March 30, 2024 • 15 mins
In today's episode, Dr. Tami Dean welcomes listeners to another episode of "The Equity Hour," focusing on diverse texts and their importance in education. Dr. Tami discusses what makes a text diverse, exploring and evaluating your personal history with diverse texts, how to conduct a text audit, and how to take action.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hello everyone and welcome toanother episode of the equity
hour with me, your host, Dr.
Tami Dean.
I am so excited this week tobring you an episode talking
about diverse texts.
It's actually a recap of myInstagram live.
So let me know what you think.
Head on over to Instagram.
Give me a follow dragonflyrising LLC, because you can also
(00:22):
get the free resource Imentioned in this episode there.
Thank you so much.
Enjoy the show.
Tami (00:28):
Hello.
Hello, everyone.
Good evening.
Welcome to my live talking aboutdiverse texts.
I just want Hello.
Hello, everyone.
Good evening.
Welcome to my live talking aboutdiverse texts.
I just wanted to come on andshare a little bit about
(00:52):
choosing diverse texts.
What are diverse texts and atthe end, share a resource with
you.
So super excited to share thiswith you today.
As you may know, every Saturday,I have a Bookshare Saturday
where I'm really trying to sharewith you a variety of different
types of diverse texts differentmodes of texts.
(01:14):
that you can integrate into yourown personal reading as well as
potentially your school andclassroom library.
Oh, we have a friend.
Oh, Luna has joined us.
That's one of my cats.
But anyway, getting started withdiverse texts.
When we think about windows,mirrors, and sliding glass doors
and the seminal research aroundthis with Dr.
(01:34):
Bishop, really talking abouthow.
Students need an opportunity tosee themselves reflected in
text, but also not only seethemselves, but see others in
text.
And it gives them a window rightinto other people's worlds and
life experiences and optionsoutside of their own worldview.
(01:56):
And then also very important isthat mirror, where I can see
characters and experiences andthings that reflect what I've
been seeing inside my own life.
And then sliding glass doors,right, gives us, you know,
opportunities to move throughand see new options and ways of
being.
(02:16):
So when we think about diversetexts diverse texts, right, are
a wide and variety and range ofrepresentation and inclusion of
different cultures, races,identities, abilities, genders,
families, backgrounds,experiences, and voices, as well
as the intersectionality betweenthose voices.
(02:39):
So I think that's a reallyimportant part about diverse
texts because what I have seenand noticed is oftentimes we'll
start to talk about diversetexts and we're only thinking
about race and how is racerepresented or not represented
in that text.
And that is only one facet ofwhat makes a text diverse
(03:00):
because that is only one facetof humanity.
We could have a wholeconversation about race as a
social construct, but that'sanother, that's a different
conversation for another life.
But, so that is not the onlything you should be looking at.
We're also looking at likeauthenticity of representation
and diversity of that.
And so how does that bring in,right, the language, culture,
(03:24):
and customs of those differentgroups of persons that are
supposed to be represented inthat text?
And is it authentic?
So one of the great places tostart is like building your own
awareness.
If you've missed it, you can goback and get a free resource
around awareness.
Really starting to understandand be cognizant.
(03:44):
of your own experience and howthat influences your
understanding in the world.
Okay.
And so when we do that, we canalso do that and be an awareness
around our experience and ourlives with texts.
So thinking through what textshave been influential in your
(04:09):
life at various points and whattypes of texts were you exposed
to throughout your life and howthose have had an impact on your
life.
And so you can even put togethera book print which kind of
shares and shows the influenceof text.
(04:31):
So I used to do this with someof my undergrad students when I
was teaching literacy methodscourses to think about the
influence of texts around us.
And so I would share my personalbook print.
So One of the books on there wasa Nancy Drew book.
So Nancy Drew books are just acore memory of reading as a
(04:58):
young child.
So love mysteries.
I used to read old school, theyellow hardcover.
And this is when, like, B.
Dalton Bookstores still existed.
And so I just remember going tothe bookstore or the library.
And, I mean, the bookstore wasthe best if I was able to
(05:20):
convince my parents to get me anew book a new Nancy Drew.
But I would read those books,that series.
It really caught me up intounderstanding that I enjoy Okay?
Mystery and solving things andnoticing clues and all of that.
It probably was the trajectoryfor my love of true crime.
(05:43):
But you know, again, that's a,that's another conversation.
So very seminal text, you know,in my, in my world.
And I think.
You know, I often also share,and I've shared this in the
podcast, another huge text thatwas important in my life was
Dream Keepers.
And reading that kind of changedthe trajectory of my
(06:06):
professional life and how I havethought and engaged with work
around culturally responsiveteaching and diversity, equity,
inclusion, and social justicefor my whole entire career.
And so that's one of the otherones I share.
I share.
Oh, I'm going to, I'm going tomiss the name of it.
(06:30):
It's the bear and thestrawberry.
That book has meaning and powerfor me because it has to deal
with when my children werelittle and actions around the
book.
Teaching to transgress bellhooks, another key text.
So you can think about key textsthat you have engaged with.
(06:51):
You can think about those texts.
In your childhood and where andhow and why those connect and
resonate with you.
But if you go back to thosechildhood books, you can also
think about when and how andwhere did you see yourself in
your own life experiencereflected in the texts that you
read.
(07:12):
Like I can share, I don't everrecall reading a text.
With a multi racial family likethat.
I came from I am so and havebeen so excited about the
diversity of family structure intexts that have been coming out
(07:33):
over the last 20 years.
Like, it is so exciting.
I have a, a really nicecollection of children's
literature books.
So so thinking about thoseexperience of text, where and
how it was reflected and whatwas missing.
Okay.
And then thinking about thosesame questions.
thinking around whoseexperiences or not are reflected
(07:55):
in the texts that you utilizewithin your school, within your
classroom, within yourinstruction.
And who and how do my studentshave an opportunity to engage
with texts that serve both aswindows mirror and mirrors for
them throughout their education?
When do they have options to dothat?
(08:18):
And How can you build a space ina community of learning and
reading that invites, right,students into the opportunity to
engage with these diverse texts?
So one of the things you can dois a book audit.
Sorry about that.
(08:38):
One of the things you can do isa book audit of the text that
you have available in yourclassroom.
So you can think about what dostudents get to choose?
What are the options forindependent reading?
You can think about how am Iassigning reading?
It really depends on also whatage of students you are engaging
with.
But looking at whoseperspectives are privileged in
(09:01):
the text that I share in theclassroom, and I want to say
when they're whose perspectivesare privileged what that means
is whose voices are always beingheard.
Is it one way of knowing andbeing and enacting in the world
that is clear?
Predominantly present in yourclassroom.
(09:21):
And if you notice that right,maybe it's a middle class
Perspective maybe it is only atraditional family perspective
maybe it's a male dominatedperspective right and so How are
(09:43):
those texts that you?
have and share providing avariety of perspectives and
whose voices are missing.
So that's one of the mostimportant things, whose voices
are present and then whosevoices or perspectives are
missing.
And so thinking about that, thenyou, then the point is you got
to take action, right?
(10:04):
Because intent, as I've sharedbefore, intent is not enough.
I need to then go and takeaction around these texts.
To integrate and use and so youmight be saying dr.
Tammy.
I don't know where to find allthese texts I don't necessarily
(10:25):
have time to read all thesetexts.
That is okay You that is okaybecause the important part is
you are asking the question youare taking notice And then
looking for resources.
So one, just being a part ofthis is a part of that process.
(10:45):
Okay.
So remember, key takeaway here,diverse texts.
are more than books about raceor examining texts for racial
representation.
So as you're doing your audit,look at family structure, look
at socioeconomic status, look atgender, look at social
(11:10):
environment, look at ability.
Look at experience.
Oh, I don't know how I madeballoons happen, but we got
balloons.
We like that.
Okay I got distracted.
Sorry about that I don't knowhow I did balloons, but okay.
I was trying to make that happenagain.
But anyway, So we wantrepresentation and inclusion of
(11:32):
all of those different voices.
So if you need some folks tofollow.
I highly recommend this is oneof the most greatest tools about
social media, is you have theopportunity to follow and engage
with folks that are doing andsharing books and texts around
things that you might beinterested in to add to your
(11:54):
library.
I tend to try to also re sharethose and give them voice in my
stories, so pay attention to mystories because I love sharing
all the variety of texts.
So, project lit Com so oninstagram follow them excellent
resource around diverse tags anddiverse tech sets and All the
(12:16):
things.
Been following them for manyyears.
Give them a follow SL journal.
So the school library journal.
Shout out to the librarians.
Okay.
We also need to be advocating tohave diversity in our libraries.
So that's another option toexplore how is representation
available in your school libraryand becoming an advocate and
(12:36):
using your voice for that.
But follow SL journal at SLJournal.
These are all Instagram handles.
Give them a follow.
They also share a lot of reallygreat resources around texts,
diverse texts.
And another one of my favoritesis at We Need Diverse Books.
Another great follow.
(12:58):
They are sharing a lot ofresources around a variety of
diverse topics this year.
Oh my gosh, I'm drawing a blankright now, but they have a 2024
mission around, oh, readingwidely.
I think that's what it is.
I may be wrong, but readingwidely, which I highly encourage
you to do, okay?
So, and when I talk aboutdiverse texts, I'm talking about
(13:18):
picture books, graphic novels,novels, YA, middle grades, adult
texts, right?
All of them.
And remember, children'sliterature is not just for
children, because sometimeschildren's literature has, more
adult themes that you canexplore within it.
So way to get started and you'relike, okay, Dr.
(13:41):
Tammy, I can't remember all ofthis.
Great.
You don't have to becauseeverything I just went over is
in my free resource.
Getting started with diversetexts.
So go ahead, give me a comment,diverse texts, and you go ahead
and get that free download toget started on your free diverse
text resources today.
So I've talked a lot.
(14:03):
I want to thank you all forcoming today and looking forward
to sharing some more diversetexts.
Take a look out for BookshareSaturday and also coming up next
week on Tuesday, a brand newpodcast episode where we get to
talk a little bit about diversetexts.
(14:23):
So looking forward to that.
If you haven't listened, pleaseon any podcast provider that you
subscribe to, please go aheadand listen to the equity hour.
And where I get to talk withgreat educators around
integrating equity and socialjustice into their classroom, as
well as sharing some tips formyself.
So is there something you'd wantto hear or learn more about,
(14:45):
please let me know, send me amessage, make a comment, and
I'll be sure to get that to you.
Thank you so much.
Thank you so much for joining mefor another episode of the
Equity Hour with me, Dr.
Tami Dean.
I'm looking forward toconnecting with you again next
week.
In the meantime, drop me acomment, give this a like, share
(15:06):
it with your friends, and headon over to Instagram for your
free consultation to getscheduled with me so I can
support you with equity in yourschool, classroom, and learning
environment.
Talk to you soon.
Hello everyone and welcome toanother episode of the equity
hour with me, your host, Dr.
Tami Dean.
I am so excited this week tobring you an episode talking
about diverse texts.
It's actually a recap of myInstagram live.
So let me know what you think.
Head on over to Instagram.
Give me a follow dragonflyrising LLC, because you can also
(00:22):
get the free resource Imentioned in this episode there.
Thank you so much.
Enjoy the show.
Tami (00:28):
Hello.
Hello, everyone.
Good evening.
Welcome to my live talking aboutdiverse texts.
I just want Hello.
Hello, everyone.
Good evening.
Welcome to my live talking aboutdiverse texts.
I just wanted to come on andshare a little bit about
(00:52):
choosing diverse texts.
What are diverse texts and atthe end, share a resource with
you.
So super excited to share thiswith you today.
As you may know, every Saturday,I have a Bookshare Saturday
where I'm really trying to sharewith you a variety of different
types of diverse texts differentmodes of texts.
(01:14):
that you can integrate into yourown personal reading as well as
potentially your school andclassroom library.
Oh, we have a friend.
Oh, Luna has joined us.
That's one of my cats.
But anyway, getting started withdiverse texts.
When we think about windows,mirrors, and sliding glass doors
and the seminal research aroundthis with Dr.
(01:34):
Bishop, really talking abouthow.
Students need an opportunity tosee themselves reflected in
text, but also not only seethemselves, but see others in
text.
And it gives them a window rightinto other people's worlds and
life experiences and optionsoutside of their own worldview.
(01:56):
And then also very important isthat mirror, where I can see
characters and experiences andthings that reflect what I've
been seeing inside my own life.
And then sliding glass doors,right, gives us, you know,
opportunities to move throughand see new options and ways of
being.
(02:16):
So when we think about diversetexts diverse texts, right, are
a wide and variety and range ofrepresentation and inclusion of
different cultures, races,identities, abilities, genders,
families, backgrounds,experiences, and voices, as well
as the intersectionality betweenthose voices.
(02:39):
So I think that's a reallyimportant part about diverse
texts because what I have seenand noticed is oftentimes we'll
start to talk about diversetexts and we're only thinking
about race and how is racerepresented or not represented
in that text.
And that is only one facet ofwhat makes a text diverse
(03:00):
because that is only one facetof humanity.
We could have a wholeconversation about race as a
social construct, but that'sanother, that's a different
conversation for another life.
But, so that is not the onlything you should be looking at.
We're also looking at likeauthenticity of representation
and diversity of that.
And so how does that bring in,right, the language, culture,
(03:24):
and customs of those differentgroups of persons that are
supposed to be represented inthat text?
And is it authentic?
So one of the great places tostart is like building your own
awareness.
If you've missed it, you can goback and get a free resource
around awareness.
Really starting to understandand be cognizant.
(03:44):
of your own experience and howthat influences your
understanding in the world.
Okay.
And so when we do that, we canalso do that and be an awareness
around our experience and ourlives with texts.
So thinking through what textshave been influential in your
(04:09):
life at various points and whattypes of texts were you exposed
to throughout your life and howthose have had an impact on your
life.
And so you can even put togethera book print which kind of
shares and shows the influenceof text.
(04:31):
So I used to do this with someof my undergrad students when I
was teaching literacy methodscourses to think about the
influence of texts around us.
And so I would share my personalbook print.
So One of the books on there wasa Nancy Drew book.
So Nancy Drew books are just acore memory of reading as a
(04:58):
young child.
So love mysteries.
I used to read old school, theyellow hardcover.
And this is when, like, B.
Dalton Bookstores still existed.
And so I just remember going tothe bookstore or the library.
And, I mean, the bookstore wasthe best if I was able to
(05:20):
convince my parents to get me anew book a new Nancy Drew.
But I would read those books,that series.
It really caught me up intounderstanding that I enjoy Okay?
Mystery and solving things andnoticing clues and all of that.
It probably was the trajectoryfor my love of true crime.
(05:43):
But you know, again, that's a,that's another conversation.
So very seminal text, you know,in my, in my world.
And I think.
You know, I often also share,and I've shared this in the
podcast, another huge text thatwas important in my life was
Dream Keepers.
And reading that kind of changedthe trajectory of my
(06:06):
professional life and how I havethought and engaged with work
around culturally responsiveteaching and diversity, equity,
inclusion, and social justicefor my whole entire career.
And so that's one of the otherones I share.
I share.
Oh, I'm going to, I'm going tomiss the name of it.
(06:30):
It's the bear and thestrawberry.
That book has meaning and powerfor me because it has to deal
with when my children werelittle and actions around the
book.
Teaching to transgress bellhooks, another key text.
So you can think about key textsthat you have engaged with.
(06:51):
You can think about those texts.
In your childhood and where andhow and why those connect and
resonate with you.
But if you go back to thosechildhood books, you can also
think about when and how andwhere did you see yourself in
your own life experiencereflected in the texts that you
read.
(07:12):
Like I can share, I don't everrecall reading a text.
With a multi racial family likethat.
I came from I am so and havebeen so excited about the
diversity of family structure intexts that have been coming out
(07:33):
over the last 20 years.
Like, it is so exciting.
I have a, a really nicecollection of children's
literature books.
So so thinking about thoseexperience of text, where and
how it was reflected and whatwas missing.
Okay.
And then thinking about thosesame questions.
thinking around whoseexperiences or not are reflected
(07:55):
in the texts that you utilizewithin your school, within your
classroom, within yourinstruction.
And who and how do my studentshave an opportunity to engage
with texts that serve both aswindows mirror and mirrors for
them throughout their education?
When do they have options to dothat?
(08:18):
And How can you build a space ina community of learning and
reading that invites, right,students into the opportunity to
engage with these diverse texts?
So one of the things you can dois a book audit.
Sorry about that.
(08:38):
One of the things you can do isa book audit of the text that
you have available in yourclassroom.
So you can think about what dostudents get to choose?
What are the options forindependent reading?
You can think about how am Iassigning reading?
It really depends on also whatage of students you are engaging
with.
But looking at whoseperspectives are privileged in
(09:01):
the text that I share in theclassroom, and I want to say
when they're whose perspectivesare privileged what that means
is whose voices are always beingheard.
Is it one way of knowing andbeing and enacting in the world
that is clear?
Predominantly present in yourclassroom.
(09:21):
And if you notice that right,maybe it's a middle class
Perspective maybe it is only atraditional family perspective
maybe it's a male dominatedperspective right and so How are
(09:43):
those texts that you?
have and share providing avariety of perspectives and
whose voices are missing.
So that's one of the mostimportant things, whose voices
are present and then whosevoices or perspectives are
missing.
And so thinking about that, thenyou, then the point is you got
to take action, right?
(10:04):
Because intent, as I've sharedbefore, intent is not enough.
I need to then go and takeaction around these texts.
To integrate and use and so youmight be saying dr.
Tammy.
I don't know where to find allthese texts I don't necessarily
(10:25):
have time to read all thesetexts.
That is okay You that is okaybecause the important part is
you are asking the question youare taking notice And then
looking for resources.
So one, just being a part ofthis is a part of that process.
(10:45):
Okay.
So remember, key takeaway here,diverse texts.
are more than books about raceor examining texts for racial
representation.
So as you're doing your audit,look at family structure, look
at socioeconomic status, look atgender, look at social
(11:10):
environment, look at ability.
Look at experience.
Oh, I don't know how I madeballoons happen, but we got
balloons.
We like that.
Okay I got distracted.
Sorry about that I don't knowhow I did balloons, but okay.
I was trying to make that happenagain.
But anyway, So we wantrepresentation and inclusion of
(11:32):
all of those different voices.
So if you need some folks tofollow.
I highly recommend this is oneof the most greatest tools about
social media, is you have theopportunity to follow and engage
with folks that are doing andsharing books and texts around
things that you might beinterested in to add to your
(11:54):
library.
I tend to try to also re sharethose and give them voice in my
stories, so pay attention to mystories because I love sharing
all the variety of texts.
So, project lit Com so oninstagram follow them excellent
resource around diverse tags anddiverse tech sets and All the
(12:16):
things.
Been following them for manyyears.
Give them a follow SL journal.
So the school library journal.
Shout out to the librarians.
Okay.
We also need to be advocating tohave diversity in our libraries.
So that's another option toexplore how is representation
available in your school libraryand becoming an advocate and
(12:36):
using your voice for that.
But follow SL journal at SLJournal.
These are all Instagram handles.
Give them a follow.
They also share a lot of reallygreat resources around texts,
diverse texts.
And another one of my favoritesis at We Need Diverse Books.
Another great follow.
(12:58):
They are sharing a lot ofresources around a variety of
diverse topics this year.
Oh my gosh, I'm drawing a blankright now, but they have a 2024
mission around, oh, readingwidely.
I think that's what it is.
I may be wrong, but readingwidely, which I highly encourage
you to do, okay?
So, and when I talk aboutdiverse texts, I'm talking about
(13:18):
picture books, graphic novels,novels, YA, middle grades, adult
texts, right?
All of them.
And remember, children'sliterature is not just for
children, because sometimeschildren's literature has, more
adult themes that you canexplore within it.
So way to get started and you'relike, okay, Dr.
(13:41):
Tammy, I can't remember all ofthis.
Great.
You don't have to becauseeverything I just went over is
in my free resource.
Getting started with diversetexts.
So go ahead, give me a comment,diverse texts, and you go ahead
and get that free download toget started on your free diverse
text resources today.
So I've talked a lot.
(14:03):
I want to thank you all forcoming today and looking forward
to sharing some more diversetexts.
Take a look out for BookshareSaturday and also coming up next
week on Tuesday, a brand newpodcast episode where we get to
talk a little bit about diversetexts.
(14:23):
So looking forward to that.
If you haven't listened, pleaseon any podcast provider that you
subscribe to, please go aheadand listen to the equity hour.
And where I get to talk withgreat educators around
integrating equity and socialjustice into their classroom, as
well as sharing some tips formyself.
So is there something you'd wantto hear or learn more about,
(14:45):
please let me know, send me amessage, make a comment, and
I'll be sure to get that to you.
Thank you so much.
Thank you so much for joining mefor another episode of the
Equity Hour with me, Dr.
Tami Dean.
I'm looking forward toconnecting with you again next
week.
In the meantime, drop me acomment, give this a like, share
(15:06):
it with your friends, and headon over to Instagram for your
free consultation to getscheduled with me so I can
support you with equity in yourschool, classroom, and learning
environment.
Talk to you soon.
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