RES 5535: Race, Class, and Gender in Literacy Research (summer 2009)

Survival of the Fitest
Perry Article
To rely on your wits and stories to keep your heritage alive is remarkable. This story reminds me of Lord of the Flies except The Lost Boys had rules. We know what happens to society when rules are not followed. This research article was hard to follow, but the reason behind it shows students that no matter how dismal a situation may seem we have to cope with what live throws at us. Having to learn writing after verbal communication is all you know would be difficult. I think the article shows hope for all nationalities and economic situations. It reminds me of a Nickleback song, If This Was Your Last Day. Each day is a gift not a given right, leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind. Try to take the path less traveled by the first step you take is the longest stride. Don’t take the free ride in your own life. It’s never too late to shoot for the stars. It’s sort of like Santa Clause, if you stop believing he’ll stop coming. That’s the way life is. They may be more to life than you believe and more than you can see. Try your hardest and make every moment count. Try to inspire and encourage students, parents, anyone you come in contact with. You never know you may be some child’s missing brick in the wall. Be opening minded and motivate your students to want to learn everything they are subjected to. Find points of interest in a student and build on that concept. After all, we as teachers are all that some of these children know as a caregiver who will listen to their wants and needs. Different genders make for interesting classrooms. Depending on the age group, all kinds of situations occur. Children are learning their identities around 4 and 5 and this can be a crucial time in a young child’s life. Story telling is great and that is how we have our legends and folktales spread from culture to culture. Poetry would work here when introducing a nonfiction story as an activity that all students would enjoy. Maybe an “I Poem” or have students write an obituary of the Lost Boys, or keep a diary of their own. This inspires young writers to express situations that have occurred similar to this story. Of course we hope nothing this devastating has happened to our students but by opening doors to new literacy approaches we can transpire all cultures to a happy key to success.
Robin Hand

Summative Self Critique
RES 5535
Race, Class, and Gender in Literacy Research
July 2, 2009
Reaching the end of the course, I have realized how important that cultural contexts are in literacy learning and expression. The research studies provided left an understanding of young children and their experiences with literacy in school, family, and other settings. I like Michel Foucault’s quote, “There are times in life when the question of knowing if one can think differently that on thinks, and perceive differently than one sees, is absolutely necessary if one is to go on reflecting and looking at all.” The course material left me wanting to conquer all issues at hand. In order to be an effective teacher then students need to believe in what is being taught and why. Children need exposure, just like adults. I want to reach every race, economic status, and gender and make an impact on cultural differences and be a part of uniting as one. Life is full of surprises, pain, and happiness. This quote tells me to think outside the box more and focus on integrating literacy with all cultures reaching a happy above standard grade with parents, faculty, and administration while maintaining a positive and safe environment for the children. Sound crazy? This gender, race issue transferring over into language deficits needs to be addressed so everyone can be life long learners. I feel if something is not broken then why mend it. But if something’s bent it can be fixed. This whole research on Jake and Laurie was interesting but can we study students in one year and automatically know what the best and most effective way of modeling teacher assisted lessons is and will the student be able to apply what they are being taught. Can I make it interesting? You bet I can. A lot of mind boggling ideas cross my mind. My daughters in Greenland, I can introduce the Danish this year. My other daughter lived in Korea so I can introduce the Koreans. Compare likenesses and differences. Sort all the nationalities and language spoken by introducing all continents. Include picture walks, reading and watching a specific footage of a country. Children need to be subjected to third world countries and witness famine so they can understand why they eat and others don’t. Other ideas are to invite a parent or guest speaker to address a certain culture. For every different descent student in my classroom, I plan to respect their language and learn with the class how to pronounce words and numbers in other languages. This would be great and students could partner read about their culture, language, writing techniques, drama, and partake in role playing. Readers Theatre would work because it comes in so many different languages. Rosetta Stone is another program geared towards ELL learners or any other language for that matter. I have taught ESL at Caldwell Community College for the past eight years. I know how effective this program is because everything is picture coded and it targets all areas of literacy. I have had adults on primer level in English and some cannot even write their native language, but they can converse well. Students and teachers working with parents need to learn to adapt to stressful and unknown situations. They need to be problem solvers. I often wonder how I would feel if I were in a strange country knowing how I appeared and spoke differently. I love to hear different dialects. We have enough different dialects in the United States to keep us busy for a whole year in the classroom.
In reference to the quote, to perceive differently than others see makes me think of knowledge in order to gain it, you have to listen and acquire all you can. God didn’t put us here with a wealth of knowledge for us just to close our minds and who’s to say what is the right and wrong way to approach this situation. But this may be out of context but I have to say this, I have always taught and respected my students as if I were teaching my own children. Sure I get aggravated at times because we’re not medical doctors they see one patient at a time. We have more power as teachers than the president of the United States. Look they put us in a classroom and trust us with their children. They trust teachers with twenty to thirty children at the same time. We are not diagnosing an illness, we as teachers are surviving difficult issues while accommodating all level students. . We can conquer the world if we want to that’s what kind of power we have. We can teach kids in every aspect from every spectrum on our planet Earth. It’s pretty scary if you ask me. I can’t wait to get back to school so I can use my knowledge to transform these beautiful children into the best they can be and it’s better to have tried and quit than not to have tried at all. It’s like Laurie and Jake they had to fight to get their identity and to feel accepted knowing they felt inferior to others. The deceit Laurie faced at home led her to the quiet person in class because she wanted to compromise for not being able to complete her work. I say push those academically high and motivate the lower level students. Don’t pair them up together. No one wants to feel intimidated because they can’t express their thoughts through words. Processing, what a big deal. It is a big deal and sometimes pairing a higher to lower level will work for both children.
Ending the course I feel more sensitive to everyone’s needs. I look forward to listening for code switching. I feel there are multitudes of literacy materials to meet all diverse needs. I am a Taxi for one. I know when I read the book I couldn’t believe a boy that young could be exposed to so much in the Columbian Cartel. Until someone paints the picture, it’s hard to perceive what is different to others. In closing, there are different situations that were not researched. How about the children raised by Lesbian or Gay couples? They have issues too. This is just something to think about.
Robin Hand

There are times in life when the question of knowing if one can think differently than one thinks, and perceive differently than ones sees, is absolutely necessary if one is to go on looking and reflecting at all.
Michel Foucault

When I first read this quote at the beginning of the course, I wasn’t quite sure how to interpret it. However now that I have completed this course the meaning is very clear. Dr. Jackson challenged me to read the assigned materials and, “make meaning of the text”. The readings were entangled with differing and contentious issues that were difficult to critique without getting personal. In order to make meaning of a text, one must find connections whether it be professional or personal in nature. As the quotes states, in order to think differently and perceive differently we have to continue looking and reflecting. I had to “look” at other perspectives and be open-minded so that I could construct meaning and knowledge from the content.

The Dowdy and Delpit articles are a perfect example of this quote. The articles challenged me to think differently, and instead, I reacted to them in an immediate manner that did not allow the construction of “true meaning” to take place. My responses were full of bias and judgmental comments that
were based on my own perceptions of language acquisitions. In short, I did not allow myself to rise above my own ignorance to find the importance of understanding how a child’s cultural background, upbringing and home language can and does influence their educational journey.

One of the objectives of this course is to “explore different ways of perceiving and thinking by integrating “old” knowledge with “new” knowledge. So with that, I began reading with the purpose of understanding differences in regards to literacy learning and the diversity among my students. Stepping outside of my box, allowed me to explore the complexities that students are faced with in regards to learning at home and at school.

After reading Hicks and the other articles, I am without a doubt convinced there is great significance and relevance to a child’s home life and their school life. Article after article demonstrated that in order for us as teachers to understand our students, we must take the time and get to know “who” they are and “where” they come from. We must learn about “their world” before trying to teach them about the world around them. We must appreciate the differences each student has and develop a community based on those diversities. In this type of learning environment, children are not mended to fit a certain “mold”. We must teach acceptance and character traits that help each reach their full potential without ever compromising their social or cultural beliefs.

Through the majority of graduate courses, I have seen great emphasis being placed on individualizing reading and spelling instruction to meet the needs of each student. This course has challenged me to adapt my instruction practices to meet the needs of the learner in a new aspect, their individual cultures. I must no longer view home and school as separate entities. My goal is to take time to get to know who my students are and where they come from. I will continue to reach out to parents, encouraging them to become actively involved in their child’s education.

Through the use of multi-cultural text and materials, I hope to provide a learning community that encourages student’s exploration of their own cultures and those of their peers. As I have experienced first hand from this course, there is much we can continue to learn about ourselves and others!

Kim Shaw

“There are times in life when the question of knowing if one can think differently than one thinks, and perceive differently than ones sees, is absolutely necessary if one is to go on looking and reflecting at all.”- Michael Foucault

While thinking about this quote, I realized all the different perspectives that are in my classroom. I’ve never looked it from another point of view. I have always tried to understand my students and their backgrounds, especially since I have so many ELL students. I never really look at school from my students perspectives. I remember being a student and I guess I should not assume all of my students have the same outlook as I did. I always loved school and it came naturally to me. Teaching fourth grade, many of my students already have a perspective about school. They know how much work they are going to put forth.

I know that I can think differently and see things differently; I just need to make myself do it. I need to take the time and think about my students. I need to try to think like them. Some of them have so much going on in their lives at such a young age. They’ve seen and experienced things that I hope that I never do. I know that I need to do a better job of looking at things the way that my students do. I want to meet their individual needs. This past school year, I had so many students with special needs that it became hard to meet their individual needs in every subject, everyday. Having almost thirty kids in one classroom is overwhelming even if they are all on the same level and have the same background. I had students on every level from various backgrounds. I did try to look at the assignments from their point of view; I just had a hard time trying to please everyone. I know that I need to do a better job at this. I try to please the majority of the class. I need to get better about offering alternate assignments. I did this some this year, but I found it difficult to find the time. I try to give my students choices, so they can do it the way they want.

I am trying not to correct every single thing my students do. After reading Delpit’s article, I realized that I should not correct every mistake my students make. I know that if I was corrected all the time, I would just give up. No one wants to be wrong all the time. This has been hard for me because I constantly want to correct my students when they say something wrong. I still think that correcting grammar is for the best. I want my students to sound educated, is that so wrong? I am learning not to correct the way they say a word. I have African American students who do use Ebonics and I do not want to change the way they say a word. If I can understand what they are talking about, that’s going to have to be good enough for me. It is who they are, I don’t want to change the way they speak in front of their family and friends. I want my students to be able to code switch, I think this helps them be able fit into multiple situations.

I need to take more time and research and learn more about my students’ cultures, like in Henry’s article where the students did not feel like they fit in. I want my students to be able to understand the curriculum and have it apply to their lives. We’re not going to work hard to learn something if it won’t benefit us in the long run. I know all students, myself included, have memorized information for a test. I have long forgotten many of the things that I learned because it did not relate to my life. I want to make learning meaningful for my students. I want to teach things that they will remember. We do have to teach a certain curriculum, but we can teach it the way we want. I want to make learning fun.

I feel like the students in Noll’s article in some of my classes. There are certain topics that may be confusing or just not interesting to me, either way I have lost my voice during these classes. I think many people go through this at some point in their lives. Experiencing it, I know it can be difficult for some of my students. There are not always topics that we want to share our opinions on. I think that even if a student does not share their opinion, it doesn’t mean that they don’t have one.

After reading several of these articles, especially the first chapter in Changing Lives, I know how my students feel. I had to keep rereading it so that I could try to understand. This is how some of my students feel. I haven’t felt this way in a long time and it really bothered me. I’m not used to having to work so hard to understand something; I can see how my struggling readers must feel. I think it was good for me to be reminded of the feeling that happens in my classroom daily. It makes me want to explain things better to my students and to help them pick out books to read that they will understand. Of course there are going to be times we they do not understand something, but now I can tell them that I know how that feels and that we all go through it at some time.

I’m glad that I took this class because I wouldn’t have read these articles and research otherwise. It has really got me thinking about my classroom and they way I teach. I’ve been thinking about if I teach in a way that is beneficial to my students, academically and emotionally. I would never want to hurt one of my students, but now thinking back I’m concerned that maybe I have and didn’t even realize it. I’m going to be more careful in my classroom from now on and be more respectful of all cultures, even if I don’t understand it.

Dana Eudy

There are times in life when the question of knowing if one can think differently than one thinks, and perceives differently than one sees, is absolutely necessary if one is to go on looking and reflecting at all.

Michael Foucault

Awareness and Guilt: These are two words that sum up my feelings after delving into the readings this semester. The above quote is significant in the fact that many people, including me, get caught up in the chaos of daily living, never to slow down and think about other’s ways of living, and how they think and perceive things. We are so quick to judge others actions and ways of life without knowing the foundations of their being, and why they think, act, and perceive things in the way that they do. And never did I really slow down long enough to think about how it might affect their literacy. Of course, as a teacher, I am well aware that kids that come to school who have been read to, and immersed into literacy at home would have a better chance at success in literacy in school, but I never really thought about how one’s class, gender, or race would have such an impact on one’s literacy.

After reading “Delpit” and some blog posts, I am much more aware of the affect of continuously correcting ones language can have on a person. Honestly, before reading “Delpit” I had never heard of code switching. The points Delpit made in the readings though, completely made sense. After reading and reflecting upon the readings, I definitely look at language and code switching a bit differently. It is obvious that people from various places speak different dialects. I have never really slowed down long enough to think about how a person’s home language is part of their identity. It is obvious that environment impacts how a person speaks, but it tells us much more about a child and their literacy, than just how English is spoken in their home. After the readings, I think it is important to be accepting of our student’s language the way it is when they come to us. In addition, I also believe it is important to talk to our students about the importance of speaking standard English as well. Like it or not, a child’s language could prevent them from being successful, and for that reason, it’s an educators responsibility to make our students aware of standard English, and when it is appropriate and not to use standard English. I love the idea, from the book, about having children doing role plays of different situations and how we should speak based on the circumstances. In this activity, I believe students still feel their language and dialect is respected. At the same time they are learning the standard English so that they can be successful. I know that when I get together with my family, in which none are highly educated, I easily fall right back into talking just as they do. It is part of my heritage and culture. But, that doesn’t mean one can’t learn to speak correctly in the necessary situations in order to be successful. We just need to make our students aware of the three different types of language used at home that was mentioned in Judith Baker’s article: 1)home language, 2) formal language, and 3) professional language. Teaching these different languages, I believe, can easily be done through role play, and would give them a chance to use their home language as well.

The readings have opened my eyes to how very important one’s race, gender, or class may be in making one have a sense of belonging. As students walk into my classroom I will continue to get to know my students, but also dig deeper to “really” get to know each of my students. There are so many little aspects of a child’s being that can influence his success or failure in the classroom. The feeling of guilt overcomes me when I think about getting caught up in the daily grind of school, and don’t slow down to really honor my students’ cultures. From this point on, I will make it a point to provide more opportunities for my students to share their culture, through projects, writing, role play, and any other avenues I can think of. I have always respected each child’s culture, but I don’t feel I have done a very good job of making the students aware of one another’s cultures and taught them to appreciate the variety of cultures in our classroom and what we can learn from one another.

After reading about Jake and Laurie I felt a true connection to the readings in Hick’s book. It reiterated the fact that educators can make such a difference by slowing down, and really getting to know our students, from their interests, dislikes, the ways in which they like to learn, and much about their home life and how their parents view education. I do believe that we have to work hard to make connections with the parents of students like Jake and Laurie. Our relationship with the parents could completely change the path of a child’s success and motivation.

A final thought that I have as I reflect, is that as an educator, to make the most positive impact upon my students and their literacy learning that I can, I must slow down, really get to know them, where they come from, and establish a relationship with consistent communication with the family. I need to take a breath and be open to the way others may perceive things, because so often I am caught up in seeing it my way, and in my mind it just being that way.

Heather Houston

There are times in life when the question of knowing if one can think differently than one thinks, and perceive differently than one sees, is absolutely necessary if one is to go on looking and reflecting at all.
-Michel Foucault

Reading this quote made me think of myself as a teacher. I constantly have to look outside my box to understand my student and the ever-changing programs/curriculum that my students must know. If I think of teaching in terms of how I was raised and how I was taught in school (whole-group literacy era) I would be doing my students an injustice. Listening to other people’s ideas, opinions, and criticisms allows me to reflect more on myself as an educator, and helps me build myself as a better, caring teacher for my students. Being open-minded to the articles read in class and my classmates blogs, which perceived things differently than I did at times, allowed me to gain more insight as to what I should be doing in my classroom and helped me to look and reflect on my teachings. When reading Delpit I had to keep in mind all my African American students I had corrected, in the past, when they would use their language from their home or Ebonics. I thought I was helping them to correct their language to speak more properly. I did not think, at the time, that I would be lowering their self-esteem by correcting them. Delpit’s article allowed me to think differently about correcting language. Even though it did not tell me the correct way to fix this, I understanding that I can be more subtle about correcting them. In the other article read, by Dowdy, I could sympathize with her ”code-switching” and it allowed me to think about how so many people, from all different backgrounds, from all over the place, code-switch everyday, myself included. I had just never thought of it from Dowdy’s perspective, or related it to anyone else for that matter. We all have different dialects, or ways of expressing ourselves, and should not make judgments so quickly on someone just because of the way they talk.

I loved reading the individual stories inside the articles. This helped me to understand what it was like to be in their shoes and allowed for me to see things through their eyes. One on my favorite articles, that I am going to pull ideas out to use in my classroom, was Perry’s, Transforming Literacy Practices among Sudanese Refugees. This article pulled me in and had me thinking about their life’s struggles, achievements, and influence from all different areas. I can recall hearing about the “Lost Boys of Sudan”, but until reading this article and the importance the refugees place on storytelling and keeping their identity was an AH-HA moment for me. It made me "see" that I need to incorporate more storytelling into my classroom, and allow my students to express themselves and their identity/culture with the class. This article was also inspirational, in the sense, that these boys lost everything and yet were able to come to a new country, study and learn a new language, have no family to support them, and yet still go on to college and make a difference in their lives and storytelling. Too often I hear students complain that things are too hard and they will just never get it. I do plan on reading some stories about “The Lost Boys” to my class and discussing their struggles, which are greater than my students, and their accomplishment and goals they set out for themselves. My students need to understand that we need to be grateful for what we have and we must not allow ourselves to give up when something is hard, or things get rough. I also want them to see that they can go to college and can make something of themselves, just as these boys did. Seeing things from a different perspective truly makes me feel appreciative for the life I was raised in and the life I live right now.

Even though some of the articles were difficult for me to understand, I was able to pull information out of them that allowed to get the gist of the article. After posting my blog, I read other classmates blogs and learned more information that helped me to answer some of my own questions about the articles. An example being, the preface and chapter one of Hicks book, Reading Lives. After reading these chapters, I was very worried about reading the rest of the book. I was confused about so many different things, and was dreading having to admit how lost she had me in some parts of her writing. I feel reading others postings help give me a better understand of what Hicks was trying to lay out, and also a sense of relief that I was not the only one that thought some parts were repetitive and confusing. Once getting into the content of the book, I found myself relating to the book, which I did not foresee at all, when learning about Hicks background and reason for this study. This had me perceiving things in her book differently than I would have thought, from reading the introduction. Laurie and Jake’s struggles from Kindergarten to First grade had me questioning what should be done differently in that First grade classroom to help maintain their interest and incorporate their strengths. Should be move from whole group worksheets to performance centers? Or should she allow more choices for activities, instead of telling them what they had to do? One thing that Jake and Laurie’s second grade teacher did that has me rethinking my teaching for next year is having students do Writing Workshops. Allowing students to write about their interests and cultures is a great way to incorporate their outside lives into school. This just wouldn’t help Jake and Laurie, but it would also allow for students of different ability levels, cultures, gender, and class to express their own lives (if they so choose).

This class has definitely opened my eyes, in that, I think differently than another, and listening to how others perceived the very same article I read, allowed for me to reflect on their opinions and see things for their interpretations. Even though I may not have the same discourse as others, I have to be open to thinking differently and to reflect on others opinions and also re-evaluate my own. My thoughts did change on some of articles as I read other blogs. Something I would not have taken offense to at all had others very frustrated. For example, one person had written about her offense to Hicks’ ungrateful attitude towards being raised in a Christian home (Ch. 3). I had not taken offense to it at all, as I could relate to Hicks’ upbringing myself. Having looked at it from their view, made me see how they could have taken it in a different way and that was okay.

Before taking this class I would have just read an article, taken it in the way I usually do, and use it how I wish. But once seeing different ways of issues, with gender, race, and class, I can’t always take things at face value if I want to truly understand and reflect on what is best.

I may not be the best writer when it comes to expressing my thoughts into words, or good at deciphering some of these readings, but I do feel that I gained an understanding on how to look at my students’ backgrounds (gender, class, race) and incorporate their outside world into the classroom more. After all the whole reason I am doing this is to better myself so I can, in turn, better help my students. Failure can not be an option.

Barbara Terauds

There are times in life when the question of knowing if one can think differently than one thinks, and perceive differently than one sees, is absolutely necessary if one is to go on looking and reflecting at all. Michel Foucault
This quote is the one that is most meaningful to me after taking this class. I will admit, when I first read the syllabus at the beginning of the course none of the quotes had any meaning to me at all! Now, having completed all of the readings, and almost completed the course it was tough to choose which quote had influenced my thinking the most! To me this quote has multiple meanings and implications.
First of all, this quote reminds me of my own narrow thinking prior to taking this class! As a middle-class, female, white educator sometimes it gets so easy to find myself in the box with only a peep hole to see out of! In many cases in my career and in my life I don’t think that I had considered many of the things that students from backgrounds different than my own go through in attaining and maintaining literacy. I wasn’t raised in a wealthy family, but we always had the things that we needed and usually a few of the things that we wanted too. Because I was raised in a rather middle-class environment I thought that I should easily be able to relate to those above me and below me, you know, since I was from the middle…interesting but ignorant thinking!  This quote is special to me because through our readings I have learned that, yes, I can think differently and I can and will recognize that there are things experienced by students of mine that l will have to move out of my comfort zone to understand. Second, this quote is freeing for me when I think about the students that fit the working class, or minority category. For those kids this quote shows that just because they are born into a certain race, class, or gender they are not sentenced to a given future. They can overcome their circumstances and be successful in becoming literate at home and school. Thank goodness our readings have shed light for us as educators on how we can make this happen!
Before writing this paper I sat down to take some time to reflect and ask myself what things have stuck out to me in this course more than anything else. This is what I have come up with:
I want to be the best teacher that I can be. In many ways it is easy in this day in time in the classroom to blame a student’s issues on their home life and go on with things allowing that student to fall through the cracks. What I have realized is that a student’s home life does contribute a huge amount to his/her literacy. Because of this, we cannot separate, or attempt to separate a student from his/her background. Through many of the readings we learned how much of a student’s identity is tied up in his/her language, class, race, gender, etc. Instead, as a teacher I must work to develop that home/school connection that will allow a student to feel comfortable to be real in my classroom. As far as language goes, this may mean not correcting but modeling correct language over and over in hopes that my students will grasp what I am sharing with them!
I want to meet the needs of every child every day. This is a huge task! One of the things that I immediately think about in regards to this is that I can meet their needs by helping them to become interested in their education. It spoke volumes to me that Delpit’s daughter picked up Ebonics so quickly. As teachers we teach proper language things over and over and for years yet students still do not speak properly. Delpit’s daughter picked up on slang in no time. This showed me that students learn what they are motivated to learn. I have always tried to provide a curriculum that is relevant and interesting to students, but after taking this class I will make this an even larger priority in my classroom. I now realize the importance of allowing a student’s interests outside of school to impact my lesson plans and focus in curriculum.
I will maintain high expectations for my students. I was struck by the article that discussed giving students permission to fail. While as teachers we hear this phrase and are horrified wondering who would ever do that, I think many times our actions and decisions send this message unintentionally. When we decide that a student is the way he is because of his home life and that we can never change the home life and thus never change the student, we are giving a child permission to fail. In my classroom I will be much more aware of the message that my actions send. I want all of my students to know that I believe in them and expect them to accomplish great things! One way of doing this is by helping students acquire the ability to code switch. Baker describes it well in talking about Trilingualism. There are times when we need to know formal English, or professional English, and there are also times when our “English of choice” is acceptable. Knowing when to use proper English and being able to switch back and forth is perhaps a skill of most importance in this world.
I also enjoyed reading Hicks’ work about Jake’s story. I feel like I have taught Jake so many times. He was truly all boy! There are so many students who are successful in the things that they do at home, but struggle so much at school. I will continue on my trek to minimize worksheets and other types of 2 dimensional work and focus on continuing to grow my writers, readers, and math workshops in an attempt to maximize 3 dimensional hands-on work! There are also many students who I truly believe are misdiagnosed as having ADD for something that could be solved if a student were interested in school. Even after all of the reading, I struggle with the idea of making school so much fun but there still being so many assessments and curriculum that have to be taught. As teachers we must do the best we can to combine these ideas and teach the appropriate curriculum and standards in the most authentic, purposeful manner.
As a whole I have learned so much from the readings for this class. I appreciate how they have all had ideas that have essentially reinforced some of the same ideas several times thus helping it to stick by reading it in several different ways! My whole definition of literacy has changed for sure. I will no longer see literacy as isolated to reading and writing. Literacy in my mind now involves language, storytelling, culture, and many other things all tied together by discourses and experiences at home and school.

Jessica Jackson

According to dictionary.com to reflect means to think, ponder, or to meditate. Well, during this class, to say that I reflected would be an understatement. I reflected so much that I started seeing double. Therefore, the quote from Michel Foucault is a perfect representation for my though process this summer:
There are times in life when the question of knowing if one can think differently than one thinks, and perceive differently than one sees, is absolutely necessary if one is to go on looking and reflecting at all.
Reflecting is what makes me a better person, a better mother, and most definitely a better teacher. If I cannot reflect and make changes, then my friends, my family, and most of all my students will suffer. As a result of the reflecting I have done during this class, I have grown and learned so much.

With our first readings by Delpit and Dowdy, my first thoughts were – he we go again, more pity for the African Americans. I had a hard time understanding why teachers would even consider Ebonics as a language to teach or use in school. African Americans have lived in the United States for centuries so why is it so hard for them to speak “proper English”? After reflecting, now I understand the answer to my question – culture.

I don’t think I will ever forget Ladson-Billings chapter, “I Ain’t Writin’ Nuttin’.” I still think about my students last year and the thought that I may have given them “permission to fail.” Throughout this course, whether in readings or in classmates’ posts, I recognized a common obstacle – pressure. I feel pressure from my district office to make sure my kids score high on their EOGs. I feel pressure from my colleagues, because they have to stay and remediate my students. I feel pressure from my principal to do the extracurricular activities which takes time away from my family. I feel pressure from my family, because I have to do the extracurricular activities. It is a revolving door and I cannot escape. For that reason, I know I am not permitting my students to fail, but who is?

While reading the two qualitative research papers, I became irritated. It just didn’t seem rational for Henry to say that “teachers who ignore issues in the lives of minority students leave them “voiceless.” I looked back at how I treated my Hmong and Spanish students. I treated them fairly and I cared for them and I helped them learn, but I did not go the extra mile to learn about them. They were “voiceless” in my classroom. Again, after reflecting throughout this class, I began to understand. Students in a classroom make up a team and minority children, in the classroom, start with a disadvantage on the team. They are unfamiliar with the rules, the plays, and their teammates. Therefore, their coach has to take extra time to research these particular players and come up with a few sideline plays so they can participate in the game as well. Next year, I am going to step out of my comfort zone and learn new cultures. I am in the process now of buying novels and folktales based on other cultures. I want to learn from my students. I don’t ever want my students to feel “voiceless.”

This course has been a long journey for me. I have traveled to Africa, England, the Caribbean, India, and Sudan. I have learned about many different languages. I have learned about many different cultures. However, one common thread was seen all the way through – stories. Stories speak the natural language and keep the culture alive. I want to use stories, from around the world, in my classroom. Most of all, from the stories, I want my students to appreciate and accept culture.

Loren Van De Griek

In reflecting over the work we have just completed in this course, I find that I am drawn to Foucault’s words as I consider my learning.

“There are times in life when the question of knowing if one can think differently than one thinks, and perceive differently than one sees, is absolutely necessary if one is to go on looking and reflecting at all.”

Suddenly, I feel as though I have entered a long hallway lined on both sides with doors. All these doors, when opened, reveal topics for future study and inquiry – topics I had not considered ‘til now. These topics are pressing and crucial to who I am as a professional, as a teacher, and as a human being in contact with countless other humans. I must continue in careful consideration of these things to decide where I stand on these issues, the basis for so much of my personal philosophy. I find Foucault’s words to be a definition of where I am as a learner. It is a question I must constantly ask of myself as I continue my studies. Have I grown too hardened, so unmoveable and rigid that I cannot think differently? Am I able to recognize the extraordinary and unusual in daily practice and behavior? If I cannot answer a resounding yes, than I am standing still as an academic learner. I am certain that I am not standing still. My reading list is growing. I have added Discipline and Punish, as well as other essays by Foucault. Structuralism and the response of Post – Structuralists occupy space on my list, as do the ideas of agency, autonomy, literary and cultural theory, Womanism (Feminism?), politics of subjectivity, and Marxism. In addition, I have discovered de Beauvoir, Walkerdine, Deleuze and Guattari, Foucault and the multifaceted issue of power in relationships. I will come to think and perceive differently, and will continue to do so until I am mature.

I came into this semester knowing that there were issues coming. Issues that I had not addressed in prior times. I’m sure now that I had a good idea of what types of questions would be raised. I am delighted to say that my prior scholarly endeavors in Latino Studies (entirely in Spanish) could be a distant cousin to the subject matter in this course. Marginalization, assimilation, alienation in different settings, all these things I had explored in other, largely Hispanic cultural contexts. To include race, gender, and class within the periphery of education was a logical extension for expanding my knowledge. At this juncture, I cannot see how they could ever be separated.

Looking back over the course material, I recognize that we have met many of the competencies listed on the syllabus. While still developing, I have made and continue to make an honest effort to “broaden the depth and breadth of knowledge and skills in the academic discipline and in education.” One could not be exposed to the written words we have ingested throughout this month without doing so. I am entertaining several novel ideas and concepts for improving the settings for student learning. One of the most valuable things I have learned this semester is there is so much more to literacy than I thought in the past. I was forced to redefine exactly what literacy entails, and had to radically alter what my original definition included. My current idea of literacy is so much broader, must include more diverse means of expression and choices, and must remain available to alternate and or opposing interpretations, as the skill of the listener / reader / writer warrants. I concede that as a teacher, I must understand the differences with regard to literacy learning and expression within my students. I must concede, as well, that these differences should be viewed as strengths, rather than deficits needing correction. Noll’s article bears this out. I was not open to seeing literacy expression in the ways chosen by those Sioux children. Nor did I consider oral tradition to be literacy; clearly, the art of storytelling is a crucial element in the list of literate practices. Any list would be incomplete without its inclusion.

Exposure to the writings of Dowdy and Delpit has caused me reason for thought and reevaluation of my prior understanding of language and dialect. The ideas that one language could ever be superior to another, or that the speaker could in some way be deficient by reason of his / her mother tongue continue to appear absurd to me. These essays have affirmed that we cannot evaluate a learner on the basis of his / her means of expression, or the strangeness of his / her words. I perceive differently that grammar is a matter of personal history and culture, and not a weakness to be corrected or adjusted. The writings of Ladson – Billings and Henry seemed to me a reprisal of currently accepted teaching practices…I must ask myself - Do I do that? I must be aware and be sure that I include all learners in all aspects and on all levels of instruction. The ground shaking epiphany experienced during the reading of Perry’s research left me with an updated and more inclusive definition of literacy. The Lost Boys and their stories teaches us that each of us has the capacity to evolve, adjust, and acclimate ourselves to reality as we perceive it, or as it is imposed upon us. I concede that rhetoric and storytelling as academic practices are not only interpretable and personal, but are also infinitely textural and rich in cultural uniqueness.

Finally, Hicks has opened for me a real Pandora’s box of issues and questions regarding education and race, gender, and class. My views on delivery of instruction, assessment, and differentiation have been significantly altered after reading the qualitative narratives, personal memoirs, and poignant observations of those Hicks builds her case upon. Her writing taxed me. I am a skillful reader, and was significantly challenged by the text. Her constant return to literacy under the lens of personal history remains for me a constant reminder that being and knowing and learning are all inseparably tied to the essence of each of us. In discovering just what that essence is, I expect to discover a new perception and understanding of myself as I strive toward excellence in my field. As I develop a deeper understanding of myself, I may become better qualified to assist young learners in their own journey of discovery, as I daily act as guide, facilitator, mentor, and teacher for my students. I can easily say my students will benefit from the newness of my perception, the dissimilarity of my thinking, as we learn together and continue to challenge traditional academic views and methods.

Annie Croon

Chapter 5 and 6
In Chapter 5, Jake is introduced as her 2nd research project. I guess we heard from a girls point in previous chapters. It’s obvious that one’s home environment has a great influence on how children learn in the classroom. Jake was used to exploring and using hands- on activities keeping him busy vs. paper and pencil. No one sits all day when they are at home so why should we not teach to each child’s learning style at school. We should subject mobility, lecture for verbal learners and mix the lesson with hands-on right after for visual learners. All students need this diversity in classroom activities if nothing but social reasons. Everything I have read is projecting home environment with literacy. Interesting, like the Indian Tribe communicating by dance and song in the “Storytelling to Writing article.”
On page 102 of chapter 5 I like when Jake’s mother voices her family philosophy of teaching and learning. She states, "Children need to learn from their mistakes, to learn for themselves.” I am the youngest of five children so I pretty much had to figure out things for myself. There was no coddling or babying. I was told to watch and I would learn on my own. Being a grandparent kid at night plays an important role in a child’s life. I can relate because I was a single mom and I worked at night so my mom would keep the girls and have them ready for school in the mornings. My mom always supervised homework and made sure everything was in place for the next morning. My children would write stories all through elementary school about my grandparents. Its true family is the best resource for students and teachers to motivate and relate topics to differentiate according to gender, race, and ethnic background.
Jake was drawn to his father’s woodwork and carried out the fathers identities. His father’s education was at the school of “Hard Knox” I would call it. There is no substitute for experience and practice in whatever we do. Jake was always moving from one activity to another. The task at hand had to make sense or Jake thought it was stupid. Sometimes it’s difficult to realize every student’s strengths and the areas they have strength. Teachers sure can pick out weaknesses. In fact most teachers think of the points to work on first. I’m not saying this is wrong, I think teachers are held countable for so much that to meet everyone’s needs we would need 1-1 daily for most students and who has time for that? I have found that centers do work for non motivated students. I have always had success with multiple topical centers and all genders, races, and no matter what economic status. Students journal write everyday about our centers and what we did, who we played with, and how we did it. The kids love this activity and it is drawn on something from that center that includes math, research, writing, science, and social studies. The whole curriculum is in my centers. I keep a running record. I also pull students 1-1 and read a baggie book on child’s level after picture walk during this center time. I track all books read and I can pinpoint culture issues because the books are multicultural and cover all genres and this makes the kids well rounded. After reading this article, I will be more conscience of student’s interest in the real world. Hurrah!!! New Zealand Keep up the good work of thriving on hybrid cultural spaces.
Robin Hand

Chapter 6 tells us how we teachers should motivate our students using everything we know including, environment, social groups, ethnic groups, and race and gender. The underlying statement is that a intertwining of literacy and essayist forms moving between narrative histories and reflective commentary on the situated nature of writing, teaching, and theorizing. According to Nussbaum, much of what we know is shaped by relations with concrete others and attentiveness to those relations may be important for shaping educational theory. When learners engage in practices and relations they have a better connection with others. This just about says it all.
Robin Hand