RES 5530: Race, Class, and Gender in Literacy Research (Spring 2009)

But why? Jake appeared to have background knowledge and prior experiences that the teacher could help him link the text to, so did that happen, where the successful? I would really like to know. Based on the comment Hicks makes at the end of the chapter, I feel that Hicks may have thought the efforts may not have been effective/successful because she states: “His problems lay more in conflicts between an institutional system of middle-class practices and the life worlds he embraced as a boy”. Is she saying she feels that these worlds are so extreme that they cannot be linked to the curriculum? Based on the chapters we have read, I would think that she would not feel that way but I was a bit confused as to where exactly she stands. What through me for a loop as well, was that Hicks either did not see the need to help Jake (like she did with Laurie by providing additional instruction in a one-on-one setting). What is the difference? Hicks states: “Laurie’s’ even more troubling experiences in primary school have made mea cutely aware of how much schools need to change if students such as Laurie and Jake are to experience the sense of belonging in school …” Maybe she felt Laurie’s discourse would cause more trouble for her in school, than Jakes will because with his discourse comes MANY supportive family members.

In the beginning of the chapter we read about Jake’s story, and learned about his discourse. I was able to compare a few things to Laurie’s experience in the classroom, but I continue to find myself thinking “but why” as I read about Jake’s experience in the classroom (just as I did with Laurie’s). From last week’s critiques and comments about Laurie’s discourse and relationship with education, I understand that there is a frustration from educators when students’ needs aren’t addressed, and I understand and acknowledge the efforts that are made to meet these needs.

I have always felt that once you understand the reasoning behind a situation, setting, or event, you can begin to adjust and change that setting if it is fit for changing. It is very discouraging to me when Hicks states the following: “To make space for Jake’s primary values in school would mean opening up the curriculum to the forms of knowledge voiced by working men like his father. The classist nature of schools and society at large pretty much guarantees that won’t happen”. WOW. Because of the comment above, and the reflection of Jake's experience in a classroom led by an “accomplished teacher”, I feel that students like Jake are expected to hold their breath and see how long they can hold it before letting go. There are “courageous educators” that step back and see the changes that CAN be made to meet the needs of students, who are in systems like these. I respect the courageous educators! (I’m sure it is hard to do, but well worth it!) But what is the big picture of the educational system, is it to make sure students meet short term objectives that will lead to a long term objective of application of the skills they have learned? Or is just on the short term objectives in each classroom. I think the key is working together as a system so students experience a "hybrid space" across the curriculum and across the grade levels that addresses those objectives.

Elizabeth Griffin

As I read about Jake, I thought about our paper-pencil school system. Jake was more interested in action and the three dimensional world. The REAL world. The whole goal of education should be for us to prepare kids for the real world, but we continue in the same old system. Jake did well when he was able to work at his own pace and not have to stay seated all day.

I found it so nurturing the way Jake was included in his family and allowed to work with his dad. He was allowed to make mistakes and learn from them. Action for men was "an important part of knowing" in Jake's family but also in working class values. Action led to learning. For men in the upper class and middle class, books and schooling are more valued. How can we ask children to abandon their family values and become the kinds of students who sit and write and read all day?

The action continued even in the way that Jake narrated a story. Hicks states that the way he told the NASCAR story was "evocative of his use of Sega controls." His narrator self was close to his character self, which is not school-like, when the narrator is outside the story. His kind of story and his interests and needs would not be met in the basals used in his school. Poor Jake just needed more time and more connections between his home and school life. Can't you just hear Dr. Morris getting upset about basals and bad pacing??

The challenge we are left with is how to place home identities "in dialogue with new (school) ones."

Ashley Catlett

As I woman, I see very little entertainment in watching a bunch of cars go around a circle. I also know enough to keep my views to myself. My late father in law, lived and breathed NASCAR. He loved to go the the races with my husband. I even went along one time to the track in North Wilkesboro. I remember is was loud and confusing, I never knew who was in the lead,and the best part was the food. However, as a teacher I believe we need to reach all children, and if takes NASCAR to reach the boys, why not? There are multiple ways to involve it in the classroom.
I can see why Jake did so well in kindergarten but then had trouble with first and second grade. The paper and pencil and sitting down to complete tasks did not fit his needs. That is one area I have worked on in my own classroom this year. Students are up out of their desks several times throughout the day and I have incoporated centers into my third grade classroom. I think the students enjoy the way the day seems to "fly by".
What I really want to know is what Jake's parents are like? I agree children and adults learn best from their mistakes, but I never let my children put their hands on a hot stove! Or risk getting hit by a ball.
This chapter is a good reminder, that studnets need to develop at their own pace. I was impressed with the amount that Jake was able to improve in second grade by selecting his own texts. Our required reading, the basils, does not reach every child, and we need to make sure we supplement our teaching so that every childs needs are met.
SuSu Watson

As I read about Jake I can’t help but think how fortunate he is to have such a loving family and supportive family. They seemed to be extremely involved and in tune with his interest and needs. Not only did they embrace his natural interest but they also embraced the importance of literacy. I loved that they had so much literature in their home and that Jake was getting those pre-reading skills that so many children do not. There are so many kids that are not so fortunate, not just in working class families but also in middle and upper class families, to have parents that have an invested interest in their child and take the time to do so much with their children.

What ever happened to recognizing that children have different learning styles? Every child can not fit into a one size fits all approach and typically boys are the ones that work outside of the box. They need engaging, hands on, purposeful lessons to keep them motivated and interested in learning. Otherwise, what can we expect to happen to them as they go through what they feel is mundane activities year after year. No wonder Jake’s dad dropped out of school in ninth grade. I know that just like kids having different learning styles that teachers also have different teaching styles. That is why it is our responsibility to match up kids with the right teacher and to higher teachers that are wiling to teach in a variety of ways, to meet every child’s needs. It was obvious that Jake’s first grade teacher was exactly the opposite of what he needed and then in second grade she was a much better fit. It sounded to me that they were somewhat displeased that Jake did not catch up with his peers in second grade. Whose fault was that though? He didn’t choose to be placed in a traditional first grade classroom.

I was just having a conversation the other day about how high school strives to prepare all kids for college, but what if this isn’t your track or your desire in life. Not everyone desires to go to college and there are plenty of jobs out there that require more hands on training versus a degree to get the job. So why aren’t we preparing those kids for the track that they feel drawn to? Why isn’t the guidance counselor meeting with them like he/she does with the college track kids to help prepare them for life?

Amy Spade

I've always been attracted to how authors use language to share their ideas, their thoughts. Whenever I read any book, although I read mostly children's books, I have a stack of sticky notes besides me so that I can write down and mark the quotes that stand out to me. Sometimes I choose them for their meaning, sometimes I choose them because I'm so envious of the author's ability to write so beautifully. So, with that in mind I chose a few quotes from this chapter that seemed to make crucial points about the literacy curriculum in our schools.

The Most Important for Me
pg. 123 - The stories voiced about us, by those who we love most and value, shape our identities in ways more powerful than even the most authoritative institutional systems of social regulation.

This quote seems to align perfectly with all that we have discussed this semester. Our students are defined by their families first. Who they are and how they became that person began at home and those home values/cultures have to be valued and respected in the classroom. By doing this we can then build a curriculum that meets the educational needs as well as the interest of our students. When Jake could write and read about topics of interest to him, he had success and enjoyed going to school. When Jake found meaning in his work, he was able to create and accomplish finished products that his teacher could appreciate. Hicks writes, "Rather than giving up the cherished identities they live at home, students like Jake should be able to place those identities in dialogue with new ones". It is in accepting who our students are that we can begin to help them discover who they hope to become. For me, our job is to show them the possibilities, provide them with the tools and knowledge they will need, and offer support as they work toward their goals. However, we must also remember that they carry with them the values of their family and those values will remain a part of them long after they leave our classroom. Finding a way to connect their literacy development to their home experiences can go a long way in helping them grow as readers and learners.

I think I wrote about the painted wall art in my house that reads, Home is Where your Story Begins, but I think it fits perfectly again in this entry. It is where we learn how to communicate, where we learn how to feel, where we learn how to know our world. We have to keep that in mind as we teach our students or we will be unable to give them what they need to become successful learners.

Amie Snow

As I read this chapter, I kept thinking of the book in which my title is named after (written by Michael Smith and Jeffrey Willheim). It is a look into the literacy lives of adolescent and teenage boys--how many schools don't cater to what boys need after high school and they don't show the relevance to everyday life. While this thought is not entirely related to Jake's story, it is something I couldn't shake out of my head. I thought of this book as I read about Jake throughout this chapter. I related to Jake's story as a teacher because he is the type of boy I teach everyday, only I teach older Jakes.

What happens to boys like Jake between the primary years and the high school years is crucial. Most of the boys I teach have similar backgrounds: parents who were dropouts but are hard-working blue-collar folks, who have a good priority for education but who may not want to move on to college after high school and instead will try to find a good job. This sector of students is one that is not being reached in schools today, but it's not because schools aren't trying. Many boys don't see the need for reading--they don't see how it would fit into the life they want to live outside of high school. English class is just one more class they have to get through in order to graduate. In fact, in my senior English class right now, many of the boys are reading their first "on their own" book (at my insistence, of course). Many boys make it to high school, and despite the teacher's efforts, don't want to try to be literate. What is it that happens between those primary and secondary grades? Jake, at times, seemed so interested in learning, when he was given independence of course. Many beginning readers, both male and female, are eager to show that they can read. They are eager to accomplish this new skill. Yet when they make it to high school, it is no longer "cool" and no longer something they even want to attempt. Like the title of the book I mentioned explains, "Reading Don't Fix No Chevys," and, no, reading technically does not fix a car--a person does. But students of either gender need to be taught that being literate in today's society can lead to skills like fixing cars. How can we find the relevance in reading in our schools so it is something our students WANT to apply to their lives?

At the high school where I work, my colleagues and I really do try to make learning relevant to students' lives. There are so many options at this school for vocational classes, and even the core classes attempt as best we can to make learning relevant (trying to muddle through those state standards, of course!) Yet the students resist this. Where is the weak point, and how do we break through that?
Christy Rivers

Closing the Gap in achievement takes more than closing the gap between home life and school work. It also requires appropriate instruction.

I don’t agree with Hicks on this one. I believe that Hicks is saying that Jake is struggling in school because the educational system doesn’t allow for his working class values. Rather I believe it is an instructional issue, not a class one. My observation is that he is loosing interest in school because the work is getting difficult and he hasn’t mastered the basic skills he needs to be successful. I see Jake as a struggling reader and writer who needs more time with sound symbol relationships, practice with spelling patterns, and strategies for decoding. I believe that the fact that he has a literate, supportive family and caring teachers who allowed him opportunities to explore his interests supports my view.

Jake is fortunate to have a family who cares about his education. They’ve provided a nurturing home, filled with both books and opportunities for hands on learning. They all value education and show this in many ways. They model reading, and spend time reading to and with Jake. I imagine that Jake’s dad, with a ninth grade education, values it most of all. I imagine he struggled in school too. Yet, clearly it was important enough for him to find ways to continue to learn on his own. I imagine he’d like things to be easier for his son.

Based on the information in the book, Jake had a similar educational experience to Laurie’s. Kindergarten was active, but relatively unstructured and first grade was whole group basal instruction with choice in writing. This environment works for most students, but the rest need more explicit instruction. Like Laurie, Jake didn’t receive differentiated instruction until second grade. And here, he made lots of progress! I think that all of the teachers allowed him to explore his own interests whether at centers in kindergarten or in writing during first and second grade. The difference was the differentiated instruction that he received in second grade.

I have to admit that my position on this subject is highly influenced by Dr. Morris’ class on Reading and Writing Instruction for the Beginning Reader! However, please know that I do recognize that good teachers teach the whole child. They value and consider their students’ background when planning relevant and motivating instruction. It is a challenge to help children meld their world at home with their learning at school. Closing the gap in achievement involves valuing a child’s background as well as delivering appropriate instruction.

Jayne Thompson

I envy Deborah Hicks’ role. She is able to see the home life and the school life. As the educator, I am often blinded by why happens at home. When I am able, I try to make home visits. But I will admit, this rarely happens in reality. When it does, I am shocked by what I see at home. I once visited a home in which the child was one of ten in the household of 5 adults. There were 2 bedrooms and one bathroom. There were no beds. There was one beat up couch and odd pieces of junk lying around. But to my amazement there was huge big screen TV in the living room. It was larger than the wall space and blocked part of the front door. I had many problems with this student. It wasn’t until I visited the home that I began to understand the issue he was having at school. As teachers, we can only rely on what the students and parents say part of the time. We really do not know until we step foot in their lives. For this reason, I envy Hicks. She is able to see where the issues are. She is able to make recommendations for school change. I only wish our system could see the power in this. Our school has lost 3 positions for next year. One of which is the home school coordinator. This position is one that the teachers greatly respect. We rely on this man to go to homes and speak with parents when we are unable to. He comes to us and tells us what he has seen in the home. He is a huge help in the home to school connection. I really do not know what we are going to do without him next year. How can a school system cut this position? We all know the research. We all know how important this connection is. Why is it being cut off?

Sarah Feinman

As I read these different research initiatives I am convinced that our reality is not working. Maybe it's time to approach education in a fantasy sense. The reality of it is that education as we know it is failing so many children. Children like Laurie and Jake and the countless others that are sitting in our classrooms. I have said it before, and I'll say it again. These same children are going to grow up and become adults in our society. What we (educators) do in kindergarten, first, and second grade etc. is going to impact the world. The children that we teach now are going to influence the world later. What we did or did not do, will depend on what kind of impact our students will have on the world. The reality of it is, is that we have a huge responsibilty on our shoulders. Yes the parents have a responsibility too, but all children don't come from loving and supportive families like Jake. So we have a responsibilty to attempt to make everychild a viable and productive member of society. The reality of it is that we have a "one size fits all" educational philosophy. Not "we" as in the folks in the classroom but "we" as in the lawmakers that make decrees about what should be so and they have never stepped foot into a classroom. In a fantasy world, children would be met where they are. In a fantasy world, children would be matched to a teacher as carefully and as closely as an Fortune 500 employer looks for an employee. In a fantasy world, children would be celebrated for their growth, not ridiculed because they didn't score as high as every one else. In a fantasy world, the child that could put together the 100 piece puzzle would be treated with the same awesomeness as the child that has never made less than an "A" on a math test. In a fantasy world, everyone understands that not all children are college bound and prepares them to be successful otherwise. In a fantasy world, teachers could voice their opinions and suggestions and they would actually be taken into serious consideration. In a fantasy world, teachers would be treated as the experts that we are, in the matters of education. In a fantasy world, teachers and parents would always work together for the best interest of their child. In a fantasy world, everyone would see education for its pricelessness and understand internally that without education we have nothing. Is it just me or is my fantasy way better than our reality?
Cherrita Hayden-McMillan

This week's reading reminded me of several different aspects of education. First of all, I thought about the way our system of education teaches all students in similar manners. Our education system has become more and more "standardized." We give assessments by reading scripted lines to a group of children without deviating from the script in a test that obviously has cultural bias. As educators, so often we teach to the way most children learn. Although the idea of leaving no child behind seems wonderful, so often, it is just a lofty idea. Some children are left behind by our current system, which may always be true.

Then, I thought about the ways we reach students on an individual level. I think it is extremely important that we attempt to reach students in subjects beyond those we teach by incorporating their interests into our own agendas. There are students who simply catch on and are entranced by learning. This is the type of student I was. The realization that I had made all As was enough reward and encouragement for me to continue learning and achieving in school. However, teaching will quickly make you aware that this is not the norm. Some students always need extra encouragement.

The one example that immediately comes to my mind is of a 4th grade ELL student who struggled both at home and in school. The student has two parents who are involved in gangs and drugs. He lives in a neighborhood that has encouraged him to grow up much faster than others his age. He has lived in the United States for two years and is 12 years old in 4th grade. He speaks very little English, basically enough to communicate, but definitely not enough to grasp academic concepts. I learned quickly that he had a love for fast cars, like many boys in similar situations. So, I ran with this. I tied every science concept possible to cars. In electricity, we talked about batteries, motors, and circuits. Then, in motion and forces, we talked about speed, inertia, air resistance (drag racing), and car brakes. I always found a way to capture his attention by tying our standards to his personal life. He loved this and really loved science. He saw a need for it in his own life. This was the type of connection this child needed to appreciate his education.

Brittany Guy

Again, this was a sad read for me. Like Laurie, Jake had a very successful kindergarten year. He was interested in the activities, learned the basic information and had a family that was dedicated to his success in school. But, unfortunately, Jake's progress trailed off just like Laurie's and again, I attribute this to the educational practices. Hicks concludes that this is because there is a gap between the knowledge that Jake learns from home and what is expected of him academically. I agree with this, but what bothers me is that his teachers did not try get Jake interested in school. I mean, I know that I try to find out what really makes my students excited. I have a student this year who absolutely LOVES reading biographies, so I tap into this every bit that I can. Another little boy, whom was having trouble academically really likes animals, so I played off of this interest and allowed him to create power points showing his research of any animal he wanted. I wonder if Jake's teacher ever asked him about Nascar, or his most cherished thing that he built with his dad. Perhaps, if they had gotten to know his interests better, Jake would have been more successful. If I have learned anything in this masters program, it is that you have to give students assignments that are meaningful. I can easily see Jake becoming uninterested in a writing prompt like "one day you found a magic rock". Now, give him one that says "you won a contest to meet your favorite Nascar driver" and I bet you would have a whole story.

I realize that their are gaps between what is valued at home and what is valued at school as far as knowledge goes. However, it seems to me like a lot of kids like Jake are slipping through the cracks because school isn't interested in merging home values and interests into academic practices and this is causing a lot of kids to become disillusioned with the idea of academic success.

Whitney Gilbert

The reading this week was very well-connected to a staff development meeting that my school recently had. In an effort to reach all children, we sometimes need to reach outside our comfort zone. So many Social Studies teachers (especially) get caught up in the pattern of book work and worksheets. Like our curriculum director told us, lots of times Social Studies and Science are two areas that get some students through the day. He or she may not be good at reading or math, but these “exciting” subjects are what keeps them moving. Therefore, it is a little troubling to me when these area teachers put little effort into planning an engaging class. Children need to be able to relate to a topic to truly internalize it. I (as a social studies teacher) have more options when it comes to hands-on activities and projects (and I am very thankful for this).

I have heard a lot about North Carolina’s new curriculum that will soon be implemented. From what I understand, it will be focused on the 21st century student. There will not be as much to cover, and teachers will have a chance to explore topics more deeply. There will be an increased focus on technology and “real world” activities. The current standard course of study, in my opinion, is in major need of reforming, and I think that this is a step in the right direction.

Another interesting part of this week’s reading was the emphasis that was placed on family, and how to connect home life to school life. We are currently studying East and Southeast Asia in my seventh grade class. I am very fortunate to have a pretty diverse group of students (for a rural North Carolina area anyway). Within our team, we have Hmong, Vietnamese and Korean students. Many of them are 1st or 2nd generation Americans. At the culmination of our unit, the kids and some of their parents are going to do short presentations for each of my classes. They are going to talk about their native languages, foods, customs, traditions, and many other things. There is really no way for me to replicate this experience in the classroom. I think that our kids will get more out of this than anything else that we do with the unit.

I don’t think that there is a better way for a student to connect to the curriculum than by involving their home life. We need to find a way for children to (at least) be able to use their home experiences as a base of knowledge for every subject. This is a lofty goal, but I believe that once these two areas are bridged, the child and the teacher will be more successful.

Heather Coe

This is the word that comes to mind as I consider Jake. As I have read these stories of working-class children and their literacy learning I have become increasingly more frustrated. I am finally realizing the meaning of “text of bliss” as I continue to be made uncomfortable with each new reading. And I am a bit confused myself—not because I fail to understand what I am reading but because I do understand.

Jake’s confusion was a result of the conflicting values of home and school. In some ways, I believe this has been a theme in many of the readings for this course. However, this reading did not “fit” the paradigm I had constructed. Just I was not expecting Hicks to state that Jake’s father read informational books regularly, I did not expect there to be strong family support for Jake’s literacy learning. It bothers me greatly that I was surprised by this. Have I been socialized in such a discourse that I assume if the values of home and school conflict it must be because home practices are not supportive of school practices?

As I wrestled with this text I was most intrigued with Jake’s assimilation into a culture of doing. I can now understand how confusing it must be to be taught at home that one learns by doing and then to be so restricted in the “doing” at school. While there are many classrooms where children are involved in activities that promote doing, the doing is simply a means to an end. And just as with the science journals, the doing often is simply a way to get to reading and writing.

I also wonder if Jake’s father seemed like a contradiction to Jake. On one hand, he was a man who did not need formal education to be successful and to provide for his family. On the other hand, he was a man who loved to read. Although Jake’s dad relied on books for his expertise on the JFK assassination, he was counting on the fact that experience—not books—would be his son’s best teacher. Did these seeming contradictions simply confuse Jake?

As I mentioned earlier, Jake is not the only one who might be confused. I cannot understand why teachers, schools, or entire districts would continue to use literacy practices that JUST DO NOT WORK. I have been thinking on this and can only conclude that it might be the fact that school has become a distinctively middle-class world. I am not sure that I would have truly recognized this before completing the work for this class. Is our resistance to provide “new forms of action in school” (p. 132) as Hicks described because we, as middle-class teachers for the most part, really have no idea of what those actions would even look like. We have been shaped by the discourses to which we have been socialized.

It seems Jake's dad may have been less confused about the matter than many educators as Hicks conveyed his notion "that schools could be engaging environments for learning" (p. 134). Is it possible that this man has some grasp on hybridity and permeable teaching communities?

Lisa Rasey