Throughout the semester TE 448 has been the highlight of my week. I really enjoyed the intimacy of the class discussions as well as the comfort level in the room. I think that what I really learned by taking the class is that literacy can be used in many ways in dealing with diversity. First, text can provide comfort for the insiders of a particular group of diverse people. Further, the text can provide information about those groups to those who may be outsiders or unknowledgable about the group. Even more, the text can be used to reflect on one's own views, misconceptions, and assumptions that may be dwelling in a classroom setting. I think that the class made me understand the importance of the author's background and whether or not he or she is part of the group, has done valid research, or had long term experience with the particular group they are writing about. I also really enjoyed using the blogs and thought it was a great space to share afterthoughts and fun ideas about topics or different pieces of literature.
I now understand that when a class reads a book discussion is necessary, but specific prompts may force students to not share their own unique interpretations. I really think that I got the most out of this class during those discussions where all group members were prepared, focused, and enthusiastic about the topic. I would have liked to learn more about how to guide but not lead discussions as well as how to engage the students in the topic in order to make them excited and inspired to really gain something from each book. I thought the organization of the course was great and that there is a real need for more children's literacy courses for education majors because it really gives you an understanding about what specific qualities to look for in a valuable piece of literature.

Between Mom and Jo

Peters, Julie Anne. Between Mom and Jo. New York.Megan Tingley Books. 2006



This was my favorite book to read, I finished it in two days! I really enjoyed it's realism and the uniqueness of the situations, it really made it a page turner. Further, the book really made me think about how Nick and his family are similar to any family that goes through divorce, but because his mom's are gay it adds a lot of extra stress and drama to endure. I am really interested in how often this sort of situation occurs in the United States and how the families are usually split in terms of custody issues. The story of Nick and his mom's Jo and his biological mom, Erin begins as many stories do with memories of a great childhood and how well they all got along. The novel's plot turns from a functional family to a family that deals the alcoholism of one parent while the other battles cancer. I enjoy Julie Anne Peters' use of a common reason for the divorce rather than a situation that only two lesbians could go through. I think that there are some really great connections between the two lifestyles that made me realize how similar they really are. This realistically flawed family captured my attention the entire time. However, i found it a little unbelievable that Erin, the biological mom, would not let her son see Jo after the seperation because it seems like a very drastic twist of character. Overall, I think the book adds a great deal to my text set as a whole because it tells a story of divorce through the eyes of people who were in fact never married. I think the book sheds light on the fact that divorce is not always as easy as many children's books portray. Further, the book accentuates the idea that often the child is helpless in custody battles. At the same time, Peters really details the idea that family, no matter what combination of genders, is fragile and when it breaks it can shatter.