When most people think of the No-Child-Left-Behind Law most think about not letting children fail. Yet, in classrooms all over children put their heads down on desk rather than doing problems and nothing is being done to prevent this. Gloria Ladson-Billings, in her essay “I ain’t writin’ nuttin’: Permissions to Fail and Demands to Succeed in Urban Classroom” in The Skin that We Speak, gives readers an inside look into a young girl’s refusal to write a sentence. The teachers response to the student was “‘That’s okay. Maybe you’ll feel like writing tomorrow.” (110). Ladson-Billings calls this “‘permission to fail’” (110). I feel like this happens too often and it is a really hard situation to deal with. At the same time there are techniques that can employed to help engage student’s interest in the subject matter.
A lot of times when students are given an assignment they wonder “Why do we have to do this stupid thing?” This is because assignment are often not engaging. In addition, teachers tend to take an elitist approach to the fact they are teachers and force the students to complete the assignments. Ladson-Billings offers a different approach to instruction. It is one that takes into account the students interest so that they will be inspired to learn and complete the material. In addition to the students interests, it must parallel the students literacy level, therefore it must reflect on previous knowledge. At the same time it must grow the students literacy and show students how it can be paired with “conventional forms of literacy” (117). In order to achieve this lessons must be thought-out and well planned. Also the teacher must be adaptable to change a lesson if it is not achieving the desired result.
There is also an ethics perspective to letting students. Often when students give up they are thought of as lazy. I feel they simply don’t understand the implications of their decisions. Even if it is explained to them they still may not understand, therefore it is up to educators to make engaging lessons to keep students focused. Then hopefully in time they will understand the importance to their actions.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Out-of-School Literacy is Important for In-School Literacy
When we think of literacy we tend to think of what society learns through formal instruction in a brink and mortar classroom. What tends to be more important to students is what they learn outside of school, this is called this out-of-school literacy. There is almost an infinite number of examples, but some recognized by Jabari Mahiri in his book “What They Don’t Learn in School” (see course text), are rap, low-riders, artwork, comic books, and resources that encompass home-schooling.
As a future teacher I need to look at this out-of-school literacy and see its importance in the lives of the students that I will be teaching. This way I can relate the material to their interest and in turn they will have an interest in the material.
When looking at rap music Mahiri, in his essay “Street Scripts: African American Youth Writing About Crime and Violence”, notes that of his students are “aware of how perceptions of rap music are negatively constructed and how its legitimacy is continually challenged by dominate cultural institutions” (26). Yet, rap really has a lot more meaning. Like an artist expressing himself on a canvas, rap is the medium that many rappers use to express themselves, whether it is for a political, social or religious reason. Mahiri does mention that rap is linked to an image of violence and drug-abuse. In contrast he mentions that to debunk all rap because of this is to be ignorant to rap as an acceptable medium. This literacy is important to students and as a future teacher I need to understand its effects of the lives of students.
To show the importance of out of school literacy Mahiri included an essay by Peter Cowan called, “Devils and Angels: Literacy and Discourse in Lowrider Culture”. Before Cowan researched low riders he assumed that there was a gang association with them. Then he decided to learn about lowriders and see there importance. He purchased a lowrider magazine (http://www.lowridermagazine.com/index.html) and attended a car show. Not only did the information he found out debunk his original assumption, he learned about how deeply rooted the culture is in the life of his students. One of his most important statements is, “it [lowriding culture] reveals a form of visual
literacy that is clear and comprehensible to members of a particular discourse community who have been socialized into it” (49). This statement can almost be applied towards any culture or community. I feel that in the broader sense it tells us not to assume a culture until we research it. Even if we do research it we may not be able to fully understand it, therefore we cannot make assumptions.
The images of lowriders or rap or comic books is important to those who are involved in it. Therefore, as a future teacher I need to appreciate my future students interest in this out-of-school literacy. As a teacher, I will expect students to appreciate diverse backgrounds, I also must appreciate the diverse background of my students.
As a future teacher I need to look at this out-of-school literacy and see its importance in the lives of the students that I will be teaching. This way I can relate the material to their interest and in turn they will have an interest in the material.
When looking at rap music Mahiri, in his essay “Street Scripts: African American Youth Writing About Crime and Violence”, notes that of his students are “aware of how perceptions of rap music are negatively constructed and how its legitimacy is continually challenged by dominate cultural institutions” (26). Yet, rap really has a lot more meaning. Like an artist expressing himself on a canvas, rap is the medium that many rappers use to express themselves, whether it is for a political, social or religious reason. Mahiri does mention that rap is linked to an image of violence and drug-abuse. In contrast he mentions that to debunk all rap because of this is to be ignorant to rap as an acceptable medium. This literacy is important to students and as a future teacher I need to understand its effects of the lives of students.
To show the importance of out of school literacy Mahiri included an essay by Peter Cowan called, “Devils and Angels: Literacy and Discourse in Lowrider Culture”. Before Cowan researched low riders he assumed that there was a gang association with them. Then he decided to learn about lowriders and see there importance. He purchased a lowrider magazine (http://www.lowridermagazine.com/index.html) and attended a car show. Not only did the information he found out debunk his original assumption, he learned about how deeply rooted the culture is in the life of his students. One of his most important statements is, “it [lowriding culture] reveals a form of visual
literacy that is clear and comprehensible to members of a particular discourse community who have been socialized into it” (49). This statement can almost be applied towards any culture or community. I feel that in the broader sense it tells us not to assume a culture until we research it. Even if we do research it we may not be able to fully understand it, therefore we cannot make assumptions.The images of lowriders or rap or comic books is important to those who are involved in it. Therefore, as a future teacher I need to appreciate my future students interest in this out-of-school literacy. As a teacher, I will expect students to appreciate diverse backgrounds, I also must appreciate the diverse background of my students.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Being Colorblind
Many white people take the position of being colorblind in order to avoid the issues of racism. The implication of taking such a position benefits the white person. In terms of education, Amanda Lewis in her essay “‘Even Sweet, Gentle Larry?’ The Continuing Significance of Race in Education”, discusses the negative consequences of being colorblind by saying, “This denies not only the way race shapes who ends up in which school building, the long-term legacy it continues to have on family resources, and the way it shapes school practices and interactions” (2). Therefore being colorblind hurts not only those of color but also all persons of society.Also to deny race denies the ways race has helped middle-upper class families stay wealthy. It denies the issues of wealth inequalities and political favoritism that have lonely benefited the wealthy part of society. Therefore to take a stand of colorblindness will only perpetuate these issues. It denies all persons access into the culture of power, to give them an equal opportunity to live and grow with limitless possibilities.
James Gee, in his essay "Teenagers in new times: A new literacy studies perspective", also found the issues of colorblindness to be prevalent among upper-class teens. He says: “We have some indication that our upper middle class teens distance themselves from issues like racism even when it is the overt content of their course work” (418). Students in a study reported that their social studies teacher made it clear that the students couldn’t use words like “weird” or “odd” when describing things, they were taught to use the word “different”. One of the students Karin said that she lives in a sheltered town. Other students reported the same feelings. Another student also reported that learning about stereotypes was a big concept to learn. Gee sums up the problem of not learning racism by saying, “they appear to orient to the ‘cultural capital’ the class offers them to construct themselves as ‘worldly people’ despite their limited access to the realities of a diverse world” (419). As a future teacher, to recognize this as an issue will be one step forward in deterring the problems associated with colorblindness.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Literacy, Literacy Everywhere
“Stated simply, people use written language to make their daily lives, to earn a living, to operate their businesses, to provide and receive public service, to educate, to create joy and to create pain, to segregate, to promulgate justice and injustice, to impoverish, to pray and promote spirituality, to create caring relationships, to marginalize and dismiss others, and to move from one part of Columbus to another” (Bloome and Encisco, 297).
When we think about literacy and this quote I like to look at literacy in two different terms. The conscious literacy and the unconscious literacy. The conscious literacy is fairly pretty simple to describe. I would describe this as literacy that is used to “show” a higher level of literacy; one that is out of the writers or speakers comfort zone. If a student was asked to write a four page paper but had to use certain language and grammar that exceeded their normal language than they will be consciously changing their literacy level.
Bloome and Encisco talk greatly about the unconscious literacy. One that dictates everyday life without thought to certain words or actions chosen. I like to think of this as “diner talk”. When one goes to a diner they usually see a sign that says, “Please wait to be seated”. Therefore the diner is assuming that the customer will be able to read and understand the sign. Then the customer waits for an employee, called the host, to come over and seat the customer. Once seated, the host typically hands the customer the menu, which the diner implies the customer can read. After a few minutes the waiter or waitress comes over and distributes coffee and ask the customer what they would like to eat. This simple exchange of communication is very typical. Therefore this form of literacy is universal among similar establishments. Bloome and Encisco say that this social setting is material; there is the use of menus, tables, and seats.
The authors also note such implied and excepted literacy practices at specific establishments like Starbucks. The use certain language that caters to a certain social-economic group. In Columbus, Ohio a large majority of Starbucks are located in the middle and upper class neighborhoods. Please see the current video from Duke University on how Starbucks success if created around this unconscious literacy.
Judith Baker discusses the use of different languages through the word “Trilingualism”, in “The Skin That We Speak” (see course texts). Baker states that in order for students to succeed and get successful jobs, they have to speak and write in different ways and know when it is appropriate to use this language. I would call this the conscious literacy because they are conscious changing their language to accommodate someone else. Baker says that there are three different forms to the English language, to quote her:
In contract to the use of language in different social settings, Michael Stubbs in “The Skin That We Speak” talks about the “The Primitive Language Myth”. According to Stubbs, there is “no language or dialect is inherently superior or inferior to any other, and that all languages and dialects are suited to the needs of the community they serve.” The “diner talk” may be different, but not superior to a group of professors. Stubbs also continues to mention that primitive languages, although appear simplistic, are governed by detailed rules that make them complex structural systems.
This idea of conscious and unconscious dialects can be described in terms of code-switching by Lisa Delpit in “The Skin That We Speak”. She describes how her daughter is able to switch from speaking properly to speaking loosely with her friends with the use of slang. Like Stubbs, she argues that instead of correcting students when they use the “wrong” language, teachers must embrace the differences in language so students can grow through language, rather than resistant. This way students can see their true potential, without barriers.
When we think about literacy and this quote I like to look at literacy in two different terms. The conscious literacy and the unconscious literacy. The conscious literacy is fairly pretty simple to describe. I would describe this as literacy that is used to “show” a higher level of literacy; one that is out of the writers or speakers comfort zone. If a student was asked to write a four page paper but had to use certain language and grammar that exceeded their normal language than they will be consciously changing their literacy level.
Bloome and Encisco talk greatly about the unconscious literacy. One that dictates everyday life without thought to certain words or actions chosen. I like to think of this as “diner talk”. When one goes to a diner they usually see a sign that says, “Please wait to be seated”. Therefore the diner is assuming that the customer will be able to read and understand the sign. Then the customer waits for an employee, called the host, to come over and seat the customer. Once seated, the host typically hands the customer the menu, which the diner implies the customer can read. After a few minutes the waiter or waitress comes over and distributes coffee and ask the customer what they would like to eat. This simple exchange of communication is very typical. Therefore this form of literacy is universal among similar establishments. Bloome and Encisco say that this social setting is material; there is the use of menus, tables, and seats.
The authors also note such implied and excepted literacy practices at specific establishments like Starbucks. The use certain language that caters to a certain social-economic group. In Columbus, Ohio a large majority of Starbucks are located in the middle and upper class neighborhoods. Please see the current video from Duke University on how Starbucks success if created around this unconscious literacy.
Judith Baker discusses the use of different languages through the word “Trilingualism”, in “The Skin That We Speak” (see course texts). Baker states that in order for students to succeed and get successful jobs, they have to speak and write in different ways and know when it is appropriate to use this language. I would call this the conscious literacy because they are conscious changing their language to accommodate someone else. Baker says that there are three different forms to the English language, to quote her:
- Home
- Formal
- Professional
In contract to the use of language in different social settings, Michael Stubbs in “The Skin That We Speak” talks about the “The Primitive Language Myth”. According to Stubbs, there is “no language or dialect is inherently superior or inferior to any other, and that all languages and dialects are suited to the needs of the community they serve.” The “diner talk” may be different, but not superior to a group of professors. Stubbs also continues to mention that primitive languages, although appear simplistic, are governed by detailed rules that make them complex structural systems.
This idea of conscious and unconscious dialects can be described in terms of code-switching by Lisa Delpit in “The Skin That We Speak”. She describes how her daughter is able to switch from speaking properly to speaking loosely with her friends with the use of slang. Like Stubbs, she argues that instead of correcting students when they use the “wrong” language, teachers must embrace the differences in language so students can grow through language, rather than resistant. This way students can see their true potential, without barriers.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Culture of Power: Either you are in or you are out.
If you are white, male, 30’s, middle-upper class, english-speaking and heterosexual, you might have a hard time knowing that a culture of power exist. For those that are outside the culture of power, they can see it as a wall in front of them, inhibiting them from further advancement.
Kimberly Blaeser tells about how her inability to communicate in english separated her from the culture of power in her essay, “Learning ‘the language the presidents speak’: Images and issues of literacy in American Indian”. When Native Americans were colonized by Europeans, she notes that there was the establishment of categories, those who were literate and those who were not. The power of being illiterate “can be seen as instruments of colonization, necessary to establish the desired social divisions and to maintain political control”. Therefore the Europeans used literacy to create a culture of power that secludes outsiders (Native Americans).
The culture of power also has certain rules that perpetuates itself so that those in power will remain in power. Those within the culture of power may deny the forces of race outside their circle, therefore they are being colorblind. Not only is being colorblind being ignorant, but it is also saying that all races don’t have to deal with racism. This is simply not true; whether outside or inside the culture of power, racism will always be an issue. According to Amanda Lewis in her essay, “‘Even Sweet, Gentle Larry?’ The Continuing Significance of Race in Education”, if we continue to ignore the issues of race, we will only make the circle that embodies the culture of power smaller, rather than larger so that all will be accepted. She also states that many organizational leaders and school officials say they are colorblind in order to avoid the uncomfortable issues of race. I believe that this will only foster greater ignorance, and it is up to us, as future educators, to bring up the issues of race so that students can deal with their inner conflicts of race that they may of not otherwise known how to handle. This in turn will bring about more tolerance for other cultures and races. If successful we will be able to practice colorblindness, but for now that is only a future aspiration so now we need to continue to deal with the adversities of racism.
I personally have not had to deal with the culture of power because I have the qualities that keep in in it. That may sound bold, but growing up my family never had to deal with the issues that prohibited us from advancing forward. I am quite fortunate, but that is not to say that I can’t help those who are outside the culture of power. It is important that I have realized that I was in the culture of power and don’t enforce the rules that restrict others from gaining access. As a future educator, the greatest thing I can do is educate students now they can deal with the negative effects of the culture of power, and create a future that is most advantageous to them.
Kimberly Blaeser tells about how her inability to communicate in english separated her from the culture of power in her essay, “Learning ‘the language the presidents speak’: Images and issues of literacy in American Indian”. When Native Americans were colonized by Europeans, she notes that there was the establishment of categories, those who were literate and those who were not. The power of being illiterate “can be seen as instruments of colonization, necessary to establish the desired social divisions and to maintain political control”. Therefore the Europeans used literacy to create a culture of power that secludes outsiders (Native Americans).
The culture of power also has certain rules that perpetuates itself so that those in power will remain in power. Those within the culture of power may deny the forces of race outside their circle, therefore they are being colorblind. Not only is being colorblind being ignorant, but it is also saying that all races don’t have to deal with racism. This is simply not true; whether outside or inside the culture of power, racism will always be an issue. According to Amanda Lewis in her essay, “‘Even Sweet, Gentle Larry?’ The Continuing Significance of Race in Education”, if we continue to ignore the issues of race, we will only make the circle that embodies the culture of power smaller, rather than larger so that all will be accepted. She also states that many organizational leaders and school officials say they are colorblind in order to avoid the uncomfortable issues of race. I believe that this will only foster greater ignorance, and it is up to us, as future educators, to bring up the issues of race so that students can deal with their inner conflicts of race that they may of not otherwise known how to handle. This in turn will bring about more tolerance for other cultures and races. If successful we will be able to practice colorblindness, but for now that is only a future aspiration so now we need to continue to deal with the adversities of racism.
I personally have not had to deal with the culture of power because I have the qualities that keep in in it. That may sound bold, but growing up my family never had to deal with the issues that prohibited us from advancing forward. I am quite fortunate, but that is not to say that I can’t help those who are outside the culture of power. It is important that I have realized that I was in the culture of power and don’t enforce the rules that restrict others from gaining access. As a future educator, the greatest thing I can do is educate students now they can deal with the negative effects of the culture of power, and create a future that is most advantageous to them.
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