Ohio Voices-
The Voice of July 2016
The OCTELA Newsletter, member of The NCTE Information Exchange, is a publication of the Ohio Council of Teachers of English Language Arts (OCTELA), founded in 1957 as the English Association of Ohio (EAO). OCTELA is the only statewide affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) representing teachers of English Language Arts, prekindergarten through college.
OCTELA Executive Board
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Yolanda Harris Diversity Liaison Carol Ann Hart Registrar/WROTE/ SLATE Karla Hayslett Executive Director Stacy Ludwig ODE Liaison Sue Malaska Bonnie Chambers Sara Marker Early Childhood Liaison Ruth McClain Advisor Virginia McCormac President Kristine Michael TESOL Liaison Debra Nickles University/ CAEO Pattie Niese Secretary/BCTBA Sarah Ressler Wright Exhibitor co-Liaison Colleen Ruggieri NCTE/ODE Liaision Jessica Sharp Membership Liaison Debbie Thomas Bonnie Chambers Patrick Thomas OJELA Karen Tollafield LGBTQQ Liaision Chris Wagner Social Networking Noah Waspe Middle School Liaison Heidi Weber Elementary co-Liaison Molly Wendel Elementary co-Liaison Sam Whitaker Legislative Liaison Brandi Young OELMA Liaison Joshua Younge Vice President
Jen Baker Secretary Michelle Best President-Elect Margaret Blevins Treasurer Nicole Brickman Exhibitor co-Liaison Karen Carney Conference Planner Stephenie Erikkson Past-President Andrew Ford Webmaster Marge Ford Associate Webmaster
Looking for more recommendations? Want to suggest a book for review? Contact Jen at bibliophile1019@gmail.com
Out of Darkness - April Hope Perez
Song of Achilles Madeline Miller
Reading Nonfiction: Notice & Note Stances, Signposts, and Strategies Kylene Beers and Robert E. Probst
Student Recommendation Intended for an older high school audience, Out of Darkness is a Michael L. Printz Honor book for 2016. Before you even finish the first chapter, it’s easy to see why. Naomi just arrived in New London, Texas, with her twin half-siblings in 1937. They left her grandparents in San Antonio to live with the twins' father, Henry, who showed no interest in them after their mother died a few days after their birth. A well-meaning preacher told him to send for his kids when he was born again, hoping that taking care of them would keep Henry from his vices. Naomi was not invited, but her grandparents sent her anyway. The twins love New London; in San Antonio, they were too Mexican to attend the white school, but here they can pass for white. Naomi, though, is clearly Mexican, and is looked down upon by whites and blacks alike, until she meets Wash, a young African-American boy. As they fall in love, it becomes clear that there are more problems than just the racist views of their community. Perez's writing is gripping and masterful. She seamlessly blends the fictional story of Naomi and Wash with the historical facts of the New London school explosion, the worst school disaster in history. She unflinchingly portrays the racism, the stereotypes, the hatred, the classism, and the vices that tear apart humanity. This is a story of the marginalized; one that is not often told, but should be. Be warned, though: this book will punch you in the gut and haunt you long after you finish it. Professional Recommendation I went a bit crazy with the Article of the Week idea from Kelly Gallagher. After some trial and error, I still found myself with one nagging issue: no matter how much modelling I did, I was still getting simple annotations like “Interesting!” from my students. Beers and Probst have provided the a framework for moving beyond these responses in Reading Nonfiction: Notice & Note Stances, Signposts, and Strategies. The book is structured into four parts. Part 1 discusses the theory and reasoning behind reading nonfiction. Part 2 identifies the Big Questions readers should consider while reading nonfiction texts. Part 3 explains the different signposts to look for. Part 4 offers seven strategies to help students make meaning when they get stuck. Beers and Probst provide everything you could possibly need to feel comfortable while implementing the ideas, showing you real lessons with real students, suggesting possible texts, and providing a link to more online resources. I have been waiting for this book since Notice & Note, and it is everything I hoped for. The relaxed tone of Beers and Probst is entertaining--they clearly get what it is like in classrooms today, and they aren’t afraid to admit their mistakes. They even offer differentiated ideas that make the ideas they discuss applicable to teachers of all grade levels and content areas. This is definitely one of those books you want to invest in so you can pull it off your shelf whenever you need some friendly advice. I can’t wait to see the annotations on my students’ Articles of the Week next school year! Pleasure Recommendation In The Iliad, Patroclus is nothing but a footnote, his death the reason Achilles ended his stalemate with Agamemnon and returned to battle, killing Hector and setting up his own demise. Miller, however, takes those minimal details and makes him the hero of her retelling. When we first meet him, Patroclus is a weak, insecure boy, unsure that he is worthy of being called a prince, a view that isn’t helped when his father exiles him to court of King Peleus. Patroclus is already impressed by Peleus’ son Achilles, who is bigger, faster, and smarter than the other boys at court. When Achilles chooses him as a friend, again Patroclus questions his worth, but the boys grow into adolescence and the nature of their relationship changes. Then war comes and Achilles is determined to fulfill his destiny, despite his mother’s best efforts to hide him. In battle, Patroclus isn’t much help, but he makes himself useful until he is forced to make a drastic choice to save Achilles’ pride. Miller’s writing mimics the lyrical language of the source material. I was reading this at the same time my students were reading The Odyssey, and I enjoyed seeing that overlap. Miller fleshes out each character, bringing each to life more realistically than in The Iliad, and the story is much more approachable as a result. Achilles wasn’t just a hero out for glory, but a man who loved and hurt just like anyone else. This is a must read for any Greek history fan. Book covers courtesy of Goodreads.
Jen Baker- OCTELA Secretary-
Time for Books-- Reviews for All
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The OCTELA newsletter is published throughout the year and distributed to OCTELA members. Articles cover events and topics of interest to OCTELA members and English Language Arts educators at large. If you have information you think would enliven or inform our audience, please submit it to the editor via mail or email.
Ohio Voices Karla Hayslett, Editor 1209 Heather Run Wilmington, OH 45177 Email: octela@gmail.com
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