Multicultural literature, transformational powers?

Has it really got the power to transform? I’m reading lots that suggests it can but have yet to find any substantial research that can support this. We can expose children to different perspectives and discuss these with them but does that mean we change them? We can provide a window or a mirror for them to gaze through or to think reflectively about their own culture but I still need evidence to demonstrate that sharing multicultural texts makes a difference.
This blog post proved an interesting read and may lead me to further answers.

End of the year and end of ETL504

And now the end is near…. What a year! My learning curve has never been steeper. Not only have I now completed 3 subjects for MTLship but I’ve survived my first year as a TL. The LC is now a a more important place in school and offers a space for children to read, play, learn and inquire. The books are on the way to being more recent and of a better quality. Our online subscriptions are being well utilised, and have been expanded, as have our periodical subscriptions. All the posters have now been sorted and weeded. Guided reading is mostly labelled and hopefully we will have fewer wrong returns in the future. We have a new OPAC system and this is now accessible from anywhere in school and at home, a big step forward. Our book week was a success and it looks like we will have have one next year too. Our TR selection is growing and things are looking up!
It looks like that the timetable next year will allow me to attend most planning in the week but this does mean that i need to build three teaching spaces into the LC and try and include more work space. I also want an exploratory zone where children can learn through direct physical inquiry ie we always have a digital microscope set up, magnifying glasses, things to handle and touch that change regularly and inspire children to explore and learn.
A good year on the whole…looking forward to the challenges that the next one holds.

Read The Book Whisperer this week. Inspirational! Go out and buy it as it is a must read for teachers. Donalyn Miller’s ideas make so much sense and I love her book lists. She makes me want to go out an read them all. Hopefully this will feed into my next module on children’s literature ETL 402, I think.