Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Introductions

Image Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/crobj/3802585554/

Welcome to the FRIT 7134 2010 Intellectual Freedom blog! I'm Judi Repman and I teach one section of the class this semester. I've been on the faculty at Georgia Southern since 1997 and love to talk about IF issues! The book I've selected this semester is Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson.

Use the comments button to add your introduction to the blog--and let the festival begin!

70 comments:

  1. Hello,
    I'm Stephanie Jones; I am teaching a section of FRIT 7134 this semester. This is my second semester teaching at Georgia Southern and I am really enjoying it. The book I have chosen to read is Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, partly because my stepdaughter Janet loves it so much.

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  2. Hello,
    I'm Karen Field and I am a student in the Instructional Technology Program at GSU. I have chosen Maya Angelou's biography I Know Why the Caged Bird sings because my students find it such a rich poetry text. This is powerful coming-of-age story.

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  3. Hello,
    I'm Erin Compton and I am a student in FRIT 7134 with Dr. Repman. I have chosen the book "And Tango Makes Three" by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson. I teach 2nd grade and wanted a book that I would relate to (age wise) where I am in my profession right now.

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  4. Hi, I'm Cindy Smith, I am a student in FRIT 7134 with Dr. Repman. I have decided to read I know why the caged bird sings by Maya Angelou. I have always wanted to read one of her books and now have a deadline to do it in. I need deadlines. I am looking forward to blogging with everyone.

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  5. Hello,

    I am Lauren Dailey, and I am a student in the Instructional Technology program. I am currently in Dr. Repman's FRIT 7134 class. I have chosen to read Bridge to Terabithia as my banned book. I chose this book because I have never read it, and because students at my middle school are currently reading it. I wanted to know why the ALA banned it, and form my own opinions about it as a book.

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  6. Hello,
    I'm Donna James and I am a student of the Instructional Technology program and currently taking FRIT 7134 with Dr. Repman. I have chosen Uncle Bobby's Wedding. I currently teach 2nd grade and this would be a book on my students' level. Coming from a small school and community, I know this book would be controversial. When searching the public library system, there were only two copies available through the regional library system. The person at the circulation desk told me there were only two copies in the state. I wanted to see for myself just how controversial this book really is.

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  7. Hello Everyone!
    My name is Autumn Schaffer and I am in my second semester of the Master’s of Instructional Technology Program. I am also on the Media Specialist certification track. I am currently enrolled in Dr. Repman’s FRIT 7134’s course. I chose the picture book Uncle Bobby’s Wedding by Sarah S. Brannen. It was published in 1998 and was also placed on the ALA’s most frequently challenged book list in that year. It appears to be an adorable story about a guinea pig that is upset and anxious about losing her favorite uncle’s love as he prepares to marry his boyfriend. This book focuses upon the acceptance of homosexuality and gay marriage, which may or may not be appropriate for primary school students.

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  8. Hello,
    I am Shauna Sanders and I am a student in Dr. Jones' section of FRIT 7134. I am currently a media specialist in an elementary school. I have chosen to read the book: ttfn by Lauren Myracle. I have a young daughter and this book I'm sure is just going to prepare me for some of the interesting things that my daughter may be exposed to in years to come. Having said that, I pray that I will learn from this book how to help my daughter to avoid some of the circumstances these girls get themselves into. This book is questionable due to its sexual content, bad language and discussion of teens and drugs.

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  9. Greetings,
    I am Latosha Bacon, a middle school language arts and reading teacher seeking school librarian certification. I am enrolled in 7134 Collection Development and Organization with Dr. Repman. As a requirement for this course’s Intellectual Freedom activity, I have chosen to read “and Tango Makes Three.” This book challenges my beliefs regarding homosexuality and how it should be addressed with children. As a parent, I don’t know how I would respond if either of my children, ages 10 and 4, unknowingly selected a book about homosexuality from the school’s library. With aspirations of becoming a school librarian, I would like to know how to effectively address these books and issues when they arise in my library.

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  10. Hi,
    I'm Carla Jordan and I am in Dr. Repman's FRIT 7134 class. I work at an elementary school as the media clerk. I have chosen "And Tango Makes Three" to read. This book challenges my beliefs regarding homosexuality. I have 2 children of my own and we have already had this discussion. I will most likely let my oldest daughter read the book as well and get her thoughts.

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  11. Hi!
    My name is Lindsay Corbitt, and I am in Dr. Chester's FRIT 7134 class. I teach first grades at Kings Chapel Elementary School.

    I have chosen "And Tango Makes Three" by Peter Parnell to read. I chose this book because it was on the top ten list of banned books for 2006, 2007, and 2008. It was also on the challenged books site. I am very interested to see the different issues that I find as I read the story. Amazon.com says that the book is geared toward PreSchool- Grade 3 students and I teach first grade. I want to learn more about this book before one of my first graders picks it up to read.

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  12. Hello All,
    My name is Debbie Lindblad and I am in my second semester taking Dr. Jones section of FRIT7134. This is my first year working as a middle school MS after five years as a media clerk. I have chosen to read the book "The Fashion Disaster that Changed my Life" by Lauren Myracle. I have a problem with profanity and graphic sexual references in literature intended for preteens and this book reportedly has both. It has also been recommended for children as young as fourth grade. I'm looking forward to our discussion!

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  13. I am Candice Grant-Barr and am in Dr. Repman's section of FRIT 7134. For this activity, I chose And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell, Henry Cole (Illustrator). This book has really caused some stir with its "immoral behavior" (as one article is quoted as saying, SLJ). I haven't had much dealing with homosexuality in my small town until my brother married and his wife's brother is. I have really learned a lot and find such judgmental people to be offensive. I think this topic will be a great one to focus more on and for me to continue to grow and learn about.

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  14. Hi. I'm Carol Nimmons and I am in Dr. Chester's section of FRIT 7134 this (my first) semester. I have taught on and off since 1988 and have three children; 2 teenagers and one soon to be teenager. I have chosen Stephen Chbosky's THE PERKS OF BEING A WALL FLOWER as my book for this discussion. It has been challenged because it deals with many controversial issues; teen drug use, suicide, homosexuality, teen pregnancy, and others. Some of my former students have read this book, as has my oldest daughter. I wanted to see for myself how the book deals with these issues.

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  15. Hello,

    I am Victoria Holt, a FRIT 7134 student. I am in my 8th GSU Online class currently. I have 8 years of teaching experience and 4 years of industrial training experience.

    I have felt a little uneasy about appropriately applying the topics in our upcoming blog for quite some time.

    After reading Chapter 1 and 3 I came to the conclusion that my uneasiness was likely due to the many variations within situations related to age of student, varous statuses of the student (whether special education or age), parents wishes vs. student tendencites, etc.

    I am looking forward to learning more to advance my decision making, process, and policy making/implementation capacities.

    Victoria

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  16. Hi! My name is Brittany DeMore and I am in FRIT 7134 with Dr. Jones. I currently teach sixth grade social studies. I have chosen “The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things” by Carolyn Mackler. This book was challenged in 2006. The book was challenged for anti-family, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group. I do not agree with offensive language in books and I believe that when books are written for a certain age group you should take into consideration their maturity level. I look forward to the upcoming discussions!

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  17. Hi! My name is Laurie Bryant and I am in FRIT 7134 with Dr. Jones. I am currently on the MS certification track and this is my first semester at GSU. I teach 5th grade reading, language, and writing. I have chosen "The Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Paterson. I have never read the book, nor seen the movie. This is a novel that is recommended for 5th grade students, and I almost elected to use it this year as a unit of study, but decided to use some other novels in my classroom instead. This novel is listed on ALA's list of challenged books because of the use of the occult/satanism references and the use of offensive language. I'm curious to find out to what extent these issues are used in the book, to what references are made to satanism, and to see if this is something I would approve of to use in my classroom.

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  18. Hi,my ame is Patricia Krezinski and I am in my second semester of the Library Certification/Instructional Technology program. I am currently enrolled in FRIT 71434 with Dr. Repman. I am a media specialist in Richmond County Georgia. Although I already have a Master's Degree in Instructional Technology, I need to fill out my degree with the library/media cources I am taking now. This is my fifth year as a librarian/media specialist and I love it.
    I chose to read one of the Captain Underpants novels for my banned book. I am chosing this book because in my elementary media center this series is the most circulated set in the whole place. I want to read it to see why the kids love it so much and why it is on the banned books list several years in a row.

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  19. Hello!

    I am Tarra Renfroe, previously Jarriel, a student in Dr. Repman's 7134 course. This is my final semester in the Instructional Technology program at GSU. My current position is a third grade teacher in Houston County, but I hope to become a media specialist in the near future.

    For this activity, I have chosen Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes. My familiarity with his writing lies in his children's literature works, so I am excited about reading this novel. I must admit I am usually that person who is attracted to books that have been labeled as controversial, and find it interesting how schools respond to what critics my claim. I feel excited about conversing about some of the titles listed on this blog.

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  20. Hey! My name is Melissa Lewis and I am in Dr. Repman's section of FRIT 7134. This is my third semester in the program. I am on the media specialist track and will graduate in the summer. For this assignment I chose to read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseinni. This particular book is on several banned books lists based on the fact that it contains sensitive content and issues. I am interested in reading this book to see what in particular would cause this book to be on numerous banned lists, and to see if I feel the content merits its call to be banned.

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  21. Hello,
    My name is Stephanie Wohl and I am in FRIT 7134 with Dr. Jones. I began working on my Master's at GSU about 9 years ago while teaching pre-k in Savannah. I finished 3 classes before getting married and moving to Kansas City, KS. 2 children and 1 move back to GA later, we are now in Macon and I am 6 classes into the Instructional Technology program on-line.

    For this assignment I chose the book Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson. I was intrigued by the idea of a male's perspective as the main character. I knew from the synopsis this was not going to be anything like Harry Potter!

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  22. Hi everyone,

    I am Amanda Deems, and I am in the FRIT 7134 class taught by Dr. Jones. This is my fourth semester of classes in the media specialist certification track. I am currently working in an elementary school as a speech pathologist.

    The book that I chose is The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. This book has been described as unsuited to age group, and it contains offensive language and is sexually explicit. I usually stay away from books such as this, and that is why I chose to read it. I wanted to see what kind of content generates the comments that were made about this book. A review by School Library Journal listed Adult/High School as the grade reference.

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  23. Hi,
    I'm Tammy Stratton and am currently in Dr. Repman's FRIT 7134 class. I completed the M.A.T program last May at Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah and am currently enrolled in the M.Ed program in Instructional Technology (Media Specialist).

    I've chosen J.D. Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye" because it is a classic that I've not read and am extremely curious as to why it is banned. Interestingly enough, though I have a bachelor's in English, I don't recall discussing censorship issues or banned books in any classes. I look forward to everyone's views on their books.

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  24. Hi!
    I'm April Standard and I am currently enrolled in Dr. Repman's FRIT 7134 course. This is my sixth year teaching British Literature to seniors in Jefferson County and I hope to complete my degree in Instructional Technology in the fall- (Note- I have thoroughly enjoyed it!) :)

    I have chosen to read The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. It has been on ALA's list of challenged/banned books for several years now due to drug use, homosexuality, nudity, suicide, offensive language, and being unsuitable for the age group.

    I chose to read this book because I was raised, live, and teach in a very conservative/religious county which has strong views on homosexuality and sex. I hope to gain a better perspective on how to preserve intellectual freedom in conservative counties such as the one in which I currently reside and teach.

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  25. My name is Matt Earl and I'm a member of Dr. Jones FRIT 7134 class. The book that I would like to read is The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini. According to the ALA it was banned for offensive language, for being sexually explicit, and for being unsuited to the age group that it is intended for. I would like to know more about Middle Eastern culture, especially in Afghanistan and perhaps how things have changed and in some ways stayed the same since the mid 1970's.

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  26. Hello,
    My name is Tyler Torek and I am in Dr. Chester’s section of FRIT 7134. I too chose The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I found the book listed on the American Library Association’s top ten list of books challenged in 2008. As Matt mentioned above, the areas of concern are for offensive language, sexually explicitness, and unsuitability for suggested age groups. This title interested me because of its setting in the Afghan culture. Since our country’s involvement, I have been intrigued by history and stories from the Middle East.

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  27. My name is Jacob Johnston and I am a student in the FRIT 7134-Y02 section. I hope that next fall is my last semester in the program and I'm also working on making sure that I do my practicum while actually getting paid to be a media specialist. I haven't had any nibbles yet, but hopefully this would still qualify as being early in the process.

    The book I chose to discuss is Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye. I'm personally incredibly hard to offend, but I do recognize what would offend others and the instances of child abuse (especially the incest) would make this one especially difficult in a school setting.

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  28. Hello, I am Faith Yaughn. I am currently in Dr. Repman’s FRIT 7134 class. I work part time and am a full time grad student. I have selected the book Pinkerton, Behave by Steven Kellogg. It deals with the controversial issue of violence in a children’s picture book. It has been challenged, because some of its illustrations and choice of words are questionable. The questionable pictures show a burglar holding a gun to the head of a mother in her bed. Also, the burglar threatens the mother. I chose this book, because this type of children’s picture book makes me question if parents would approve their children being exposed to this type of violence in the literature.

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  29. Hi,
    I'm Marsha Veal and I am in the Instructional Technology program. I am taking FRIT 7134 with Ms. Stephanie Jones.
    I chose the book, "Taming the Star Runner" by S.E. Hinton. I chose this book because I have noticed it on the shelf in my classroom library and have not seen or heard of any students reading it. I thought that I would read it and maybe generate a little student interest in it.

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  30. Hello, my name is TaMisha Kimble. I teach Pre-k in Loganville, GA on the Gwinnett Co. line. I am in FRIT 7134. I have chosen to read TTYL. I have a teenage daughter that loves to IM and text message so I thought the book would be instrumental for me to understand the kind of things the kids are talking about.

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  31. Hello all! My name is Nicole Wingate, and I am in Dr. Jones's section of FRIT 7134. I am currently a stay at home mom, but taught high school English before I decided to stay at home and work on my master's degree...which I'm scheduled to graduate with in May-Woo Hoo! I have chosen to read Robert Cormier's The Chocolate War for this activity. I want to read this because it was in the English Dept's collection at my old high school, but I never read it. Also, it's interesting to me that it ranks so highly on the "banned books" list. So, I guess I want to see what all the fuss is about, and decide for myself.

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  32. Hello! My name is Stephanie Hatcher. I am a fourth grade Language Arts teacher in Effingham County. This is my 21st year of teaching and my second semester of the Masters of Instructional Technology program. I have been married for almost 23 years and have a 17 year old high school senior and an 8 year old second grader. I am in Dr. Jones's section of FRIT 7134. I chose the book "Athletic Shorts" by Chris Crutcher. I chose this book because it is about teenagers trying to find a way to fit in. I chose this because my older son has always had this struggle. Although he wasn't an athlete, he has always been a "nerd" and that made it difficult for him to find his niche. The book also deals with real life issues such as death, drugs, and bulimia; things that teenagers deal with on a daily basis. It also deals with homosexuality which is totally against my personal beliefs. I am interested in seeing how this is dealt with by the author in the setting of a high school with a group of teenagers.

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  33. Hello, I’m Ashley Campbell and I am in Dr. Chester’s section of FRIT 7134. I have chosen the banned book It’s Perfectly Normal, by Robie Harris. I choose this book because it was on the ALA's 2007 challenged book list. I was curious to see what information this book gives to kids ages 9-12. My brother who is 12 lives with me and has been asking all sorts of "growing up" questions. I am interested to see what kinds of answers this book gives, especially if it is swaying the reader to have a certain opinion about the topics.

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  34. Hi everyone! My name is JoAnna "Blair" Young, I go by Blair. I am in Dr. Chester's FRIT 7134 class this semester. I have chosen "And Tango Makes Three" by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson. I chose this book because it has topped the lists for the most controversial book for several years. This definitely sparked my interest to read it. Also, I wanted to see if this book really portrays homosexuality that reviewers have claimed. This book is one that seems difficult for a media specialist to handle so I would like to discuss this book with others.

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  35. Hi,
    I am Sara Blankenship. I am currently a Children's Librarian in a public library. I have chosen to read "The Perks of Being a Wallflower". I wanted to choose a YA book that was popular so that I could learn more about this area of the library.

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  36. Hello! My name is Chrissonna Flint and I am in Dr. Repman’s FRIT 7134 class. The title that I selected is I Hadn’t Meant to Tell You This by Jacqueline Woodson. I chose this book because Jacqueline Woodson is one of my favorite young adolescent literature authors. Her books are so powerful and she usually touches on a variety of issues in her books.

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  37. Hello! My name is Amy Walker and I am in Dr. Stephanie Jones’s FRIT 7134 class. I am pursuing a Master’s degree in Instructional Technology with media specialist certification. I have been married for 8 years and my husband and I have a 2 ½ year old daughter who keeps us busy. On top of that, I am 32 weeks pregnant with another girl! I teach 8th grade Reading in Dodge County and I love my job!
    I chose to read S.E. Hinton’s “The Outsiders” because the book has material about gangs and bullying. Thankfully, our middle school doesn’t have a gang problem like we did a couple of years ago, but it did get bad at one time. I am interested in reading this book because it could possibly help some students by making a connection to what they already know (unfortunately, the book could provide a meaningful connection to students’ environments or home life).

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  38. Hi! I am Shelley Raley and I am in Dr. Chester's 7134 online class. I currently teach 1st grade at a school in Rome Ga. I am almost finished with this program and only have 2 classes left to take after this semester.
    I chose the book "Flashcards of My Life" by Charise Mericle Harper. I chose this book because it is geared toward the ages of 9 - 12 and I have children in that age group. The book is banned because it is sexually explicit and not suited for this age group. After just a little bit of reading in the book, I can already assure you that my kids will not be reading it. I hope it gets better before I make a final decision but it has some inappropriate situations that I would not want a child of this age group to read. I would love to talk to someone else that has read the book to see what they thought about it.

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  39. Hi! I'm Jessica Andrews and I am a student in Dr. Jones' section of FRIT 7134. This is my third semester in the IT program and I am on the school media certification track. I work as a Language Arts teacher in the metro Atlanta area and have been teaching seventh graders for seven years now! I have chosen "Flashcards of My Life" as my banned book. It was banned for being sexually explicit and too mature for the age group it was written for (middle school). I am truly passionate about middle schoolers and wanted to read something that was written for this age group. I am looking forward to reading this book adn finding out what all the fuss was about!

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  40. My name is Donna Lowe and I'm in Dr. Chester's FRIT 7134 class. The book I chose is "Annie's Baby: The Diary of Anonymous, A Pregnant Teenager" by Beatrice Sparks. The author also wrote "Go Ask Alice" which is on the ALA's top 100 banned books. Though Annie's Baby isn't on the top 100, it has been banned from many schools and was taken off the shelf at my school last year after parents complained. The book is about a girl who falls madly in love with a rich 16 year old boy. She lies to her mother to attend drinking parties with him. He treats her badly and eventually rapes her. The remainder of the book explores her thoughts about her pregnancy including considering abortion. Eighth grade students at my school ask for it frequently. I understand that books like this can be good teaching tools when read with parents, but I'm not certain all books that deal with sexuality are appropriate for middle school students to read on their own.

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  41. My name is Candace Brookshire and I am in Dr. Chester's class. I am in my first semester here at Georgia Southern working on my Masters degree to become a media specialist. I chose to read the book Gossip Girl. Gossip Girl is on the banned book list. I know that the show is very popular and the episodes and characters are based on the book series. I am curious to see why this book is banned from schools.

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  42. Hi! My name is Bridgett Clarke. I am currently enrolled in FRIT 7134 wih Dr. Stephanie Jones. I am on the Library Media Certification track of the Instructional Technology Program.

    I have chosen the read "The Perks of Being a Wallflower". I chose to read this book to experience the viewpoint of the author- something different from my beliefs.

    I am looking forward to blogging with everyone!

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  43. My name is Lee Ann Pittman and I am in Dr. Chester's 7134 class. I am in my third semester of the Instructional Technology program. I actually have a marketing background, but I am working towards being a media specialist and loving every minute of it.
    I have decided to read Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily von Ziegesar. This book has explicit language and deals with sexual activity among younger girls. It has been stated that this is inappropriate for its age group. I am a very conservative christian so get ready I am definately stepping outside of my box.

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  45. Hi, my name is Rebecca Busbee. I am currently enrolled in Dr. Chester FRIT 7134 class and FRIT 7230 Selection and Development of Instructional Technology. I have been teaching middle school computers in Jones County for 6 years now. I have been married for a little over two years and have a 9 month old little girl, Anna Claire. We reside in Macon, GA.

    The book I choose for our banned book is TTYL by Laurne Myracle. I choose this book because it seems like something our middle school girls would truly enjoy reading if it wasn't for the things that it talked about.

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  46. I hope I am doing this right!! I am still getting used to this blogging, and love learning it. I am Janet Frazier. I presently teach Gifted Math in Telfair County at the Middle School. I am in Dr. Chester's FRIT 7134 and am learning SO much about technology as I glean information about Media and Media Centers! This semester I have chosen to read Bridge to Terabithia to see what all of the hype is about. The movie was heartwarming and (I think) some of my own children have read it. I know it will prove enlightening. I look forward to seeing what everyone else learns about their readings, as well.

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  47. Hello, my name is Harold Grant and I am a part of Dr. Chester's FRIT 7134 class. This have been an enlightening experience , with so much information that has been delivered about the transformation of our library system throughout the years. Currently I teach fourth grade language arts in Dekalb County Schools. The book I have chosen to read this semester is "The Chocolate War", I chose this due to its depictions of young people and their perils with fitting into society. It mirrors so many problems that we see in our schools today.

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  48. Hello
    I am Shirley Byrd, I am an Instructional Technology student at Georgia Southern, enrolled in Dr. Repman’s class. I selected,"Their Eyes Were Watching God' by Zora Neale Hurston.
    This book has remarkable resource study guides for classroom teachers to use with many themes. Check them out here.
    http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-watchinggodeyes/overview.html

    Reading this novel helps you examine the usage of figurative speech in the world around us. Connecting literary elements: Similes, metaphors, hyperboles and personifications are evident in the book and movie. The music in the movie really made the story flow. One place that we may not realize that figures of speech are at work is in our music.
    The book is a great read and exciting page turner. Think about it, all elements of Literature are clear throughout the book. Several selections were written to make the reader’s spine tingle with suspense, excitement, or mystery. The section that I found most exciting and thrilling as to why it was such a great movie was the setting, with a vast array of exciting plots, and rich characters. The setting created memorable images that were emotionally appealing. It truly addressed the needs and concerns of its audience, involving the use of colorful or rhythmic language and focused on literarily forms. As writers, you must stir up an audience; you must capture your audience emotions, upon the era in which it is written. Hurston incorporates in this book and explores the differences between women and men as well as issues of race, prejudice and class difference, and turned it into little more than a formulaic romance novel. I really must say that Zora Neale Hurston (1903-60) ranks among the most influential African writers of the 20th century, not simply for her influence on subsequent African-American writers but also for the passionate voice she gave to black culture in this country.

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  49. Hello. My name is Kirby Powers. I am finishing my master's in instructional technology this summer. I am in Dr. Chester's section of 7134 and appreciate the content in tis course. I love the program and have learned SO much about using the technology available to help my students learn. I just returned to teaching in Jan. after a year and a half off with my 2 year old son, it has been quite an adjustment back in th classroom! I teach sixth grade science and language arts in Glynn County.
    I chose to read Whale Talk by Crutcher. I thought it would be a great read and a book that could help students accept others and accept themselves. I also wanted to see why it would be the subject of banning because the topic seems like such a realistic part of school, especially middle school. I look forward to finding out if the concerns are even justified.

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  50. I love seeing all the titles that are being read. I look forward to seeing if their designations are justified or just differences of opinion.

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  51. Hi!
    My name is Patti Herrington and I am a 5th grade teacher in Brunswick, Georgia. Currently, I am enrolled in Dr. Chester's FRIT 7132 class. When we first began our discussion of banned and challenged books, I selected Bridge to Terabithia (1977), by Katherine Patterson from the American Library Association’s (ALA) list of banned and challenged books. Having read the book five years ago, I decided to reread the book based on my new background knowledge. This book has been criticized over the years for offensive language (profanity), death being an inappropriate subject for children, and occult/Satanism (magic and ideas from Greek and Roman mythology as referenced in the Chronicles of Narnia (1949 – 1954), by C.S. Lewis).

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  52. Hello,
    I am Shannon Petty and I am enrolled in Dr. Jones' FRIT 7134 class. I selected the book Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman. I have never read the book and I heard so many negative things about it when the novel and movie came out of how anti-religious it was. I have only read a few chapters but I have not seen anything negative as of yet that really blatantly sticks out so far.

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  53. Hi! My name is Laura Lee, and I am in Dr. Chester's section of FRIT 7134 class at GSU. I also work as an advisor for the College of Science and Technology at GSU. I am reading The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. I have always wanted to read this book, because of reviews and commentaries that I have read or heard about in the past. I did not realize it was on a banned book list until now.

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  54. Hi, my name is Kimberly Griswold and I am currently enrolled in Dr. Chester's FRIT 7134 class. I chose the Harry Potter books because I have been a fan of them since they came out. I still can't believe that so many people had a negative reaction to them especially when so many people of different age groups loved them. I have never derived anything satanic about these books.

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  55. Hi, my name is Lynn Bigbie. This is one of the first two classes that I am taking to add Media Specialist to my current certification. I have chosen to read "The Crazy Lady" by Jane Conley. the title intrigued me but I am curious about the language that is apparently used.

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  56. Hi! I'm Thajuana (pronounced thu-wanna). I usually go by NeeNee but my Google shows Thajuana. I'm working two classes of my last three classes for my media certification. I'm torn about my restricted title because I'm dealing with this issue rught now. I recently checked out In The Night Kitchen by M. Sendek for my PreK class but I saw the nude shot of the little boy and I've hesitated about taking the book to my kids. I'm also considering Captain Underpants because I had no idea there was a problem with this series. I know the kids love it.

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  57. My name is Jessica Olliff & I'm in Dr. Jones' section of this class. This is my third semester in this program - I'm taking 9 hours and currently teaching second grade. The banned book title I chose is "Are you there God? It's me, Margaret" by Judy Blume. I've always been a Judy Blume fan but actually never read this. I know that because of the strong religious tones this book is controversial.

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  58. My name is David Harvey. I am in Dr. Repman’s class. I chose the book The Golden Compass because I read something in Wikipedia that said it is a rebuttal to C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia.

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  59. I chose The Golden Compass because people at my church warned me to not let me kids read it because of the message the book sends. Kristin Miller, Dr. Repman's class.

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  60. Hello all! Wow, many of us have chosen "The Golden Compass". I chose this one as well, and purchased "Give a boy a gun" as a backup. I am in Dr. Jones FRIT 7134 class working on my Instructional Technology degree through GSU. Golden Compass is said by some to have anti-religious content, and Give the boy a gun has violent content.

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  61. hi everyone! I'm Chiquisha Tomlin. I'm in Dr. Repman's FRIT 7134 class. I chose the book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn because this book was very racist to me. The wording in the book became offensive to me at times. I read this book in the 11th grade as a requirement for ELA.

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  62. I am Patricia Krezinski and I am a student in Dr. Repman's course. Banned books are a sore spot with me. I think as long as a book is age appropriate, there is not much else that should keep a book off school library shelves. When I checked the banned book lists and saw that the Captain Underpants books were banned in 2007, I couldn't believe it. So, I am reading a Captain Underpants book with an amazingly long title. I think that the lengthy title is part of the fun for students. The title of my book is "Captain Underpants and the Invasion of the Incredibly Naughty Cafeteria Ladies from Outer Space (and the Subsequent Assault of the Equally Evil Lunchroom Zombie Nerds)." It is the third book in the series. The book bills itself as having 100% more wedgie power in it's 25 and a half chapters. The book is very funny and kids at my school keep it on the top ten list in popularity. I think the reason it made the banned book list is that it pokes fun at the established rulers in the school, the principal, and the cafeteria workers. In this book two boys have control of the principal and hence the whole school. Hilarious happenings occur. I plan on reading it this weekend. I expect a million laughs.

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  63. Hi everyone! I'm Emily Mullis and I am in Dr. Jones's FRIt 7134 class. I teach 6th grade Reading. I chose Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson as my banned book. It digs into the mind of today's teenage boy, which is a foreign area for me. I think this book will be a learning experience for me and will take me out of my comfort zone.

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  64. Hi my name is Nikki Nix and I am in Dr. Repman's class this semester. I currently do not work in the educational field, but do have a child in school and her literary choices are of my concern. I do have to wonder what all she could read about in her own school's media center. I have chosen to read The Golden Compass because of it's challenge to my own beliefs and will make me test if I would be able to have it on my own media center's shelves.

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  65. Hi everyone!! My name is Katie Hill and I am in Dr. Chester's class this semester. I currently teach 2nd grade. I chose And Tango Makes Three. I chose this book because it is a children's book (which I can relate to more because I teach 2nd grade).

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  66. Hello, my name is Vera Nora. For the past five years, I have taught third grade in the Richmond County School District. Hopefully, an opportunity to work in a media center will materialize for me after this summer session.

    I am enrolled in FRIT 7134. Only three more classes and my certification will be complete. I have chosen to read Captain Underpants. Actually this book has been on my classroom library shelf. However, I never read the book. Several students have checked it out; so I know that it does create a great deal of interest. After learning that it was on the banned list, I began to scan the book. As a parent, I don’t think that every third grade child needs exposure to this book. The content could be offensive to some. Hopefully, the class discussions will help me to look at it from a different perspective

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  67. Hi. I'm Natalie Hatala. I've taught for almost four years now- my first three were teaching middle school Language Arts, and this is my first year teaching 10th grade Literature.

    The book I have chosen is Morning Girl by Michael Dorris, which is challenged due to the author's controversial lifestyle and death.

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  68. Hi, I am Alicia Brown. I have been teaching business education for 14 years.

    The book I chose for this assignment is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain because my husband grew up reading this story and we have bought this book for my nephews.

    According to ALA, this book was banned in 2007 because of racism. Being a person who is all about multicultural education, I am still all about teaching the truth about history and protecting the stories that reveal those truths.

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  69. Hello,

    My name is Dana Roberts, I'm a little behind so please forgive me. I chose the novel series Gossip Girl. I chose these books for two reasons, as a reading teacher I feel that it is inappropriate for the targeted audience. AND as a mom, my 6th grader wanted to read it and I read a little first and didnt like what I read. For older students, yes - middle school, NO.

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  70. Aubrey Thornton. I selected Blues: for all the changes by Nikki Giovanni. It is one of the few books deemed inappropriate for our library. We have not had a challenged or banned book at my school for the last 25+ years.

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