Melissa Pearson
M.A. University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana
B.A. University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana
My
current interests are in the areas of Multi–racial and Multi-ethnic educational
enhancement. "Culture Studies" has
become a fashionable component of graduate programs and high-brow educational theory. Unfortunately, this essential education remains on
an abstract, hypothetical level that many students in high school or at two-year colleges
find unattainable and difficult to comprehend. What I value and have had the opportunity
to practice in my career is teaching students how writing can make them social agents for
change and active participants in society by bringing society and the study of culture,
into the writing classroom. I have
experimented with writing courses that focus on the definition of terms, issues
surrounding and ramifications of multiculturalism/ethnicity in America. By demystifying the terms and exploring cultures
and ethnicities in America, we can ultimately reach the idea of what it means to be
effective citizens.
In addition to the themed writing courses, I also teach Black Literature. It is imperative in this course that students are able to analyze and write critical reflections on works from various literary genres in history and present day. There has been a great deal of debate in the academy about a canonical African American Literature; however, more important than establishing a particular slate of writes as "superlative" is selecting writers who offer vivid and engaging windows to their eras, while helping develop students' appreciation for the subtleties and significance of good literature in general. In this course I am concentrating on movements in African American literary history, to include an investigation of Hip Hop culture and whether it has a place as a cultural movement as well. While I embrace the opportunity to teach Multi-ethnic studies and African American literature, what I value most is serving a culturally diverse student population in an environment that stresses the inclusiveness of people from all backgrounds and ethnicities.