Deborah Flanagan
Michigan State University
Master of Arts in Education
Capstone Portfolio
Showcase:
Achieving the Aims of Education Through the Traditional and New Media Literacies
College rankings, acceptance rates, GPAs, test scores, admissions yields. College counselors must be experts in admissions statistics and trends, but what we really do is help students articulate and achieve their educational goals. The college search and application processes require soul-searching introspection. “What matters to me? What have I accomplished? What challenges have I conquered? What struggles remain? What support do I need? What are my dreams? Where can I become the person I want to be?” It requires narrative competence to identify one's aims of education, to articulate them to the institutions from which one seeks admission, and to reconcile the individual's aims with those of society's.
Throughout my Master's program at Michigan State University, many of my projects have sought to answer the question of "what education should and can do" through a series of literary, historical, and biographical case studies. Today, it is a question that must be considered within the context of the new media literacies and their effects on the traditional literacies. These themes have been the threads connecting my two concentrations of P-12 School and Postsecondary Leadership and Literacy Education.
On this page, you will see artifacts of my Master’s work, which demonstrate my themes. In my daily work, I consider the aims of education and how to achieve them on the micro-level for each of my students, for none will have an identical college or career experience. Each will inhabit and even create their own version of the "Learning Society."
I compared Hans Christian Andersen's classic fairy tale to Disney Corporation's film version of The Little Mermaid. In my initial analysis, I accused Disney (left) of sanitizing the original in order to appease a wide audience in the interest of maximum profit. This essay reflects the evolution in my thinking after reading scholarly critiques and comparisons of the two versions. The experience sharpened my critical eye and awakened me to the importance of teaching the same skills of critical analysis to child audiences. The cultural influences our children absorb shape their identities. We cannot assume that something marketed for children is actually healthy for their self-images.
Self and Society
I spent a great deal of time with Peter Pan (left) in the spring of 2014. I identified and documented the theme of grief in the book. My own history of loss made me keenly aware of Barrie's unresolved pain throughout the pages of his novel. My interpretation could not be more different from the Disney film version and the cultural icons it generated. The culture has appropriated and morphed Peter, elevated minor characters to main players, and cleansed the story of any sign of Mr. and Mrs. Darling's despair. The experience was a reminder that each of us brings a unique perspective to our learning, for which allowances must be made, in order to uncover and connect to what we seek from learning.
Perspective from Peter Pan
After identifying my theme in Peter Pan, I choose four scholarly articles about the life of J.M. Barrie (left) and/or Peter Pan's place in our literary culture. I summarized each scholar's thesis and outlined my stance toward each, as it related to my themes. The pieces I chose confirmed my theme and related it to contemporary world events within the context of Edwardian England and the impact of WWI on that culture. I also read about the appropriation of Peter Pan by modern gay culture. It was fascinating to see the varied iterations of the story over time, each of which serves as examples of the ways in which individuals take away their own meanings from literature and learning.
Interpretation and Cultural Appropriation
Adaptation
This extended paper drew upon four adolescent novels claiming to depict the Native American experience. Three of the works were written by Joseph Bruchac, an acclaimed writer with Native Abenaki (left) ancestry. The other was written by a non-Native, Beth Kanell. The readings of the novels and their scholarly critiques allowed the controversy to slowly unfold. The experience was an epiphany, which explained the justifiable double-standard applied to authorship of multicultural literature. It also highlighted for me the risks associated with teaching multicultural lit, and the value in and importance of taking such risks with a mindful and informed approach.
Identity and Authenticity
You might say that Max and his Wild Things are the reason I chose to study children's literature. Maurice Sendak's (left) 1964 Caldecott Medal winner is a classic by any definition. As a mother and an educator, it means something to me on a personal level. I was prepared for disappointment upon viewing Spike Jonze's film adaptation. How could a filmmaker turn a 48-page illustrated book with only a few lines into a feature-length film? As it turns out, one can provide the backdrop for Max's emotional turmoil, develop the relationships among Max and the Wild Things, and reveal through movement and live action that which Sendak so eloquently captured on the page. I now know that a filmmaker's interpretation can have value in and of itself.
Louise Berkinow wrote, "What is commonly called literary history is actually a record of choices." This paper addresses that quote after a semester of studying award winners and classics of children's literature. In it, I considered the politics and contexts within which awards, the most important of which were founded by Frederich Melcher (left), are bestowed, explored the concept of "classics" as a social construct susceptible to change over time, the role of the profit motive, resources for effective and sensitive multiculturalism in the curriculum, and, finally, the role of the teacher in creating a literate and critical consumer and citizen.
Consumers and Citizens
This paper outlines my concern about the costs of technology in education. My fears are founded in a career which began before we all carried devices in our pockets and into the classroom. I have seen the tolls of unfettered access to technology on my students. I experience the same pull to my own screens. I struggle for balance and I wish it for my students. I found educational philosophers with whom I identified among the Better Nevers. Cliff Nass's (left) research on multitasking resonated with me, in particular. My thinking has evolved since then, but this artifact demonstrates where I began and reflects some of my lingering concerns about the cognitive impact of our screens.
Better Never:
A Socratic Stance Toward Technology in Education
The Gospel of the Edupunks: A Slow Conversion
As I prepare students for the transition to college and career, I must take into account their individual natures, dreams, talents, and limitations. This paper synthesizes the lessons learned from six unusually distinguished careers, including that of Steve Jobs (left). The only thing they share in common is the fact that their post-school learning had the greatest impact on their careers. As I reflect on my own experience as a non-traditional learner in this online community, I must acknowledge the opportunities technology presents us with for lifelong learning, as we reflect on our purpose and uncover our vocations.
