Monday, September 8, 2008

International Literacy Day

International Literacy Day always sneaks up on me! This year my first e-mail of the day congratulated me for being quoted in the Vancouver Sun. When I skimmed the paper there was a piece by children's writer, Melanie Jackson, who also works for the BC School Trustees' Association who had interviewed me last June for a piece for the BC School Trustees' Association newsletter so surprise, surprise! Here's the link!
One of my friends e-mailed me Friday, "the classes are organized and now the real work begins..." I have to say I always loved the beginning of the year, like a new fresh slate, figuring out all those new personalities and starting everything new with so many possibilities... And of course each year I was going to get it right this time!
And a bit more on International Literacy Day, if you are interested in learning about how students in Africa working collaboratively with students in Washington D.C. find out about Reading Across Continents- Connecting Students and Teachers around the World via Technology and Literature.
Here's a great quote from one of the authors involved in this project, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Nigerian author of Purple Hibiscus) "It is important that we recognize the equal humanity with the people in whom we share this world. It is important for us to conceive a world in which different is just different and not better or worse. I am obviously biased but I think that Literature is the best way to combat this stereotype, to come closer to a common idea of humanity".

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