Program

7:00 - 9:00 p.m. - Preliminary Gathering and Book Talk
"Multicultural Books That Have Impacted My Life"
Red Oak Conference Room, Ramsey Library

Friday, July 21, 2000

8:30 - 9:00 a.m. - Check-in, Exhibits, and Coffee
Lobby, Ramsey Library

9:15 - 10:30 a.m. - Keynote Presentation - Dianne Johnson
"The Scholar and the Author: My Lives in Children's Literature"
Humanities Lecture Hall

Dianne Johnson, Associate Professor of English at the University of South Carolina, is both a scholar of African American children's literature and a writer of children's books. Her works include The Best of the Brownies' Book (Oxford 1996), Presenting Laurence Yep (Twayne 1995), Telling Tales: The Pedagogy and Promise of African American Literature for Youth (Greenwood 1990), and a special issue of African American Review (Spring 1998) devoted to black children's literature and illustration, which she edited with Catherine Lewis. As Dinah Johnson, her books for children include Quinnie Blue (Henry Holt 2000), Sunday Week (Henry Holt 1999), and All Around Town (Henry Holt 1998).

10:40 - 11:30 a.m. - Concurrent Sessions

A. The Holocaust as Seen Through Picture Books
Lisa Handelman, Director of Library Services, Sinai Temple, Los Angeles, CA

Room: Library Research Lab (Ramsey Library 136)
The recent phenomenon of picture books for the older reader is well represented in the startling number of new picture books dealing with the subject of the Holocaust. Teachers find these books an excellent tool for either beginning a study of the subject, or delving into the human stories that accompany the historical facts. Most of these books can be used with
comprehension with children as young as 4^th grade. This presentation will begin with a survey discussion of the variety of books now available, along with hands-on group readings and discussions. A bibliography will be provided.

B. Integrating African American Literature Into the Elementary Curriculum
Loraine Stewart, Associate Professor of Education, Wake Forest University

Room: Special Collections (Ramsey Library 205)
The content and skills that will be focused on in this session will focus on picture books that feature African-Americans as main characters. Emphasis will be placed on how these books can and should be incorporated into the elementary school curriculum when discussing such topics as the family and self-esteem. They can also be instrumental in teaching basic skills such as compound words, letter writing, number recognition, and patterns. In addition, African-American children's books are wonderful teaching tools when addressing cultural differences and unity between people of different racial and ethnic groups. The integration of African-American children's literature into the elementary curriculum can be another means of making the content relevant to all students by providing characters who look like them and have had experiences similar to theirs. Due to this fact, it is imperative for teachers to become more knowledgeable of these books and what they have to offer.

C. Educators Should Include Indians' Views When Teaching History
MariJo Moore, Local Cherokee Author/Poet/Journalist/Artist

Room: Whitman Room (Ramsey Library 101)
Because many schools in America have failed to nurture the language, culture and academic needs of American Indian and Alaska Native students, the dropout rate among these students continues to soar. American Indian children suffer because most schools have curriculums presented from a European perspective. A curriculum for American Indian students (as well as one non-American Indian students that offers insights into a rich cultural heritage) should include the following: (1) overview of American Indian history; (2) discussion of stereotypes and misconceptions about American Indians; (3) extensive description of key American Indian values and attitudes; (4) discussion of problems that Indian students face and suggested techniques to alleviate these problems; (5) activities related to teaching about American Indians (grouped within four major concepts and divided into four grade levels: K-Grade 3, Grade 4-6, Grade 7-9, and Grade 10-12); (6) presentations of books written by American Indians, Native newspapers, periodicals, and films; and (7) introduction to American Indian languages.

A. Promoting African American Children’s and Young Adult Literature: An Informal Talk
Khafre Abif, Manager of Children’s Services, Brooklyn Public Library, and Contributing Editor, Black Issues Book Review

Room: Special Collections (Ramsey Library 205)
Librarian Khafre Abif will discuss his role as Section Editor for the "Children’s Bookshelf" in Black Issues Book Review and ways he uses this forum to help parents raise life-long readers.

B. Responses to Race-Related Literature:  How Urban African American Students Talk About Race in Multiethnic Elementary Classrooms
Jeane F. Copenhaver, Assistant Professor, Ohio State University at Mansfield
Lori Nichols, Graduate Student, Ohio State University at Mansfield
Susan Snyder, Graduate Student, Ohio State University at Mansfield

Room: Library Research Lab (Ramsey Library 136)
A university educator and two graduate students (also classroom teachers) will present the findings of a study in which urban African American students from four elementary classrooms responded to literature with strong race-related themes and African American characters. The presenters will describe the efferent and aesthetic responses of the children (grades K-3) to the stories and will identify differences between the oral and physical responses of the African American students and the responses of their white classmates. Included in the presentation will be a description of a social reader- response perspective, a clarification of the characteristics of the literature used in the study, and transcripts from the original data to illustrate patterns of response. Finally, the presenters will identify the implications of the study for teachers in culturally diverse classroom settings.

C. Multicultural Children's Literature: A Framework for an Undergraduate Technology Course
Jeradi A. Cohen, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Educational Studies, Radford University
Gilbert Valadez , Assistant Professor, Dept. of Educational Studies, Radford University

Room: Whitman Room (Ramsey Library 101)
One group of my pre-service teachers last fall was given an inner-city placement for their fieldwork. The theme for their group was multiculturalism and diversity. As their technology professor, I too decided to address this theme within the technology course they were taking from me. The framework for the technology course was built upon multicultural children's literature. From books suggested by me and selected by students, we used technology applications and students' emerging technical skills to create a several products based upon the books. One class project was a database of the books we used, complete with pictures of books covers. We used the Internet to search for information about cultures, multicultural themes addressed in the books, maps, and information on authors. Students then compiled this information into individual "Literature Newsletters." Technology tools and multicultural children's books proved to be a powerful combination with a myriad of learning outcomes for those involved.

12:30 - 1:30 - Lunch and Exhibits
Dining Hall and Blowers Gallery

A. Combating the Mainstream Depiction of Native Peoples in Literature for Young People
Susan Gardner, Associate Professor of English, American Indian Literatures, and Film, UNC-Charlotte

Room: Whitman Room (Ramsey Library 101)
Many American Indian parents, librarians, and teachers are horrified by the mainstream culture's depiction of Native peoples in The Indian in the Cupboard series, The Education of Little Tree (an example of ethnic literary fraud), and Brother Eagle, Sister Sky, to give a few examples. How are we to assess the authenticity of "Indians" in children's literature? What resources are available? And how can we constructively lead readers to more accurate depictions, when so many are invested in fantasies about Indians?

B. Understanding Puerto Rican Culture Using Puerto Rican Children’s Literature
Susan Freiband, Professor, Library & Information Science, University of Puerto Rico,
Consuelo Figueras, Professor, Library & Information Science, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras

Room: Special Collections (Ramsey Library 205)
An examination of selected, important examples of Puerto Rican children’s literature to illustrate how these books facilitate an understanding of Puerto Rican culture. Stores and poetry for children written by Puerto Ricans and published in Puerto Rico reflect the folklore and values of the Island in a clear, dramatic way. For many Puerto Rican children in the United States who want to learn more about their cultural heritage these materials are invaluable resources. Ways in which these books may be used in school media centers are described. Since they are not as easily accessible, or as well- known in the United States as Puerto Rican books from U.S. publishers, strategies for evaluating and acquiring them are explained. An annotated bibliography of recommended titles, publishers and distributors will be prepared for participants. Examples of specific titles discussed will be available to examine first-hand.

C. Creating Multicultural Schools Through Teacher Focus Groups
Jeanne McGlinn, Associate Professor of Education, UNC-Asheville

Room: Library Research Lab (Ramsey Library 136)
Many teachers believe in the values of multicultural education but feel uncertain when choosing texts or presenting ideas to their students about a particular cultural group. One suggestion for staff development is to organize teachers into study groups to read adult multicultural literature. This process enables teachers to encounter the culture at a level they understand as well as learn information about the culture. Teachers can then transfer this knowledge to their teaching of literature appropriate for their students. In this interactive presentation, participants will respond to texts written by members of different cultural groups. A list of readings will be provided.

A. Growing Up in an Urban Area: How Young Adult Literature Portrays African American and Latino Youth
Sandra Hughes, Assistant Professor, College of Information Science and Technology, Drexel University
Sandy Guild, College of Information Science and Technology, Drexel University

Room: Whitman Room (Ramsey Library 101)
Although more than 34% of African-American and Latino teenagers live in central cities of one million or more, there are few young adult novels that speak to the personal challenges and social difficulties of these urban minorities. The purpose of this study is to identify young adult novels of the last decade which have urban minority protagonists, and to examine how realistically they portray African American and Latino teenagers and their relationships to their urban environments. The study has identified five areas of focus: adolescent development; peer and family relationships; education and the school; social issues, specifically poverty, violence, and drug abuse; and evidence of ethno-cultural background and pride.

B. World Cultures on the World Wide Web
Helen Wykle, Special Collections Coordinator, UNC-Asheville

Room: Library Research Lab (Ramsey Library 136)
An overview of some of the major internet resources for foreign language teachers and others interested in teaching about world cultures. Focus on the middle and high school grades.

C. Chinese Cultural Influence on Education
Alex Huang, Associate Professor of Atmospheric Science, UNC-Asheville

Room: Special Collections (Ramsey Library 205)
To deliver a comprehensive and effective education for the children and young adults is an essential task for educators in Chinese society. It is mandatory for students to perform well in school and become well-educated and responsible individuals in the society. In this presentation, the speaker will discuss the historical background and the Chinese cultural influence on the delivery of K-12 education. Both the K-12 school systems in Taiwan, the Republic of China (ROC) and the United States will be compared on the basis of personal experience and observations. The advantages and shortcomings of each K-12 education system will also be discussed. It is my belief that the balance of academic learning and ethical guidance would prepare students for the challenge of the future.

A. The Ghana Connections
Shelley Worman, Media Coordinator, Emma Elementary (Buncombe Co Schools)

Room: Whitman Room (Ramsey Library 101)
Books and Web sites that are excellent reflections of life in Africa will be presented. Information on hooking up with school programs in Africa for special projects and email will also be provided. Life in the village of Mafi-Saskepe, Ghana, West Africa will be illustrated with music and digitized pictures from a recent trip by the presenter. Shelley Worman, a media coordinator at Emma Elementary School with over twenty years experience, met and corresponded with a member of this African village. A trip was arranged to meet the many wonderful people there. School projects and e-mail correspondence continues to grow enriching my life and those who participate.

B. Southern Appalachian Literature for Children
Lee Ann Smith, Children's Specialist, South Buncombe Branch Library, Buncombe County Library System

Room: Special Collections (Ramsey Library 205)
This presentation explores how to choose high-quality Southern Appalachian literature for young children. It begins with a brief exploration of Southern Appalachian people as an ethnic group. Southern Appalachian stereotypes, the negative and the positive, will be examined and participants will learn how to avoid the degrading hillbilly image in choosing juvenile picture books. The second part of the presentation introduces examples of Southern Appalachian children's literature in which characters proudly describe their mountain heritage (When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant). Some books feature characters who are poor but resourceful (My Coat of Many Colors by Dolly Parton). In other stories the characters are well educated (My Great- Aunt Arizona by Gloria Houston). Such literature promotes healthy self-esteem among children within the region, while giving children outside the region a diverse and respectful view of their Appalachian peers.

C. Exploring North Carolina's Jazz Heritage
Bryan Sinclair, User Education Librarian, UNC-Asheville

Room: Library Research Lab (Ramsey Library 136)
Books and media spotlighting the contributions of black North Carolinians to American jazz will be introduced. Perhaps no other state has produced so many influential jazz artists and composers. John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Max Roach, Billy Taylor, and Nina Simone were all born here. Dizzy Gillespie studied music in Laurinburg and composer Billy Strayhorn called Hillsborough his second home. Although the "jazz scene" would eventually establish itself in the big cities of the North and Midwest, its roots were firmly planted in the experiences and rhythms of African American life in the South. Stories about famous jazz artists from North Carolina can provide a vehicle for the introduction of broader issues of race, culture, and creative expression. A bibliography and handouts will be provided.

5:00 - 5:30 - Wrap-up and Book Exhibits
(Remember to turn in your CEU form.)
Ramsey Library Lobby

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