Throughout years of research, it has been proven that race, class, and gender, as well as many other factors, all have an impact on learning. Some researchers argue that one factor has more influence on learning than another, but as Deborah Hicks states, “It’s an entire cultural web of language practices and identities that so importantly has an impact on student learning, including literacy learning.” (page 20) The discourse of a child, their culturally specific ways with words, relates to the way that child engages with literacy. Even as adults, our discourse influences our engagements with literacy. Even though we read the same articles for this course and the text reads exactly the same, the literature ‘says’ something different to each of us. The literature connects with us and touches us in different ways. I enjoy reading others’ critiques to see how our perceptions and interpretations of the text vary.
In school, children are often ‘named’ according to their race, gender, and class. Thinking back to my childhood years, children were often given a name by peers, but it was usually based on their race. I do not recall students ever being named for gender or class, but it is possible that it happened. As a child, I thought there were only two classes: rich or poor. I was in the poor class which meant I never had name brand clothes, I didn’t have to pay for my lunch, and I never received toys while they were still “in-style.” So naturally, I thought that the children who had the name brand clothes, paid for their lunch, and always had what was in-style were rich. I also associated my teachers as being in the rich class. They always wore such nice clothes, went to the salon to get their hair fixed, told me stories of taking vacations to faraway places, and drove brand new cars. To be honest, as a child, that is why I desired to be a teacher. I thought they had such perfect, rich lives, and that was the life I desired. As I got older, of course I realized that they are not perfect, and when I started pursuing teaching, I realized that they are definitely not rich. At least not from their teaching salary!
Discourses are not permanent or fixed; they are always shifting. As my perceptions, beliefs, desires, and intentions changed while I was growing and maturing into an adult, our students change as well. In school, children take up many different social discourses causing them to change roles. They can talk, act, and know in hybrid ways as well (p. 21). As educators, this is to our advantage because we can help students create new subject positions. We can help them change the name that they have been given by others, and to create their own name and identity. We can do this by helping them to uncover their true values, beliefs, and desires, and then modeling to teach them how to present themselves so that their words and actions reflect what and who they are, and will be in the future.
Lisa Beach
Comments (5)
Lisa,
Thinking back to my childhood, I don't recall name-calling related to gender or class either. I could tell, though, the students who were from poor families by the way they talked and dressed. The same can be said for the students in the school where I teach. Without knowing family background you can usually discern something about their upbringing by observing and talking with the students. The same caqn be said for their literacy skills. When I meet with a low reading group, I might get one-word answers to questions. In contrast, when I meet with a high reading group, the discussions from students about the story are much more detailed. The students usually have alot more to offer in the discussions.
I agree that we can help students change their discourse. Questions can be asked to pull information from and lead students into thinking about the text. Modeling by thinking aloud about texts can be a learning experience for struggling readers.
Posted by Carol Holt | June 21, 2011 11:18 AM
Posted on June 21, 2011 11:18
You included a great analogy that we could all relate to in this course...we all bring our experiences to this class in order to gain different perceptions from the assigned readings. This is an example of true classroom learning that we all want our students to partake in regardless of class, race, and gender. As we create an inviting atmosphere that accepts all of our students, I feel our students will be more inclined to share their own discourses so that we can all reflect with open minds, and it will enable us as the teachers to help them voice their discourses and acquire new ones based on the academic settings. However, we should never impose that the educational system is a perfect one, but instead, it is a system that allows collaboration among differing individual in order to create a social setting that each student can identify with and make his or her own.
Posted by Melissa Riley | June 21, 2011 6:19 PM
Posted on June 21, 2011 18:19
Lisa,
You bring up an excellent point about these readings 'speaking' to us in different ways! We are fortunate in that we have a clear forum for discussion to do this. I think when children enter school they may come into a classroom were a text is read and a one dimensional view offered, primarily from the teacher. As Hicks discussed, the teacher of the Roadville children just tolerated those types of discussion, sometimes politely listening but really not assigning any value to the children's thoughts. It is important that we do the opposite and model our type of forum whether it is through discussion, blogs and more. Text activities that foster an appreciation of different perspectives and not one topic set from the teacher's own agenda would significantly encourage our students.
Posted by Karen Massey-Cerda | June 22, 2011 3:22 PM
Posted on June 22, 2011 15:22
Lisa-
I can completely relate to your thoughts as a child of teachers. I admired mine so much growing up. Both of my parents were teachers and we were not nearly rich but I enjoyed that we were all on the same schedule- summers provided awesome family time. Although I swore I would never teach because I wanted to have a job where I would make money, I’m so glad that no other major in college felt right. It is an outstanding profession and even though it has changed drastically since when my parents first started teaching, it is still what I feel called to do daily.
Posted by Ruth Ann Timmons | June 22, 2011 11:04 PM
Posted on June 22, 2011 23:04
This is a beautifully insightful post, Lisa! You have really grasped the concept of "discourse" in the larger sense.
Posted by Dr. Jackson | June 23, 2011 9:04 AM
Posted on June 23, 2011 09:04