Stunning performance, tragic and uplifting - Chicano poetry, dialog, humour, amazing singing and dancing, video montage ...
"Saturday was a night of celebration on-stage and off for Su Teatro, Denver's 39-year-old Chicano theater company. It was their opening performance since taking ownership of the Denver Civic Theater "el corazon de la ciudad" — in the heart of the city — at 721 Santa Fe Drive. In front of a rare capacity crowd at the long-neglected Civic — a boisterous throng of 325 that included Interior Secretary Ken Salazar — Su Teatro offered a glimpse of the expanded artistry we can expect now that they're performing on a stage four times bigger than the one they've left behind at the old Elyria school in north Denver. This original, bilingual musical production, written by longtime writing partners Anthony J. Garcia and Daniel Valdez and running through Oct. 30, is a celebration of Sacramento poet laureate Jose Montoya, best known for "El Louie." It's a wrenching, angry poem about the discrimination and disregard a Chicano soldier faces during and after serving in the Korean war. He's a pachuco, from that marginalized generation of Mexican-American youths who sported zoot suits and developed their own gangster culture in the 1940s."
Full report and photos: The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/theater/ci_16389953
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
CALCON10 – Colorado Association of Libraries conference
Illumination & transformation – an electrifyingly apt theme for a librarians’ conference with a focus on advocacy and literacy! The session I attended on Saturday 9 October was a great opportunity to make contact with academic and teacher-librarians from around Colorado and to enjoy some stimulating presentations and discussion.
In an exciting start to the day, as Lorrie drove me in her snazzy red Porsche to the conference venue at Loveland, about an hour from Denver. Fun to venture out into the prairie, with the Rockies to our west with first snow on the higher peaks. Nice to catch up with Lando and Cindy from Auraria Library at the conference.
Lauren Myracle, a star author of fiction for tweens and teens, spoke honestly and compellingly about her experiences as a censored author. The audience cheered her resilience in the face of some public and administrative attempts to ban or restrict access to her publications – to the extent that she is currently no. 1 on the American Library Association’s list of challenged authors. The graciousness, fun and compassion that she radiated contrasted with the almost rabid emails she read from “the noisy few”, people accusing her of corrupting young people, pedophilia, and even Satanism! She described the hurt these messages cause her, especially the ones accusing her of being an unfit parent (she has 3 children who she reads her books to). But she considers that many of the angry reactions reflect fear and misunderstanding. And she also pointed to research that shows children tend to put down fiction they are not yet ready for. So in her replies, she is consistently courteous, expresses regret that people don’t like her books, acknowledges that no books are to everyone’s taste – then gently explains that she is writing through young people’s eyes, to entertain and support them as they wrestle with issues that are often urgent and painful to them, but which many adults (especially parents) are unaware of or unable to discuss. She also encourages parents to engage more with their children; when a parent was enraged that her 10 year old asked ‘what’s an erection’ after reading one of her books, she commended the person for being the kind of parent that her daughter could ask such a question, and to remain open to future discussion. Lauren Myracle books to look out for include: Eleven; Twelve; Thirteen; Love you bunches; Kissing Kate; TTYL. And see her terrific animated web page: http://laurenmyracle.com//
Roberta Stevens, president of the American Library Association (ALA) spoke insightfully about the impacts of social and technological change on the roles of libraries and information professionals. Exciting that she raised several issues close to my heart! Role of libraries and librarians in the community: Roberta stated that libraries are the “heart and mind of the community”. The are also “lifelines’ and “first responders” in times of natural and economic distress, able to deliver essential information and e-government services. (eg. Huricane Katrina, WFC). Librarians have a unique opportunity to be 21st century leaders in the global economy as long as they respond to changing expectations and needs of information users. In line with this, she spoke about “blended librarians” – a great term, that indicates a need for librarians with knowledge and expertise in both traditional formats and online tools, who support users as online communicators and creators, who can envision library services for the future and have skills to develop and implement new service models according to changing contexts.
Library (re)design: Roberta indicated that while library environments have tended to be designed to suit administrative purposes, there is now a positive shift towards library design that suits the needs and ways of the using community. Library users should be involved in designing their library spaces and services, and these should reflect the collaborative styles of younger people today as well as the lifelong learning needs and information using preferences of older people – ie. we need to be user-centred and inclusive!
Information literacy – informed learning: Roberta emphasized the role of libraries in developing knowledge and 21st century library users’ skills. “Libraries are about people, how they learn, use information and participate in their community”. Evidence based practice: Roberta emphasized the need for advocacy, based on solid evidence and illustrated by individual stories, to ensure that all stakeholders are aware of the value of libraries in the lives of users and success of communities.
Greatly encouraging from teacher-librarian perspective, Roberta is a former TL (prior to Library of Congress). Early in her talk, she acknowledged the important contribution TLs make to libraries and education. Towards the end, she called for collaborative partnerships between the local, school and academic communities to increase the reach of influence of libraries generally.
Also a heart and mind tingling presentation by John Creighton, a Colorado-based public policy researcher and community organizer. His main point was that libraries and information professionals need to respond to changing ways that people are engaging with information – in particular, that people now value expertise but reject authority. People want to find their own information and control it themselves, and then consult experts in applying the information. Eg: Previously patients have tended to rely on their doctor, as authority, for information about a disease and instructions to follow. Now, increasingly a patient who is diagnosed with a disease seeks out information online about the nature of the disease, alternative treatments etc, and often will compare this information with friends, family, online communities; then the patient returns to the GP or specialist and requests (even insists on) a particular course of action, thus diminishing the doctor’s power and authority. The problem is that the quality and reliability of the ‘experts’ that people rely on varies greatly, and the information is often provided by lay people or volunteers – eg. Support group blogs, Expedia hotel reviewers. In other words, people want to make informed choices – they don’t want to be told what to do. Therefore, libraries and librarians have a vital role in supporting people make “informed choices” – yay!
How can libraries and librarians enable people to make informed choices? According to John:
** Create, identify and organize information options
** Inform and facilitate satisfying choices
** Give people access to tools of production, distribution, participation and collaboration
** Enable people to form ad hoc short term and long term communities
** Help people sustain action and community over time
** Help people stay connected
Lorrie Evans, from Auraria Library UCD (and my snazzy driver!) presented a thoughtful and practical session about assessment of information literacy. She engaged her audience by asking them upfront several questions, which she later explained served as a mini pre-test or learning needs analysis. Nice strategy! She also pointed out that in addition to assessing existing knowledge, a well designed pre-test can become a useful learning experience. She also indicated the importance of linking assessment to learning objectives (or outcomes) of the course (unit of study) or program. In addition, assessment can be usefully linked to a research question that the students need to address. She pointed out that this approach to assessment of student learning is far richer and more useful than counting stats of student attendance or numbers of sessions. Good on you Lorrie!
Cindy Hashert, Lorrie Evans and I enjoyed the collaborative experience of preparing and hosting an unconference session entitled: Informed learning: Re-energisng information literacy. This offered the opportunity for a productive conversation on principles and practice of informed learning within academic and school library contexts and identified interesting points for further development.
An unexpected bonus was the lunchtime meeting of CASL, the Colorado Association of School Librarians. It was interesting to hear concerns and ideas of local TLs/School Media Specialists. They seem to experience similar challenges to Australian TLs, with regard to often limited funding and recognition of the TL role in schools, and consequent under-staffing or non-existence of libraries in schools. Even so, they were passionate in their commitment to raising awareness of the value of school libraries and supporting students; they planned advocacy strategies, including a letter-writing/email campaign to local media. I look forward to making further contact with some of these TLs and visiting their schools, and/or establishing links with Australian TLs, perhaps online via Elluminate.
In an exciting start to the day, as Lorrie drove me in her snazzy red Porsche to the conference venue at Loveland, about an hour from Denver. Fun to venture out into the prairie, with the Rockies to our west with first snow on the higher peaks. Nice to catch up with Lando and Cindy from Auraria Library at the conference.
Lauren Myracle, a star author of fiction for tweens and teens, spoke honestly and compellingly about her experiences as a censored author. The audience cheered her resilience in the face of some public and administrative attempts to ban or restrict access to her publications – to the extent that she is currently no. 1 on the American Library Association’s list of challenged authors. The graciousness, fun and compassion that she radiated contrasted with the almost rabid emails she read from “the noisy few”, people accusing her of corrupting young people, pedophilia, and even Satanism! She described the hurt these messages cause her, especially the ones accusing her of being an unfit parent (she has 3 children who she reads her books to). But she considers that many of the angry reactions reflect fear and misunderstanding. And she also pointed to research that shows children tend to put down fiction they are not yet ready for. So in her replies, she is consistently courteous, expresses regret that people don’t like her books, acknowledges that no books are to everyone’s taste – then gently explains that she is writing through young people’s eyes, to entertain and support them as they wrestle with issues that are often urgent and painful to them, but which many adults (especially parents) are unaware of or unable to discuss. She also encourages parents to engage more with their children; when a parent was enraged that her 10 year old asked ‘what’s an erection’ after reading one of her books, she commended the person for being the kind of parent that her daughter could ask such a question, and to remain open to future discussion. Lauren Myracle books to look out for include: Eleven; Twelve; Thirteen; Love you bunches; Kissing Kate; TTYL. And see her terrific animated web page: http://laurenmyracle.com//
Roberta Stevens, president of the American Library Association (ALA) spoke insightfully about the impacts of social and technological change on the roles of libraries and information professionals. Exciting that she raised several issues close to my heart! Role of libraries and librarians in the community: Roberta stated that libraries are the “heart and mind of the community”. The are also “lifelines’ and “first responders” in times of natural and economic distress, able to deliver essential information and e-government services. (eg. Huricane Katrina, WFC). Librarians have a unique opportunity to be 21st century leaders in the global economy as long as they respond to changing expectations and needs of information users. In line with this, she spoke about “blended librarians” – a great term, that indicates a need for librarians with knowledge and expertise in both traditional formats and online tools, who support users as online communicators and creators, who can envision library services for the future and have skills to develop and implement new service models according to changing contexts.
Library (re)design: Roberta indicated that while library environments have tended to be designed to suit administrative purposes, there is now a positive shift towards library design that suits the needs and ways of the using community. Library users should be involved in designing their library spaces and services, and these should reflect the collaborative styles of younger people today as well as the lifelong learning needs and information using preferences of older people – ie. we need to be user-centred and inclusive!
Information literacy – informed learning: Roberta emphasized the role of libraries in developing knowledge and 21st century library users’ skills. “Libraries are about people, how they learn, use information and participate in their community”. Evidence based practice: Roberta emphasized the need for advocacy, based on solid evidence and illustrated by individual stories, to ensure that all stakeholders are aware of the value of libraries in the lives of users and success of communities.
Greatly encouraging from teacher-librarian perspective, Roberta is a former TL (prior to Library of Congress). Early in her talk, she acknowledged the important contribution TLs make to libraries and education. Towards the end, she called for collaborative partnerships between the local, school and academic communities to increase the reach of influence of libraries generally.
Also a heart and mind tingling presentation by John Creighton, a Colorado-based public policy researcher and community organizer. His main point was that libraries and information professionals need to respond to changing ways that people are engaging with information – in particular, that people now value expertise but reject authority. People want to find their own information and control it themselves, and then consult experts in applying the information. Eg: Previously patients have tended to rely on their doctor, as authority, for information about a disease and instructions to follow. Now, increasingly a patient who is diagnosed with a disease seeks out information online about the nature of the disease, alternative treatments etc, and often will compare this information with friends, family, online communities; then the patient returns to the GP or specialist and requests (even insists on) a particular course of action, thus diminishing the doctor’s power and authority. The problem is that the quality and reliability of the ‘experts’ that people rely on varies greatly, and the information is often provided by lay people or volunteers – eg. Support group blogs, Expedia hotel reviewers. In other words, people want to make informed choices – they don’t want to be told what to do. Therefore, libraries and librarians have a vital role in supporting people make “informed choices” – yay!
How can libraries and librarians enable people to make informed choices? According to John:
** Create, identify and organize information options
** Inform and facilitate satisfying choices
** Give people access to tools of production, distribution, participation and collaboration
** Enable people to form ad hoc short term and long term communities
** Help people sustain action and community over time
** Help people stay connected
Lorrie Evans, from Auraria Library UCD (and my snazzy driver!) presented a thoughtful and practical session about assessment of information literacy. She engaged her audience by asking them upfront several questions, which she later explained served as a mini pre-test or learning needs analysis. Nice strategy! She also pointed out that in addition to assessing existing knowledge, a well designed pre-test can become a useful learning experience. She also indicated the importance of linking assessment to learning objectives (or outcomes) of the course (unit of study) or program. In addition, assessment can be usefully linked to a research question that the students need to address. She pointed out that this approach to assessment of student learning is far richer and more useful than counting stats of student attendance or numbers of sessions. Good on you Lorrie!
Cindy Hashert, Lorrie Evans and I enjoyed the collaborative experience of preparing and hosting an unconference session entitled: Informed learning: Re-energisng information literacy. This offered the opportunity for a productive conversation on principles and practice of informed learning within academic and school library contexts and identified interesting points for further development.
An unexpected bonus was the lunchtime meeting of CASL, the Colorado Association of School Librarians. It was interesting to hear concerns and ideas of local TLs/School Media Specialists. They seem to experience similar challenges to Australian TLs, with regard to often limited funding and recognition of the TL role in schools, and consequent under-staffing or non-existence of libraries in schools. Even so, they were passionate in their commitment to raising awareness of the value of school libraries and supporting students; they planned advocacy strategies, including a letter-writing/email campaign to local media. I look forward to making further contact with some of these TLs and visiting their schools, and/or establishing links with Australian TLs, perhaps online via Elluminate.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
