Friday, December 21, 2012

It's Never Too Early...

...To Think About CCCC 2013
Regarding CCCC 2013, I got this postcard/flyer in my email that I thought I'd post. Hope to see y'all in Las Vegas, where 'what happens while we're there' becomes experiential knowledge when made sense of and mediated through narration, ha!
























This may sound like a silly title and subtitle, however, I have actually been giving serious thought to my CCCC presentation, tweaking a digital story to go along with my written presentation. Fortunately, the digital storytelling I'm experimenting with stems from a small-scope narrative coming out in the Sept 2013 Special Issue of CCC on the profession, so the narrative is not from whole-cloth.

Still, the piece is personal narrative, so there are rhetorical considerations as to how much I want to express, and the genre of digital storytelling adds the additional questions of modality in terms of which media do I want to employ to communicate my message. One of the major advantages of the genre that I've noted from my research is the ability to add voice to narratives that are traditionally silenced, although there is something bare and exposed about recording voice to accompanying images.


Friday, December 7, 2012

Positive News Regarding Tucson MAS

MAS for College Credit
I recieved this news earlier today from former MAS teacher
 Curtis Acosta with great news about former TUSD MAS 
curriculum being offered for college credit. 
 Curtis Acosta (right) and I

LA LUCHA SIGUE
Although we have suffered through the pain and indignity of losing 
Mexican American Studies in Tucson, today serves as the beginning 
of a sea change in this struggle. In response to the Tucson Unified 
School District dismantling our MAS classes, I started Chican@ 
Literature After School Studies (CLASS), which meets at the John 
Valenzuela Youth Center in South Tucson and is free for all students 
who attend. We meet for at least two hours each Sunday, and 
sometimes my students and I lose complete track of time because 
of our intense conversations inspired by how this amazing literature 
relates to our world and our lives. It is the highlight of my week and 
has kept my spirit and love for teaching alive during these dark days. 
MAS GOES TO COLLEGE
Our dedication and love of learning has been rewarded thanks to the
 amazing people at Prescott College in Arizona. In an incredible show
 of respect for the quality and rigor of our former MAS classes in TUSD,
 Prescott College will be offering college credit to these students for 
our Sunday classes. We are humbled and excited for this partnership,
 but now we need your help to make this dream become a reality.

"While TUSD banned the teaching of Chican@ literature, we recognize
 the rigor and importance of the former MAS classes, and therefore 
Prescott College will offer students the option to enroll in Curtis 
Acosta's Chican@ Literature class for college credit.  We hope this 
will not only be an incentive to attend this weekend class but will 
also send a strong message that this knowledge is highly valued," 
said Anita Fernández, a Prescott College professor.  
Investing in the future of Chican@ Studies 
It is incredibly important for CLASS to remain free for this small
 group of young scholars. Thus, we have established the Chican@
 Literature And Studies Scholarship (CLASS) Fund in order to raise
 money for the students to receive college credit for their
 participation. Will you invest in these amazing young people 
by donating to CLASS today? 
A scholarship fund has been set up in the hopes that most
 students will be able to earn college credits free of charge.  
To make a tax-deductible donation to the Chican@ Literature 
and Studies Scholarship (CLASS) fund, please send a check to:

Prescott College
220 Grove Ave.
Prescott, AZ 86301 

Please write in the memo line: CLASS fund

In Lak Ech,


Curtis Acosta
Chican@ Literature Teacher
Chican@ Literature After School Studies
(Acosta and I at Librotraficante Event)

To learn more about the curriculum of Tucson's famous Mexican-American Studies program, the 93% graduation rate for their students, and the controversy surrounding the now banished classes you can online order the PRECIOUS KNOWLEDGE DVD. If you have any questions about purchasing your DVD, please contact us at:dvd@preciousknowledgefilm.com