NYSEC… An Affair to Remember

I must concur with Dawn that this experience was exceptional. The only problem was which seminar to choose. As you know, my project for 506 will consist of a summary of the conference, which will discuss the various seminars, including our own.

As James has already stated in his blog, there was a mix of progressive and traditional English teachers at this conference. It was refreshing to see that a majority of teachers were interested in incorporating YA Literature into their classrooms, but they just weren’t sure where to begin. The difficulty lies with the canonized texts that are still required in the classroom.

This gave me a great idea for a seminar next year, which would involve crossing YA novels with canonized texts. The plan would be to research what novels were being taught at the various grade levels and pair YA novels that would complement these titles. The idea of the seminar would deal with strategies for rich, diverse, and contemporary lessons. An example would be “The Crucible” paired with Julie Hearns’ The Minister’s Daughter,” which also deals with witchcraft and trials or accusations.

My overall vibe after this seminar was that teachers would like to use these titles, but how to accomplish this feat without upsetting administration deters them from even trying. This way the students get the best of both worlds.

As far as technology, there wasn’t much present at this seminar. The seminar that we did attend, “It Isn’t Just About Books Anymore: Exploring Multimodal Literacies,” the tech person had to cancel. Thank God that Dr. Kjersti VanSlyke-Briggs, Dr. Stearns’ former colleague, was a brilliant woman (and next year’s conference president) and presented an inspiring seminar. I’ll elaborate more during my project. But the conference definitely lacked in this area. I’ll be curious to hear about NYSCATE.

As for our presentation, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised at the seminar’s turnout. Karen began with a discussion on Radical Change, introduced the panel, and then we separated into our various groups (Dawn has already listed them in her post). I had the most wonderful conversations with teachers about Middle Eastern YA Literature, as well as receiving feedback about how some of the titles are faring in the classroom now. I was excited to hear that they are being well received in the classroom.

I am so happy that I was a part of this experience. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to work with. Congratulations Karen, Dawn, Matt, Jack, James, and Dave on a job well done!!! Also James, Tyesn successfully completed the fundamental skills and techniques of Shinjitsu do and was promoted to the level of 5th Kyu Blue (he received his blue belt in layman’s terms). Thanks for asking!

Chrissy G.