http://www.epals.com/
ePals is a collaborative website that acts as a social network for educators and students across the globe. “The world's largest K-12 learning network, ePals Global Community™ consists of more than 600,000 educators and reaches more than 25 million students and parents in 200 countries and territories”. This collaborative website allows for students to interact internationally with other students and connect on a personal level through working together on projects within the website. Not only does ePals bring students and teachers together, but it also sponsors a project called In2Books which was created to help literacy in children who live in lower economies. In2Books connects struggling students with adult pen pals who, “read the same books, and exchange teacher-monitored, online letters about questions and issues raised by the text”. ePals also offers a section on their website for parents of homeschooled children. With this section homeschooled children are now able to learn and develop social skills that are normally honed in a traditional school environment.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Scholarly Review #1
“By examining the sociopolitical histories of libraries, in particular public libraries in the United States, we can get a better understanding of the library’s formation—the ontology, if you will—as one that is both racial and racist”.
Honma, T. (2005). Trippin’ over the color line: The invisibility of race in Library and Information Studies. InterActions: UCLA Journal of Education and Information Studies, 1(2), Article 2. Retrieved from: http://escholarship.org/uc/item/4nj0w1mp.
In the article “Trippin’ Over the Color Line: The Invisibility of Race in Library and Information Studies”, author Honma argues the exclusion of minorities in public libraries. Honma (2005) starts his article asking questions such as “Why does the field have a tendency to tiptoe around discussing race and racism, and instead limit the discourse by using words such as ‘multiculturalism’ and ‘diversity’?” and “Why is the field so glaringly white yet no one wants to talk about whiteness and white privilege?” (p. 1). With these questions in mind Honma takes us on a journey through the history of public libraries, starting from the very first one constructed to those of present day, and looks at how and why public libraries have become racist.
Honma (2005) states the following:
“whiteness” works as an invisible and elusive structure of privilege, one that allows for constant reinvention and rearticulation to protect the interests of a white racial ruling class. The identification of whiteness and its structuralizing principles is necessary in order to combat its invisibility and normative effects. (p. 5)
When I first read the above statement I was confused as to what unseen structure of “whiteness” Honma meant. Surely he was confused because public libraries were built on the concept of free and equitable information and knowledge for all. How could public libraries possibly be racist? Then I started assessing the fact that I am a Caucasian female from a middle class background. Just because I didn’t notice anything different didn’t mean that it wasn’t true. As I read further into the article I started to realize that what Honma was arguing was true. I didn’t necessarily notice this gross inequity in the public libraries because it has been going on since the library’s creation. Honma (2005) argues that during the 19th century one of the main reasons for creating openly public libraries was to assimilate the incoming immigrants. So from the beginning public libraries have been functioning on this unspoken basis. As this realization came over me I started thinking back to all of the libraries, public, school, and academic, that I have been in and the utter lack of color within them. How could I have been so blind? According to Honma (2005), it was my own ethnicity that blocked the truth.
How can we change these inequities? I personally feel that the LIS profession must first begin change from the inside before we can begin to implement change on the out. Honma (2005) argues that not only must more librarians of color be brought into the profession but that we must all be made aware of this injustice so we can begin to fight against it. That merely “celebrating multiculturalism” and having librarians of color will not work to break down the racist structure that has been created. Once racism has been fully acknowledged within the profession and research has been done, only then can we begin the fight to break this racist structure and start to truly serve all patrons equitably and fairly. Just as Honma (2005) states, “These perspectives, as well as the interrogation of white positionality, need to be further explored in the field of LIS, if we are to begin to fully understand the racialization of libraries and the field of LIS in general”. Social inequity within the LIS profession has been going on for far too long and as future professionals in the field it is our duty to rise up together and yell “injustice!” before tearing down the walls of biasness and rebuilding a fair and just future.
Honma, T. (2005). Trippin’ over the color line: The invisibility of race in Library and Information Studies. InterActions: UCLA Journal of Education and Information Studies, 1(2), Article 2. Retrieved from: http://escholarship.org/uc/item/4nj0w1mp.
In the article “Trippin’ Over the Color Line: The Invisibility of Race in Library and Information Studies”, author Honma argues the exclusion of minorities in public libraries. Honma (2005) starts his article asking questions such as “Why does the field have a tendency to tiptoe around discussing race and racism, and instead limit the discourse by using words such as ‘multiculturalism’ and ‘diversity’?” and “Why is the field so glaringly white yet no one wants to talk about whiteness and white privilege?” (p. 1). With these questions in mind Honma takes us on a journey through the history of public libraries, starting from the very first one constructed to those of present day, and looks at how and why public libraries have become racist.
Honma (2005) states the following:
“whiteness” works as an invisible and elusive structure of privilege, one that allows for constant reinvention and rearticulation to protect the interests of a white racial ruling class. The identification of whiteness and its structuralizing principles is necessary in order to combat its invisibility and normative effects. (p. 5)
When I first read the above statement I was confused as to what unseen structure of “whiteness” Honma meant. Surely he was confused because public libraries were built on the concept of free and equitable information and knowledge for all. How could public libraries possibly be racist? Then I started assessing the fact that I am a Caucasian female from a middle class background. Just because I didn’t notice anything different didn’t mean that it wasn’t true. As I read further into the article I started to realize that what Honma was arguing was true. I didn’t necessarily notice this gross inequity in the public libraries because it has been going on since the library’s creation. Honma (2005) argues that during the 19th century one of the main reasons for creating openly public libraries was to assimilate the incoming immigrants. So from the beginning public libraries have been functioning on this unspoken basis. As this realization came over me I started thinking back to all of the libraries, public, school, and academic, that I have been in and the utter lack of color within them. How could I have been so blind? According to Honma (2005), it was my own ethnicity that blocked the truth.
How can we change these inequities? I personally feel that the LIS profession must first begin change from the inside before we can begin to implement change on the out. Honma (2005) argues that not only must more librarians of color be brought into the profession but that we must all be made aware of this injustice so we can begin to fight against it. That merely “celebrating multiculturalism” and having librarians of color will not work to break down the racist structure that has been created. Once racism has been fully acknowledged within the profession and research has been done, only then can we begin the fight to break this racist structure and start to truly serve all patrons equitably and fairly. Just as Honma (2005) states, “These perspectives, as well as the interrogation of white positionality, need to be further explored in the field of LIS, if we are to begin to fully understand the racialization of libraries and the field of LIS in general”. Social inequity within the LIS profession has been going on for far too long and as future professionals in the field it is our duty to rise up together and yell “injustice!” before tearing down the walls of biasness and rebuilding a fair and just future.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Teaching Tolerance, Social Bookmarking
http://www.tolerance.org/
Teaching Tolerance is a website that was created by The Southern Poverty Law Center in order to help teach children and teachers about tolerance and diversity. Their self titled magazine is given to more than 400,000 educations twice a year and is also freely available online on their website. Once a year Teaching Tolerance holds a Mix It Up At Lunch Day where schools can participate in social “mixers” that help teach tolerance in diversity. The Teaching Tolerance website also offers plenty of classroom activities for teachers, such as using cartoons to teach about bullying, gay rights, and intolerance. The website also offers a multitude of resources for educators to help them become more aware of the difficulties faced by their multicultural students. Since Teaching Tolerance was created it has, “won two Oscars, an Emmy and more than 20 honors from the Association of Educational Publishers, including two Golden Lamp Awards, the industry's highest honor” for its teaching materials. Since being founded in 1991Teaching Tolerance has been fighting against racism and misunderstanding by teaching children and educators about the power of tolerance and respect.
Teaching Tolerance is a website that was created by The Southern Poverty Law Center in order to help teach children and teachers about tolerance and diversity. Their self titled magazine is given to more than 400,000 educations twice a year and is also freely available online on their website. Once a year Teaching Tolerance holds a Mix It Up At Lunch Day where schools can participate in social “mixers” that help teach tolerance in diversity. The Teaching Tolerance website also offers plenty of classroom activities for teachers, such as using cartoons to teach about bullying, gay rights, and intolerance. The website also offers a multitude of resources for educators to help them become more aware of the difficulties faced by their multicultural students. Since Teaching Tolerance was created it has, “won two Oscars, an Emmy and more than 20 honors from the Association of Educational Publishers, including two Golden Lamp Awards, the industry's highest honor” for its teaching materials. Since being founded in 1991Teaching Tolerance has been fighting against racism and misunderstanding by teaching children and educators about the power of tolerance and respect.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Cultural Mosaic
The statement that stuck out the most for me when reading Chao and Moon’s (2005) taxonomy of a cultural mosaic was the statement made by Hofstede, which was, “individuals carry different layers of culture within themselves”. This is because a few years back my mother commented on the fact that I tend to act differently and participate in different things when I was with my various friends. “Why can’t you just be yourself?” she asked. Until then I never put much stock into the differences my friends had between each other or the fact that I acted differently depending on who I was with. Her observation made me start to worry that maybe I didn’t know myself as well as I thought I did. An old statement comes to mind of, “You are your friends”. So then who was I, truly? Once I read the statement that every individual has various layers of culture I felt relieved, thrilled, exalted. My different personality traits don’t mean that I don’t know who I am, but rather, that I’ve known who I was all along. With this I feel comfortable in saying that my cultural mosaic is made up of: daughter, lover, mother (to the four-legged variety), woman, student, worker, friend, Christian, librarian, Caucasian, nerd, beauty queen, heavy metal thrasher, creative writer, Texan, and Michigander.
For my Demographic category I feel that my gender makes up the greatest part of my mosaic. This is because as a woman I have struggled with feeling comfortable in my own skin for the 24 years I have been alive. Throughout middle school and early high school I fought an eating disorder that left me weak physically because I was already weak mentally and emotionally. While there is a small part of me that is resentful for my female body and my insecurity in it, I wouldn’t change my experiences for the world. What I went through in the past has served as a Segway for me to be able to help my friends, family, and complete strangers learn to love themselves for who they truly are. I personally feel that if I had been born a man I wouldn’t have gone through the experiences that I had, which of course would have resulted me not being able to help others in the way I have been able to as a woman.
I was born in Houston, Texas and when I was four-years-old my parents moved me up to Michigan. As Hofstede states in Chao and Moon that there are, “significant correlations between latitude, a rough measure of climate, and three cultural values. Lower latitudes, or hotter climates, were associated with lower power distance, masculinity, and collectivism, whereas colder climates were associated with higher power distance, femininity, and individualism”. I chose climate as the main tool for my Geographical category because I felt that the above quote helped lend a better understanding to some of the contradictory tiles that make me. Perhaps because I was born in Texas, with a lower latitude and hotter climate, this is why I enjoy horror movies, going to dive bars, and immersing myself in the chaos of a heavy metal show as opposed to watching romance flicks, drinking martinis, and keeping up with the latest pop star. However, maybe the fact that I have lived in Michigan for most of my life will help explain why I love being romantic, dressing up, and dancing around to upbeat music. I recognize that within this very paragraph I have managed to write about many stereotypes but I feel that in order to truly explore and explain the different facets of myself it was pertinent to do so.
As said in Chao and Moon, “We classify people into specific groups to help us define who we are and who we are not. We identify with our groups in order to reduce uncertainty in our self-concept and to bolster our self-enhancement”. When thinking about my Associate category for my mosaic I kept coming back to the tiles of my Christianity and my chosen profession. I chose my religion as one of my larger tiles because without it I would be lost. It is something that has given me comfort in my greatest time of need and gives me strength when I feel I have no more left. Also, in my circle of friends I am the only Christian. While I appreciate the different beliefs that my group has, I feel an extremely strong need to keep my Christianity close to me. Mainly this is because it is one facet of me that I don’t share a bond with my closest friends. My profession in librarianship is also an extremely important part of myself. Ever since I learned to read I knew that I was destined to have a career involving books. Now, as I finish up my degree with a concentration in youth services, I look forward to having the chance to light that same spark in other children. That, to me, is one of the greatest services I can give while spending my time on Earth and because of that, my profession deserves a prominent tile in my cultural mosaic.
I think I have learned more about who I am during the time spent reading Chao and Moon and writing my cultural mosaic blog than I though possible. It gave me the chance to sit down and really think about whom I am as a person and how I became that way. After reading Chao and Moon I now know that one must look at oneself not only from afar but up close, because only then will you see all of the different tiles that make up your true self.
Chao, G. T., & Moon, H. (2005). The cultural mosaic: A metatheory for understanding the complexity of culture. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90(6), 1128–1140.
For my Demographic category I feel that my gender makes up the greatest part of my mosaic. This is because as a woman I have struggled with feeling comfortable in my own skin for the 24 years I have been alive. Throughout middle school and early high school I fought an eating disorder that left me weak physically because I was already weak mentally and emotionally. While there is a small part of me that is resentful for my female body and my insecurity in it, I wouldn’t change my experiences for the world. What I went through in the past has served as a Segway for me to be able to help my friends, family, and complete strangers learn to love themselves for who they truly are. I personally feel that if I had been born a man I wouldn’t have gone through the experiences that I had, which of course would have resulted me not being able to help others in the way I have been able to as a woman.
I was born in Houston, Texas and when I was four-years-old my parents moved me up to Michigan. As Hofstede states in Chao and Moon that there are, “significant correlations between latitude, a rough measure of climate, and three cultural values. Lower latitudes, or hotter climates, were associated with lower power distance, masculinity, and collectivism, whereas colder climates were associated with higher power distance, femininity, and individualism”. I chose climate as the main tool for my Geographical category because I felt that the above quote helped lend a better understanding to some of the contradictory tiles that make me. Perhaps because I was born in Texas, with a lower latitude and hotter climate, this is why I enjoy horror movies, going to dive bars, and immersing myself in the chaos of a heavy metal show as opposed to watching romance flicks, drinking martinis, and keeping up with the latest pop star. However, maybe the fact that I have lived in Michigan for most of my life will help explain why I love being romantic, dressing up, and dancing around to upbeat music. I recognize that within this very paragraph I have managed to write about many stereotypes but I feel that in order to truly explore and explain the different facets of myself it was pertinent to do so.
As said in Chao and Moon, “We classify people into specific groups to help us define who we are and who we are not. We identify with our groups in order to reduce uncertainty in our self-concept and to bolster our self-enhancement”. When thinking about my Associate category for my mosaic I kept coming back to the tiles of my Christianity and my chosen profession. I chose my religion as one of my larger tiles because without it I would be lost. It is something that has given me comfort in my greatest time of need and gives me strength when I feel I have no more left. Also, in my circle of friends I am the only Christian. While I appreciate the different beliefs that my group has, I feel an extremely strong need to keep my Christianity close to me. Mainly this is because it is one facet of me that I don’t share a bond with my closest friends. My profession in librarianship is also an extremely important part of myself. Ever since I learned to read I knew that I was destined to have a career involving books. Now, as I finish up my degree with a concentration in youth services, I look forward to having the chance to light that same spark in other children. That, to me, is one of the greatest services I can give while spending my time on Earth and because of that, my profession deserves a prominent tile in my cultural mosaic.
I think I have learned more about who I am during the time spent reading Chao and Moon and writing my cultural mosaic blog than I though possible. It gave me the chance to sit down and really think about whom I am as a person and how I became that way. After reading Chao and Moon I now know that one must look at oneself not only from afar but up close, because only then will you see all of the different tiles that make up your true self.
Chao, G. T., & Moon, H. (2005). The cultural mosaic: A metatheory for understanding the complexity of culture. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90(6), 1128–1140.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Not so great Blogging Librarian
Hey everyone,
So I guess I thought my profile was considered the blog...whoops. I think I finally got this figured out now!
So I guess I thought my profile was considered the blog...whoops. I think I finally got this figured out now!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)