2005
Dorothy Howard and Robinson-Roeder-Ward winners |
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| by Carol Spellman | |
| The Dorothy Howard Committee,
including Carol Spellman, Maida Owens and Sue Eleuterio, had a tough choice
in the 2005 competition. Materials submitted were reviewed and assessed
using a rubric which focused on the value and facility in use of the materials
for educators to teach folklore concepts to students and/or their peers.
The four submissions were incredibly competitive. It was difficult to discern
differences in the value of the submissions, and scores were within a one
point differential. Two submissions scored a perfect 30. As a result, the
committee voted to offer two Dorothy Howard Awards in 2005. Each submission
received the $100 award and certificate at the section meeting in Atlanta
in October 2005. The 2005 winners are: Spurrin’ the Words: 4H Cowboy Poetry Project, submitted by Kirk A. Astroth, Director of the Montana 4-H Center for Youth Development, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, published July 2004. Kirk’s description of the submission is as follows: “Spurrin’ the Words embodies the principles Dorothy practiced herself in promoting the study of folklife and folklore in schools and other educational settings. We feel that this curriculum provides a unique and exemplary model for supporting folklife education with young people of all backgrounds and interests. Like Dorothy’s work, this curriculum bridges the gap between the academic, armchair study of poetry and young people’s real life experiences. Not only are youth taught how to write poetry following rhyme and meter patterns, but the book also includes recipes, history, tips for reading brands, profiles of famous poets like Badger Clark. There is a section on Native American cowboys and women poets. A CD features Montana cowboy and cowgirl poets reading not only their works but also others’ works which include classics.” The second award went to Wisconsin Weather Stories. Anne Pryor’s nomination letter stated: “Wisconsin Weather Stories is a collaboration between the Wisconsin Arts Board and two divisions of the University of Wisconsin: the cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies and the Folklore Program. The project designers include folklorist Anne Pryor, atmospheric scientist Steven Ackerman, meteorologist Margaret Mooney from CIMSS, and folklorist James Leary from UW. Five undergraduate students were key workers and five Wisconsin K-12 classroom teachers participated in developing an interdisciplinary approach to teaching about their love of weather and testing the materials in their classrooms.” The Robinson Roeder Ward committee (Carol Spellman and Jeanne Johnson) announced the 2005 award recipient, Renee Morris, on PUBLORE. Renee received $300 from the AFS Folklore and Education Section, which allowed her and two students to attend the AFS meeting in Atlanta in October of last year (click on the “AFS News” link below for detailed information). At the Saturday morning workshop, Renee and her students shared their work using folklore to explore and write about their community. Renee’s students conduct original research and document family stories, writing about issues that affect us daily and publish yearly stories from their research. Classroom projects include immigration and integration stories. The class wrote a novella entitled A Gathering of Young People inspired by the book A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest Gaines. The students' narratives address bullying, prejudice, and cliques among teens. In her application letter, Renee noted that “Students used their experiences of their respective cultures to infuse the characters with rich details and characterization. This book means to me that we have to respect the feelings of the people; that we don’t have to make fun of others." Renee has received a grant from Teaching Tolerance Foundation of the Southern Poverty Law Center. She continues to work on additional writings with her class, including the gathering of stories called The Ghosts of Gainesville. |
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| Folklore and Education is the newsletter of the Folklore and Education section of the American Folklore Society. Questions, comments, and contributions are welcome at all times. Section members and others interested in submitting materials relevant to folklore and education may send such materials to the editorial staff, either by e-mail or regular mail, at the addresses below. | |
Editor: Rosemary Hathaway |
Co-Editor: Gregory Hansen |