Saturday, September 09, 2006
Daring to Go There
Explicit language, drug use, promiscuous sexual activity, homosexuality, racism, suicide, violence, discrimination. These are just some of the topics that make up some of the most popular books in Young Adult (YA) literature. These books get kids reading and people talking, in both good and bad ways. Students get excited to read these books because they feel as though they can relate to characters. As quoted in an article in the Denver Post, "Teen lit gets steamy" by Cynthia J. Pasquale, one teen stated: "It feels like I'm not the only one who has problems. I can connect (stories) to a lot of things in my life. It helps me understand what other people are going through." Teens can relate to the issues between the pages, finding understanding of themselves, their situation, or understanding about what is going on in the world around them.
One group of students that could truly benefit from these types of texts is at-risk students. These teens are labeled "at-risk" for many different reasons including social, economical, or learning difficulties. The more current, hot topics of YA lit can be easier for these students to relate to than texts of the classic cannon. These students are dealing with teen pregnancy, violence and discrimination, issues relating to sex and sexuality, and the judicial system. By reading texts that relate to events already so real in many of these teens' lives, it can help students engage with the text as well as hopefully getting students to want to read in the classroom.
I feel that YA lit. can be used as a safe way to explore difficult or unfamiliar topics that students will undoubtedly face in the real world. Jeffery Jenson, professor and director of the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Denver said it best in the Post article: "[The] ideal and positive learning experience...is for teens to read the books and discuss them with adults." And what better place for this discussion to take place but the classroom? There, students can learn to look at texts, and hopefully one day topics and ideas, that are diverse as well as being potentially controversial.
This blog will address the issue of YA topics in the classroom, particularly in alternative classrooms. Articles will be selected based either on a particular YA text review, how to integrate YA literature into the classroom, or the benefits of YA lit and at-risk students. These texts will be found using Google news with the search terms "literature" and "at-risk students." Texted used in this blog came from newspapers such as the Sheboygan Press, The Charlotte Observer, and the Missourian News; it also featured three YA-based and/or alternative-based blogs: the Young Adult Library Services Association blog, Alternative Teens Services, and The International Association for Learning Alternatives blog.
I feel that these topics are relevant to students' lives and should be addressed in the classroom. By covering these books, students can learn skills for analyzing information, topics, and issues on their own. These more modern books can also help to bridge the gap between students' lives and the more classic cannon of literature. These books have a lot of relevance to adolescent's lives and should be utilized in the classroom so educators can use them to get students excited about reading while teaching students valuable lessons about literature.
Article from:
Pasquale, Cynthia J. "Teen Lit Gets Steamy." Denver Post. Denver Post. 31 July 2006. <http://www.denverpost.com/lifestyles/ci_4115891>.
One group of students that could truly benefit from these types of texts is at-risk students. These teens are labeled "at-risk" for many different reasons including social, economical, or learning difficulties. The more current, hot topics of YA lit can be easier for these students to relate to than texts of the classic cannon. These students are dealing with teen pregnancy, violence and discrimination, issues relating to sex and sexuality, and the judicial system. By reading texts that relate to events already so real in many of these teens' lives, it can help students engage with the text as well as hopefully getting students to want to read in the classroom.
I feel that YA lit. can be used as a safe way to explore difficult or unfamiliar topics that students will undoubtedly face in the real world. Jeffery Jenson, professor and director of the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Denver said it best in the Post article: "[The] ideal and positive learning experience...is for teens to read the books and discuss them with adults." And what better place for this discussion to take place but the classroom? There, students can learn to look at texts, and hopefully one day topics and ideas, that are diverse as well as being potentially controversial.
This blog will address the issue of YA topics in the classroom, particularly in alternative classrooms. Articles will be selected based either on a particular YA text review, how to integrate YA literature into the classroom, or the benefits of YA lit and at-risk students. These texts will be found using Google news with the search terms "literature" and "at-risk students." Texted used in this blog came from newspapers such as the Sheboygan Press, The Charlotte Observer, and the Missourian News; it also featured three YA-based and/or alternative-based blogs: the Young Adult Library Services Association blog, Alternative Teens Services, and The International Association for Learning Alternatives blog.
I feel that these topics are relevant to students' lives and should be addressed in the classroom. By covering these books, students can learn skills for analyzing information, topics, and issues on their own. These more modern books can also help to bridge the gap between students' lives and the more classic cannon of literature. These books have a lot of relevance to adolescent's lives and should be utilized in the classroom so educators can use them to get students excited about reading while teaching students valuable lessons about literature.
Article from:
Pasquale, Cynthia J. "Teen Lit Gets Steamy." Denver Post. Denver Post. 31 July 2006. <http://www.denverpost.com/lifestyles/ci_4115891>.
// posted by Julie L. Lenhart @ 1:21 PM 
