Reading Reflection Blog #5

 Reading Reflection Blog #5

International Audiences

    International audiences is a topic that is near and dear to my own heart! I lived in China for 5 years and taught at an International school. I had students from America, Canada, the UK, Germany, South Korea, Zimbabwe, China, Hong Kong, Colombia, Mexico, Romania, Singapore, and Taiwan. I have spent time teaching children in Ghana and the Philippines, and leading teacher trainings in India and Ghana. 

Reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar in Ghana

Teacher Training in Khorda, India 

I feel that my international teaching experiences have given me a unique glimpse into cultures around the world. I have been able to interact with, learn from, and be a part of some amazing cultural experiences, and I have loved the experiences. 

I was excited to hear the video of Diane Ferlatte sharing at the International Storytelling Conference in 2013 this week. She is a dynamic speaker, and I love how she brought culture, music, rhythm, and history into her stories. Here is another dynamic video of her storytelling for the story Brer Rabbit, if you are interested in watching: 

In the research done and reported in the article, Children Encounter Each Other Through Storytelling, I thought it was interesting that the children's intercultural stories followed the same patterns:

  

1. Telling to entertain
2. Telling to challenge
3. Telling from real life experience
4. Telling from shared expereinces
5. Responding sensitively
6. Responding defensively 

 The first 5 ways showed a cultural understanding, reciprocity, and openness to interacting with different cultures. This specific Storycrafting experience was able to forge intercultural connections among students from around the world, and I was please to see that a small minority of the involved students were unable or unwilling to interact openly with different cultures. (Piipponen, O., & Karlsson, L. (2019)  I loved that this research was based on celebrating the craft, rather than judgement, and children are the perfect way to demonstrate this. I have found that they are much more openminded, willing to listen, and less critical of differing cultures than many adults. 

Image from Smart Parents

    I was also interested in the article that focused on digital storytelling as a means to connect global citizenship learning for middle and high school students. Because technology is developing and changing at such an astonishing rate, our students have a unique access to peers around the world. They have a unique opportunity to interact with others around the world in meaningful ways, and learn about the world and other cultures as no prior generation has before. I loved that the focus of global citizenship education is to "equip learners with the knowledge, skills, and values to navigate and live together in an increasingly interdependent world and to work collectively towards solutions to the planet's pressing problems." (Truong-White & McLean, 2015). 

I loved that the students were able to share their lived experiences with one another through digital storytelling, blending together culture, technology, and interconnectedness. Many students were also able to integrate multi-modal technology, such as video clips, music, voiceovers, and more to share their unique stories with other students around the world. 

Programming 

"A successful storytelling program requires. careful planning, flexibility, and creativity." 

-Greene & Del Negro

    One of my favorite articles about programming this week was Books, Children, Dogs, Artists: Library Programs for the Entire Family. I think it is so powerful to integrate animals into medical programs, to assist children and their families as they go through so much. As an adult, I often go out of my way to interact with any dog I see, so I know that children are over the moon when given the opportunity to read to a listening dog, and participate in Paws to Read programs. I think that therapy animals are an incredible resource for students of all ages, and they facilitate reading opportunities with no pressure or judgment. 

Image from K9 Reading Buddies 

This reminded me of the many articles I have seen, such as from K9 Reading Buddies, where dogs come to schools, or students are able to go read at animal shelters. That just completely tugs on my heartstrings! I was able to find this link from the Pierce Library Read to a Dog Program, located in Washington state, and I think it is an incredible addition to library programming.

    I also loved the video about creating special programming for children with autism. I loved that parents were able to collaborate with the library staff to give ideas, and help them know what would work best with their children. I was encouraged to hear the librarian say that the library should be accessible for everyone, and the space should be nonjudgemental and welcoming for all children. It was also special that they invited students with special needs, sensory needs, and physical difficulties. It was incredible that the silver lining from that was that the parents were able to connect with other adults that completely understood what their experiences were! They were able to talk, share ideas, and empathize with one another. 

    It reminded me of this wonderful article, Storytime for the Spectrum, and the ways that this librarian adapted her programming to incorporate children with special needs. Many of the suggestions were similar: including hands-on felt or flannel pieces, having a visual schedule, providing safe spaces for children, and reading out to parents. 

Non-fiction Readings 

Disgusting Hagfish by Meish Golish 

Tell Me Why? Zebras Have Stripes by Susan H. Gray

Top 10:Oddities by Virginia Joh-Hagan

Gemstones by Patrick Perish

The Boy Who Invented the Popsicle by Anne Renaud and Milan Pavlovic

References

Cottrell, M. (2016, June 1). Storytime for the spectrum. American Libraries Magazine. Retrieved July 24, 2022, from https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2016/03/01/sensory-storytime-spectrum-libraries-add-services-for-children-with-autism/ 

Greene, E., & Negro, J. D. (2010). In Storytelling: Art and technique (4th ed.). Libraries Unlimited.

Haver, M. K. (2014). Books, children, dogs, artists: Library Programs for the entire family. Medical Reference Services Quarterly, 33(2), 211–217. https://doi.org/10.1080/02763869.2014.897523 

Pierce County Library Systeminformation & Imagination. Pierce County Library > Read to a Dog. (n.d.). Retrieved July 24, 2022, from https://www.piercecountylibrary.org/kids-teens/read-to-dog.htm 

Piipponen, O., & Karlsson, L. (2019). Children encountering each other through storytelling: Promoting intercultural learning in schools. The Journal of Educational Research, 112(5), 590–603. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.2019.1614514 

Truong-White, H., & McLean, L. (2015). Digital Storytelling for Transformative Global Citizenship Education. Canadian Journal of Education / Revue Canadienne De L'éducation, 38(2), 1. https://doi.org/10.2307/canajeducrevucan.38.2.11 

YouTube. (2013). International Storytelling Conference (2013) Many Stories but One World . YouTube. Retrieved July 24, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iduMoffZ_54. 

YouTube. (2014). Sensory Story Time: A program designed for families of children with autism. YouTube. Retrieved July 24, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwAT88XQsK4.