The following post is reflective of the last section of Pietro Boscolo's chapter 19, Writing in Primary School found in Charles Bazerman's Handbook of Research on Writing: History, society, school, individual, text.
During the 1980s the process approach gained significance due to the work of Donald Graves (1983) and Donald Murray (1985). When the writing process is viewed through this lens, the process is taught using a recursive stance rather than a linear perspective in which “prewriting and revising” (p. 299) is valued. There are four components to the process approach with the first being the emphasis on small group instruction. Second, students select their own topics on which to write. The third element involves the teacher as listener during conferencing as students share their developing written work. The fourth and final component emphasizes the social aspect associated with sharing the finished creation with one’s peers. This is aligned with Boscolo’s three dimensions and challenges of writing; continuity, complexity, and social activity (p. 293-4).
Boscolo discusses cognitive writing development based on two theoretical perspectives. The first is a neo-Piagetian outlook that indicates student difficulty with processing and organizing information into categories makes the writing process a challenging endeavor. The difference between “knowledge telling” and “knowledge transforming” that differentiates beginning and more experienced writers is the second theoretical stance. In knowledge telling, novice writers share information in an uncomplicated manner for the purpose of fulfilling an assignment. With knowledge transforming, expert writers understand that the knowledge they share is multifaceted and useful when applied to other forms of understanding.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Learning to Write
In my last posting, I discussed Pietro Boscolo’s primary school writing from chapter 19 in Charles Bazerman's text, Handbook of Research on Writing. Boscolo mentioned the three dimensions and challenges for the teaching of writing: Continuity, complexity and social activity (p. 293-4). In this post, I will discuss Boscolo’s take on the concept of emergent literacy, the debate between phonics and whole-language approach and his discussion of Berninger’s studies on early writing (p. 294-8).
Says Boscolo, “Emergent literacy is the name given to the child’s various contacts and relations with printed matter and related activities in kindergarten, and in his or her family life prior to schooling, that are the developmental precursors of formal literacy” (p. 294). In other words, children come to school with “funds of knowledge” (Moll, Amanti, Neff, & Gonzalez, 1992) that help to prepare them for the knowledge acquisition that occurs in the classroom. Writing literacy occurs on a continuum beginning with scribbling and invented spelling efforts as a child progresses towards independent writing.
Literacy experts have been debating the phonics versus whole language approach to reading and writing for decades. The conflict stems from different philosophical approaches that entail a focus on skill acquisition for phonics instruction as opposed to a more constructivist stance from the whole language people. More recently, balanced literacy instruction has been embraced by literacy professionals (Rasinski & Padak, 2001).
Berninger et al. (2002) devised a writing study with a group of third graders who had poor “compositional fluency.” Four treatments were used: spelling, composition, spelling and composition, and control. The researcher’s findings were that successful writing occurs with several components including phonics, self-regulation, reflection, and composition practice.
Learning to write begins in the home and continues within the school classroom. As a child learns to construct language in the written form, she or he is gaining control over the useful and powerful medium of language. Teachers must reflect upon currently used effective strategies as they consider new research to enhance existing writing curriculum.
Says Boscolo, “Emergent literacy is the name given to the child’s various contacts and relations with printed matter and related activities in kindergarten, and in his or her family life prior to schooling, that are the developmental precursors of formal literacy” (p. 294). In other words, children come to school with “funds of knowledge” (Moll, Amanti, Neff, & Gonzalez, 1992) that help to prepare them for the knowledge acquisition that occurs in the classroom. Writing literacy occurs on a continuum beginning with scribbling and invented spelling efforts as a child progresses towards independent writing.
Literacy experts have been debating the phonics versus whole language approach to reading and writing for decades. The conflict stems from different philosophical approaches that entail a focus on skill acquisition for phonics instruction as opposed to a more constructivist stance from the whole language people. More recently, balanced literacy instruction has been embraced by literacy professionals (Rasinski & Padak, 2001).
Berninger et al. (2002) devised a writing study with a group of third graders who had poor “compositional fluency.” Four treatments were used: spelling, composition, spelling and composition, and control. The researcher’s findings were that successful writing occurs with several components including phonics, self-regulation, reflection, and composition practice.
Learning to write begins in the home and continues within the school classroom. As a child learns to construct language in the written form, she or he is gaining control over the useful and powerful medium of language. Teachers must reflect upon currently used effective strategies as they consider new research to enhance existing writing curriculum.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Writing in the Primary School
Pietro Boscolo discusses primary school writing in chapter 19 of Charles Bazerman's text, Handbook of Research on Writing. He frames his discussion with three dimensions and challenges for the teaching of writing: Continuity, complexity and social activity (p. 294-5).
In continuity, students possess an understanding about their own writing that is progressive in nature. The ability to write occurs on a continuum that is constantly expanding and changing. During these changes, student ability to realize what they are doing and why they are doing it becomes known to them. Students understand both the importance and the purpose of the writing process.
With the dimension of complexity comes the “product versus process” debate. The product side of the argument emphasizes the acquisition of a gradually more complex group of writing skills. Emphasis is placed on getting it right with writing being evaluated according to the end result of written text. With an emphasis on process comes the understanding that student learning is imperfect and idiosyncratic.
Social activity is the final dimension mentioned in this chapter. According to Boscolo, “writing is a tool for making them (students) members of the classroom community” (p. 294). Students use writing as a way to connect with other students within this population of learners.
These three dimensions: continuity, complexity, and social activity are interdependent as students gain increasing proficiency with writing behaviors. Students engage in meaningful interactions as they participate in writing tasks that they share with their peers. This is indicative of a constructivist classroom where students take an active role as they question, examine, and practice during the learning that takes place.
In continuity, students possess an understanding about their own writing that is progressive in nature. The ability to write occurs on a continuum that is constantly expanding and changing. During these changes, student ability to realize what they are doing and why they are doing it becomes known to them. Students understand both the importance and the purpose of the writing process.
With the dimension of complexity comes the “product versus process” debate. The product side of the argument emphasizes the acquisition of a gradually more complex group of writing skills. Emphasis is placed on getting it right with writing being evaluated according to the end result of written text. With an emphasis on process comes the understanding that student learning is imperfect and idiosyncratic.
Social activity is the final dimension mentioned in this chapter. According to Boscolo, “writing is a tool for making them (students) members of the classroom community” (p. 294). Students use writing as a way to connect with other students within this population of learners.
These three dimensions: continuity, complexity, and social activity are interdependent as students gain increasing proficiency with writing behaviors. Students engage in meaningful interactions as they participate in writing tasks that they share with their peers. This is indicative of a constructivist classroom where students take an active role as they question, examine, and practice during the learning that takes place.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Local Literacies~Socially Constructed
In Ways with Words, Shirley Brice Heath details her ethnographic research completed by Brice some forty years ago in the Piedmont Carolinas. She investigates the acquisition of literacy and how one’s surrounding cultural environment influences the way language is learned. Educators are encouraged to recognize student cultural background and appreciate how potential differences might affect learning in the classroom.
In Local Literacies, David Barton and Mary Hamilton document the lives of several residents of Lancaster, England during the 1990s. “This book is a study of what people do with literacy: of the social activities, of the thoughts and meanings behind the activities, and of the texts utilized in such activities. It is about how a particular group of people use reading and writing in their day-to-day lives” (page 3).
Language is a tool that we humans use as a way to communicate. Through reading, writing, speaking, and listening we are engaging in the exchange of ideas. During this making of meaning, the participants involved all bring to the table their own thoughts, feelings, and knowledge that influence the interchange of ideas. After exchanging ideas with another, it is often difficult to think about the concept in the same manner…the “other” has informed our thinking in one way or another.
Harry had many that he mentioned who had influenced his literacy development. Harry’s father brought the local paper home so that his parents could read the paper daily. Harry remembered reading the comic strips regularly and sharing with the other children in his neighborhood. During his work with the fire service, Harry encountered many people during the investigative interviews and had to teach himself how to write the reports. (Harry later shared that information with beginning firefighters.) Later Harry would write employment references for former firefighters who had asked him. The library was a great source of enjoyment where Harry found newspapers and books that he that he enjoyed reading and “swapping” with his friends. Harry enjoyed helping his grandchildren and other children from the neighborhood with their homework. During all these encounters, Harry was engaged in meaning making with one or more individuals.
Social constructivism is based on the concept that learning occurs as a socially or culturally constructed practice (Bruner, 2009; Dewey, 1996, 1933; Vygotsky, 1962, 1978). As a child interacts with others, s/he is participating in a collective knowledge construction or socialization. This making of meaning is an essential component of the continuation of one’s culture. Beliefs and practices are communicated between individuals through the use of language.
Both John Dewey and Len Vygotsky believed that language was one of the cultural tools used by human beings as they interacted and exchanged information (Garrison, 1995; Smidt, 2009). The knowledge transfer that occurs when individuals speak to each other during social interactions is essential to the growth and development of children as they increase their ability to verbally communicate with others. During the socialization process, children build and exchange understandings about the culture in which they inhabit.
Those who impacted Harry’s life certainly changed the way he thought about reading and writing, as Harry impacted the lives he touched. The social activities and the "thoughts and meanings behind the social activities" were used to build and further develop the culture that existed in Lancaster, England during the 1990s.
In Local Literacies, David Barton and Mary Hamilton document the lives of several residents of Lancaster, England during the 1990s. “This book is a study of what people do with literacy: of the social activities, of the thoughts and meanings behind the activities, and of the texts utilized in such activities. It is about how a particular group of people use reading and writing in their day-to-day lives” (page 3).
Language is a tool that we humans use as a way to communicate. Through reading, writing, speaking, and listening we are engaging in the exchange of ideas. During this making of meaning, the participants involved all bring to the table their own thoughts, feelings, and knowledge that influence the interchange of ideas. After exchanging ideas with another, it is often difficult to think about the concept in the same manner…the “other” has informed our thinking in one way or another.
Harry had many that he mentioned who had influenced his literacy development. Harry’s father brought the local paper home so that his parents could read the paper daily. Harry remembered reading the comic strips regularly and sharing with the other children in his neighborhood. During his work with the fire service, Harry encountered many people during the investigative interviews and had to teach himself how to write the reports. (Harry later shared that information with beginning firefighters.) Later Harry would write employment references for former firefighters who had asked him. The library was a great source of enjoyment where Harry found newspapers and books that he that he enjoyed reading and “swapping” with his friends. Harry enjoyed helping his grandchildren and other children from the neighborhood with their homework. During all these encounters, Harry was engaged in meaning making with one or more individuals.
Social constructivism is based on the concept that learning occurs as a socially or culturally constructed practice (Bruner, 2009; Dewey, 1996, 1933; Vygotsky, 1962, 1978). As a child interacts with others, s/he is participating in a collective knowledge construction or socialization. This making of meaning is an essential component of the continuation of one’s culture. Beliefs and practices are communicated between individuals through the use of language.
Both John Dewey and Len Vygotsky believed that language was one of the cultural tools used by human beings as they interacted and exchanged information (Garrison, 1995; Smidt, 2009). The knowledge transfer that occurs when individuals speak to each other during social interactions is essential to the growth and development of children as they increase their ability to verbally communicate with others. During the socialization process, children build and exchange understandings about the culture in which they inhabit.
Those who impacted Harry’s life certainly changed the way he thought about reading and writing, as Harry impacted the lives he touched. The social activities and the "thoughts and meanings behind the social activities" were used to build and further develop the culture that existed in Lancaster, England during the 1990s.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Why We Do What We Do When We Write
"And of course, if psychoanalysis can help us better understand human behavior, then it must certainly be able to help us understand literary texts, which are about human behavior." (Tyson, 2006, p. 11)
Psychoanalytic Criticism can be traced to the principles of classical psychoanalysis established by Sigmund Freud over one hundred years ago. Psychoanalysis is the process of understanding human behavior and its origins. With the use of this therapeutic tool, one begins to better understand how the unconscious mind motivates human behavior. In Psychoanalytic Criticism, the author's unconscious is studied through a psychoanalytic lens. Below is a brief overview of several psychoanalytic principles as discussed by Lois Tyson in chapter two of her text, Critical Theory Today, (2006).
The unconscious is "the storehouse of those painful experiences and emotions, those wounds, fears, guilty desires, and unresolved conflicts we do not want to know about because we feel we will be overwhelmed by them" (Tyson, 2006, p.12). Beginning in childhood, unhappy and painful events are repressed into the unconscious mind so that the person is not overcome by those disturbing experiences. Psychoanalysis uncovers information that has been repressed and allows one to understand how behavior has been influenced by the repression of events and memories from one's past.
One's family of origin often has a direct impact on the unconscious particularly with what Freud referred to as the oedipal conflict and sibling rivalry. Oedipal conflict is the conflict one feels for the parent of the opposite gender. Sibling rivalry is the competition siblings possess as they compete for parental attention.
Defense mechanisms are tools of the unconscious that our minds use to avoid anxiety and unpleasant emotions. Some of the common defense mechanisms include denial, selective perception, selective memory, avoidance, displacement, projection, regression, active reversal, and fear of abandonment.
Literary critics believe that by examining an author's work through a psychoanalytic lens one can take a peek into the writer's unconscious mind. The production of a literary text is the expression of an author's conflicts and anxieties. Simply put; what an author says or does not say in a piece of literary work is a projection of his or her innermost thoughts, anxieties, and repressed events from one's past.
Perhaps this is why so many are intrigued by the work of great writers. It is not always what is written on the page, but what can be seen between the lines that fascinates us so.
Below is a link to Purdue's Online Writing Lab with further duscussion on Psychoanalytic Critism.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/722/04
Psychoanalytic Criticism can be traced to the principles of classical psychoanalysis established by Sigmund Freud over one hundred years ago. Psychoanalysis is the process of understanding human behavior and its origins. With the use of this therapeutic tool, one begins to better understand how the unconscious mind motivates human behavior. In Psychoanalytic Criticism, the author's unconscious is studied through a psychoanalytic lens. Below is a brief overview of several psychoanalytic principles as discussed by Lois Tyson in chapter two of her text, Critical Theory Today, (2006).
The unconscious is "the storehouse of those painful experiences and emotions, those wounds, fears, guilty desires, and unresolved conflicts we do not want to know about because we feel we will be overwhelmed by them" (Tyson, 2006, p.12). Beginning in childhood, unhappy and painful events are repressed into the unconscious mind so that the person is not overcome by those disturbing experiences. Psychoanalysis uncovers information that has been repressed and allows one to understand how behavior has been influenced by the repression of events and memories from one's past.
One's family of origin often has a direct impact on the unconscious particularly with what Freud referred to as the oedipal conflict and sibling rivalry. Oedipal conflict is the conflict one feels for the parent of the opposite gender. Sibling rivalry is the competition siblings possess as they compete for parental attention.
Defense mechanisms are tools of the unconscious that our minds use to avoid anxiety and unpleasant emotions. Some of the common defense mechanisms include denial, selective perception, selective memory, avoidance, displacement, projection, regression, active reversal, and fear of abandonment.
Literary critics believe that by examining an author's work through a psychoanalytic lens one can take a peek into the writer's unconscious mind. The production of a literary text is the expression of an author's conflicts and anxieties. Simply put; what an author says or does not say in a piece of literary work is a projection of his or her innermost thoughts, anxieties, and repressed events from one's past.
Perhaps this is why so many are intrigued by the work of great writers. It is not always what is written on the page, but what can be seen between the lines that fascinates us so.
Below is a link to Purdue's Online Writing Lab with further duscussion on Psychoanalytic Critism.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/722/04
Thursday, March 11, 2010
The Ocoee Middle School Flash Mob
The following link is from a story featured on Oprah about a middle school in Florida that used this technique to encourage reading.
http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Watch-a-Florida-Middle-Schools-Reading-Flash-Mob-Video
http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Watch-a-Florida-Middle-Schools-Reading-Flash-Mob-Video
Friday, March 5, 2010
The Question: What is knowledge?
Writing and Secular Knowledge~Ch. 9
"Knowledge is a large, vague term often considered coterminous with civilization."
"By knowledge, we mean concepts and information shared with other people rather than personal certainties." (Bazerman & Rogers, 2008, p. 143).
Until I began this concentrated study of literacy, I never truly thought about the ways that reading and writing -as a way to share and disseminate knowledge- are used. The sharing of knowledge is done through reading and writing; which makes the role of educator ever the more daunting. Hmmm...
"Thus the impact of literacy on thought and knowledge should be understood within particular social, cultural, and historical circumstances and practices. Writing in turn reshapes the forms of social and cultural organization in which literacy is practiced" (Goody, 1986, as stated in Bazerman & Rogers, 2008, p. 144).
I've been reading quite a bit about social constructivism lately. It fascinates me to think about the idea that learning does not occur in a vacuum, and that the interplay and exchange of ideas is beneficial to the meaning making process.
Social constructivism is based on the idea that learning occurs as a socially or culturally constructed practice. Vygotsky’s social constructivism has its roots in Marxism and socialism. He believed that language and culture played a large part in the learning development of a child (Vygotsky, 1962, 1978).
Local Literacies and Ways with Words reinforce the idea that learning is socially constructed and dependent upon others for implementation. In Local Literacies for example, Harry discusses helping his grandchildren with their homework, writing references, assisting neighbors with taxes, and writing letters to the local paper with his friend of twenty years. These activities certainly could not take place without the others in his life! How fortunate for his friends and family members that Harry is so generous with his time and writing abilities.
In Ways with Words, Heath documents the many influences one's home environment has on the learning that takes place at school. Heath discusses the socialization process that occurs in differing communities and the disparity that exists in educational opportunities because of those differences. She emphasizes that teachers must be made aware of language and cultural diversities so that students are not marginalized but empowered through their unique qualities.
The answer:
"Knowledge is power" (Sir Francis Bacon,1597).
iPods in the classroom
Friday, February 26, 2010
Changing Standards of Literacy
The article by Myers, Changing our minds: Negotiating English and Literacy was an interesting read and really framed for me the ever-evolving role literacy has in our lives. I enjoy learning about historical events from "then" that have shaped our "now."
For example, "Thus, from 1870 onward, most males were employed away from the home, away from their children, and largely away from the all-day responsibility for the assimilation of their children into culture" (p. 64). So as fathers found employment away from their families, more of the responsibility of learning fell to teachers. (No mention of mothers' roles here, but I digress!) (We'll leave that discussion for another day) This explains why there was an emphasis on schoolmasters to be rule-enforcers and use a curriculum that involved highly disciplined routines. I think it's important to mention here that the one room schoolhouses held children of various ages and ability levels. Not to mention children who might not attend school on a regular basis. Perhaps we can forgive our forefathers for being too authoritarian if we consider the context in which they "taught" (!) On page 80, Myers says, "A toe-the-line culture was possible because the teacher and his or her texts or works were the source of knowledge and moral authority." Teachers held all the power as they dispensed knowledge to their pupils. Not that I agree with these practices, but perhaps it worked for the time in which they occurred.
Several ideas separated the decoding literacy from the recitation literacy. An emphasis on parts rather than whole (that did not reappear until the whole language movement during the 1980s), silent reading, the link between literacy and language, and the belief in literacy as a way to prepare students for the "real" world (that might or might not involve college) were prevalent during this time. Standardization gained prominence as well as an influx of immigrants to the United States that created a need to educate diverse populations.
Considering how far we have come as a literate nation, I am still discouraged by the public's perception of lack within our public schools. Myers quotes many statistics regarding the increase in reading achievement. He states on page 100, that the "general population" has shown an overall increase in test scores measuring comprehension of "unfamiliar materials" and that 3/4 of our entire population reaches a reading level only realized by a few that benefit from learning opportunities in other countries.
Although literacy practices have changed and evolved over time in the U.S., I believe that we have achieved great success in the world of education. Changing from an agrarian to an industrialized economy, the arrival of diverse cultures with various educational needs, as well as the changing political influences have created many demands on the teachers and administrators responsible for providing an opportunity for everyone to learn. I believe that we as future leaders in the field of education must provide not only leadership but optimism for what is to come. We must remember that although the system we have may be imperfect, it will continue to improve and evolve as it has for the last several hundred years. Public schools will continue to provide an opportunity for those who choose to learn.
For example, "Thus, from 1870 onward, most males were employed away from the home, away from their children, and largely away from the all-day responsibility for the assimilation of their children into culture" (p. 64). So as fathers found employment away from their families, more of the responsibility of learning fell to teachers. (No mention of mothers' roles here, but I digress!) (We'll leave that discussion for another day) This explains why there was an emphasis on schoolmasters to be rule-enforcers and use a curriculum that involved highly disciplined routines. I think it's important to mention here that the one room schoolhouses held children of various ages and ability levels. Not to mention children who might not attend school on a regular basis. Perhaps we can forgive our forefathers for being too authoritarian if we consider the context in which they "taught" (!) On page 80, Myers says, "A toe-the-line culture was possible because the teacher and his or her texts or works were the source of knowledge and moral authority." Teachers held all the power as they dispensed knowledge to their pupils. Not that I agree with these practices, but perhaps it worked for the time in which they occurred.
Several ideas separated the decoding literacy from the recitation literacy. An emphasis on parts rather than whole (that did not reappear until the whole language movement during the 1980s), silent reading, the link between literacy and language, and the belief in literacy as a way to prepare students for the "real" world (that might or might not involve college) were prevalent during this time. Standardization gained prominence as well as an influx of immigrants to the United States that created a need to educate diverse populations.
Considering how far we have come as a literate nation, I am still discouraged by the public's perception of lack within our public schools. Myers quotes many statistics regarding the increase in reading achievement. He states on page 100, that the "general population" has shown an overall increase in test scores measuring comprehension of "unfamiliar materials" and that 3/4 of our entire population reaches a reading level only realized by a few that benefit from learning opportunities in other countries.
Although literacy practices have changed and evolved over time in the U.S., I believe that we have achieved great success in the world of education. Changing from an agrarian to an industrialized economy, the arrival of diverse cultures with various educational needs, as well as the changing political influences have created many demands on the teachers and administrators responsible for providing an opportunity for everyone to learn. I believe that we as future leaders in the field of education must provide not only leadership but optimism for what is to come. We must remember that although the system we have may be imperfect, it will continue to improve and evolve as it has for the last several hundred years. Public schools will continue to provide an opportunity for those who choose to learn.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
In reading Menand's article, Show Or Tell I was reminded of some experiences with creative writing during my own journey as a writer (I've never considered myself a writer until this very moment. I have always enjoyed writing...for myself or for an assignment when I feel passionate about a topic. I just don't believe I do it well yet. :) Obviously a career in higher ed involves much writing, so I'm very deliberately try to soak up as much as I can about the process of producing the written word from the great people around me.
In high school I had an incredibly progressive creative writing teacher who insisted that we refer to him by his first name. I remember sharing my own poetry as well as listening to others share poetry and short stories. I don't recall having writing techniques scaffolded for us or learning about other writers. What I do recall is that we were told "there is no such thing as constructive criticism, all criticism is critical." Hmm...kind of makes me wonder about my teacher's own experiences as a writer and how they influenced his approach to our class.
I really loved when Menand says, "Surely the goal should be to get people to learn to think while they're writing, not after they have written" (p. 111). The idea resonates with me so strongly since I am engaged in thinking these days while I'm reading, writing, speaking, listening, driving...! This quote is aligned with my belief that learning should encompass meaning making above all else. More to think about. :)
In high school I had an incredibly progressive creative writing teacher who insisted that we refer to him by his first name. I remember sharing my own poetry as well as listening to others share poetry and short stories. I don't recall having writing techniques scaffolded for us or learning about other writers. What I do recall is that we were told "there is no such thing as constructive criticism, all criticism is critical." Hmm...kind of makes me wonder about my teacher's own experiences as a writer and how they influenced his approach to our class.
I really loved when Menand says, "Surely the goal should be to get people to learn to think while they're writing, not after they have written" (p. 111). The idea resonates with me so strongly since I am engaged in thinking these days while I'm reading, writing, speaking, listening, driving...! This quote is aligned with my belief that learning should encompass meaning making above all else. More to think about. :)
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Ways with Words
I have just finished reading Shirley Brice Heath's Ways with Words. Her landmark book details ethnographic research completed by Brice some forty years ago in the Piedmont Carolinas. Tracton, an African-American community, and Roadville, a white community, are both mill towns with very different approaches to the acquisition of language.
Heath explores the local environments at length and discusses the way language is learned by emphasizing the differences in titles of the chapters: Learning how to talk in Trackton and Teaching how to talk in Roadville. In Trackton for example, "Everyone talks about the baby, but rarely to the baby" (p. 75). In Roadville by contrast, "As adults talk to their children, they teach them how to talk and how to learn about the world. They sort out parts of the world for them, calling attention to these, and focusing the children's attention" (p. 127). These different experiences had implications for the way children from both environments approached school and learning.
What fascinated me most however was the last chapter entitled, Learners as ethnographers in which a fifth grade science class engaged in gathering information about growing food from their local community members. Students were required to use both written and oral data sources. After gathering data, students were to compare "local people's folk concepts" of growing food to "scientific" methods. Interviews with the "best farmers" were summarized and placed in a "science book" along with growing information compiled from research. The published "science book" served as the culminating activity for this science unit. What a beautiful illustration of authentic learning! Students engaged in real inquiry with real purposes and were highly motivated during the process. In the midst of this information gathering and reporting students learned to negotiate the language differences between home communities and school communities.
I have not started Local Literacies yet, however I am interested in how literacy will be discussed by Barton and Hamilton and if I'll draw parallels between the two ethnographies. Looking at these studies provides helpful information to educators concerned with meeting the needs of their diverse populations.
Heath explores the local environments at length and discusses the way language is learned by emphasizing the differences in titles of the chapters: Learning how to talk in Trackton and Teaching how to talk in Roadville. In Trackton for example, "Everyone talks about the baby, but rarely to the baby" (p. 75). In Roadville by contrast, "As adults talk to their children, they teach them how to talk and how to learn about the world. They sort out parts of the world for them, calling attention to these, and focusing the children's attention" (p. 127). These different experiences had implications for the way children from both environments approached school and learning.
What fascinated me most however was the last chapter entitled, Learners as ethnographers in which a fifth grade science class engaged in gathering information about growing food from their local community members. Students were required to use both written and oral data sources. After gathering data, students were to compare "local people's folk concepts" of growing food to "scientific" methods. Interviews with the "best farmers" were summarized and placed in a "science book" along with growing information compiled from research. The published "science book" served as the culminating activity for this science unit. What a beautiful illustration of authentic learning! Students engaged in real inquiry with real purposes and were highly motivated during the process. In the midst of this information gathering and reporting students learned to negotiate the language differences between home communities and school communities.
I have not started Local Literacies yet, however I am interested in how literacy will be discussed by Barton and Hamilton and if I'll draw parallels between the two ethnographies. Looking at these studies provides helpful information to educators concerned with meeting the needs of their diverse populations.
Friday, February 5, 2010
The Reader, The Scribe, The Thinker...
Love the title. Two sides of the same coin and all that jazz. But seriously folks, the article by Monaghan and Saul was a real eye-opener for me. I've identified myself as a reading teacher for quite some time now...and as a reader for even longer. Aside from several notebooks full of teenaged angst-filled poetry I've never really identified with the writing side of the coin. This article made me think about my own beliefs about the value of reading (and writing!) for myself and for my students.
When I taught at the primary level I emphasized to my students that it was important to learn how to read and write well. Reading and writing is how we communicate with each other. If you want to learn about what others are thinking you must learn how to read well. If you want others to understand what you are thinking, you must learn to write well. But I must confess, the emphasis was not so much on communicating well as it was on having neat handwriting. (there, I said it) As an instructor of pre-service teachers, I still emphasized reading and writing as a form of communication. Reading was the receptive and writing was expressive form of communicating. Which made the "Issues of control" section on page 90 so fascinating to me. Was I perpetuating the idea that children should be seen (reading) and not heard (writing)? Was it more important to me for students to learn what I said they should learn?! Giving students a voice was important to me; however I wish I'd emphasized it more.
Another piece of this article that spoke to me was the discussion on progressive education on page 97. To think that the sight word approach had been used as far back as 1870! Who knew?!Also interesting to me was the idea that "around the turn of the century" a principal in Chicago believed that reading should reflect student interests. "Reading Leaflets" that were designed by children and were used in place of reading textbooks for instruction. Unbelievable! All this was set aside as the scientific method and the use of sequential skills became predominately used with (choke) basal readers. Fascinating also as to how professional organizations have exerted their influence and maintained a political leverage that influences how both reading and writing are valued in the classroom.
Since this article was published in 1987, I found the prediction at the end quite telling. The authors hoped that the influence of the computer would help to reinstate writing as an essential part of literacy. As I type on my laptop keyboard and recall the texting discussion we've had in class and through email...I can't help but appreciate the irony.
When I taught at the primary level I emphasized to my students that it was important to learn how to read and write well. Reading and writing is how we communicate with each other. If you want to learn about what others are thinking you must learn how to read well. If you want others to understand what you are thinking, you must learn to write well. But I must confess, the emphasis was not so much on communicating well as it was on having neat handwriting. (there, I said it) As an instructor of pre-service teachers, I still emphasized reading and writing as a form of communication. Reading was the receptive and writing was expressive form of communicating. Which made the "Issues of control" section on page 90 so fascinating to me. Was I perpetuating the idea that children should be seen (reading) and not heard (writing)? Was it more important to me for students to learn what I said they should learn?! Giving students a voice was important to me; however I wish I'd emphasized it more.
Another piece of this article that spoke to me was the discussion on progressive education on page 97. To think that the sight word approach had been used as far back as 1870! Who knew?!Also interesting to me was the idea that "around the turn of the century" a principal in Chicago believed that reading should reflect student interests. "Reading Leaflets" that were designed by children and were used in place of reading textbooks for instruction. Unbelievable! All this was set aside as the scientific method and the use of sequential skills became predominately used with (choke) basal readers. Fascinating also as to how professional organizations have exerted their influence and maintained a political leverage that influences how both reading and writing are valued in the classroom.
Since this article was published in 1987, I found the prediction at the end quite telling. The authors hoped that the influence of the computer would help to reinstate writing as an essential part of literacy. As I type on my laptop keyboard and recall the texting discussion we've had in class and through email...I can't help but appreciate the irony.
Interesting look back in time at the way reading and writing instruction has evolved in this country over the last several hundred years. This article made me examine my own ideas regarding the value of reading and writing in the classroom; both yesterday and today.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Beginning Again
I do enjoy the beginning of the semester when everything is fresh and exciting. It is so wonderful to have the opportunity to begin again every semester, grading period, school year. We are blessed in education to have ebb and flow in what we do. (okay, so the full impact of the semester hasn't really hit me yet)
Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend my first presentation of a candidate for the adolescent literacy position. She discussed her study on signifyin(g) in which a white teacher engaged her predominately African-American class by interacting with them as a way to gain trust and build relationships... This presentation really spoke to me as I am a firm believer in the relationship between teacher and student being an essential part of the learning process. In fact, I believe that the most important element in successful human relations anywhere is the making of connections. Huge implications for educators.
I am still thinking about my line of inquiry...reading for deeper meaning in the home. There are so many ways I could take this; my goal this semester is to narrow it down and come up with a concise statement.
New semester, new beginnings.
Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend my first presentation of a candidate for the adolescent literacy position. She discussed her study on signifyin(g) in which a white teacher engaged her predominately African-American class by interacting with them as a way to gain trust and build relationships... This presentation really spoke to me as I am a firm believer in the relationship between teacher and student being an essential part of the learning process. In fact, I believe that the most important element in successful human relations anywhere is the making of connections. Huge implications for educators.
I am still thinking about my line of inquiry...reading for deeper meaning in the home. There are so many ways I could take this; my goal this semester is to narrow it down and come up with a concise statement.
New semester, new beginnings.
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