This was one of the BEST articles I have read yet!! I think it really hit the nail on the head with the idea that children can be extremely literate and not perform well in school. I think for Daniel's case, it was because the lessons being taught in school didn't appeal to him or affect his life in any manner. No one really took an interest in his heritage or wanted to learn his traditions and even ridiculed him and harassed him for being Native American. So why would anyone want to learn about a culture that did that to you? Zonnie did not have as much of a problem fitting in but was not a stellar student even though she clearly understood literary styles and techniques as shown through her poetry. These were both highly capable and literate children who were just turned off to school and marked as "mediocre" because they didn't complete a certain assignment or do well enough.
So often, teachers do not take the time to find out what interests their students. Choices are completely limited and when a child thinks that something isn't going to help them in their real life or doesn't appeal to them, they simply won't do it and will have very little enthusiasm in the process. I think this is why it is so important for teachers to allow choice and to assign meaningful tasks while expressing HOW completing something can help you later on in life. I look at myself for example. I hated math growing up. I could not stand it, but I did the work and was in honors courses. I remember my senior year when I was taking pre-cal thinking "when am I ever going to have to measure a parabolic angle"? I knew I would never use that stuff, so I did the minimum and got by with a C. I simply didn't care because it had no relevance in my life.
I could guarantee you that if Zonnie took a poetry course, and Daniel, a creative writing course centered on Horror stories, they would both be extremely successful. Unfortunately, public schooling does not work this way and to these two Native Americans, whose roots are seeded in so many other culturally important lessons, value "school education" with little regard. And the thing is that teachers should be asking their students "why"? "Why aren't you doing your work?" I think if students were asked "why" more often, they would tell you and then a teacher could begin to help that student find success.
To say that Daniel and Zonnie aren't literate because they didn't perform well enough on a standardized test is ridiculous. Clearly, they are more literate than some graduates we all know and this shows the problem with standardized quantitative data. We now allow seniors to complete a senior project which shows their learning on a topic they pick and a topic that is important to them, and I say that this is a better judge of knowledge than a bubble in the dot test. The reason for this is because the project is important to that student. If Daniel went and met the writers of the standardized test, or even really talked to his teachers that just assigned book work, he would blow them away with his intelligence and deep knowledge of his culture and his surroundings. Zonnie does it through her music and poetry. Give them an assignment where they actually get to showcase their talents and present on a topic that has deep meaning to them and one would see how intelligent they really are. Teachers would no longer be "unaware of the multiple literacies" that Daniel and Zonnie possess.
Whitney Gilbert
Comments (8)
Whitney, I think that for the most part, teachers to get it. I see teachers every day who bend over backwards to make learning relevant and fun. They offer choices and allow exploration. But at some point, the students have to take ownership of their own learning. However, I agree with you that policy makers need to look at more than numbers. I'm encouraged to see that our state is making a few changes in how we assess writing. We are moving away from a timed writing test to a portfolio of work. Thankfully, articles like this one and the others we've read help to get that message out policy makers.
Posted by Jayne Thompson | March 1, 2009 2:20 PM
Posted on March 1, 2009 14:20
Whitney, I agree with Jayne's comment. Many of todays teachers understand what it takes to reach children and go that extra mile. Walking down a school hall- there are teachers effectivley reaching their students and those few(hopefuly) who are justing doing the basics waiting for retirement.
Hopefully this qualitative research and others like it will have an impact on our government and the rigors of testing. I believe teachers need to be accountable, but standardized testing is not the answer.
SuSu Watson
Posted by SuSu Watson | March 1, 2009 3:32 PM
Posted on March 1, 2009 15:32
I agree with you...this was one of my favorite pieces that we've read in this class so far. I made a similar point in my discussion about Daniel. It was an "aha!" moment for me to read about his experiences at school and how he couldn't relate because of his ancestry. In the common classroom, we oftentimes don't even consider other cultures in the curriculum. Of course we're losing those kids who cannot relate. I put myself in his shoes as I read this and wondered if I would tune out of a lesson that had nothing to do with my culture...and of course I would! When children see no real-life relevance, interest is lost.
Posted by Christy Rivers | March 2, 2009 9:50 AM
Posted on March 2, 2009 09:50
Your response really captured my interest as you mentioned how we must engage our students in assignments sometimes. Perhaps, these children really did not care about typical school subjects at all.
This reminds me of an assignment I did with my students just last week. We had been discussing magnets and even doing experiments with them. One of my ELL students was simply not interested. However, on Thursday, we used the last few minutes of science to integrate science and language arts together for a creative writing assignment titled "If I were a magnet..." He began to write and eventually was very interested. He tied his story into where he would live as a magnet, which was on a the rim of a lamborghini. He explained that magnets are attracted to metal and that the rim of this lamborghini was metal. So, he would stick to the rim and ride around. It was the cutest story. It was interesting to him, and it showed me that he had learned something about magnetism. It was a good assessment of the students knowledge.
Posted by Brittany Guy | March 2, 2009 1:36 PM
Posted on March 2, 2009 13:36
I agree that sometimes we just need to ask our kids "why." Often, kids are experiencing a much different world when they leave school. Some are babysitting their younger sibling, others are engaged in whatever activity that their parents are doing, and a few do not have a home to go home to. In my experience, most kids will tell you the truth in a one-on-one setting. If you approach them in a caring and supportive nature, most children will respond. Unless we truly understand why they aren't performing, or why they are apathetic, we can't help them fix the problem.
Posted by Heather Coe | March 2, 2009 6:58 PM
Posted on March 2, 2009 18:58
Whitney,
I am with you in that teachers need to take the time to find out what interests their students and use those interests to increase valuable teaching and learning in the classroom. Yes there are teachers that get it, but for every teacher that does, there is one that doesn't. We have such a responsibilty for America's future. And I truly believe that students will take ownership for their learning when we start giving them something to own.
Posted by Anonymous | March 2, 2009 9:39 PM
Posted on March 2, 2009 21:39
Whitney,
I am with you in that teachers need to take the time to find out what interests their students and use those interests to increase valuable teaching and learning in the classroom. Yes there are teachers that get it, but for every teacher that does, there is one that doesn't. We have such a responsibilty for America's future. And I truly believe that students will take ownership for their learning when we start giving them something to own.
Posted by Cherrita Hayden-McMillan | March 2, 2009 9:40 PM
Posted on March 2, 2009 21:40
Whitney,
Your post made me think about so many students who come to ASU and think they can't succeed -- and then they get into elective classes and soar! I always wonder about how well public school students would do if middle/high schools were structured with a college curriculum, where there was lots of choice based on interest and talents....
Posted by Alecia Jackson | March 18, 2009 8:41 PM
Posted on March 18, 2009 20:41