Diversity in Literature

My name is Emily Lewalski and I am a senior at Michigan State University majoring in Elementary Education with a concentration in Language Arts. I believe that providing diverse literature for students in extremely important for their development in today's world. Many children are not exposed to the vast diversity that exists, and it is essential that they see accurate and nonstereotypical depictions of cultures that may differ from those that they most directly experience. I am really looking forward to exploring the texts in TE 448 and broadening my own perspective as I prepare to enter the teaching world. Previous to this course, I have not really concentrated on books in relation to their cultural characteristics (except for those that are written specifially to address issues of a particular culture) and I am excited to develop a new lens for reading and interpreting texts.