Educating with Harry Potter: Your responses!

I asked for your opinions last week on using Harry Potter in school curriculum and got one general answer: the books are too long to be taught in school.

Most of you did agree with the New York Times article in that it definitely promotes important messages for students, but that books of that length should be found in the school library and that teachers should encourage students to read them outside of the classroom environment.

In response, I would have to agree that most of the Harry Potter books are too lengthy to be taught. I honestly didn't even think about it until I received your comments--I was just too excited at the possibility of adding these books to required reading in school.

However, the first three books are a reasonable length, it's at a point in the series where things really haven't started to unfold yet and therefore the first three books are significantly shorter than the rest of the series.

I received a couple of comments saying other books could be used in place of Harry Potter to help promote the same morals that I discussed in my first post, what are some of those other books? If length wasn't an issue, could Harry Potter be used in the classroom? At this point, though, it's fair to guess that most high school children and older have read them already.

Educating with Harry Potter: I want your opinion!

Author: J.K. Rowling

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.

"For those who may call it the end of civilization, or at least the demise of high culture, a new study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology may provide reason for pause. Researchers from several European universities found that reading Harry Potter may make young people more tolerant. In the study “The greatest magic of Harry Potter: Reducing prejudice,” psychologists led by Loris Vezzali at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia that reading “Harry Potter” improves attitudes toward stigmatized groups, such as immigrants, gays and refugees." - New York Times

As discussed in the above article, Harry Potter is immensely more influential than most people give it credit for. High schools are beginning to question whether they should begin to use this series in their curriculum since it promotes individuality and accepting all different races, cultures, and sexual orientations.

It's no question that this worldwide phenomenon is most loved by children and young adults, but professors and teachers are beginning to realize just how influential J.K. Rowling's fantasy world has on the minds of developing students.

As an avid Harry Potter fan, I completely support this. I -- like many other children across the world -- grew up reading these books and felt pretty upset once the series ended. This series teaches important lessons about abuse and how to deal with it, the strength of loyalty and friendship, and living with internal struggles as a teenager. These themes are so important to teach in school because they encourage students to be open about their feelings and ask for help when they need it.

Also, if students are more on the shy side and tend to close themselves off from the outside world, Harry Potter gives them a great group of friends to connect with when they're feeling lonely.

I want to know your opinion! Do you think schools would benefit from adding the Harry Potter series to their curriculum? Would it cause any negative effects on students? Let me know what you think.

Allegiant: The Divergent Series

Author: Veronica Roth

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books

Publication Year: 2013

Hardcover: 544 pages

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she's known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris's new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

- Roth