{"content":{"sharePage":{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"51151040","dateCreated":"1330616087","smartDate":"Mar 1, 2012","userCreated":{"username":"sherrymi","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/sherrymi","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1202793136\/sherrymi-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/yalit12.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/51151040"},"dateDigested":1532921069,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Rachel, Sara, Jamie, Jeni","description":"Please post your LENS responses to each other in reply to this post. Thanks! -M.S.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"51263488","body":"Sara Erdman
\nMarch 6, 2012
\nTrue Notebooks
\nCritical Analysis
\n True Notebooks by Mark Saltzman covers the course of a year that Mark spends with over a dozen teenagers being held in a juvenile detention center. While reading the book Dr Sherry broke us up into Literature circles to discuss the book. In our discussion group both Jamie and Jeni brought up the topic of how Mark disliked the fact he could not praise the boys when they performed well in his class. All of the individuals in our group have been told time and time again in our education classes to praise our students and to use positive reinforcement.
\n Through out our discussion we brought up how hard it would be for us to not praise our own students, especially students like the boys of K\/L unit who should receive positive reinforcement. As we continued discussing how the guards of K\/L unit never compliment the boys, if anything they put down the boys as a way of \u201creminding\u201d them that they are still in prison. Further into the book, however, there are some points where the guards and staff do praise the boys. It might not be over the top praise but it is praise none the less. For the boys having someone simply saying \u201cgood job\u201d means the world to them even if that is all they receive.
\n Going to school to become a teacher we are always told to be ready and on our toes to help our students to the best of our ability. I enjoyed the fact even though the staff enforces and constantly reminds Mark to not praise the boys he still finds ways to make them feel as if they are accomplishing something and they are doing well. Mark shows that he cares for the boys by performing with his cello and being a guest at the graduation of the majority of the boys who graduate from school. He even goes as far to send them personal notes to let them know he appreciates the effort they have put forth and how much they mean to him. I believe that the fact he teaches these classes and helps with other activities speaks for itself that he does care and that his way of giving the boys praise. Even when Mark shows up every week the boys originally question why he keeps coming back. Mark never really answers them, but just coming back gives the boys hope. As a student, I feel that the best way to push someone to do their best and to continue to work hard is by giving constructive criticism or by posing more questions for the student to answer in their own way.
\n Even though Mark was told that he should not treat the boys in his class special because they are not special. However, I think that by just allowing a select few boys to be a part of the class is showing that they are different or \u201cspecial\u201d from the other boys. Mark still finds a way to praise the boys in his own special way. Sometimes in order to be a special teacher or someone who makes a difference you do not have to throw a parade to show someone is doing well. By showing an interest in someone who is struggling gives that student the motivation needed in order to perform to their best ability. Mark not only teaches the boys that they can write about their personal lives and their feelings, but he also learns a great deal from the boys rather than the stereotypical point of view of prisoners. When it comes to True Notebooks the best phrase I can use to describe the book is, \u201cdon\u2019t judge a book by its cover.\u201d","dateCreated":"1330892624","smartDate":"Mar 4, 2012","userCreated":{"username":"sara.erdman","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/sara.erdman","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"51343192","body":"Jennifer Sharpe
\nCritical LENS: True Notebooks
\n
\nIn his non-fictional book True Notebooks, Mark Salzman writes his experience teaching a class of juvenile convicted criminals how to write. While the prison Superintendent had doubts that these juveniles should be made to feel special or rewarded, Mark\u2019s account shows the reader how many of the criminals in those cells do want to change. This book shows the constraints placed on these young kids and their potential when given some space and positive direction. Prison shouldn\u2019t be all about punishment if law enforcement officers want the juvenile convicts to change\u2014they should incorporate more rehabilitation activities (such as Mark\u2019s class). If they continue with punishments and depravation, these kids will grow into adults that commit worse crimes. As human beings that made mistakes, they deserve the chance to improve themselves during their sentence.
\nMark\u2019s entire writing group agreed that \u201cthe class worked because it was the one place they knew they could express themselves without fear of being judged, and [Mark] was the one adult they could count on not to play the role of authority figure\u201d (225). The class allows these boys to think about things beyond their prison walls and communicate with a non-law enforcement volunteer. The boys in the class do learn from Mark and all express their desires to change at some point throughout the book. Benny\u2019s last letter to Mark before being transferred uses the phrase \u201clearned a lot\u201d three times. Francisco writes: \u201cPlease help me, Mom! I don\u2019t want to find myself lost. I want to live a wonderful life for God and for you\u2026I want you to forgive me\u201d (247). From the outside, juvenile criminals look like lost souls locked out of sight because of the terrible mistakes that they have made. Typically, they are believed to be vicious sociopaths that need to be locked up since they will only grow into more dangerous adults. Mark shows a better side to these individuals and supports the fact that these kids are still young enough to be saved and change for the better. Yes, they still write about profane, violent, and immature subjects (they are teenagers after all) but when they do express their wisdom, hopes and philosophies, they are powerful and inspiring. Most of the boys say, in one way or another, \u201cwe gotta make the most of it.\u201d They know they\u2019ve messed up and they know they have hurt their families and victims. This book could be called idealistic and some might say \u201cthat never happens\u201d or \u201cthey\u2019re all the same\u2014unsaveable\u201d but even if there is only a select few juveniles that can get use out of a class like Mark\u2019s, it is worth it. It\u2019s impossible to help and reach each student but Mark\u2019s experience inspires the reader to at least try with some because the ones that do \u201cget\u201d it, will succeed and thank their teacher for it in the end.","dateCreated":"1331038383","smartDate":"Mar 6, 2012","userCreated":{"username":"Jls76524","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/Jls76524","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1314788616\/Jls76524-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"51355740","body":"Jamie Nemec
\nLENS 3- Critical
\nMarch 6, 2012
\n In our literature circles, our group discussed a variety of issues raised in relation to True Notebooks by Mark Saltzman. Amongst those issues were the idea of praise, the figure of authority, and ultimately the true purpose of prison \u2013 or in this case, a juvenile detention center. This last issue was initially raised by Jeni, and I would like to further the discussion of it. The ultimate question that needs to be asked is: What is the purpose of these facilitites? Are they strictly for the carrying out of punishment? Or are they a place to make our citizens learn from their mistakes? Through the actions of the characters in True Notebooks, we are able to predict how they might perceive this issue. As mentioned in our literature groups, the idea of praise is in direct relation to this topic. Considering the guards at the facility try to remind Mark that the kids are criminals and do not deserve any rewards for their work, it is evident that they believe the kids need to serve their time for punishment. Mark on the other hand, as well as Sister Janet, believe the kids need to be praised when praise is due. It is clear that they believe praise will help motivate the students to continue on with their good work. Ultimately this reflects that these characters would believe that the juvenile detention center can help the kids understand where they got off track, and how they can make a path to a wholesome life.
\n Unfortunately, by the conclusion of the book it is clear that prisons and even more broadly, the justice system, do not believe in allowing the kids a chance at a better lifestyle. Most of the students that were enrolled in the writing class are eventually convicted to serve a more serious sentence, degrading their chance to escape. The book ends with Kevin\u2019s final piece, displaying that he will not lose grip of the hope that Mark gave him through writing. As a reader, this piece sheds light on issues I never considered before. The kids in this book are not the monsters often portrayed in the media. It is important to share this book with the public so that as a society we understand that everyone has a story and a background, regardless of the situations they may create. We must also understand the power of a second chance.","dateCreated":"1331052623","smartDate":"Mar 6, 2012","userCreated":{"username":"jln91996","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/jln91996","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"51150976","dateCreated":"1330616045","smartDate":"Mar 1, 2012","userCreated":{"username":"sherrymi","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/sherrymi","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1202793136\/sherrymi-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/yalit12.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/51150976"},"dateDigested":1532921069,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Caitlyn, Emalee, Danielle, Courtney","description":"Please post your LENS responses to each other in reply to this post. Thanks! -M.S.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"51331628","body":"Courtney Wetzel
\nDr. Sherry
\nYoung Adult Literature
\n06 March 2012
\nLens 3- True Notebooks: Critical
\nThe novel True Notebooks written by Mark Saltzman is about Marks journey over a year teaching a writing class in a juvenile delinquent center. Mark takes upon a group of boys who you wouldn\u2019t think are the best writers but learn to shine in their own way. In class Dr. Sherry broke us up into Literature Circles, where our groups discussed many different topics. One main topic that stuck out the most to me way the use of profane language.
\nAs a future teacher, there are a lot of different aspects that we need to take into consideration when choosing a text. We need to look at the message that it is sending, the language that is used, and especially the message that this text is sending to our students. As a group and as a class we discussed how reading this book with it\u2019s profane language may cause some issues with some students and parents. As a future teacher I think that this book can be used in a classroom, and it is all in the way that you approach the text. If we bypass and do not discuss that language that is being used in the story the students will make assumptions that should not be made. I think that the language enhances the text because you get a full sense of what the character is saying, and what their feelings are as they write.
\nI think that we can give the students the option whether they want to read a section out loud or not, if they are not comfortable using this type of language, they can simply opt out to reading it. However, I think that when reading certain sections of the book that use harsh language you need to tell the students that this is the character, in no way does it shape or reflect the views of who is reading the text (the student). Even though some parents may have an issue with the text, and the language that is used, as a teacher, I would personally send a note home for each parent to read, and explain the language usage, and then explain why this text is important to each student.
\nAnother belief that I have, and that we discussed, is that many students could relate to this. You never know the history of your students, and they may be able to relate to these characters. Some students may understand what it is like to be \u201cin jail\u201d or know people who can relate to the characters situations. Others may take this type of text and relate it to school, as if school is jail, and they do not have the freedoms in which they which they wish they did. The language that is used in the novel, is something that many students are immersed in everyday, whether its music, movies or television, what they are reading in this text, may be something that they can find a relation to in many different aspects of their lives.
\nI think that this a very interesting novel, to use in a classroom. Depending on the aspects and ways a teacher enhances this novel, can either make or break if the students attach to the text. I think that this can be used in many different aspects in a classroom, and that if it is approached and taught from different view points that the class will enjoy it. I also think that this is the type of text that students would work well in discussion groups, or having class discussions because this is the type of text that students can build off each others comments and thoughts. I think that this novel is beneficial to have in the classroom despite the language that is used, and it should be over looked because it is the narration of the character.","dateCreated":"1331001408","smartDate":"Mar 5, 2012","userCreated":{"username":"courtney.wetzel","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/courtney.wetzel","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1346349930\/courtney.wetzel-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"51334298","body":"Dearest Danielle-
\nIn our literature circles, we talked a lot about the appropriateness of True Notebooks and whether it would have a lot of use in the classroom. Initially, we all agreed that there would not be a lot to do with this book and questioned whether or not it would truly hold students\u2019 attention. Because True Notebooks is non-fiction, the book does not have a lot high-energy climactic plot events, but rather focuses on the dynamics between the individuals at Central and Mark\u2019s experience there. As our discussion developed, we opened up more to the book\u2019s use in the classroom and discussed how it could be used to inspired students to write. I like the idea of students being able to have their own \u2018true notebook\u2019 where they can feel free to write about anything they want and not worry about receiving a grade. I think the reason that Mark was able to build such respect and trust with his students while keeping them engaged was because the students were free to write about anything without being judged. The freedom to write was exceptionally significant to the kids at Central because the rest of their lives were so restricted. I also think that for all students that may be reluctant to write, a personal notebook would give them a low-stakes place to practice. From my personal experience, writing is skilled that needs to be practiced in order for it to develop.
\nI also think that this book would be good to use across the curriculum. There are a lot of social issues that the book touches on that would be a really great conversation starter in a social studies classroom. As an example, Mark often thinks about and asks others if it is right to charge a juvenile with an adult sentence. Although Mark never really gets a straight answer from the people that he asks, it is a question that is left to linger in the readers\u2019 minds. I know that before reading this book, I probably would have given a pretty straight answer to the question; however, after getting attached to the kids at Central and learning of Mark\u2019s experience, I would have to think about it a little more. In a social studies classroom, students could discuss whether or not they think that this is a fair thing and discover what different opinions exist on the topic through research. This could also be an opportunity to analyze the government\u2019s judicial system and why certain establishments exist in society.
\nThis book could also be of use in a psychology class. Students could look at how the environment at Central is affecting the adolescents\u2019 development. They could also study the effects of different authoritative dynamics at Central. The Stanford Prison Experiment, for example, examined how the idea of authority changes the way that individuals behave in certain situations. This experiment was also conducted in a prison setting, which makes it even more relevant to True Notebooks. The juveniles at Central are subjected to some very authoritative figures (like the guards and directors), but among the workers as well, there are a lot of strange authoritative dynamics. While Sister Janet does not hold a defined position of authority at Central other than a volunteer, she seems to hold a significant amount of power over others at the facility and is frequently able to persuade others. Among the juveniles, there is also a definitely hierarchy of authority. In Mark\u2019s writing class, the students that have been in the class longer use their experience to gain authority over the new students. Certain students make sure that the others stay in line and do the work without Mark having to assert his authority.
\nWe also talked about the use of profanity in the book and whether it would be appropriate in the classroom. I think that if the only reason someone would choose to not use this book in the classroom was because of the language, that would be a shame. Students, especially in high school, are already exposed to a lot of vulgar language and the profanity used in the dialogue could be used as a discussion starter.
\n
\n-Caitlyn","dateCreated":"1331005191","smartDate":"Mar 5, 2012","userCreated":{"username":"cjc89248","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/cjc89248","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"51335180","body":"Emalee Klinefelter
\nMarch 6, 2012
\nTrue Notebooks by Mark Salzman
\nLens 3: Critical Analysis
\n
\nThe story True Notebooks by Mark Salzman is about a year long journey Mark experiences at a juvenile detention center. After being influenced by a friend and a nun who volunteers at the juvenile center, Mark forms his own creative writing class at the center. With extreme doubt in himself and the class, Mark initially struggled with the idea of having his own class at the juvenile detention center. The first day with his student\u2019s changed Mark\u2019s mind and life forever --- it changed Mark so much that it inspired him to write True Notebooks.
\nIn class we were broken up into literature circle groups. In our discussion of True Notebooks the topics of profanity and vulgarity were brought up quite often by all members of the group. We discussed how it may be hard to incorporate this type of literature in the classroom without getting some harsh criticism for doing so, whether the criticism came from a parent, students, or colleagues. Courtney brought up the idea that if this literature was used in the classroom, we could send a letter home to the parents. In this letter the teacher could state that True Notebooks is the next book that they are planning to use in the class, and it would be a good idea to explain in the letter that there are some harsh topics in the book but when they arise they will be discussed in a mature and appropriate fashion. Most importantly, the teacher should inform the parents of the beneficial lessons that the students will get from reading the book. If only some of the letters come back with a parent\u2019s disapproval, the teacher could still incorporate True Notebooks into a lesson by organizing literature circles.
\nWe discussed how the language shapes the characters in the story and by simply \u201cwhiting it out\u201d the reader is not getting the full understanding of who the characters really are. Yes, there are some very profane words and topics used and brought up throughout the book, but I believe if a teacher addresses these topics in an appropriate fashion, this would be a great piece of literature for older students to read. I know from my own high school experience, some students would definitely be able to relate to the story. I knew a few people who went to a juvenile hall or some sort of boot camp for poor behavior. I believe these students would be able to relate to the characters in the book the most, and maybe be inspired by them to do better for themselves. The characters in the book didn\u2019t seem like ruthless people, they were just people who did some really dumb things in the life. Even young adults who weren\u2019t delinquents might be moved by this book as I was. The delinquents in the story were not what I expected by any means. After reading and getting to know them even better page by page, I\u2019ve come to realize that most of them have kind hearts and want better for themselves but unfortunately our justice system tries them as adults and they receive just as bad punishment for the crimes they committed.
\nIf I was a secondary education teacher in training, I may consider using True Notebooks in my own classroom. I believe this novel can be used if done sensibly and appropriately for the various readers in the class. I don\u2019t believe all students would want or would get permission to read this book, but as I stated earlier, it would be a great book to use in literature circles and have students discuss the important issues the book brings about.","dateCreated":"1331006586","smartDate":"Mar 5, 2012","userCreated":{"username":"eak15171","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/eak15171","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1327605524\/eak15171-lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"51150794","dateCreated":"1330615947","smartDate":"Mar 1, 2012","userCreated":{"username":"sherrymi","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/sherrymi","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1202793136\/sherrymi-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/yalit12.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/51150794"},"dateDigested":1532921069,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Mark, Rich, Olivia, Samantha","description":"Please post your LENS responses to each other in reply to this post. Thanks! -M.S.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"51363560","body":" Dear Rich,
\n
\nMark Salzman's account of his experience working with young prisoners certainly caught and kept my attention. It deeply moved me especially with the thread of societal gender roles and the often negative results of these roles continually reaching out and pulling me in. We talked about these gender roles a little bit in class, and I hope to highlight some of the points I was making to you now that you have finished reading the book.
\n
\n One of the first things I noticed concerning gender in this book was the way the writing students seem to view females. The way they talk about the opposite sex is almost entirely based on sexual intercourse. The boys tend to objectify their female counterparts often negatively and disrespectfully. For example, one boy writes entirely about women physically in one of his pieces. \u201cMy x and a girl I was fucen with big titties was talken the hol tyme. My x was salting me up. That whole day. But in the end I stell got my pussy so I did not give a fuc\u201d (221). When discussing females, the boys tend to only discuss the sex they get from females. It is even admitted by one of the writing students that love from a woman is not valued very highly, while male to male bonds are much more idealized: \u201cLove from a female is cool an\u2019 all, but a female can change her mind. Homie love is for life\u201d (164). Furthermore, many of the boys admit to their writing teachers that they have never had serious conversations with women, and the girls admit they notice. Duane, the writing teacher that suggested this opportunity to Mark, explains, \u201cMost of the boys in my class say they\u2019ve never had a serious conversation with a girl. And the girls feel that boys have never listened to them, never taken them seriously as people\u201d (119). This statement summarizes the objectification of women by the boys, and their inexperience of treating women as fellow human beings.
\n
\nMark and other adults certainly notice the negative perception these young men have of women. For the writing class retreat, a main concern is that the boys and girls will not be able to be together because they will just try and have sex. This is expected to be the extent of the interaction between men and women. However, this is not the case at all as Mark notices that it to ends up being more like a middle school dance where everyone is shy and the opposite sexes avoid each other even when given the opportunity to sit together. The enthusiasts for the convention see it as a way for men and women to break down these stereotypes. They want them to interact and have real conversations with each other. The retreat does not end up providing a striking experience of this, but at the very least, they are able to share with each other serious writing pieces in a respectful manner.
\n
\n The highly gender specific roles of the parents in these young accused criminals lives is also central to the story. What was most interesting was how much love and respect the young men seem to have for their mothers despite their lack of respect for other females. Many of them often thought, wrote and even talked about how much they loved and missed their mothers. One of the boys, Francisco writes a quite a heartfelt letter to his mother. He describes how much he respects and listens to his mom has to say. He explains to her, \u201cI love you more than anybody in this world and I think that there isn\u2019t no better mom than you\u201d (96). Several of the boys write similar heartfelt pieces to or about their mothers that show high levels of respect for these female figures in their lives. When Mark asks them to write about their fathers, some still choose to discuss their mothers.
\n
\nWhen Mark plays his cello for a group of the inmates, he tells them that the song makes him think of his mother. As he plays he hears a rustling in the audience, \u201cI [Mark] glanced at the audience and saw a roomful of boys with tears running down their faces. The rustling that had distracted me [him] was the sound of sniffling and nose-wiping \u2013 music to any musician\u2019s ears\u201d (124). This transforms a potentially boring classical cello performance into a highly emotional and moving experience: \u201c[\u2026] it was the invocation of motherhood, not my [his] playing, that had moved the inmates so deeply\u201d (124). Despite these boys\u2019 negative, objectifying and stereotypical opinions towards women in general, a huge exception is made when the woman is their mother. Instead of disrespect, their mothers seem to epitomize respect and honor for them.
\n
\n Their fathers on the other hand seemed to be darker subjects, more ambiguous, and certainly more troubled. Unlike many of the boys crediting much of their life to their mothers, their fathers seemed to serve as catalyzers to their bad behavior. Also, when Mark suggests the boys write about their fathers there seems to be a lot of discomfort: Fathers seem to play a central role as either violent or simply missing. Without positive male figures in their lives, these boys claim to not be able to cope. One boy writes, \u201cSo by not having a fatherly figure,\/ I turned to the streets\/ And learned how to pull a trigger\u201d (299).
\n
\n Another gender role the boys often identify with is that as men, they feel unable or incapable of expressing their emotions openly. One of the boys explains that he has a split personality because he must hide his emotions. Over and over again, the boys discuss their feelings of sadness and how they all cry but no one ever talks about crying. Many describe this in a way of having a split personality or two-faces: \u201cBecause people might think you are weak and might mess with you, in my own time I sit in my room and I\u2019m a real sentimental person, but once it\u2019s time for me to go out of my room I go back to my second face\u201d (203). One boy describes his inability to hug his roommate, his friend once he leaves. This is unsettling to him because he can only guess how much worse his expressiveness will be after several more years in prison. Many of the boys also recognize the problems that keeping all of their emotions inside have caused them. By holding in their sadness, it simply manifests itself into anger as one of the boys describes, \u201c[\u2026] all the feelings I had, they got turned into just one. Anger!\u201d (109). This anger then leads them to make bad decisions that ultimately land them into gangs, violence and even jail. Notably, even Mark can relate to this as he references his own inability to hug one of his student writers during their goodbye: \u201cWhat should have been a tender farewell became, instead, a reminder of male awkwardness\u201d (209). This moves this problem beyond just that of criminals and shows it as a societal and cultural concern rather than only a countercultural one.
\n
\n One student, Toa, writes a piece about his mother that seems to summarize this complex role of gender in these boys\u2019 lives. He discusses his mother being the foundation of his family after his father was put in jail. He depicts his mother in a loving way but strikingly juxtaposes this with his own violent nature: \u201cMy mom\u2019s kind, sensitive, loving, and if you take all that as a sign of weakness fuck you\u2019 cause I ain\u2019t nothin\u2019 like that and she\u2019s my heart so killing you secures somebody I love and that\u2019s how much I love her, that I\u2019ll kill without remorse. Even though she don\u2019t like what I do, my mom\u2019s my world. I love her.\u201d (304). This troubling piece shows a young boy without a father who has a positive adult figure in his life who he respects, his mother, but turns to violence nonetheless. These students\u2019 view of women paradoxically as objects and as role models reveals a complex situation. Furthermore, the inability for many of them to feel emotionally connected with their fathers and to be openly emotional beings seems to add to their struggles and many blame these things on the sources or roots of their current issues. Rich, I see this as one example of the limiting gender roles of our society manifesting to cause hurt and turmoil in these boys\u2019 lives.
\n
\n With Love,
\n Olivia Rios","dateCreated":"1331060346","smartDate":"Mar 6, 2012","userCreated":{"username":"osr36780","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/osr36780","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1327607145\/osr36780-lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"51150748","dateCreated":"1330615919","smartDate":"Mar 1, 2012","userCreated":{"username":"sherrymi","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/sherrymi","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1202793136\/sherrymi-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/yalit12.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/51150748"},"dateDigested":1532921069,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Colleen, Regina E., Brittanie L., Gina S.","description":"Please post your LENS responses to each other in reply to this post. Thanks! -M.S.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"51311606","body":"Gina Ercolani
\nTrue Notebooks by Mark Salzman
\nLens 3
\n3\/6\/12
\nTrue Notebooks by Mark Salzman is about when Mark spent a year at Juvenile Hall. He writes about his experience there with the boys and how it has changed him. He puts the writing the boys did while in his class. What I really liked about this book is how open the boys were with their writing. The expressed how they felt, where you could really feel their pain. This is something I do not even know if I would be able to do with my own writing. While reading the book one of my favorite parts is on page 76 and Kevin asked, \u201cSo why do you come here Mark?\u201d and Mark asks why do you always ask me at the end of class and Kevin says, \u201cThat way, you\u2019ll have to come back to answer.\u201d Mark helped the boys so much by going to the class and being there for them. This experience seemed to help both Mark and the boys learn more about their self.
\nWhen we discussed True Notebooks in Dr. Sherry\u2019s class, we were put into literature circle groups which I thought was very beneficial because we were able to hear others in our group\u2019s viewpoints on the book and to talk about what we thought of the book. Something that Gina brought up in our discussion was what would be a good way to teach this book and also what would be a good grade level to teach it at. An issue with this book is the language, even though many of the children in high school have been exposed to it, their parents or some of the students may not want to read it. It is important to make sure you are allowed to use this book and say the benefits the students will gain by reading this book and being exposed to it. We said that this book could be used in 10th grade and higher. This book provides so many good lessons to learn and the students may be able to relate to some of the boys in True Notebooks. It provides a lesson where it will help the class realize they do not want to go down that road and end up in jail because of some bad decisions you made. Some lessons that we came up with that could be used in the classroom to teach this book is writing assignments or journals. Also the whole time the class is reading the book, come up with different topics and the students can write their own true notebooks, the children would write very openly like the boys did about topics that are given or something they feel strongly about. This book could be used for a creative writing unit, it can help the students become better writers, can write however they want and they can compare it to formal and informal writing and will learn more about it in a whole group discussion. Another way this book could be used in the classroom is have them write three short stories and put the students into small groups and the stories have to be two true and a false story. We also talked about if in the classroom would you rather teach Monster or True Notebooks? My literature circle group said we would rather teach True Notebooks because it gives the different boys viewpoints on jail and how they were in gangs or how their life changed because of an event that happened. If a teacher does decide to teach both Monster and True Notebooks you could use this as a lesson to compare the two books.
\nThis book was very interesting and would be beneficial to teach in a high school class. The students would learn so much and would open their eyes to what would they do if they were put in a situation like this and were in jail. True Notebooks could be used in many other ways than just what my group discussed in our literature circle groups. It will keep the students engaged and also learning life lessons.","dateCreated":"1330976161","smartDate":"Mar 5, 2012","userCreated":{"username":"ginaercolani","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/ginaercolani","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"51336492","body":"True Notebooks tells the story of a man who decided to spend a year teaching in a detention center for juvenile offenders. It details his experiences bonding and learning from the boys. He is surprised by what he finds in these boys who have been given up on by the majority of people in their lives. The book reveals a lot about how we treat juvenile offenders and offenders in general in our country. Because they have committed a crime these boys are given substandard housing, bland food, and not many comforts that we take for granted, like air conditioning. Now while I agree that offenders should be punished for their crimes, these boys are punished even before their trials happen. They are assumed guilty even before they have the chance to defend themselves. Now the book itself doesn\u2019t tell us enough about the individual cases to decide for ourselves if they are guilty or not but the book shows each boy being dehumanized in the same way that the boy in Monster was.
\nIn our group meetings one of the things that two people had brought up was how the boys began to blend together and how we kept forgetting who was who. I think this says a lot not only about the structure of the book but also how we see juvenile offenders in our country. Each boy was seen as similar in a way because they all were in the center for murder but the situations that spurred the boys on to that action are very different. However, the way that they are incorporated into the book, one boy after another after another makes them all seem very similar. I think Salzman does this on purpose to show how we often treat the offenders the same no matter the circumstances behind their actions. Many of the boys are minority students living in high risk areas. It makes me wonder how much prejudice existed in each of their cases and how much people truly wanted to help them. The only boys who stand out are the boys who had been there from the beginning and only because Mark went to the one\u2019s trial. Salzman developed these boys in particular to try and show them as more than just prisoners or criminal offenders. He showed them as people; with problems, with regrets, with fears. Just like you and me.","dateCreated":"1331009104","smartDate":"Mar 5, 2012","userCreated":{"username":"cdb50320","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/cdb50320","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"51359014","body":"Britannie,
\nI thought you raised a very important question last week in our literature circle discussion. Clearly, True Notebooks can definitely be read and viewed controversially, especially within a classroom of students. When you began to raise doubts about what grade level this book should be taught to, how we as teachers should approach the teaching of it, and if we should even expose this book containing slander and cursing to our students in the first place, it gave me many things to think about. First, I wanted to think about the bigger picture and decide if there is a lesson to be learned within the pages of this book, which, I think there is. I believe students will hopefully be able to learn from the mistakes of the boys, preventing themselves from making similar mistakes and finding themselves in the same, unfortunate shoes as the boys in the book. As far as a grade level is concerned, I would not teach this book to any students below 10th grade. By then, whether parents want to admit it or not, students have probably been exposed to worse language and profanity than what they will come across in this text. However, I think it is up to us as the teacher to approach the teaching of this language correctly and clear up any misconceptions and misunderstandings. You also proposed a great idea about sending home a letter to parents explaining the text, pointing out its controversial topics, but also explaining the benefits students will gain from reading and analyzing it properly. Britannie, overall, I think you had excellent ideas, as well as important questions that had to be asked prior to this text being implemented into reading curriculum. By raising those hard questions, you made me truly think about why and if this text should be taught. However, after answering those tough questions to the best of my ability, I know how a concrete explanation as to why this book should be included in a high school classroom.","dateCreated":"1331055919","smartDate":"Mar 6, 2012","userCreated":{"username":"GinaScrafano0316","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/GinaScrafano0316","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"51376718","body":"The overriding factor in the discussion of True Notebooks was should it be taught in the classroom and how as a future teacher will you approach adversity to it from parents, students, school board, etc. Gina kept bringing this topic up when talking about it. Even though it does not have to do with the plot of the book I feel as though it is a key issue. Introducing True Notebooks into a classroom of young adults is only exposing them to what they face on a daily basis. The language used in the book is found in the media and everyday conversation. The language presented in the book should not be the main focus. The book is about young men who have committed murder and are finding a way to express themselves through writing. It shows that education is key. Perhaps if these young men were offered a better education and had some form of adult to look up to then maybe they would not be placed in the predicament that they are currently in. It may be too late but Mark Salzman is trying to offer these young men some form of redemption through their writings. The language in the book is a bit risqu\u00e9. However, it makes the novel. This is a true account of young men in a juvenile detention center. To chastise them for using language that is common vernacular to them is slapping their culture in the face. Students are talking like this on a daily basis. Like I said before, the emphasis of the book should not be placed on the language, but on the content and lesson it is trying to teach.","dateCreated":"1331076867","smartDate":"Mar 6, 2012","userCreated":{"username":"BrittannieLuscavage","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/BrittannieLuscavage","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1348521717\/BrittannieLuscavage-lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"51150598","dateCreated":"1330615848","smartDate":"Mar 1, 2012","userCreated":{"username":"sherrymi","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/sherrymi","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1202793136\/sherrymi-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/yalit12.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/51150598"},"dateDigested":1532921069,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Mary Kate, Natalie, Aaron, Brittany V., Mary S.","description":"Please post your LENS responses to each other in reply to this post. Thanks! -M.S.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"51344320","body":"Mary Stopford
\nY.A. Lit.
\nTransmedial LENS
\nMarch 6, 2012
\n
\n During the literary circle discussion, Brittany brought up concerns that the inmates in Mark Salzman\u2019s book True Notebooks were being told to write with formal language. At first, I did not see this as a problem because I believed that learning to write more formally could help them in the future. However, I soon began to think about just how much these inmates were already being told to hide in addition to their own vernacular. They have to hide their true emotions and put on a tough face everyday, so maybe it is unfair of Salzman to encourage the boys to hide yet another part of themselves. In order to represent this idea of the boys having to constantly hide who they truly are, I made a mask out of construction paper. On the inside of the mask I have written some things that the boys are forced to hide, such as friendships and tears. I also have a quote from a poem Jimmy, one of Salzman\u2019s students, wrote in which he feels like he has two faces. The need for different personas seems almost to be tearing the inmates apart.","dateCreated":"1331040643","smartDate":"Mar 6, 2012","userCreated":{"username":"mas35372","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/mas35372","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"51375132","body":"Aaron Pebley
\nY.A. Literature
\nCritical Standpoint
\nMarch 6, 2012
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\n(sorry if it's a bit long lol)
\n
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\nDuring our discussion classes, or rather, literary circles of discussing True Notebooks, one topic came up the very first day. It may seem like I\u2019m getting off topic with what the discussion was about but these are the points I\u2019m making towards what we began talking about. (I\u2019m horrible about remembering names so you\u2019ll likely know who you are) The topic was whether or not the events and\/or characters within a piece of literature made you more likely to read it or less likely. This thought has been mulled over in my mind since then and I still am unable to come up with a specific side I would take. As I mentioned within our group and so it\u2019s not just one side attacking another point of view, I think it really depends on the content and the person. Some enjoy the fictional aspect, knowing the characters aren\u2019t real and are just a figment of the author\u2019s imagination. Others like a more documentary standpoint where the people and events that transpire are real. It really depends on the person and how they view it really.
\nFor me, as someone who sparsely reads and has great difficulty getting into a book, relation is important. For True Notebooks, the fact that it was teacher related in a manner of speaking, it held great interest in me. Each one of the students can be compared or contrasted to what you can possibly expect within an actual classroom. The fact that this book\u2019s characters and events were recalled from memory gives it a somewhat different edge. The characters within aren\u2019t as real but still hold a certain reality to them. The struggling teacher and writer troubled with bad experiences about his teaching past and stuck in his writing not sure if he can cope with handling these juveniles. It isn\u2019t uncommon for a new teacher to be uncertain about what he or she is going to do when being placed into a new environment.
\nAlso as Mark works with these kids, it shows how each is more like a regular student in an expected classroom. What makes this relatable and more enticing to read, from my point of view, was the fact that I could see these teens as \u2018students\u2019 in a regular classroom, each filling almost a specific role. Fransisco could be related to as the one teacher\u2019s would just see as a \u2018bad egg\u2019 or simply push aside from his delinquent mishaps entering the \u2018class.\u2019 Even when he initially was placed into Mark\u2019s writing class they were skeptical about allowing him in. It turns out he was a very bright writer, and really not a bad kid, he just needed someone to listen to him and to encourage him. Nethanial could easily be described as the kind of student that would be the \u2018class clown.\u2019 He is brilliant on his own but couldn\u2019t sit still, which made me think right off the bat: \u201che has ADHD.\u201d Benny was ridiculed when he initially entered the class, the typical \u2018nerdy\u2019 type of character and was even treated as such. He was teased and ridiculed by his fellow \u2018classmates\u2019 which is seen often when there is a student who stands out in terms of academic success in the classroom. Jimmy was the collected one, following orders and also acted respectful towards Mark, as did Kevin. They are the kinds of students most teacher hope to have, everyone wants to have a class full of Jacksons or Wu\u2019s. Jimmy always helped the teacher out when he needed something explained, filling him in on details he might have missed or would just be unfamiliar with whereas Kevin just was well behaved but almost to the point where he wouldn\u2019t speak unless urged to. Some students like that need to be reinforced in a way to get them to really show what they\u2019re capable of, usually surprising themselves with what the find out about themselves.
\nThis is how the book was made relatable and easier to read for me, I wasn\u2019t able to elaborate fully during the class period we had about why I was easily able to get into this book. It was because I placed myself in Mark\u2019s shoes as a teacher in a classroom and was easily able to see the types of students within. Labeling them is a little unfair but it would just be observational, being able to depict what kinds of problems you need to work with and how you can work with them individually to bring out the best of their abilities. I admit that I was judgmental at first about some of the character and immediately placed them in these types of roles. This is just the mindset I\u2019ve grown to while I was growing up in school and how it\u2019s usually portrayed even on T.V. This is a viewpoint that I\u2019ve grown up around and as a future teacher I won\u2019t use these labels against the students I teach but to better teach them in my subject matter.","dateCreated":"1331074286","smartDate":"Mar 6, 2012","userCreated":{"username":"adp97913","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/adp97913","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"51383150","body":"Like Aaron, I found the topic of emotional reactions to fiction vs. non-fiction to be the most interesting thing we discussed in out literature circle. Before we could even broach the subject, we needed to determine whether or not the book was based on actual events. After determining that "True Notebooks" is, in fact, non-fiction, we discussed whether or not we would have had the same emotional reaction to the book if it had been based on reality but was still largely fictional. Most of us felt that we wouldn't have been as strongly effected by the book if it hadn't been non-fiction, while one member of our group insisted that that if an author writes well and connects to with the reader on an emotional level, it doesn't matter if it's fiction or non-fiction. I guess it all depends on the reader.","dateCreated":"1331084975","smartDate":"Mar 6, 2012","userCreated":{"username":"nma97219","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/nma97219","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1327605236\/nma97219-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"51390522","body":"I deeply enjoyed our discussions on the differences between formal and informal writing. I would like to take our discourse and apply through the lens of \u201creader-as-writer\u201d. I wonder if this text would influence you on wether to write formally or informally. One of the most important things that you brought up to the groups attention was that it was important for these children to understand a formal way of writing in order to increase their chances of succeeding in their future lives. But as we also discussed many other great writers have written in unconventional dialects and met great success such as Toni Morrison. So my question is how would this book influence your writing. Do you believe there should be this change when writing is in this venue?
\n It is hard to tell what Salzman thinks on the subject because the content switches so drastically between the two. Although his writing contained discourse in the vernacular when it went to the journal entries they were incredibly formal. If he had taught the children to write in this fashion but his own differs to what we would consider to be informal is Salzman suggesting that the formal must be learned before someone is capable of utilizing an informal or different style? In many ways I agree with you that the formal must be taught and taught in a way that does degrade other forms of writing. In my personal writing and views on how it should be taught, I feel that it should be more open to other styles. I would have found the journal entries more genuine if they held the vernacular language. I would have felt closer to the character because I think when switching to the formal they lose part of their unique voice. Then again it is hard to step outside of that learning because I suppose even now I\u2019m writing in the necessary formal in order to succeed, thus proving your point that the formal was needed.","dateCreated":"1331099698","smartDate":"Mar 6, 2012","userCreated":{"username":"blv68546","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/blv68546","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]}],"more":false},"comments":[]},"http":{"code":200,"status":"OK"},"redirectUrl":null,"javascript":null,"notices":{"warning":[],"error":[],"info":[],"success":[]}}