quantity of reading week. I'm blaming reading 800+ page books. I slow down a lot in the middle of them because I just want them to be done with!
At school
The 57 Lives of Alex Wayfare by MG Bulehrlen - This book I got from some reviews on blogs and Goodreads. It's an interesting concept. Alex starts having "delusions" from the past, and people think she's got a serious issue. However, she's actually had past lives and she's having flashbacks. I'm not that far into this one, but it is really good!
At home
Still working on Dreams of Gods and Monsters.
Audiobook
Still working on Delirium.
Finished
I picked up The Giver by Lois Lowery last week. I didn't understand why many people told me they had read it in HS, but I never had. Then I realized it came out when I was in HS, so it wasn't on people's radars (this also made me feel a little old). Jonas is part of a society that has isolated itself from others. He's been "selected" as being the next Receiver, and realizes there may be something sinister about the world he's living in - things might be being kept from the citizens.
Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon - The second in the Outlander series, and it weighs in at a massive 976 pages. Claire has been back in her modern life for 20 years, and she recounts to her daughter the truth behind her heritage. In a flashback, Claire goes back to when Outlander left off and tells the story of how Jamie decided she needed to go back. This one I liked a lot more than the first; it had more history instead of romance, and left off with a cliffhanger. I'll be taking a break before the third one, though (which is a whopping 1100 pages).
Up Next
Ashfall - I know I had this one on there last week, but I got distracted by other shiny books. It's a common problem with me when I try to pick my next book.
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Calvin's Day at School
Poor Calvin. He was always misunderstood. He's the active crazy child who can drive you up a wall - but he's also really creative. It's a shame that his talent hasn't been tapped into or explored by his teachers because then he wouldn't have such a negative view of school. This is what I hope I don't do to my students.
Even though I mostly like school, there have certainly been times that I've felt each and every one of those cells (comic can be found here). Especially the zombie one - sometimes I look back on how little sleep I got throughout high school and wonder I made it through. Asleep at midnight, up at 5, at school at 7, home at 4, 6 or 10. I can't believe I survived like that for four years.
Luckily, though, I had teachers who were a bright spot in the day. They worked hard to make school not seem like an assembly line and that we weren't just there to get our cup of knowledge for the day. A lot of my teachers tried to make sure they weren't trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. They worked with us to make sure that we fully understood the concept and how it applied to our lives outside of those four classroom walls. Of course this didn't happen every day because those teachers were humans, and you have down days. DAys were you are less energetic, slightly sick, distracted by life. But for the most part, they worked hard to serve our needs.
I remember all too well, though, those classes where I was expected to fit a mold and just parrot back to the teacher (this is why I still have a great hatred for anything Brit Lit - a bad teacher can ruin you for life). I was miserable in those classes. 45 minutes of pure torture. I didn't learn anything and just put in my time. I DON'T want that for my students.
So, this is why I try my hardest to emulate the teachers who tried to reach all of us. It isn't always easy, and sometimes I fall short of that goal. But, I don't want my classroom to feel like an assembly line. I want it to fit my students' needs. I want them to feel like they're being encouraged to grow as people - not just as a score on a test.
Even though I mostly like school, there have certainly been times that I've felt each and every one of those cells (comic can be found here). Especially the zombie one - sometimes I look back on how little sleep I got throughout high school and wonder I made it through. Asleep at midnight, up at 5, at school at 7, home at 4, 6 or 10. I can't believe I survived like that for four years.
Luckily, though, I had teachers who were a bright spot in the day. They worked hard to make school not seem like an assembly line and that we weren't just there to get our cup of knowledge for the day. A lot of my teachers tried to make sure they weren't trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. They worked with us to make sure that we fully understood the concept and how it applied to our lives outside of those four classroom walls. Of course this didn't happen every day because those teachers were humans, and you have down days. DAys were you are less energetic, slightly sick, distracted by life. But for the most part, they worked hard to serve our needs.
I remember all too well, though, those classes where I was expected to fit a mold and just parrot back to the teacher (this is why I still have a great hatred for anything Brit Lit - a bad teacher can ruin you for life). I was miserable in those classes. 45 minutes of pure torture. I didn't learn anything and just put in my time. I DON'T want that for my students.
So, this is why I try my hardest to emulate the teachers who tried to reach all of us. It isn't always easy, and sometimes I fall short of that goal. But, I don't want my classroom to feel like an assembly line. I want it to fit my students' needs. I want them to feel like they're being encouraged to grow as people - not just as a score on a test.
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
IMWAYR - Slacking off a bit
So this week was a little lacking on the reading. A lot of it was I was too tired by the time I got home to pick up a book. I needed to just veg out and not think for a while. Hopefully that will change this week.
At school
The Giver by Lois Lowry - I've never read it, so I decided I should. I haven't started it yet; it's what I plan on reading today during SSR.
At home
A Dragonfly in Amber by Diane Gabaldon - This is the second in the Outlander series, which is about an Englishwoman who is transferred from 1946 Scotland to Scotland in the 18th century. These are pretty thick books (more than 600 pages, so it takes a bit to get through them).
Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor - This is the third book in the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series. Usually I get bored in a series with the second one - typically because it is setting up. But, in this one, I'm just not getting into the war between the angels, humans and other beasties as much as I liked the first two.
Audio book
Still working on Delirium. Along with the "too tired" to read last week, I didn't want to listen to the book to and from work last week. So I didn't get much farther in it.
Finished
Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein - (see last IMWAYR for the summary of the book). I really enjoyed this book. It was very suspenseful while Rose was in the concentration camp - even though you knew she made it out OK, there were times where you wondered if she was going to make it. It was also hard to conceive that she was only in the camp for six months. It's amazing how much brutality she had to face in such a short amount of time. I highly recommend this one. The author's website also has a lot more information about the real Rabbits who were experimented on at the camp.
Abandoned
I know in my reading life essay I said that I rarely abandon books. Well, it happened this week. I started reading Grave Mercy, one of the Iowa High School Award books, and it just wasn't clicking. I think it was more that I wasn't in the mood for it. So, I put it back to the side. I hope to pick it up soon again because I really do like to try to get those award books read.
Up Next
I realized I left this section off the last one. Of course, this one ends up changing quickly though. I'll think I want to read one book next and then completely change my mind.
Ashfall by Mike Mullen - This has been in my to-be-read pile for quite a while. But, thanks to a lot of you mentioning it in your reading essays, I decided it needs to be moved up.
The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness - This is the final book in a trilogy I've really enjoyed, and it's been sitting on my Kindle for months, so it is time for it to get read!
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