The literacy program “Reading Across Continents” provides an interactive experience for both teachers and students in their reading of multicultural literature. The program has two communication components: a blog and an e-mail exchange. Through a blog monitored by their teachers, students in Washington, DC and Abuja are writing to one another about books from both countries. Currently, American and Nigerian teachers are developing a conceptual framework to get their students thinking about their own and their counterparts’ “way of seeing.” Working together, these teachers generate assignments that challenge their students and themselves to think about the books, not only in terms of their particular cultural perspectives but also those of their international counterparts. The professional collaboration of teachers also creates dialogue about their life experiences. Similarly, students are matched with an overseas buddy through an e-mail exchange. Writing about their lives, they can discover shared meanings and the surprise of misunderstandings.
The International Reading Association (IRA) has established a partnership among the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU), the District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL) and The Oracle Group so that the pilot of “Reading Across Continents” can serve as a model of best practices. This is evident in the selection of a magnet senior high school, School Without Walls, known for its academic standing and global focus. The pilot brings together two Advanced Placement English classes from School Without Walls in Washington, DC with students from the Government Day Secondary School, Gwagwalada, and Regina Pacis College in Abuja, Nigeria. The Nigerian schools have been chosen by the International Reading Association based on their long term professional relationship. Significantly, the high-level involvement of DCPS officials ensures that the program will be implemented throughout the school system.
The authors of the two chosen books Copper Sun (United States) by Sharon Draper and Purple Hibiscus (Nigeria) by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie will be speaking with students in Washington, DC and Abuja, respectively. In both locations, the programs will be simulcast abroad permitting American and Nigerian students to see and hear one another in real time.
The reciprocal nature of “Reading Across Continents” makes it unique. Both groups of students in the United States and Nigeria will reflect upon their reading and correspondence in journals. The pilot program includes travel for three American students and the two teachers from School Without Walls to Abuja, Nigeria. Six students, three from each location, have been selected to have their cross-cultural experiences documented in a film. These students differ in their reading abilities, and they represent as well various ethnic groups in both countries. Their individual stories of academic progress and changes in perception will be recorded.
For more information on Reading Across Continents,
Please contact Mocha Ochoa at (301) 461-6925
www.readingacrosscontinents.com |
