1. Ever wanted to read quality adolescent books with Deaf Characters?
Need to recommend books to reluctant readers?
Ever hoped to find contemporary books with a variety of Deaf Characters?
Then you might consider taking:
ENG 295: Special Topics
Deaf Characters in Adolescent Literature
Sharon Pajka, Ph.D.
Course Description
This course provides a forum for intense reading, discussion, and exploration of the texts and issues associated with deaf characters in adolescent literature.
The course will introduce students to quality adolescent literature and it will examine issues relevant to the reading and teaching of the genre. The course
will also explore the history, characteristics, and benefits of deaf characters in adolescent texts.
As educators, parents, librarians, and advocates of literacy development, we often try to hook young people on reading by presenting books with characters
to which they can relate. Such books can help increase their overall knowledge of the world, open their minds to multiple realities and variations of the
human experience and provide scenarios in which they can live vicariously. The benefits of reading literature with diverse characters are extensive
especially for reluctant readers who seldom find characters like themselves in novels. While acquiring fictional books that include deaf characters has
historically been time-consuming and challenging, the goal of this course is to introduce students to books and research that contributes to the ongoing
dialogue and debate supporting adolescent literature including deaf characters.
When: May 17-July 9
Where: Gallaudet University Online!