By Sharon Olbertson
It's easy to get tired of the current educational jargon--"relevancy," "authentic tasks," "meaningful." Yet, these are the very terms that should prod us into getting OUT of some repetitious (and maybe boring) textbook material and INTO some new, exciting, and yes, RELEVANT and MEANINGFUL resources--the S.D. authors who have been nominated as "S.D. Author of the Year" by SDCTE.
There are some mighty compelling reasons to get
these authors' works into your classrooms. First of all, these people have already earned
the reputation as being
fine writers. All of them have achieved recognition far beyond S.D. borders.
Many of
their writings have found their way into textbooks and periodicals. They do not need
some contrived excuse to be included in your curricula!
Another reason is that their works are readily available. Simply go to the Regional Writers section in your local bookstore. Find them in your local library, or get them on loan. Buy them over the internet. If you wish to "start small," find a few short items and just read them to your students. Allow the "flavor" of S.D. writers to catch on. Since these are current writers, some of them are also personally available at special times!
However, the biggest reason of all for you to use these writers in your classroom is because they have something special to say to the S.D. student. The student may not find RELEVANCY and MEANING from the Cape Cod writer or the California author. But with S.D. authors, the student has to get the message that his/her "common" experiences and rural surroundings must have value, for these great writers have chosen these very subjects and this locale for their own inspiration.
Bob Karoloevitz is still writing his weekly columns. His earlier humorous essay collections make good reading for elementary as well as high school students. He fits into a high school lesson on essays, or humor, or Mark Twain. He can be compared to Dave Barry.
Linda Hasselstrom's essays and poetry about ranch life are "gutsy" enough to garner the respect of students seeking realism rather than romanticism. She writes of family, loss, hard work, endurance, and triumph. Using Nature as her teacher as well as her inspiration, she can be incorporated into a lesson on Thoreau as easily as a lesson on range management!
Kathleen Norris, who serendipitously ended up in
Lemmon, writes fondly and spiritually about how South Dakota tempers the soul.
She mirrors Edgar Lee Masters as she creates her own anthology of meaningful characters.
A student has to feel equally inspired when s/he notices that Norris dares write about
driving on 1-29, watching the snowfall, or going through her grandmother's things after
death. Who cannot relate?
Kent Meyers' writings should grab the attention of guys who would rather talk about hot cars and motorcycles and hunting, or guys who want to continue the family business. ". . . the tales that pass between men and women living in rural communities" (book jacket for Light in the Crossing) have appeal for the young readers who live here.
Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve achieved national recognition recently with her humanities award. Her books about Indian children are really about any children. Her works for older readers reflect her own cultural diversity and respect for diverse cultures and heritage. Which student wouldn't gain something valuable from learning of his own family past?
Dan O'Brien, our most recently named S.D. Author of the Year, locates his fiction in places familiar enough that students understand "what makes his characters tick." His essays describe the bridge between Nature and humankind. He writes about falcons, but he is learning about himself. His most recent book deals with preserving the buffalo, but it also has to do with preserving himself.
S.D. writers, like the poet of years ago, have become part and parcel of everything that touches them. Their writings reiterate this fact, so students will get the message that this place and these experiences are relevant, meaningful, authentic.
Look for more S.D. writer information at www.dwu.edu/sdlitmap.