Netflix Bookmarks Brings Diversity: Open Your Classroom
This blog post is not sponsored.
A bookmark is defined as material to mark one’s place in a book according to the Oxford Dictionary. The television show on Netflix entitled; “Bookmarks Celebrating Black Voices” first aired a few years ago. It is definitely a show you should bookmark and return to again.
The television show features celebrities sharing literature book for children written by black authors (with some celebrities being the authors of the books, they were sharing).
Are you looking for more ways for your students to embrace social emotional learning and help them to reflect on their own experiences? Here are four important reasons to introduce the Bookmarks Series by Netflix to your students.
1. Helps To Spark Conversations
The television show engages viewers to think and reflect. As the celebrities close out the reading of their books, they leave viewers with questions that can facilitate discussions.
Viewers are charged to embrace who they are, speak up, or learn from the actions of the characters in the story.
The series website features recommendations of other books by age range viewers may be interested with a brief description of the books.
There are also lists of general questions that can be used in the classroom to start the conversation.
2. Reflects Real World Learning
It is important for your students to know what they are learning has value. Learning in the classroom should alway be connected to the real world.
This will help the to get an understanding of the world around them and why the content you are teaching is important to them.
The Bookmark Series by Netflix does a good job of helping to introduce to your students this kind of learning.
3. Builds Culturally Responsive Teaching
Literature books featured in the Bookmark Series open the door for culturally responsive teaching (CRT). According to Will and Najarro (2022) of Education Week, this kind of learning for “all students, and in particular students of color, are empowered to become lifelong learners and critical thinkers.”
Culturally responsive teaching is a research-based strategy for you to infuse your students culture, language, and personal experiences into their learning.
CRT is powerful because it lets students see themselves. It lets them see not only their school community, communities in which they live, and those communities in the world around them.
3. Provides Social Emotional Learning
My students really loved this series. The episodes are available on YouTube and introduce such topics as empathy, equality, self-love, and racism. It can be difficult to facilitate conversations on these subjects and the series can help you with that.
The social emotional learning (SEL) aspect in which a featured celebrities share some insight into their own personal experience makes the show even more engaging. These books include:
This connect builds self esteem and can help your students to develop a growth mindset.
Final Thoughts
There are so many reasons to introduce the Bookmark Series by Netflix to your students. So as your plan your lessons, you should be sure to provide your students with Bookmark Netflix literature.
Each literature book featured in an episode is used as an opportunity where young viewers are encouraged to have conversations that relate to themselves and their own experiences.
The viewers also learn about cultural diversity through characters in the stories.
The television show also provides a unique way for teachers to broach those difficult topics for real-world learning through its’ selection of literature.
According to Barshay (2021), “Piaget thought peer interaction was important for a child’s social development and for learning itself. When a child ask questions and argue with other students they became active and engaged learner.”
FREE CLASSROOM CONVERSATION CARDS
Tips To Try:
You can foster a learning environment that is engaging, inclusive, and supportive of your students’ academic and personal growth.
1. Choose Diverse and Inclusive Texts
- Representation Matters: Select books that reflect a wide range of cultures, experiences, and identities. This helps all students see themselves in the literature and learn about others.
- Authentic Voices: Prioritize books written by authors from the cultures and communities being represented. Authentic voices provide deeper insights and more accurate portrayals.
2. Focus on Relevant and Relatable Themes
- Real-World Connections: Look for literature that addresses contemporary issues and real-world problems. Themes like social justice, environmental issues, and community challenges can spark meaningful discussions and critical thinking.
- Social-Emotional Themes: Choose books that explore emotions, relationships, and personal growth. Stories about overcoming adversity, building resilience, and developing empathy can support students’ social-emotional learning.
3. Incorporate Interactive and Reflective Activities
- Discussion Prompts: Use literature with rich content that lends itself to discussion prompts and open-ended questions. This encourages students to express their thoughts, share experiences, and listen to others.
- Reflection and Action: Select books that inspire students to reflect on their values and take action. Encourage projects or activities where students can apply what they’ve learned to make a positive impact in their community.
