Precis Response

Both readings the Precis respond to seem to make it clear that literacy involves adjusting your reading and writing style to meet the assignment or situation. Some people may have a more difficult time in classes that involve math and science because they have no interest in the material while others may thrive in the knowledge of these such classes. Literature classes on the other hand may be more relevant for others. I believe in all instances the main word that keeps coming up in regards to literacy is "motivation" what makes you "want" to the assigned work, for some unfortunately nothing and they drop out of schools, yet for others it is a passion they cannot explain and a desire to succeed that keeps them going forward with their literacy skills.

Precis Posting

Haas, Christina. "Learning To Read Biology: One Student's Rhetorical Development In College." From Written Communication11.1 (1994): 43-84.

I am going to do my best to try and find a way to explain this reading. I didn't find it informative, interesting, or relevant. It was one of the most boring reads and of course, I got stuck with it. I guess saying it was "irrelevant" is a little harsh, but I don't know... like Susan said, sometimes we just don't like what we read and we should be honest about it... "Learning To Read Biology" was an article about a student named Eliza. Christina Haas followed Eliza for the first four years of Eliza's college career, trying to understand how one's readings are "done" and how they may or may not be important to the reader (I think). I was lost at "At the college level..." (which is the first sentence of the article!!!).

Educators argue that "in order to understand, use, and judge scientific content- students need a meta-understanding of the motives of science and scientists and the history of scientific concepts(359). Haas wanted to see how Eliza interpreted the texts she was reading. Her freshman year "understanding the book or 'what the book says' was paramount at this point..." (363). Notice she says "the book;" she never mentioned the author of the books motives or intentions.

As the years passed, Eliza's texts were no longer "autonomous objects, but manifestations of scientific action and human choices" (367). At this point, what the author said was no longer equivalent to what the book said. She paid more attention to the "rhetorical elements of discourse- authors, readers, motives, contexts, etc..." (368). But it is believed that it was because of the types of textbooks that she read that she began to get different "results" from her readings. When the texts involved her subject (Bio) or her interests, the readings invited or required different strategies, goals, and views of discourse than previous readings.

It's obvious to see that we learn how to read different subject matter as our schooling progresses and that we read differently the texts that pertain to us more. This is what I got from the reading, and I don't know if it's completely accurate; I just know that I didn't like it.

THE END =)

precis #3

Angelica Lopez
Prof. Boland
English 329
March 3, 2009
Précis #3
In the reading from “Inventing the University”, Bartholomae addresses the issues that many basic writers have. Bartholomae goes over many examples of written essays in order to show where the students are lacking. He begins by saying that students “have to invent the university by assembling and mimicking its language, finding some compromise between idiosyncrasy, a personal history, and the requirements of convention, the history of a discipline” (pg. 511). When asked to write about a specific topic the student must be able to speak the language of his/her audience. The author points out that it is difficult for students to do this. It is difficult for students to switch from their everyday language to academic language. Other characteristic slips that basic writers have are taking on the role of the speaker. Sometimes students take on the role of a teacher; the student speaks from a higher status point of view. This is what creates the problem of audience awareness. The student either speaks to his audience as “in the privileged language of university discourse—or, in default, he can speak to us as though we were children, offering us the wisdom or experience” (pg. 514). The writers should be able to switch from an insider and outsider point of view. Many writers are not aware of the knowledge of their audiences. Bartholomae believes that beginning students need to learn “to extend themselves into the commonplaces, set phrases, rituals, gestures, habits of mind, tricks of persuasion, obligatory conclusions” (pg. 516) in order to write in various branches of the academic community.
As a student/basic writer I feel like I’m dealing with some of the same problems that Bartholomae addresses in the reading. Of course my writing has improved over the years but it’s still difficult to reach “academic” conclusions at the end of my papers. In high school I felt like my teachers just expected me to memorize other than comprehend. I believe that this is one of the principal issues in the secondary classrooms. Students also have difficulty attempting to write in academic language. At the middle school that I work at teachers have developed sentences which they call “academic language”. When doing certain assignments the students are asked to answer with an “academic language” sentence. I think this is a great way to introduce the kids to the transition of everyday speech to academic speech.
Bartholomae, David. “Inventing the University.” Literacy: A Critical Sourcebook. Cushman, Ellen. et al. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2001. 511-524.

weekly response

I finally finished my field observations yesterday.

The topic about motivation really stirred up my mind. Sitting in the classroom yesterday really helped me see how much kids lack motivation. The teacher even asked a student "what motivates you? because the kid was close to having an F in the class. When asked the student just stared at the teacher. Once the teacher asked "are you just being lazy? because i dont think your dumb" the student nodded YES. I also see this at the school that i work at. The kids that have F's are mostly just lazy. Ive sat with a few ONe on ONe and they manage to do their work. They are very intelligent but just need someone sitting next to them telling them to do their work every 5minutes.

The teacher that Im observing bases his lectures on the California Standards. The standards is the first thing that he announces in every single period. The pages that we read on the California standard on thursday also created some questions for me. Why do they state that a person who is behind in reading has a very lil chance of ever catching up? i was one of those kids, and personally i think i did i great job : )

Response to clss discussion

Last weeks "group session" was thought provoking. I DO think it's harder for students to "overcome" the situation that their families have been in for generations (like welfare or hard labor jobs, no education, etc...) but I DON'T think it's out of the question. Kids who truly WANT to succeed will. They will work harder to overcome ANY obstacles that may be in their way. But what about those kids who have NO motivation? They may "want" to succeed as well, but their desire may not be enthusiastic enough to work hard and do just that: succeed. How do we get THESE kids just as motivated? I know, I'm rambling, but I think our discussion opened up more questions (which is a good thing; I'm not complaining).

Thoughts from last week's interactions

I found the links on blackboard to the state standards and testing very helpful. I am going to be able to incorporate some of the information found in these links when I write my paper. In particular, I am going to point to the information I found under the California Approved Reading List, where it states that the parent and the child are the persons who knows best which books are appropriate to read. In this section, it also talked about motivation and applicability. I will also pull in the information from the standards where it is stated that if students are behind in the reading by the end of the third grade, that they have a slim chance of ever catching up.

As for our readings, I felt Gee's theories were in line with others we've read. The point that students need to be able to apply what they are learning in their daily activities is one we've heard echoed by other authors. What I hadn't thought of is the idea that the learning that occurs in the classroom may help provide students with strategies for tackling different discourses. While students may not acquire a specific secondary discourse, they can become what Gee refers to as "mushfakers," and in this way they can accomplish what they need to accomplish within secondary discourses without necessarily being "true" members of that discourse. So while we hope that our students will "acquire" knowledge, we must also realize that teaching strategies that will help them to "cheat" in other discourses, and society as a whole, is just as important.

Lisa Delpit Precis & Critical Response

Delpit, Lisa. “The Politics of Teaching Literate Discourse”
and Literate Traditions.” Literacy: A Critical Sourcebook.
Cushman, Ellen. et al. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2001. 545-554.

In this piece, Lisa Delpit agrees as well as disagrees with James Paul Gee’s views on literacy in communities of color. She agrees with Gee’s point that literacy is more than reading and writing and his reasoning that “all discourse are not equal in status, that some are socially dominant – carrying with them social power and access to economic success – and some nondominant” (546). Delpit disagrees with Gee’s argument that people born into homes that are not socially dominant do not have the ability to learn the “rules” of the dominant society and can never escape their low-class status. She feels that this stance leaves teachers with a “why bother’ feeling towards teaching minorities. Another point of concern with Gee is his opinion that “women and minorities… may be faced with adopting values that deny their primary identities” (547) thereby giving up who they are to become what is “acceptable” in society in order to be successful.
Delpit gives an example of a minority student who when tested was deemed an “at risk” student because of the test results yet upon being taught how to write, read and talk academic became the “most sought after research assistant in the college” (548). This example shows minority students can be taught and are not doomed to the status-quo of their birth. Delpit explains, students “who appear to be unable to learn are in many instances choosing to ‘not-learn’” (553). The fact that minorities, when taught by teachers who expect them to be successful, are successful proves that everyone regardless of ethnicity or gender can learn how to be successful through academics.
I, like Delpit, agree with parts of Gee’s reasoning. But after reading this piece I realize that she writes about what I have always believed, that is that any person, regardless of race, if taught by a teacher who has their best interest at heart and places a sense of expectation in the minds of their students can and will be successful in whatever they chose to do with their lives. EVERY student should be treated as equal and those with the desire to be successful and maybe some, who previously felt otherwise, will set goals in their lives which they can certainly attain. Teachers can make a difference in an individual’s life. In most cases an educator will never know the impact they have had on a student’s life therefore, each student should be taught with the unbiased opinion that they will be academically successful.

Precis Weekly Response

I agree that students need a "hands on" experience that is not necessarly provided in the classroom. Students go out into the world sometimes severly unprepared for certain situations. For example, a basic job interview. If a student does not have the appropriate skills or apply them during the interview they may not get the job, even if they are qualified. Most applicants are judged on how literate they speak, not on how literate they write. It is imperative that students be able to shift the style of speech to what is considered appropriate in order to be successful in society.

Weekly response post

In looking at potential theories to examine in my paper, I am finding that there are multiple lenses through which we can view our observations in the classrooms. While I found the Gee reading to be difficult to understand and very tedious, what I am taking from this reading is what acquisition is taking place in classrooms - versus straight learning. I am going to look at my field notes to see if students apply what they learn in ways that will benefit them in their daily lives, or if they are learning in a way where they will "sound" more educated about specific discources as opposed to their application within those discourses.

I found that Gee's theory about literacy being tied to social networks mirrors the other readings about the importance of ethnographic work. These authors stress the importance of determining the individual needs of students as they relate to their day-to-day-lives within their community and society as a whole. As Szwed points out when discussing "functional literacy," it is necessary to know what language and literacy "means to its users and how it is used by them" (422).

Precis - James Paul Gee "Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics"

Gee, James Paul. "Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics." Literacy: A Critical
Sourcebook. Eds. Ellen Cushman, Eugene Kintgen, Barry Kroll, and Mike Rose.
Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2001. 525-544.

In "Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics," Gee discusses aspects of literacy related to performance in social settings. Breaking from a traditional concept of literacy that measures one’s competency with the spoken and written word, Gee posits that literacy is a matter of one’s ability to attain membership within a social discourse. According to Gee, a discourse is a "social network" or association that has specific criteria including particular "ways of using language, of thinking, and of acting" (537). These unwritten guidelines of membership are what separate the members of a particular discourse and those who are "pretenders" in a discourse (529).

We all have a primary discourse we acquired from our personal relationships within our immediate families and peer groups. Gee considers this initial discourse to be the social network in which we feel most comfortable. Within this discourse, we would likely feel free to communicate without monitoring ourselves for content or accuracy of language. This initial discourse is unlike secondary discourses we acquire that have "gates" through which members who follow the rules of the discourse are granted access within our society (531). According to Gee, secondary discourses are necessary if we are to successfully participate in "institutions in the public sphere, beyond the family and immediate kin and peer group" (527). This means that to be a member in social networks such as schools, universities, clubs, work places, churches, athletic organizations and other affiliations, that we must acquire secondary discourses.

As for acquisition, Gee differentiates between "learning" and "acquisition" stating that "true acquisition" is "full fluency" (532). Classroom instruction is a discourse where learning occurs. Students obtain (or learn) conscious knowledge in classrooms. However, without application to discourses that require this knowledge, students will not utilize this knowledge in a way that results in the acquisition of that knowledge. With true acquisition comes the ability to control knowledge. Although acquisition seems the most beneficial, Gee points out that while "acquisition is good for performance," that it is the "learners" whom usually "beat acquirers" when it comes to talking about their knowledge.

According to Gee, if acquisition is the goal for students, then a traditional classroom setting is not going to work. For true acquisition to occur (e.g. a discourse where acquiring a second language is the goal), students must be immersed in a setting or placed in an environment that allows them to apply the knowledge they are learning (543). In clasrooms, while students appear to be "learning" various types of literacy within a classroom setting, according to Gee they are not "acquiring" these literacies in school, but rather when they practice what they are learning in their daily experiences that occur outside the classroom (542-3).

I found it helpful to look at the classroom experience as a stepping stone where knowledge is imparted. Learning strategies that will help students to take this knowledge and apply it in a useful and meaningful way appears to be the key to true acquisition of secondary discourses – or true acquisition – or literacy (as defined by Gee). With this acquisition comes the power to excel in secondary discourses and, therefore, in society. In addition to teaching students basic knowledge, it seems more important that we teach them ways in which to apply this knowledge in meaningful ways. Classrooms must find a way to incorporate "hands on" applications where students can realize their ability to navigate different secondary discourses in society. Once students learn, and then have the opportunity to acquire particular skills and abilities by application, then they should be able to successfully navigate multiple discourses. According to Gee, this access and membership to secondary discourses is the key to successful partipitation in society.

weekly response

The reading from Dos Idiomas showed me how useful ethnography research can be. I really liked how the author compared the two towns. Both of the towns were literate, even though one of the towns didnt have formal education. Once again, this reading reminded me of my parents. I believe that motivation is a huge factor when becoming literate.

Shifting Gears - Autobio #5

When we learn to drive a car, we are given explicit instruction. In school, we receive explicit instruction in a variety of discourses. However, when we are going about our daily lives, we don’t think much before we dive into the discourses of the spoken and written word – or do we?
Asked to put together this autobiographical essay, I started to think more consciously about the choices I make about my verbal and written communication. I noticed how my language shifts depending upon the social environment in which it is used. Examples of when this shift of gears occurs include the commuter community to which I belong, my home environment, college classes, and my place of employment.
During my Metrolink commute, I am exposed to many people with very different backgrounds, education levels, and varying levels of economic status. I find myself adapting my speech to the speech around me. At times this means that I speak with more slang and clip my words. At other times it means I attempt to sound “educated,” using more academic terms than I would in a casual setting. There are even times when the friends I’ve made on the train ask me to help them write something because they don’t feel confident with their own abilities to address a particular issue.
At home, my husband often refers to me as his “anal English student” because he hears me talking back to the television reports. He also jokes with me when he hears me talk to myself, questioning the meaning and origin of words and literature. At the times when I am reminded of my “analytical” speech, I usually shift back to language that tends to be more surface leveled. I believe this is because I am still not comfortable with this new academic language. I still feel as the scholarship boy does, that I am an imitator of the language of academia, not a welcome member of the community.
My employer expects accuracy with language and she often comments on written work where grammatical errors appear. This makes me very sensitive to the quality of my written and spoken word. I find myself double and triple-checking drafts before I present them to her for her approval. Since she knows that English is my major, I feel there is even more pressure to exhibit exceptional written and oral capabilities. While this does place additional stress on me as I perform my daily duties, it also serves to push me to apply the knowledge I am gaining in my classes.
While the pressure to perform at work takes my conscious efforts to exhibit a particular level of written and oral communication, the other shifts occur seamlessly. This “shifting” takes negotiation and I believe it applies to what we are reading about literacy not being just knowing how to read and write per se, but it is the ability to participate in a discourse on a social level, adapting as necessary to meet the unwritten rules of the particular community.

auto week6

I was surprised to how many times I shift my oral and written language when trying to communicate with others. I think that my language shifts have to do with how comfortable I am around people. When I’m around my friends, I use many abbreviation and slang words. I also tend to curse and make a lot of facial expressions. When speaking to the kids that I tutor, I try to monitor everything that is coming out of my mouth. I also noticed that I shift my oral language around different customers. I’m a server at a small Italian restaurant. I noticed that I shift my oral language depending on how the customer talks to me. It a simple “I’m good, thanks” to an “I’m well, thank you”. My oral language also shifts when I’m at home; I speak to my parents in Spanish. When writing essay’s for classes I’m very instinctive about what I write. I always think about the words I’m using, this is why it takes me so long to write my papers. When I write e-mails, and comments on websites I use a lot of abbreviations. When speaking to friends and people that I’m comfortable around, I do it intuitively.

Sponsers of Literacy

Brandt, Deborah. "Sponsors of Literacy." Literacy: A Critical Sourcebook. Cushman, Ellen. et al.
New York: Bedford/ St. Martins, 2001.

"Sponsors of Literacy by Brandt is a summary of an investigation she did "tracing sponsors of literacy across the twentieth century as they appeared in the accounts of ordinary Americans recalling how they learned to write and read" (557). She did about 100 interviews on people who were born between 1900 and 1980. When she uses the word "sponsors," she means people who are "any agents, local or distant, concrete or abstract, who enable, support, teach, model, as well as recruit, regulate, suppress, or withhold literacy- and again gain advantage by it in some way" (556).
In these interviews, people explored their memories of how they learned to read and write, why they learned to read and write, and who was involved in "helping" them (for example, parents, teachers, employers, etc...).
I found this quote in her article to be most interesting to me: "Literacy, like land, is a valued commodity in this economy, a key resource in gaining profit and edge" (558). This is so true. For instance, All we ever hear is "get an education; you'll make more money." And it seems that for some reason educated people are more respected, (whether you think this statement is right or wrong, it can be true) which gives them an "edge." This statement also supports the reason why slave owners strongly opposed their slaves learning to read and write. If they kept them "dumb," they'd always have that "edge."
To sum it up, Brandt says "the ideological pressure of sponsors affects many private aspects of writing processes as well as public aspects of finished texts. Where ones sponsors are multiple or even at odds, they can make writing maddening. Where they are absent, they make writing unlikely" (571).

Alicia's Auto #4

Feb. 10, 2009
This assignment had me stumped for several days. I cannot truly remember a verbal/language event that scared me early on in life. Not that anything bad had never happened to me or was said to me, but nothing that scared me enough to remember.
So I guess the most frightening verbal exchange I can remember having would have to be the day I called by doctor’s office to get test results. “Yes Miss Vargas, your pregnancy test was positive.” I was 20 years young at home from college for winter recess. It was a “fearful” language event because I was a single college student, still living at home part time. My boyfriend of 5 years was the person I planned on marrying and having children with, but not until I was done with college!
Anyways, this shocking news made my stomach drop. I was scared to death to tell our parents, yet strangely excited about being a mom. I had it all worked out. I would move back home from SDSU permanently, have the baby, and then finish school at CSUSB. That was MUCH easier said than done! I DID attend CSUSB, but after a couple of less than stellar years, I quit going to school altogether. It just became too overwhelming and my heart was no longer in it. During that time, my boyfriend and I split up, and I let my schooling suffer.
In summary, I guess to you my story doesn’t sound too much like a scary verbal experience, but it was to me. Those words are words that I’ll never forget hearing, “…your pregnancy test was positive!”

Alicia's Auto #5

I noticed during my observations of my own language negotiations, that I shift discourse gears a lot! Over the past few days, I’ve written casual emails, text messages, facebook responses, essays and journal entries. I‘ve also used “a different language” for work, home, school, phone calls, and talking with my friends. It’s amazing how many “shifts” I went through rather instinctively, as well as intentionally.
For instance, I know when I’m expected to speak and write intelligibly-at work and at school. Not that I speak and write like an idiot everywhere else, but I do tend to use a lot of slang, abbreviations, and curse words when I’m in a comfortable environment and/or I’m writing in a casual manner. It’s actually quite impressive how most people are able to make these kinds of “language shifts” so effortlessly! The only time I have to truly “try” and “watch my mouth” in language switching is around my kids. I tend to have a “potty” mouth, (especially, in the car) so I have to consciously try not to curse around them. I know, it’s sad, but it’s true!

Liz's Autobiographical Essay #5

I was surprised to see the different kinds of shifts I make on a daily basis with my oral and written language. As I paid attention to my habits I noticed the various “shifts” I make in the course of a few days. There are several switches which occur orally based on my surrounds and my writing “shifts” depend on the document to be written.
When I am in a classroom with my friends I address them with different words and script than I do when I contribute to a class discussion. When speaking with my friends I do not stop to consider what I am saying, I just let it fly with regards to the topic. If speaking “to” the class in a discussion I pause to consider what I will say and then when I speak it is a more formal and direct tone than the one I use with my friends. The way I speak at home with my family is even more relaxed because I do not have to be careful of what I say, they accept me for who I am no matter what I say, my speech is much less restrictive at home than with friends or in class.
When I write an e-mail or post on “facebook” my writing may contain abbreviations for words and slang used in everyday language. If I write a grocery list it is in words that sometimes only I am capable of reading and understanding the meaning, it is a code known only to me. This is an unacceptable way of writing when writing an essay for a class. The words written must be universally understood and acceptable style for the professors to understanding the meaning I wish to convey.
So, without be aware I feel all of us make many “shifts” everyday unconsciously adapting to what the situation requires.

Weekly Response to En Los Dios Idiomas Reading

I feel like the work of ethnography is important, yet hard to do. It allows researchers to present the public with an understanding that while literacy is measured in public situations it can also be measured in diverse communities. Patterns of learned literacy can be identified outside of a teacher student process. The studies of the ethnographer show the "how" and "why" an individual acquires literacy. The process of literacy can be observed through the valuable research that cannot be viewed in a traditional learning environment. It gives insight to a variety of ways and reasons literacy is sought after.

Weekly Discussions - Literacy and Ethnography

I have found the discussions and postings interesting. Clearly literacy as a term means different things to different people. A person may become literate through various means - school, home, their community, their job, and life experiences - to name a few options. What is hard is to reconcile then what we require of students in an academic setting. Since literacy doesn't come in one standard shape or size and neither do our students, how is it possible that we teach to one standard? I understand that it is unlikely to teach to an indidivual because of class constraints such as - time, class size, and curriculum guidelines. But, it seems that our students are better served when we know what their literacy goals are and what it is they hope to achieve in school. Ethnographic work appears to be an area where we may find this insight.

Dos Idiomas

Farr, Marcia. “En Los Dos Idiomas: Literacy Practices Among Chicago Mexicanos.” Literacy: A Critical Sourcebook. Cushman, Ellen. et al. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2001. 467-487
Farr opens her article by introducing her ethnography research about the communication among Mexican immigrants. She states that her “long-term participant-observation is deemed necessary for a valid understanding of cultural and linguistic patterns” (Farr P 467). The observation included five years in Chicago and six weeks in Mexico. The study consisted of forty five Mexican immigrants with zero to eight grade of formal educational schooling. Farr introduces the term compadrazgo which “refers to the Mexican system of godparentlike relationships that function as a reciprocal exchange network to facilitate economic survival and provide emotional and social support (Farr P 468). These social networks are very important to U.S. immigrant groups because they provide support within their group. There were two ranchos that were completely opposite of each other that were observed. Both of these ranchos adapted literacy whether through schooling or lirico (on their own outside of formal schooling). Farr states that “the differences between the two ranchos account for the fact of informal education in literacy in the one case and school learned literacy in the other” (Farr P 470). The rancho near the town, Michoacan, acquired school learned literacy. The rancho that was located in the middle of nowhere, Guanajuato, acquired informal education in literacy. The people from Guanajuato learned through lirico.
Moreover, motivation is a factor that plays into learning how to read and write. The men were motivated to learn to write because they wanted to communicate with their family members. They also were motivated to learn because they were willing to “share their knowledge of this cultural tool.” Because of these close bonds it is crucial for this group of people to communicate and keep an emphasis on literacy.
The importance of this observation is to point out that literacy can be learned in a formal and informal school setting. Literacy plays a key role in many different cultures. The main factor for learning how to read and write is for communication. Close ties between different groups of people motivate them to read to write in order to keep their close bonds. In addition, I feel like I can relate to this work because of my cultural background. Both of my parents emigrated from Mexico when they were young. My father lived in an isolated ranch, which is why he did not attend any type of schooling. He also could not attend school because he had to start working when he was about five. My mother grew up near a town, which is why she attended school for about three years. Both of my parents learned how to read and write in order to keep their close relationships with their family members in Mexico.

weekly response

the reading from Moss really helped me understand how an ethnography works. During summer i took a course where we only did one huge ethnography project. i felt lost through the whole thing. The reading helped me come up with questions for my field experience project.

I also agree with susan about the observations. Its hard to tell if what we are observing is the real thing. Even if we are sitting in the back of the class we are still a distraction.

auto4

When I think back to a verbal or language event that scared me I can only think of the time when I stepped into my fourth grade classroom. Through out half of my elementary years I always had bilingual teachers. But in forth grade my teacher was white and only spoke English. I don’t have anything against any ethnicities, I was just scared. I was used to speaking Spanish and English to my teachers. If I ever got stuck I would just communicate in Spanish. But everything changed in fourth grade. I remember sitting in my desk the first day of class wondering what I was going to do if I didn’t know certain words in English. What if she didn’t understand me? What if she was mean because I didn’t know certain words?
That first day of school Mrs. V stood in front of the class and told us her goals and what she expected from us. To be honest, some of the words that were coming out of her mouth I had never heard before. She made sure to make us feel really comfortable and tried her best to be patient. Now that I look back I feel like I learned a lot in her classroom. She made a huge difference in my life. After her I started to feel a lot more comfortable around people that didn’t speak Spanish.

Precis: Heath, "Protean Shapes in Literacy Events"

Heath, Shirley Brice. “Protean Shapes in Literacy Events: Ever-Shifting
Oral and Literate Traditions.” Literacy: A Critical Sourcebook.
Cushman, Ellen. et al. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2001. 443-466.

In this piece, Shirley Brice Heath discusses what she learned about literacy as an ethnographer. She begins with the skills measured in the school systems and how it appears that students are failing to achieve specific levels of literacy. Furthermore, she notes the lack of attention for literacy retention as well as the actual use of literacy in the daily lives of individuals. The use of literacy in social situations is overlooked because there is little data that exist which compares the types and functions of oral language against the written language used in today’s society.
Heath, in her observation of the community of Trackton, discovered that there was very little writing available for the individual. However, the community’s social activities frequently pertained to a piece of writing and it was unacceptable for an individual to read alone and not explain the reading orally. The manner in which a reading is presented does not follow specific rules and changes based on the situation. The people of Trackton do not distinguish between the oral and literate mode. Instead they show their understanding of written materials only through oral means. Written messages are used as a means for oral discussions. They do not have to “read” to be literate and understand what the media presents on a daily basis and because of what the community is presented with the roles of oral and written language are ever-changing.
I feel that Heath is right in her view that the people can be literate without reading written material. It appears that there are no flaws in the logic of her piece. By reading this piece I gained an understanding that people can understand what is written without actually reading it and responding appropriately orally. When you stop to think about this everyone does this in their everyday life. I found the piece to be very informative and it caused me to pause and think about what “literacy” really means.

Liz's Autobiographical Essay #4

The first time I can remember being scared by language was when I was four years old. The place the event happened was at my church. I had an incurable kidney disease when I was younger and was getting sicker all the time. I remember the shots, drawing of blood and endless trials of medication that never worked. I had even begun to turn yellow and bloated. It is really strange how this prompt brings it all back to me.
I can vividly recall my dad carrying me down to the front of the church with my mother close behind. The elders of the church came and laid hands on my head and begin to pray out loud for me to be healed. The Pastor, Brother Plunkett, was the loudest screaming and bouncing as he asked God to remove the disease which had invaded my body. The loudness and urgency in these men’s voice scared me so much that I didn’t want my dad to take me down to the alter again for prayer, he honored this request. I can remember every time prayer request were taken my heart beating faster because I was so afraid they would call attention to me and start shouting out their prayers and calling my name out. The words which should have brought comfort instead brought fear to me because of the manner they were spoken
The impact it had on me has made me never want to go forward in a church service, even if it is a group request and everyone else goes forward, I always hang back or go outside. I can feel my heart beating faster the more uncomfortable I become at the thought of being “called out” and prayed for. If I happen upon a preacher on television and he is screaming at the top of his lungs I quickly change the channel. I appreciate being preached to in a more gentle tone. Obviously, the prayers were answered and I was healed so maybe I shouldn’t be upset, but I feel God knows our hearts and a quite verbal prayer can be answered just as often as a loud verbal prayer.

Response to Precis of Moss by Susan

I agree with Susan that it is completely impossible to avoid disruption in the community that you observe. The minute you sit down in a classroom, even without speaking, you become a difference in the natural flow of the classroom. I feel this holds true when observing the teacher. The teacher without realizing it will teach the classroom differently which the observer can NEVER note a difference because the observer would be present which again is not the normal classroom experience.
I realized from reading Susan's post that it is especially important to not interpret as you take your field notes but to keep separate what is being observed and the question "why" it is occurring.

Finding My Voice - Autobiography 4

Until the year 1998, I was a fairly docile and submissive person – what you might consider a doormat. Flying under the radar was an easier path for me than taking any course that might have lead to confrontation and conflict. However, my life changed drastically when issues surfaced with my youngest child.

The son I love deeply, my baby boy, at age eleven was what teachers (and others) would classify as a "nightmare student." He was disruptive, argumentative, easily distracted, unpredictable, and unmotivated. What nobody knew at the time was that this nightmare student, this blonde hair, blue-eyed, handsome boy who was such a pain in the ass in so many ways was suffering emotional pain from an undiagnosed mental illness and an unidentified learning disability.
The words, "I want to be in heaven" are words a mother does not expect to hear from their child unless they are contemplating life after death. It is these six words, spoken to me by my son as he was contemplating taking his life, which propelled me to change my comfortable existence to one where I challenged the status quo. My son needed someone to go to bat for him with the school system. His academic setting was not appropriate for him or for the other students in the classroom. Asking nicely for support services proved futile. Attending meetings teachers, principals, school psychologists, and resources specialists resulted in minimal changes. These meetings left me feeling inadequate as a parent and inferior to the intellectuals with whom I’d just met. I often left the meetings in tears.

Frustrated by the red tape and lack of any real action on the part of the school district, I became proactive. I educated myself about special education laws, my son’s diagnoses, available academic placements for students with special needs similar to those of my son, and joined a support group for parents facing similar challenges. Armed with new knowledge and a good dose of anger, I requested another meeting with the school professionals.

I remember the details of this meeting like it occurred yesterday. I sat myself at the head of the table in the chair normally occupied by the principal or the school psychologist. Instead of waiting for someone to start the meeting, I announced that I would start the meeting. I began by letting those in attendance know that while I appreciated their input and their many years of experience, that I was really the ultimate authority when it came to the needs of my son. In a compelling and eloquent manner, I announced that I would have the final say regarding my son’s educational placement. I then proceeded to detail exactly what accommodations and services I expected the school district to provide. I produced documentation to support my position and to let them know that I had done "my homework." I ended the meeting by letting the principal, school psychologist, teacher, and administrator know that I would settle for nothing less than a new placement for my son; an academic environment that would support him emotionally and academically. I also informed them that I knew the next steps to take should my request be denied; and that I planned to do whatever was necessary to ensure the academic success of my son – even if that meant taking them to court.

I’d like to say that change occurred immediately, but it didn’t. It took another school year to win this battle with the District. During this year I had many opportunities to use speech in a powerful way. I became active in special education advocacy. I took an active role in helping other parents navigate the difficult system of special education. Ironically, the very administrators who fought so hard to reject my requests for accommodations actually welcomed my participation on their Special Education Advisory Board. My voice was no longer viewed as an annoyance, but rather as a respected and valued voice that could provide insight into the difficulties that face parents of children with special needs.

It is this verbal language event, the meeting where I found my voice, which I remember as a turning point in my life. My days as a doormat were over.

Response to Susan's post

When I read what Susan said about the teacher she observed, I was appalled! "Good"teacher or not, the impression she left on her students when discussing college was different for each of her student's, depending on what "type" of student they may be. For instance, if a child was receiving "poor" grades, they probably left her class discussion feeling "unworthy;" unworthy of a college education. What does this do to a child's esteem? It kills it!!! How dare the people who are supposed to be encouraging, treat their students SO differently and degrading! I know there are plenty of students out there that JUST NEED SOMEONE TO CARE!! Many times, a teacher can be that person. So telling certain students they are not college bound, or that they are only good enough for Community college, (which is NOT bad) is inexcusable to me. Sorry to rant... I just really took this personally because these are the EXACT students I hope to teach/encourage someday!

Auto. #3

I had a great English teacher my senior year in high school. She was always thinking of creative ways for us to learn. Her unique teaching style got all of the students very interested and enthused in the classroom. The whole semester was a positive experience for me.
One particular assignment is still memorable to me today. She was teaching us ways to write descriptively, by having us draw a picture of a "monster." It could be as simple or as complex as we wanted, but it had to be in "color." After drawing our pictures, we were to describe it in great detail (by writing a paragraph). The idea was then to read another person's description and try to pick out their monster based on what we read. The more detailed the writing, the easier it was to find the picture that went with it.
I felt this was a fun way to teach descriptive writing to us. Some of us were hardly artists, but it didn't matter. We all had a blast doing the assignment and someday I hope to do the same thing in my class!

Precis # 4

Wiley, Mark, Barbara Gleason, & Louise Wetherbee Phelps, eds. "Composition In Four Keys: Inquiring into the Field." Mountain View, CA: Mayfield, 1996

Moss, Beverly J. "Ethnography and Composition: Studying Language at Home."

In this piece by Moss, we learn about ethnography in general, as well as the issues surrounding the studying of one's own community. "Ethnography is the qualitative research method that allows the researcher to gain a comprehensive view of the social interactions, behaviors, and beliefs of a community or social group" (389). The goal is to study basic daily routines, interfering as little as possible, even though the researcher may interact with the participants of the study. Moss explains that there are three modes of ethnography: comprehensive-oriented, topic-oriented, and hypothesis-oriented ethnography (389). Comprehensive-oriented is rarely done due to the fact that it is too hard to follow and describe everything about a community. Topic-oriented ethnography deals with more precise "topics" in regards to the community being studied, which leads to hypothesis-oriented ethnography. This last "mode" can only be done when "[o]ne has a great deal of general ethnographic knowledge about a community" (389).
Moss decides to study a community she's familiar with (or, "part" of) and that was three African American churches in Chicago (one of which she was a member of). Her goal was to "make the familiar strange." "[i]f we don't want to be denied by our own communities, then we must be aware of and be prepared to deal with the baggage that membership brings" (396).
Basically, in order to get a true understanding of a community you're observing, you MUST be willing, "whether insider or outsider, to guard against blindness, to drive instead toward increased insight into the ways in which language communities work" (396).
This really brought me back to the time that I did my classroom observations for another class. I did my observations in a school I was very familiar with, (I have worked there before, and my son goes to school there) and in a community I had grown up in. I twas very hard to make the familiar "strange," and not to leave out details that I felt were common and unimportant. It was a very interesting as well as insightful reading, and I admired Moss' honesty of her situation.

auto #4

A time when schooled literacy activities did not seem like a friend to me was when i was in tenth grade. I had taken pre-honor classes in ninth grade but i was not ready for honor classes. I ended up dropping honor and switching to advanced placement classes because of the english class i had in tenth grade. All we did in the honor english class was read a book, take quiz's, and write a long paper after we were done with the book. I was not ready for this type of course. I feared being in classes with the "smart kids". I hated reading outloud because i knew that everyone could notice my accent. Our teacher was a bit rude. He was old and had a grinch look. He didn't really care what students had to say. I think i probably failed all of his quiz's. I managed to get a "c" in the class. It really bothered me because before this class i was a straight "a" student. I think we ended up writing about fifteen papers the whole semester. It was my first time actually writing "essay's". Most of the papers that i wrote i had no idea what i was talking about. For some reason i found the assigned readings very challenging.
This event has a great significance in my life because it was something that i decided to give up at the moment. This class made me fear reading and writing essays. I decided to give up on English. This is what lead me to having an english major. I decided to do the english major as a way to face my fear.

Response post-angelica

since i was a bit confused on how to post the responses last week im going to do both on this post.


well so far im finding the class really interesting. The reading and discussion that we had last week on the Douglass reading really made me think about a few things. The reading made me think about my parents. Actually most of the topics that are brought up in class make me think about my parents. I agree that the motivation is something that is lacking with the kids in schools. It feels like the more access we have the less motivated we are. My parents were never able to receive any type of education. This is why education is so important in my family. My father always mentions that we are really lucky for having an opportunity to go to school. So whenever i start feeling like i want to give up i think about my parents. This brings me to the article that we read last week. The "literary myth" is something that my parents strongly believe in. My father believes that with education we get succees in life. But sometimes this isnt true. Once someone has achieved education there are other obstacles that may keep us from succees.

The autobiographies that my blog members are writing are really interesting. They offer me different perspective towards education through their experiences.
After reading your auto-response for this week susan i must say that i look up to you! : )

Autobiographical Essay 3

High school curriculum thirty years ago was vastly different than the curriculum being taught in the high schools of our 21st Century. Perhaps we can attribute this disparity to the flexible meaning of literacy that is dependent in large part on a society’s understanding of literacy. As we learned in the Graff text, literacy means different things to different groups of people. For one culture, literacy may correlate to competency in daily life skills; for another it may be tied to the skill level necessary for specific employment; while still for others it may be linked exclusively to academic performance.

Looking back at my high school days on the East coast I see that literacy for my community was driven in large part by the goal of self sufficiency. While I had what I refer to as the “normal” academic classes (Science, Math, and English), my high school also offered Gregg Shorthand, Typing, Accounting, Home Economics, and Word Processing as part of the curriculum. One period I was dissecting an animal, while the next period I might be learning how to cook, sew, or type.

Since college was never a discussion at my home, I knew that my priorities in high school were: a) to maintain good grades so I didn’t get in trouble at home; and b) to learn skills that would enable me to secure a husband and/or a job. It was clear that I wouldn’t be living at home for my last two years of high school, and I knew that my emancipation was contingent in large part on my ability to support myself financially. It was the curriculum at my high school thirty years ago that allowed me to become independent at sixteen years of age. I would define my understanding of literacy at this stage in my life as the successful learning of skills necessary to function independently in society.

I remember my feeling of great achievement when I took first place in the state’s typing competition. Thanks to Miss Tucker, my typing teacher, I was typing on a manual typewriter at the rate of seventy words per minute as a freshman. I could also take dictation, balance accounts and prepare tax returns. I had found my niche in life through these literacy activities. More importantly, through these activities and training I gained independence. With just the skills I learned in high school, I was able to secure secretarial jobs and positions within the banking industry. Winning an essay contest in Social Studies was rewarding but it didn’t open doors for me. Training in the Army provided me with structure and discipline, but it didn’t open doors for me. But with typing, shorthand, and good business sense, I excelled in the “real” world.

Today, my hourly rate is higher than most of the middle managers with college degrees at my place of employment. It is ironic that I am struggling financially so I am able to attend college with the goal of earning a degree that will not increase my income but will in actuality reduce it by nearly forty percent. This should dispel my belief in the “literacy myth,” but it does not. This leads me to believe that no matter how much we learn or how much we achieve, we will still strive to achieve the ever-moving target of “literacy.”

Response Post from Susan

I found last week's reading to be eye-opening. I believed in the "literacy myth." It wasn't that my parents promoted it, but it was an ideal I embraced. Although I was able to secure a job right out of high school and have since worked my way up in a corporation, I always thought (and still do) that individuals with a college degree had an advantage. Even though I make quite a bit more than people I know with college degrees, I actually still tend to rank myself below those I consider to be my educational superiors.

This "literacy myth" is powerful and it is still alive today. I conducted my observation in the classroom last Friday. I followed the same teacher in the same classroom but with five different groups of students. It was refreshing that this teacher took time out of her lesson plan to discuss college with her 7th grade students. But there was a definite difference as to the potential of each group. Community college ranked low, the University a big higher, and then Ivy League on top. And there was discussion as to the potential of each group of students based upon their percentage in the classroom. This teacher is a great teacher - don't get me wrong. She is inspirational and motivational. But when I heard the emphasis or lack thereof (based upon the group of students) it struck me as to what Dr. Boland has been mentioning about the stories we tell and the scripts we circulate based upon perceptions of literacy. It seems to me that some students walked out of class on a cloud while others continued to walk with a cloud over them. I think it illustrates just how much power teachers have and how careful we need to be with the messages we communicate.

Precis of Moss Article by Susan

Moss, Beverly. "Ethnography and Composition: Studying Language at Home."
Composition In Four Keys: Inquiring into the Field. Wiley, Mark, Gleason, Barbara, and Phelps, Louise Weatherbee, Eds. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield, 1996. (388-397).

In her text, "Ethnography and Composition: Studying Language at Home," Beverly Moss explores the methodologies, goals, and difficulties of ethnography. By defining ehtnography, the three methods of ethnographic work, and the procedures to follow when conducting this type of work, Moss introduces the work and standards that lead to successful cultural narratives. The issues of access to, and acceptance from the community an ethnographer wishes to study are key to successful ethnographic studies. Moss weighs the challenges and benefits of conducting ethnographic work in a community in which the ethnographer has membership. Through the examples Moss provides, the reader gains insight into the field of ethnography, its inherent ethical implications, and the important role it plays in the area of cultural and literary studies.

This article is valuable for the novice ethnographer. Of particular importance is the understanding that successful ethnographers must be able to discern whether the information that appears in their narrative (based on their field work) is from their direct observations, or if it is based on their own interpretations. While the ethnographer typically has a focus in mind before they venture out into the community, I found it helpful to understand that this initial focus or perspective is ultimately shaped by the data that is collected.

Another point I took from this article is the importance of avoiding disruption to the community in order to gain an accurate perspective of the community. However, I see this as one possible flaw to Moss’s article. On the one hand Moss tells us that we should "interfere as little as possible with the daily routines in the community" (390). But in the same paragraph she quotes Holy who posits that it is the active partipation of a researcher that allows said researcher to experience a community; and that observation alone should not serve as the only method of collecting data (390).

As a student observer conducting fieldwork in the communities of school classrooms, we observe and interact with students and teachers. Our mere presence in the classroom is a disruption. If we choose to observe different classrooms for our 4-5 hours of observation, we are disrupting the students and teachers in 5 different classes. Since our appearance in the classroom is disruptive, how much more disruptive is our interaction with students?

To adequately reflect the culture of a community in relation to issues of literacy, we must be able to spend an adequate amount of time studying the community. Unless an ethnographer spends a significant amount of time emersed in a community, it is not possible to achieve the ultimate goal of ethnographers. Putting into words an honest and accurate description of a community so that someone who doesn’t belong to the community would be able to understand it in the same terms as a native would, means that the ethnographer must become a part of the community. I am going to take this insight with me as I compose my paper that will be based upon my time-limited observation of the community I chose for my literacy study for this class. I will also employ the method of triangulation that Moss refers to in her article. With demographic information, school report cards, and follow-up interviews with the teacher, I hope to provide an accurate and sensitive interpretation of the data I collect as it applies to literacy in the community of Ms. G’s 7th grade Language Arts class.

Response to "Our View of Literacy " Precis

After our class discussing I gained a deeper insight to the view of Literacy. Everyone seems to think of it as a positive when in fact it can be just the opposite. In the article "The Nineteenth Century Origins of Our Times" validates this view. The North was far more literate than the South and many slaves felt with literacy things would change for the better in their lives, this was not the case. They were still slaves, just slaves that could read, the condition of their lives did not change. The awareness of their situation only made them more miserable than they were before.
In today's society being educated is seen as a way to advance but again it is not always the case. Students today, including myself, have been told to wait on their Master's degree because they will not be hired if put up against a candidate with a Bachelor's degree. Sure this is mainly due to finances in the school districts and the state's budget but what kind of a message are we sending to the youth of America? Work hard but not too hard or you will be looked over for the job. Being literate is becoming a burden to bear that could possible mean financial hardships for the educated in society because they are deemed to be over qualified for the job.

Autobiographica Essay #3

Autobiographical Essay #3
Thinking back I can remember clearly when a schooled literacy activity did not seem like a friend to me. I was in the ninth grade and my English teacher, Mrs. Duvall, was the meanest, uncaring, most horrible teacher I ever had. She had a way of making a person feel stupid and she was unapproachable in regards to questions about the grades she gave on assignments.
The experience I had with her was a sense of dread every day I entered the classroom, she wasn’t violent but she might as well have been. I’d get knots in my stomach because I was so afraid of her. Back then we had to use typewriters and mine at home was the old fashioned kind, no correcting tape so it was either re-type or use liquid paper. I remember being so very careful as I typed my essay and I had done tons of research. I’d never had a C in English until this class. It’s all she ever gave me. So, you can imagine how I felt when I poured my blood, sweat, and tears into this paper and again another C. I felt like a failure and I wanted to cry. The marks on the paper did not validate the grade I received. After that I stopped trying so hard and all the papers were the same one after another C. It was the first time I received a C in one of my classes.
The experience left me feeling unsure of myself and my intelligence. The repercussions for me were that my writing would never be good enough, no matter how hard I tried, so why bother? Later that year a friend of mine who was highly intelligent with a photographic memory got tired of receiving a grade of C when he knew he had done A work and he stood up in class and let her have it, he actually made her cry, but she didn’t change the grade and my friend was disciplined.
I realize that one teacher had an impact on me and made me feel as if my thoughts were worthless and merely average. I am still very unsure of my writing ability and struggle with confidence in my college work, I feel as if it is never “good enough” even though I have been successful in my classes. But the treatment I received has made me realize that I will NEVER be that kind of a teacher and ALWAYS find something positive to say about each paper my students write.

Précis # 1 : Our view of Literacy

Graff, Harvey. "The Nineteenth-Century Origins of Our Times."The Legacies of Literacy. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1987. 340-70.
In the early 18th century literacy was controlled by morality. Education was a way to implement morals, patriotism, and knowledge. A social goal for literacy was established in the 19th century. Soon everyone, poor and rich, were allowed to attend school. Blacks and some poor were excluded. Some poor were excluded because they were seen as a threat, connected with vice and unlawfulness. The "optimist" believed that poor should be included in the educational system because it could supply to a more equal society. "Pessimists", which were the majority, encouraged "education for the poor to train them to accept their inferior status."
At this time the North and South were separated. The Northerners were significantly more literate than the Southerners. This gap mainly came from the difference in traditions and social realities. The Southerners were mainly all farmers and laborers which believed that schooling was not necessary for economic survival. Soon people started to take an interest in literacy because it would bring along economic advantages. But these economic advantages seemed to only be for men. Differences in jobs were not based on literacy levels but of ethnic and class discrimination.
Before long, print was introduced into the everyday lives of the people. Numerous amounts of periodicals, novels, newspapers, and pamphlets were being sold. People were mainly interested in reading "cheap" literature. Even though more people were involved in reading they were not considered literate. People were reading books with immoral issues. A huge problem with literacy was that people were able to read but could not comprehend what they were reading. Shortly in order to be considered literate people had to be able to enunciate and comprehend what they were reading.
Also, at this time African Americans were not allowed to be illiterate. They saw education as a way to gain freedom and respect. Withholding literacy from slaves only made them want it more. Slaves were very motivated in achieving literacy. Slaves taught themselves and others how to read with little resources. But even those who were free and achieved literacy were set back because of poverty and social and cultural differences.
The parts of the article that were especially insightful are were where Graff talks about the "literary myth". Many social classes believed that through literacy they could gain respect and higher wages. But even after gaining literacy they were set back because of their skin and social class. This article gave me an idea about how the view of literacy has changed over the yea

Response to Douglass post

Isn't it amazing what we can accomplish when we truly put our hearts AND minds into it. Like Susan said, here we have the audacity to "gripe" about how "hard" it is to learn with formal instruction, when Douglass was completely self taught! And what an amazing writer he is! It's truly touching to read about struggles that are overcome, and Douglass' struggles were two-fold!

Comment to Liz

I too felt sad for the parents, but sad for Rodriguez as well. The shame he felt by his parents lack of education was only intensified by his teacher who seemed condescending. It is hard for an ESL student to get help from their parents with school work when the parents can't or barely speak English, so it's admirable how well Rodriguez did throughout his school years. It's also sad though, that through the knowledge he gained, he "lost" a part of himself.

Autobiographical Essay #2

The first time a book really affected me in some way was in high school. Before high school I didn't really read and if I did I would just do that "read". I never really understood what I was reading. A book that I would read all the time in elementary school was The Giving Tree. This book was given to me from one of my aunts. My aunt was the one who started my collection of English books. Books were important in my childhood home but not English books. The only books that I owned were Spanish. My parents would read and have me follow along with them every night. My elementary school would have book fairs almost every month and I would buy English books. But I never read them. I would mainly just buy them because the cover looked pretty or interesting. I'm pretty sure my elementary and middle school teachers assigned some books but I really don't remember reading them.
It was when I was in ninth grade that a book really caught my attention and emotions. My English teacher gave us a list with a lot of books and we had to choose one for our book report. I decided to pick I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. This book had a great affect on me. I honestly didn't really know anything about the treatment of African Americans. I was aware of it but with this book I was able to connect and feel some emotion. I was also happy and proud of myself because I actually understood and remembered what the author was talking about. I feel like this book really opened my eyes to what literature can do. My ninth grade class is where I started to get interested in reading. Around this time is when I started to read the Harry Potter books.
The most recent book that I've read for real enjoyment is twilight. I feel a bit embarrassed admitting it because the kids that I work with at a middle school are also reading this book for enjoyment. I decided to read this book because my younger brother recommended it. It appealed to me because it's part of a series and it has a lot of vivid description. Also, the fact that they are making movies of the books keeps me motivated to read.

Liz's Autobiographical Essay #2

Autobiographical Essay #2
I know this is going to sound completely insane, the first book that really affected me was the very first one I learned how to read. I do not remember the correct name but it was the one we used in first grade. It was all about “Dick and Jane” (yes, I’m ancient). I can vividly remember the excitement I felt at understanding the words the letters made. I no longer would rely on pictures to understand a book! This book mattered so much to me because once I mastered it I moved on to others. The “Dick and Jane” book catapulted me into a love of reading. Trips to the school library once a week were highly anticipated by me because now I had a variety of stories to read and adventures to discover.
I can remember bringing my books home and practicing my reading skills (actually showing off) with my parents, my older brothers were not impressed since they viewed reading as unimportant. I never saw my parents reading anything other than Readers Digest, newspapers and the Bible books were not readily available in our community. The books brought home from school were carefully handled because to me they were so important, they were treated width great respect.
A series of books I read a few years back with great enjoyment were the “Left Behind” series. The books are about Christ return and what happens after the Rapture. It was very appealing to me because although the books are fiction they are based on scriptures from the Bible. I followed the entire series over the years they were written eagerly waiting for each release date so I could continue with the characters and see what happens to them in the story. The first in the series was actually the best and the one that touched me the most, I wanted to buy a copy and give it to everyone I knew because it was such a touching book. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able in the last couple of years to read a book for leisure, everything I read now pertains to my education.

Precis "The Achievement of Desire" by Richard Roddriguez posted by Liz Wilson

Rodriguez, Richard. “The Achievement of Desire.” 22 Jan. 2009
http://www.scribd.com/doc/2436800/Richard-Rodriguez

In the article The Achievement of Desire, Richard Rodriguez addresses the pilot of the “scholarship boy” in pursuit of academic excellence. Rodriguez acknowledges that the more he achieves academically the more of his life he loses. Furthermore, he realizes that while he was academically a good student that he too is a very bad student, relying on educators for “his” opinions.
As a young boy Rodriguez becomes keenly aware of his parents lack of understanding in what he so desires to learn. He learns quickly and successfully, the more he knows the more he is embarrassed by his parents and their lack of education. He avoids his family and withdraws from conversation with them, they seem to no longer fit in his “educated” world. Rodriguez is conflicted as he now lives in two worlds. While he feels superior to his parents he has very little self-confidence in himself. He comes to the realization as he grows older and becomes a “community of scholars” that he is isolated, feeling alone as he thinks of his family he has left behind with his advances. He becomes restless with the books and research he once loved and returns home to become reacquainted with his family and his past. Rodriguez, through his education, realizes his need to no longer be separated from his family.
A strong part of Rodriguez’s article is shown when his parents meet with his teacher and have a difficult time speaking. Rodriguez has mixed feelings when his two worlds collide. He feels embarrassed by his “uneducated” parents and feels resentful of the teacher who appears condescending to them. As a young boy he is confused by his love of his parents and his love of learning.
After reading this article I have gained an understanding into the conflicts one suffers after becoming more literate than the family they love. Upon learning and understanding the written words the parents seem inferior to some students, especially those whose parents speak a different language. The child no longer respects his parents or their authority because he now “knows” more than his parents. Literacy, once mastered, brings both pain and pleasure.

Essay #2

I'd like to start by saying that since I've become a "grown up," I don't like to read! I know that this totally contradicts what I said in my earlier posts, (about how I LOVED to read as a child) but it's true. I don't know why the change occurred, but I think it happened around the time I went to Junior High. Therefore, I am very embarrassed to report that the only things I've read lately that WERE NOT "assigned" readings are magazines, newspaper articles (online), online sports articles, and on occasion, The Bible. I have not voluntarily read "a good book" in I don't know how long. I did read a book over Christmas break called "Teenagers Are People Too!" by Joyce Meyer. It wasn't a book I picked up to read for "enjoyment" though; I read it as a "self help" type-thing (I have a 15 year old son who I'm trying to understand better!!!). Anyways, I felt starting from the present and going back made sense for this post.
As I said before, reading was encouraged in my home when I was a child. My parents, grandparents, and my aunt bought me books all of the time (I still have SEVERAL of them). Like Susan said, I too received money for Scholastic book orders, but I ordered books because I could and because I loved to read. I don't remember my parents reading too much more than the newspapers and their Bibles though... So I didn't "learn" to read from example; I just had my own passion for it.
But it wasn't until I read the book "Charolette's Web" by E.B. White, that I was ever so moved. The first time I read the book I was in the fourth grade. I chose to read it for a book report. I had to do a "project" about it, so I used a box bottom (like the ones you get from Costco when you buy like a 36 pack) decorated it like a pig pen with dirt, grass, sticks (for fencing), and little figurines, and ended up winning first place for it! It was displayed in the library for all to see!! Although the project itself was fun and rewarding, I don't think I would have ever got that "into it" if I hadn't fallen in LOVE with the book itself. The feeling I had when reading "Charolette's Web" was one that I have only experienced a few more times, but that time was special, because it was my first!!!

Autobiography #2 - Another Chapter about Literacy

Books were not important in my home. I don’t remember having a lot of books – definitely not enough to require a bookshelf. I do remember that in our first house in N.J., we had a "library." It was more a title than an actual room that functioned as a library. The only books I remember my parents having were encyclopedias which came in handy when school projects were assigned. My grandparents on my dad’s side had books and they always seemed to be reading magazines or a book of some type. I looked at their stacks as clutter.
I really don’t remember a book having an effect on me during my early school days. For some reason "The Cricket in Times Square" comes to mind as a book I enjoyed in middle school. I believe this was the first "big" book I read cover to cover. It appealed to me because it was a story of triumph. Okay – it was a cricket, but he had his day, his moment. It was a book I purchased through one of the scholastic book clubs. I loved to be able to buy things so when I was allowed to spend $5.00 on books; I bought them because I could – not because I wanted to read them. During my elementary and high school education I only read because I was told to do so. Even though I enjoyed "The Cricket in Times Square," it didn’t prompt me to pick up more books.
It was when I was in my late 20’s that I read for the sake of reading. A co-worker always had a book with her. She read every chance she had. When she told me how much she loved reading and about the books she read, I thought she was a bit lonely but I became interested nonetheless. She lent me a book. I knew I had to read it because I she was going to ask me about it when I returned it. That was all it took. Since then reading has become one of my favorite pastimes. The last book I read with real enjoyment was one in Diana Gabaldon’s "Outlander Series." During the Winter break I read "The Shack," "The Art of Racing in The Rain," and "Water for Elephants." The reason I note Gabaldon’s books as most enjoyable is because of the way Gabaldon brings her characters to life. You feel as though you too travel back in time to 18th Century Scottland.

Response to Autobiographical posts

Angelica, I found myself comparing your experience with the institution of education (school) with that of our current assigned reading (Rodriguez) and with "From Outside, In" (Mellix) which isn't assigned yet but I read out of order. Anyway... it is a sad statement that people are made to feel so alienated by the language they speak - or their different dialect or accent. I believe it forces people to the belief that they must live two lives - one where they are comfortable speaking their native language and one where they are expected to speak Standard American English (SAE). Even when people speak English, if it isn't SAE, the language can stigmatize them.



Alicia and Liz, I can't relate to being young and excited about reading and writing. I think this is because my learning was all incentive based. I did what I was told, when I was told, and how I was told. It wasn't until I was in my late 20's that I truly began to enjoy reading. I'll leave the rest of that story for the next autobiographical post.



Have a great weekend ladies!

Precis for Douglass Reading from Susan

Douglass, Frederick. "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave."
Chapter VII. 14 May 97. Berkeley Digital Library SunSITE. 21 Jan. 09.
http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/Literature/Douglass/Autobiography/07.html

In chapter seven of his autobiography, Douglass presents the journey he takes and the struggles he faces as he strives to acquire the knowledge of how to read and write. He reveals the strategies he uses to overcome the barriers of slavery in his efforts to obtain this knowledge. A lack of formal training and the prohibition of his instruction do not quell his fervor for learning. While he lacks basic skills of reading and writing, Douglass demonstrates his intellect with the creative methods he employs to attain his knowledge.

Douglass equates the knowledge of reading and writing with freedom – freedom from slavery and freedom to articulate his thoughts. As for slaveholders, Douglass sees the ability to read and write as a power they abuse. The disparity between the literacy level of slaveholders and slaves serves to keep the balance of power in the hands of the slaveholder. Douglass acknowledges that while "knowledge" can empower, it can likewise debilitate. We see this when Doulgass struggles with the newfound insight his reading affords him as he realizes the extent of his condition.

Douglass delivers a powerful message in this chapter. We see that while it may not be easy to acquire the skills of reading and writing without the customary means of education or instruction, it is still very possible to succeed in doing so despite adversities or impediments. It puts into perspective how insignificant our own struggles in attaining language competency are in comparison to those who are oppressed or disadvantaged. His tone and writing style reflect the style of a well-educated intellectual. In this way he overcomes the argument that slaves are intellectually inferior to their slaveholders and to Whites as a majority.

This power of literacy to define people still exists today. There is still the perception that people who are illiterate are for some reason less intelligent than those who have achieved literacy. People without the basic skills of reading and writing are stigmatized. They are excluded from many opportunities such as employment, services, and education. While slavery is abolished today, people without the ability to read and write still live in a form of slavery – a "mental darkness" as Douglass calls it – the inability to express their thoughts or to escape their condition.

Memory of Early Literacy Development

“Reading, Writing and Arithmetic” is the phrase that comes to mind when I think back to my early language and literacy development. I knew that my job in life, which I was told was school at the time, was to learn how to read, write, add, subtract, multiply, and divide.

As I think back to my early days of learning, I don’t remember a time when either of my parents or any relatives spent time helping me to learn how to read or write. That responsibility was left to me. Though my parents expected academic excellence (A’s and B’s), my instruction was left to the academic institutions. My motivation to learn was incentive-based (being on the ‘honor roll’ and not being grounded). I didn’t have any grand notions at the time that knowledge equalled power or that with knowledge I could chart my own course in life. I was strictly performing the tasks I was told to perform by my teachers as a compliant student – and as a child who didn’t want to get in trouble by bringing home bad grades. I saw what happened to my brothers when they brought home C’s or D’s and I didn’t want any part of that!

Since it was left to the school to teach me reading, writing, and arithmetic, the teachers I encountered played a big part in shaping my language competency. Beyond school, at an early age I learned by listening and observing. Our family usually got together with our extended family on Sundays at Grandma Tedesco’s house. Being Italian, Grandma and her side of the family always had plenty to say, plenty to eat, and plenty of attitudes. So while my family didn’t directly assist me with my reading or writing, the conversations around the dinner table helped to round out my knowledge of language and literacy. These gatherings gave me important insight into the ability to influence others simply by way of intonation and facial expressions. Sundays at Grandma’s house also expanded my vocabulary and introduced me to a whole non-verbal vocabulary based on gestures.

Looking back I see now that although my formal instruction of reading and writing may have been limited to academic institutions, everything and everyone I came in contact with played a part in influencing my development of language and literacy.

literacy development

Honestly i dont really know or remember how i came to reading and writing English. But i do remember how i came to reading and writing Spanish. My parents are only spanish speakers. They are the one's who taught me how to read and write spanish. My father would have me read with him every night before i would go to sleep. All through elementary school i was placed in bilingual classes. All of my classmates also spoke spanish. Our teacher would speak and would have us do all of the assigned activities in spanish. But in the playground and at lunch all of the kids would communicate in spanish.
At school is where i developed the English language and at home is where i developed the spanish language. At times i would feel very confused. i felt like i didnt know enough about the two languages. Once i went to middle school i was forced to speak english at all times. I was separated from my spanish speaking classmates. Around this time is when my fear of reading out loud in class started. The kids in my classroom would make fun of me because of my accent. My elementary and middle school years feel like a blur. I feel like i didnt really learn anything because i was to focused on trying to learn how to speak both languages.

Language and Literacy Development
Once upon a time a very, very long time ago I learned how to read and write. But how did I acquire this ability? For me, learning to read and write happened in school. I can remember the first characters I learned about were “Dick and Jane”. There was not as much material and emphasis on teaching your children at home how to read and write when I was growing up therefore the responsibility was mainly on my first grade teachers shoulders. I must say Mrs. Davidson did an excellent job because in no time at all I was reading everything I could get my hands on and loving every minute of reading. Writing I did not care so much for because I had horrible penmanship, to this day I am ashamed of my handwriting!
I lived out in the country and the city where I went to school did not have a library and the “mall” with a Barnes and Noble in it had yet to be built. The only access I had to books in the summertime was an organization called the “Bookmobile” which was basically a mobile library on wheels like a RV that came to a specific location twice a month. My mother made sure she kept the car on that day so she could take me and my two older brothers to the Bookmobile so we could check out books to bring home and read. I can remember my mother waiting patiently in the car (because the Bookmobile was so small) while we all made our selections. I would always take the maximum books
allowed because I loved reading which enabled me to go to far away places and take part in others adventures. Throughout the summer I would run out of books to read because of the limited availability of the Bookmobile, I can remember reading some books several times over because I enjoyed reading so much and these books were all I had.
Once I had mastered my reading it became an intricate part of my learning about the Bible in my church, I no longer depended on the Sunday school teachers or Pastor to tell me what was written, I could read it for myself. In my Wednesday night class it was part of the curriculum that I read certain passages for memorization in order to earn stars and pass steps in the missionette program the church offered.
So, my language and literacy developed through a combination of school where I learned to read, family as my mother gave me access to books during the summer and my community church which allowed me to achieve goals by reading.

Autobiographical Essay
Reading and writing happened early on in my life. As far as I can remember, I was writing and reading (somewhat) in preschool, and I LOVED to do both! My family as well as my preschool, played a big role in my language and literacy development.
My mother, father, grandparents, cousins, and aunts all read to me. Bedtime stories were a favorite, but my aunt and grandmother are the ones who got me interested in reading "chapter" books (when I was old enough, that is). I read probably all of the Judy Blume books, and the Chronicles of Narnia series. My parents also bought me my first (real, grown-up) Bible when I was 8 years old. I was encouraged to read it often, and although I am BAD at remembering what I read, I loved the "common" Bible stories that most kids are taught.
As I said before, School also played a big role in my literacy development. I was fortunate enough to have wonderful teachers, who always encouraged reading AND writing in a big way. I was introduced to "journal" writing/ diary keeping in second or third grade. I think THIS was when I truly developed a love for writing (although it may not show; I do love it, but I'm not great at it).
To me, it's important to get children interested in reading and writing at an early age. It pays off throughout a child's educational experience if someone takes the time to help teach them a love for reading (and writing).