Terms/concepts I like: Critically Literate/Critical Literacy
intercultural competence
"partial" cultural truths
Vygotsky - "the very mechanism underlying higher mental functions is a copy from social interaction (p . 164). [152]
Scribner and Cole's explanation of literacy skills - "Literacy is not simply knowing how to read and write a particular script but applying this knowledge for specific purposes in specific contexts of use. The nature of these practices, including, of course, their technological aspects, will determine the kinds of skills ('consequences') associated with literacy" (p. 250) [152]
I am interested that this all takes place in ENGLISH....is that glocalization? on Ethnocentric in its own way? Why must it be in English since the native English speakers/writers have a natural advantage and greater 'power' over the language?
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Rex - what is important?
Ok, to start this off, I need to address my neuroses.... It bothered me that this was in columns...Is that unreasonable? I will write more later.
Applebee's quote is so valuable to me...."...students' entry into the domains of conversation that constitute a curriculum..." -- I think that is why I love education now and that I am interested in continuing my studies. It is no longer a monologue and my questions have a real and valid audience. I struggle with this with my own students because they are conditioned to only ask "the right questions" rather than the "informed or truly inquisitive" questions...
I appreciate that Rex dives into the aspect of culture building, but I still find issue with the dichotomy between what I believe is real education and what is standardized education. The one that is most valued today is not what I believe will make education truly beneficial to all.
Academic literacy (p. 67) -- I didn't really see the definition that Rex is using, but I think the term, as I understand it, is key to grasping the benefits of education versus the probability that one will become disillusioned with education and will fail and/or drop out. Certain communities and cultures and not invited to be academically literate and therefore will never be able have a full partnership in control and direction of the dialogue regarding education.
Applebee's quote is so valuable to me...."...students' entry into the domains of conversation that constitute a curriculum..." -- I think that is why I love education now and that I am interested in continuing my studies. It is no longer a monologue and my questions have a real and valid audience. I struggle with this with my own students because they are conditioned to only ask "the right questions" rather than the "informed or truly inquisitive" questions...
I appreciate that Rex dives into the aspect of culture building, but I still find issue with the dichotomy between what I believe is real education and what is standardized education. The one that is most valued today is not what I believe will make education truly beneficial to all.
Academic literacy (p. 67) -- I didn't really see the definition that Rex is using, but I think the term, as I understand it, is key to grasping the benefits of education versus the probability that one will become disillusioned with education and will fail and/or drop out. Certain communities and cultures and not invited to be academically literate and therefore will never be able have a full partnership in control and direction of the dialogue regarding education.
Eckert - Reading vs reading
Eckert lays out the dilemma we face as secondary school educators: Do we teach to the test so that kids will have high scores on the standardized tests in order to score well for themselves (scholarships, college apps, graduation requirements, etc...) and for us (evaluations, yearly school 'report cards,' etc...) or do we teach the aspects of critical thinking and evaluation? I am not satisfied with the former and sometimes it gets me in trouble.
My own students often prefer to think of reading as the 'decoding of words (111) rather than anything more 'difficult' simply because it requires more and there is an inherent risk because the 'answer' may not be absolute or concrete. Furthermore, there may not be any one true answer and they are afraid to take risks because they have not been allowed to in the past. Hence the age-old question "Is this going to be on the test?"
I appreciate Eckert's distinction between reading and interpretation and I don't know if the world of school/teacher evaluations is ready for the open-endedness of that. I was thinking of how unlike a business model schools really are even though business leaders have been clambering for years that schools should be run as a business and should generate only the highest quality product. It seems that the most successful companies, Google would be a superb example, have very little that mirrors current education. - they reward and create opportunities for the employees to explore and create questions. The pre-college education system does exactly the opposite to both its students and its teachers.
I have certainly gone off on an aside, but I think that the main point of what I am saying is that we need to define what we really want and how that can be attained. Until that is done, we we wallow in the mire of labels and 'reform.'
My own students often prefer to think of reading as the 'decoding of words (111) rather than anything more 'difficult' simply because it requires more and there is an inherent risk because the 'answer' may not be absolute or concrete. Furthermore, there may not be any one true answer and they are afraid to take risks because they have not been allowed to in the past. Hence the age-old question "Is this going to be on the test?"
I appreciate Eckert's distinction between reading and interpretation and I don't know if the world of school/teacher evaluations is ready for the open-endedness of that. I was thinking of how unlike a business model schools really are even though business leaders have been clambering for years that schools should be run as a business and should generate only the highest quality product. It seems that the most successful companies, Google would be a superb example, have very little that mirrors current education. - they reward and create opportunities for the employees to explore and create questions. The pre-college education system does exactly the opposite to both its students and its teachers.
I have certainly gone off on an aside, but I think that the main point of what I am saying is that we need to define what we really want and how that can be attained. Until that is done, we we wallow in the mire of labels and 'reform.'
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Dyson - The Humble Prose...
I wonder what literocracy is....(150)...I have an idea of the concept of literate and equal individuals?
I appreciate the relationship between the written and spoken language, but I am not fully aware of how the two influence each other. I have some anecdotal evidence such as witnessing children of deaf (and even blind) parents, but I never had the opportunity to study these kids.
I do know that often the reticent child has not proven to be the better writer in my classes...
154 - "Oral and written language are dynamically interrelated, as Britton (1970) argued, but the nature of the speaking/writing matrix -- and of the 'voice' itself -- depends on the kind of communicative situation (i.e., the cultural practice) and on the particular social happening (i.e., the ongoing event). -- This is key to what I hope to project as literacy and success to my students. I want them to critically evaluate a situation so that they may understand the semantic, rhetoric, syntax and then respond appropriately so that they will be Literately-empowered and not subject to the tactics of the established powers/authorities.
I appreciate the relationship between the written and spoken language, but I am not fully aware of how the two influence each other. I have some anecdotal evidence such as witnessing children of deaf (and even blind) parents, but I never had the opportunity to study these kids.
I do know that often the reticent child has not proven to be the better writer in my classes...
154 - "Oral and written language are dynamically interrelated, as Britton (1970) argued, but the nature of the speaking/writing matrix -- and of the 'voice' itself -- depends on the kind of communicative situation (i.e., the cultural practice) and on the particular social happening (i.e., the ongoing event). -- This is key to what I hope to project as literacy and success to my students. I want them to critically evaluate a situation so that they may understand the semantic, rhetoric, syntax and then respond appropriately so that they will be Literately-empowered and not subject to the tactics of the established powers/authorities.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Hadjioannou - Authentic Discussions
Just the title got me thinking because I sometimes wonder if Authentic discussions can work in a classroom. I think that I have been able to create theopportunity in my Honors sophomore class, but I just allowed it to happen.
Maybe I helped foster the possibility, but I honestly believe that the motivated learners in that room made it happen more more than me influencing it. I like to think that I may trigger the Authentic Discussion, but I also fear that the dominant voices may take too much control and stifle the more timid students in my room. OK-- this is my pre-reading comment since I now need to go read the article.
Post-reading....I hope that she addresses large class sizes (55-60)...
"In other words, the environment withing which language is used substantially shapes the nature of interactions by providing guidelines as to what can be said, how, by who, to whom, and for what purpose." (372)
..."environment of language..." "classroom communities"
--the surround view --the weaving view -->created by the participants....I think that I like this, but I have great concerns about the amount of time that it may take to build that environment to a point where "measurable learning" and take place -- especially in the current environment of standardized testing....(373)
I like the list that will foster long-term reading engagement (373-4)
- learning goals
- real-world interaction
-interesting texts
-autonomy support
-strategy instruction
-collaboration support
-evaluation
Maybe I helped foster the possibility, but I honestly believe that the motivated learners in that room made it happen more more than me influencing it. I like to think that I may trigger the Authentic Discussion, but I also fear that the dominant voices may take too much control and stifle the more timid students in my room. OK-- this is my pre-reading comment since I now need to go read the article.
Post-reading....I hope that she addresses large class sizes (55-60)...
"In other words, the environment withing which language is used substantially shapes the nature of interactions by providing guidelines as to what can be said, how, by who, to whom, and for what purpose." (372)
..."environment of language..." "classroom communities"
--the surround view --the weaving view -->created by the participants....I think that I like this, but I have great concerns about the amount of time that it may take to build that environment to a point where "measurable learning" and take place -- especially in the current environment of standardized testing....(373)
I like the list that will foster long-term reading engagement (373-4)
- learning goals
- real-world interaction
-interesting texts
-autonomy support
-strategy instruction
-collaboration support
-evaluation
Wheeler - Code switching...
I never used the term 'codeswitching' when talking with my kids about language, but I have taught them that there are different forms of English that we need to use at certain times. The most obvious to me today is that of texting compared to essay writing. One is certainly more appropriate for a given circumstance than the other, but is is dependent on the society and the situation.
For instance, I love to fall into a southern , twang, dialect. When I return from visiting my friends in the South, I would always carry certain aspects of the dialect home with me and use it here in the North -- even while teaching class. I love the way it feels rolling off my tongue and the way that it sounds. My kids get a kick out it too.... But, that is not the best dialect to use in a job interview in the north or even during parent-teacher conferences.
So what is best -- I have asked my kids to think about the situation and evaluate the proper language for the circumstance at hand. I don't expect anyone to speak perfect, formal SAE in the hallway during passing time, but I do expect that they chance their word choice when I am present and they enter the classroom -- social courtesies still weigh heavily for me even though a swear word is only designated as so because of a social norm.
This is the beginning of what I feel LITERACY is -- the ability to interpret a social situation and communicate in the language most acceptable for the moment. And yes, that definition can make me 'funtionally' illierate since I don't not know AAVE and wouldn't pretend to try it -- although there is a very funny story about that if you really wish to hear it. Equally so, I do not have a 'working vocabulary' to master TextSpeech either.
So, I just need to say, "Thank Y'a;ll for readin my blog for today...."
--wabe
For instance, I love to fall into a southern , twang, dialect. When I return from visiting my friends in the South, I would always carry certain aspects of the dialect home with me and use it here in the North -- even while teaching class. I love the way it feels rolling off my tongue and the way that it sounds. My kids get a kick out it too.... But, that is not the best dialect to use in a job interview in the north or even during parent-teacher conferences.
So what is best -- I have asked my kids to think about the situation and evaluate the proper language for the circumstance at hand. I don't expect anyone to speak perfect, formal SAE in the hallway during passing time, but I do expect that they chance their word choice when I am present and they enter the classroom -- social courtesies still weigh heavily for me even though a swear word is only designated as so because of a social norm.
This is the beginning of what I feel LITERACY is -- the ability to interpret a social situation and communicate in the language most acceptable for the moment. And yes, that definition can make me 'funtionally' illierate since I don't not know AAVE and wouldn't pretend to try it -- although there is a very funny story about that if you really wish to hear it. Equally so, I do not have a 'working vocabulary' to master TextSpeech either.
So, I just need to say, "Thank Y'a;ll for readin my blog for today...."
--wabe
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