World Literature beyond Western Europe: Cultural Literacy in Russia, China, and Latin America

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Instructor: Mario Ferrito!!"#$%&'()'*&%+,-.*%%+%,'%-%%%%% /%01&-#%2-3%./%%% *("&.%'!"#$%&*%012%

The Graduate School of Education’s Conceptual Framework The PSU program will prepare leaders in:

Diversity & Inclusiveness • to work effectively with diverse populations • to promote inclusive and therapeutic environments

Research-Based Practices & Professional Standards • to critically analyze and implement research-based practices • to demonstrate appropriate professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions

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All of the courses offered through the NW Teacher's Learning Center are based on the same philosophical approach as expressed above. This supports consistency in our courses and ensures we are presented the most successful theories and strategies to increase teacher effectiveness and encourage accelerated life-long learning in students. When educators strive for improvement, we often work to transform our learning environments. However, classrooms often remain the same because our own beliefs about teaching stay the same. For real change to occur, we must refine our own thinking. If we want our students to evolve, we must examine our own beliefs and be willing to adapt to meet the pressing needs at hand. All of our courses strive to provide you with this knowledge where you become empowered. Empowerment is the desire and ability to continue the journey. Desire is kindled with excitement and encouragement through the development of personal interests. Personal interests are central to teaching and learning. Teachers and students who are aware of learning processes, strategies, and multiple intelligences, and employ these elements toward developing their interests, will become powerful players in shaping their lives as well as their communities.

1. Course Description:

In creating this course and mirroring a unit you can successfully adapt to your classroom, the subtext of all of the lessons, readings, and writings is considering World Literature, as it exists outside the boundaries of Western Europe. England, Germany, and France are the baseline for many secondary curricula, often ignoring the rich cultural and literary traditions of other parts of the world. Many of our students do not recognize parts of the world outside of Western Europe and the United States as foundational in the evolution of literature, philosophy, music, art, etc. By choosing a region of literature

study, you will add a cohesive structure to lesson plans while simultaneously adding a flexible, dynamic choice element to your planning (possibly with a social studies partner).

You have 12 months in which to complete this course. Offered cooperatively by Portland State University and NW Teachers' Learning Center. 2. Prerequisites: None 3. Course Outcomes:

• You will successfully adapt to your classroom, the subtext of all of the lessons, readings, and writings as it exists outside the boundaries of Western Europe. England, Germany, and France are the baseline for many secondary curricula, often ignoring the rich cultural and literary traditions of other parts of the world.

• Many of our students do not recognize parts of the world outside of Western Europe and the United

States as foundational in the evolution of literature, philosophy, music, art, etc. By choosing a region of literature study, you will form a cohesive structure to lesson plans while simultaneously adding a flexible, dynamic choice element to your planning (possibly with a social studies partner).

• You will develop a full unit of study based on one of the regions of the United States.

Graduate credit:

Development and structure of lesson plans are flexible to account for your individual interests and the particular learning environment in which the teaching will take place. Lesson planning will reflect the needs of the particular classroom in which you are teaching or plan to. Do not be afraid to take intellectual risks with all of your submissions; ask yourself, ‘what do we want from our students?’ and respond to these assignments in kind.

4. Instructional Format: Online, demonstrations, student presentations, readings, assignments, email feedback 5. Required Readings: *Note: Choose only ONE of the following three regions and buy only the books corresponding to that region • Russian Culture and Literature

o Corresponding books for CI810:

An Anthology of Russian Literature from Earliest Writings to Modern Fiction: An Introduction to a Culture by Nicholas Rzhevsky (Paperback - Nov 24, 2004) And

• Natasha's Dance: A Cultural History of Russia by Orlando Figes (Paperback - Oct 17, 2003)

• Chinese Culture and Literature o Corresponding books for CI810:

The Shorter Columbia Anthology of Traditional Chinese Literature by Victor H.

Mair (Dec 15, 2000)

And

•   Chinese Modernity and Global Biopolitics: Studies in Literature and Visual Culture by Sheldon H. Lu (Jun 2007) (It’s a mouthful of a title, but an excellent book)

• Latin American Culture and Literature •

o Corresponding books for CI810:

Borzoi Anthology of Latin American Literature Volume 2 by Emir Rodriguez Monegal (Paperback - Jun 12, 1977) And

The Space In-Between: Essays on Latin American Culture (Latin America in Translation) by Silviano Santiago, Ana Lucia Gazzola, Tom Burns and Gareth Williams (Paperback - Mar 18, 2002)

6. Course Topic Outline:  In creating this course and mirroring a unit you can successfully adapt to your classroom, the subtext of all of the lessons, readings, and writings is considering World Literature as it exists outside the boundaries of Western Europe. England, Germany, and France are the baseline for many secondary curricula, often ignoring the rich cultural and literary traditions of other parts of the world. Many of our students do not recognize parts of the world outside of Western Europe and the United States as foundational in the evolution of literature, philosophy, music, art, etc. By choosing a region of literature study, you will form a cohesive structure to lesson plans while simultaneously adding a flexible, dynamic choice element to your planning (possibly with a social studies partner). *Note: Choose only ONE of the following three regions and buy only the books corresponding to that region

• Russian Culture and Literature o Corresponding books for CI810:

An Anthology of Russian Literature from Earliest Writings to Modern Fiction:

An Introduction to a Culture by Nicholas Rzhevsky (Paperback - Nov 24, 2004)

And

• Natasha's Dance: A Cultural History of Russia by Orlando Figes (Paperback - Oct 17, 2003)

• Chinese Culture and Literature

o Corresponding books for CI810:

The Shorter Columbia Anthology of Traditional Chinese Literature by Victor H. Mair (Dec 15, 2000)

And

• Chinese Modernity and Global Biopolitics: Studies in Literature and Visual Culture by Sheldon H. Lu (Jun 2007) (It’s a mouthful of a title, but an excellent book)

• Latin American Culture and Literature

o Corresponding books for CI810: Borzoi Anthology of Latin American Literature Volume 2 by Emir Rodriguez

Monegal (Paperback - Jun 12, 1977)

And

The Space In-Between: Essays on Latin American Culture (Latin America in Translation) by Silviano Santiago, Ana Lucia Gazzola, Tom Burns and Gareth Williams (Paperback - Mar 18, 2002)

Your choice of focus during this professional class will mirror the choice that your students will later make. Your questions and responses to workbook material will reflect your desire to uncover the regional and cultural connections made between time periods and authors. The connections you make will be the thematic focus of your lesson planning and should take into account your particular classroom/student population. Fifth Credit Option: To receive the fifth credit for this course complete additional research work that can take the form of reading additional books, watching videos/podcasts etc. Critique what you've researched, add additional lesson plans, or complete other projects that pertain to the course content. Along with reading additional books/articles some of the primary source websites such as TED Talks (http://www.ted.com/talks), iTunes University (http://www.ted.com/talks) and NPR podcast directory (http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_directory.php?type=main&id=-1 ) can be used to research relevant materials.