tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post6004148541006608226..comments2024-03-26T07:07:14.304-07:00Comments on Teacher Tom: Banning BooksTeacher Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14606781724784785338noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-80159231472250158862012-01-22T19:57:42.816-08:002012-01-22T19:57:42.816-08:00Tom,
Thank you for this discussion. I had just hea...Tom,<br />Thank you for this discussion. I had just heard about the book banning briefly on the news - it saddens me terribly.<br />I'm sorry - but there is something surreal about book banning in this day and age - I truly find myself wondering how people can have elected individuals like this individual, and then allow him to do this. <br />I love the Shakespeare story from your family...and as Floor Pie points out perhaps the kids will then be more motiviated to read the banned books.<br />BrendaMullin Avenue Workshophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09489785153205822301noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-9529797398536273832012-01-22T18:21:13.953-08:002012-01-22T18:21:13.953-08:00Five or so years ago, I went to hear Sam Meisels t...Five or so years ago, I went to hear Sam Meisels talk. He said he had testified before Congress about the need to fund EC programs. They told him to come back when he could demonstrate the effectiveness of such programs. He returned with the positive data showing the value of the Perry Preschool Project. There was a different party in power, though, and his testimony had little effect. What he said has stuck with me. He said:"Idelogy trumps data." I think we can safely add that ideology trumps data and reasoned argument. TomTom Bedardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04427750320077815023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-76307687021745489602012-01-22T11:41:13.838-08:002012-01-22T11:41:13.838-08:00I hadn't heard about the Arizona thing (or abo...I hadn't heard about the Arizona thing (or about the "okay to spank a baby" theory. WTF, people?) Josephine is absolutely right. Many teachers present a "colonizer/colonized" reading of The Tempest. If the school district hasn't banned the entire Shakespeare canon, maybe teachers could replace The Tempest with other plays that work with that reading. Or, like I said on FB, how about Measure for Measure? Government locking people up for immorality. Strong stuff.<br /><br />One unintended positive side of book banning is that it can make students more interested in reading. Suddenly Shakespeare seems less "boring" and irrelevant if it's got the adults so worked up. It makes literature political and charged again, instead of dusty, static, and canonized. Hopefully some of these students will go out and read The Tempest on their own.Floor Piehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06533240227865369012noreply@blogger.com