Drifting in the Library: Leading Students to Unexpected Texts Through a Situation

• In Event: Virtual Poster Session
  In Virtual iPresentation Only: Division K - Section 09: Innovative Design and Models for Teaching and Teacher Education Virtual Poster Session

Abstract

Habits of taste and instructor preference often drive the selection of children’s literature by elementary education students for their coursework. These older books often contain ableist, heteronormative, or other oppressive social constructs in their narrative elements, resulting in the perpetuation of such narratives in increasingly diverse student populations. The present proposal describes an evaluation of a program to address this phenomenon. Inspired by the work of the Situationist International, the authors designed “situations” in which students were compelled to choose books at random and engage with them through art response. The evaluation of their work revealed imaginative and critical engagement with unfamiliar texts and increased receptivity to the importance of selecting unfamiliar texts.

Authors

• Christina Jones, Education Library

• Micaela Deogracias, Indiana University

• Gustave J. Weltsek, Indiana University