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

HI! I’m Tamera Wilson, mother of three and married to my best friend who I began dating at age 14. I am a first grade teacher at Northwest Elementary and teach in the same county where I went to school. I am also a Stampin Up Demonstrator on the side - only to support my scrapping and stamping habit. For fun, we love to camp in the mountains and at the beaches. When not traveling or working, we are running the roads of Davidson County to sports events of all kinds. I am also a country music fan and spend 1 day every summer tailgating at a Kenny Chesney concert with friends. It has become a summer tradition.
Like Dr. Jackson, I too grew up in a working class family. My mother and father worked at Western Electric. They rode to and from work together every day. I grew up in a single wide trailer for the first 8 years of my life. At times when my parents were laid off I remember using food stamps. When I was in third grade my parents built a 3 bedroom house on the same property where they still live.
I was lucky, though. Mom always made a point to buy books and 45 records. It was always fun to open her bag and see what she had for us. Mom read to us all the time and instilled in me a love for books. I was known to read veraciously. I would read walking around, in the car, and even while everyone else was fishing. I always had a book in my hands. I remember my favorite books were Dr. Seuss, Go Dog Go, Barney Beagle and this one little book called Candy Store that was a scratch and sniff book.
School was my favorite place to be. I strived to do well and enjoyed the praise and attention from teachers. I remember being an above average student and was encourage, nurtured, and loved by my primary teachers. However, it all fell apart when the focus of literacy shifted toward comprehension in third grade. I remember it did not come easily and at that point my love for reading began to change. I had to work much harder at it than I liked. In fourth grade the difficulty showed up in the science content area where I made a B and was NOT happy. So, I just worked harder at it. I also hated oral book reports. I did not mind writing them, but I hated giving them out loud. I loved it when my teacher’s got creative in how we could express what we learned (commercials, partner posters, art projects, etc.)
In college, I remember being highly frustrated with reading comprehension during a World History Class. I would read, highlight, reread, and take notes. Still, I would fail the pop quizzes. Luckily, I took the class pass/fail. I don’t think I was ever taught strategies for how to comprehend. You were just expected to read it and get it.
It was not until college when I took a children’s literature class that my love for reading all came back to me. I began to spend a lot of money on the purchase of children’s books. Now, they can be found in almost every room of my house. However, it has only been in the past couple of years that I began reading adult literature for enjoyment. It seems I have come full circle.
As a teacher, my first love was teaching math and science. I loved the hands on nature of the curriculum. It was not until having training as a literacy teacher that I fell in love with teaching reading. I couldn’t believe I had not been taught how to adequately teach reading in college. Now, I could spend all day in small group reading lessons. I would jump at the chance to team teach and be the literacy person.

Hi,
I am so glad to be in this class, progress toward my goal of completing my masters in less than two years. I am a "mature" student so I am sure my viewpoint will be slightly different from the younger generations. I have learned a lot while enjoying the classes that I have taken.
I am happily married and a proud mother of two, grandmother of a five year old, one year old and another on the way! Life is great! Unfortunately they all live in Oregon.
Background:
I was born in NJ, moved to Alaska at 5, lived there until my senior year when my parents moved us back to NJ. As one of ten children in a very poor family, the oldest girl was responsible for the house and siblings, I assumed this responsibility at 13. School was not a priority in our family, staying home and taking care of the house was. Teachers did not like me before they met me because they had experienced my five older siblings, who were trouble makers.
I loved school, it was a safe zone where I could be appreciated after proving myself. I read about "real families" that gave me hope, I knew I didn't want to be like my family when I grew up. I am the only of ten that graduated on time, however all the girls have since achieved at least a high school dipolma.
Sad to say I am the only sibling to hold down a responsible position at this time. I love to read for relaxation and grad school has allowed me an excuse to hide away and read for hours, uninterupted.

Hi, my name is Melissa Lange. I have only one semester of grad school under my belt, so I am still new. I am originally from Indiana and did my undergrad at Indiana State University (for any basketball fans that is where Larry Bird went to college.) I am from a small farm town/county where when you drive down the interstate all you see is corn fields. My father suddenly died when I was in third grade, so I was raised by a single mom who did her best to support my sister and me. She made sure that our education came first. My sister and I are both teachers and both moved to North Carolina to get a job. My mom and the rest of my family are still in Indiana. I love to watch sports: racing, hockey, football, baseball, and so on. I have a one year old nephew who is the love of my life. He was born with heart problems. He had heart surgery at two weeks of age and finally got to come home from Duke Hospital when he was five weeks old. He is a healthy and happy little man now even though he is a bully at daycare, but we still love him.

I have a minor in Reading Education from ISU. I wanted to get this minor while in undergrad because during my elementary school career I had reading problems and went to “Reading Lab.” I wanted to help all the readers in my class. I loved going to Reading Lab. The teachers were great and all the other students had reading problems like me. I was not afraid to read aloud, ask questions, or share what I had read. My passion to help struggling readers has made me want to continue with my education and get my masters.

I am finishing up my fourth year of teaching. I teach 3rd grade in Winston-Salem. This year my grade level had decided to team teach, so I get to teach reading all day. It has been great and I love it. We have a large Hispanic population at our school, so a lot of my students come to me reading below grade level. I have some of the best students and love them to pieces.

Hi All!

I apologize in advance for any oddities you may find in this post. I am a seventh grade Language Arts teacher, who spent the morning in another teacher’s very hot classroom with twenty-five of my favorite people retaking the 7th grade Reading EOG. We played musical classrooms in order to accommodate mod groups. My students were complaining not only about the heat & the funky air-freshener in our borrowed space, but also about the stark white walls. Our room rarely has naked walls because I love color, art, and evidence of student work. We keep 705 highly decorated with middle school flair.

All of that to say I have a rough sinus headache that is still lingering now. I’ve never actually left school early and come home to bed…before 1 in the afternoon. Today was a first! I am going to self-diagnose with the EOG sickness. I love my kids, but think the EOG is a gross misuse of time, funding, and the word “assessment”. How’s that for a political beginning of the semester? 

Reading has never been optional in my family. My parents are both teachers, even if not employed as such. My Mom is a suburbanite from outside of Philadelphia. Dad is from Duplin County—the land of hogs & tobacco—in Southeastern North Carolina. They met one another while working in a home for children in New Jersey. So, Mom packed up her things and moved down South, where she underwent a cultural revolution (or perhaps initially revulsion), learned that hushpuppies weren’t just shoes, and had to figure out language patterns like, “I liked to have got…”

We lived in a rural area of the state where literacy resources were minimal. However, my parents had shelves and shelves full of books on a range of topics. My big brother, who is five years older than I am, was reading when I came into the world. So, when I was old enough to have a competitive nature—which, according to my mother was probably around 5 days old—I wanted to read like Matthew. I would get so upset when we would go to restaurants and he could read the menu but I couldn’t. Not only did I want to be able to read like him, but I wanted to do it better!

Each night, when my Dad would get home from work, our family would all crawl into my parents’ bed to read. (This sounds really cozy, but we lived in an old house with no air-conditioning, except in their bedroom and the living room…so it was cozy born of necessity.) We read Bible stories, picture books, travel brochures, etc. Discussion was always encouraged. We also took weekly trips to the Kenansville library during the summer. We would load up our old, raggedy blue station wagon (the kind with hideous wood paneling) and drive the 30 minutes to the library. I can still remember the dank smell of the old green carpet in the children’s section. Heaven on earth!

Now, as an adult reader, I see those habits carry over. My bedside table is generally overrun with nighttime reading options. I have to be careful to choose a book that is not overly engaging or stimulating, or I wind up staying awake too late. I live in Greensboro and one of the primary reasons I chose the corner of town I live in is the great public library close by. I have a country girl’s heart with a twist of city girl’s desire for cultural diversity. So, to me there is nothing better than a public library with wi-fi, a porch full of rocking chairs, and landscaping done with rain water caught in eco-friendly barrels!

I teach seventh graders. We spend a lot of time talking about reading skills & about the power or writing and self-expression. This year, I started to share more of my personal writing with them. It’s made such a difference in my confidence as a writer and in my relationship with my students. I journal, write poetry, and sometimes write expressive short essays. I had considered a career in photojournalism and still sometimes toy with the idea.

The older I get, the more I realize how integral literacy has been to my life. It—along with wonderful parents and public school teachers—afforded me opportunities I would not otherwise have had. Literacy provided “an out” from Duplin County. (I’m allowed to say that because I’m from there.) It continues to give me a way to process my reality and sometimes escape from it. I treasure my shelf full of journals, that I’ve kept since high school and love nothing better than to stay inside on a night like tonight to read, well, just about whatever.

I’m looking forward to this semester & hope to learn ways to better serve the diverse students that I get to spend each day with. For now, it’s time to take some more Advil & hop back in bed. It’s almost time for “So You Think You Can Dance” my one summertime TV show addiction.

Ruth Johnson

Hello, my name is Misty Mistretta! This is my sixth graduate class at ASU. I am currently a third grade teacher at Casar Elementary School, in Cleveland County. This is my fifth year teaching! I have taught first grade for four years and this is my first year in third grade! Wow what a difference! I loved teaching first grade because of my passion for teaching children to read. However, I have found a new love, third grade! I am so excited about teaching older students! There is so much more that you can teach them! I live in Rutherford County; I am married and have a five-year-old son that will begin kindergarten this fall! One interesting fact about me is that I have an identical twin sister! Almost every time that she is out shopping, she sees some of my students that assume that she is me. My sister and I look so much alike that my collogue’s and even my own son get us confused (she does not have children).
Misty Mistretta

Hi, my name is Annie Croon. I am a “Literacy Specialist” (is there really such a thing?) at Gamewell Elementary School in Caldwell County, and have been here for the past two years. I work with kids who are struggling with reading, grades K – 5. I will use any intervention tool at my disposal to help kids make meaning of what they read. I will borrow, copy, or steal something if I know it works and will make reading fun for my students. I’m not afraid to be a fool in front of my students, and have been known to resort to comedy to engage otherwise disinterested or unmotivated kids. Who wants to do dreary meaningless tasks all the time? We don’t, how can we expect our students to?
I learned to read with Dick and Jane, and I seem to remember I couldn’t spell worth a darn for a long time. I know I learned the code quickly, because from a very young age I was reading anything I could get my hands on. That was me under the covers with a flashlight late at night. Some of my favorites were fairy tales from all over the world. I just couldn’t get enough. My favorite book was an oversized, beautifully illustrated anthology of tales from many countries. Kids just don’t read fairy tales any more. Too bad.
I’m still an avid reader, although I rarely get to choose what I’ll be reading. I am constantly reading for homework or school work. When summer comes, I usually find the fattest, trashiest novel I can and work on my tan until I finish it. I read War and Peace one summer, and Anna Karenina followed shortly thereafter. Something about the length of an incredible saga turns me on. I guess this summer I’ll have to forego that pleasure.
I became a reading teacher because I was crushed by the knowledge that my own child will never be a joyful reader. My son struggled with reading, and now has the idea that he is a poor reader. Because it’s hard for him, he avoids reading at all costs. Somehow I will find that “just right book” that turns him on and hooks him for good. It is my desire to help other kids overcome their difficulties with reading so they can actually stop struggling and enjoy, understand, and learn to love reading.
I suppose some day I will find out who I really am as a reader / writer. Right now I am so busy fulfilling requirements; I don’t ever have time to write just for me. I used to write quite a bit of poetry; now at least I am journaling, thanks to Dr. Frye. It’s amazing – the things you begin to notice when you start living like a writer. At least that keeps me honest. I can’t expect my students to write when I don’t do it myself.
I look forward to what lies ahead in this course; many of our students are disaffected and marginalized within our classrooms. I’m looking for ways to make my methods more inclusive, more worthwhile to all my students. Working within the framework of curricular guidelines, that’s a tall order. I need inspiration for new ways to turn kids on, and keep them reading, even when it’s hard. If only the love of reading were a contagious bug!

Hello, hello! My name is Erin Farrington, and I live in Boiling Springs, NC. I’m married to Colton Wayne and am a mother to Bella Rose (four-years-old) and Caden Gene (two-years-old), and I like calling them by their first and middle names! I graduated from ASU in 1998 with a degree in English. I’m ashamed to say that I don’t remember anything much that I was supposed to have learned. This is not a bust on ASU; it’s just my reality. I want to learn. I’d like to learn. I just can’t say that I’ve done it in decent proportion to all the years I’ve spent in the classroom. My formal teaching experience includes three years in middle school, one semester in high school (interim), and one semester in community college.

Currently, I’m teaching two-year-olds parttime at Aldersgate Playschool in Shelby so that I can be at home (as much as financially possible) with our children. I started grad school last fall so that by the time our daughter is ready to begin her formal education, I will have graduated and be ready to go back to work full-time if this is what is best for our family. I chose to major in Reading Education because I've had students in the past who were grosely below their grade-level in reading, and we were both at a loss because I didn't know how to work with them on a technical level. Another reason I chose Reading Education is because it is a major somewhat kin to a major in English. (I felt like I would get bogged down with all the reading required for a master's degree in English, so I chose the next best thing!)

Having said that, it may come as no surprise to you that reading is not something I've ever done an incredible amount of. When I was growing up I don't ever remember seeing anyone in our home sitting around and reading anything but the occasional newspaper; I'm sure this had a direct influence on my interest in reading. I mean, I probably read more than the average bear, but in school I've always tried to get by with reading the least amount possible. I don't mind reading, but I want to read what I choose; it's hard for me to get excited about reading what someone else has chosen for me. Oddly enough, I've always been a fluent reader and am always one of the first to volunteer at the chance to read aloud. It's the opportunity for dramatic expression that draws me to read aloud in front of groups; I'm an actress at heart!

Writing, on the other hand, is something that I've always enjoyed doing and rarely--if ever--have tried to find a shortcut around it when asked to do so. I believe my childhood environment had a direct influence on this as well because my dad is an excellent writer; I've been a witness to him doing a good bit of song-writing, and he was always first in line to help me with any creative writing assignments I had in school. Because of the lack of discipline I have in the area of reading and because of my bend towards writing, my undergraduate degree in English was fashioned towards a concentration in writing; I took only the minimum amount of literature classes required. Interestly enough, though, I don't spend my spare time writing, but I certainly have never minded writing assignments--especially creative ones.

Erin Farrington

My name is Heather Houston. I am a 4th grade teacher at Taylorsville Elementary in Alexander County. I am about to finish my 8th year of teaching, and have been teaching 4th grade for the 8 years I have taught. When I decided to pursue my master’s degree, I pondered what area I would do it in. I chose reading because I feel that is an area I need to improve and grow in. Thinking about teaching a lower grade level, especially kindergarten made me nervous, not only because of the age group, but because I didn’t know where I would begin with teaching children how to read from scratch. So…that solved the problem with which area I needed to go back to school for. Through the courses I have already taken in the program, I have learned so much invaluable information.
Now what to do next??? We just finished End of Grade testing at our school, and our first reading results were terrible. Only fifty percent of my students passed. The re-tests turned out better, but I have got to find a way to improve my students reading skills. I teach at a school where the majority of students are either African American or Hispanic. Many of our parents are uneducated, disinterested in education, or have a language barrier. That makes my job even more difficult. I have got to find a way to provide my students with the skills they need, despite the lack of parental/home support. So….if anyone already has ideas or solutions…what more can I do?
Posted by Heather Houston

Hi everybody! My name is Erica Spicer. I teach 2nd grade at Jenkins Elementary School in Hickory. My love for reading began at a very young age. My father and I took weekly Saturday morning trips to the public library to pick out new books and he would tuck me in each night reading a different story. I used to love when he read me the Uncle Remus stories of Brer Rabbit. I have carried on with reading stories at bedtime for so long now that I can't even go to sleep at night unless I've been reading! I've been in 2nd grade for two years now, and I really feel like this is my niche. I love how students are so curious at this age and one of the most exciting things about this age group is that they are for the most part finally getting the concept of reading and can begin enjoying it. I have enjoyed so much the past two years seeing children get their hands on books and just get "sucked" into it. Although most children that I have come in contact with have not struggled in reading, I have had a few that have seen learning to read as an uphill battle. This was initially my reasoning for starting this graduate program. I really wanted to be able to reach and and help these students. This has been an excellent program to help me learn more about reading and I can finally see the light of finishing it as this is one of my last three classes...HOORAY!!! Through the application and personalization of many ideas in this program, I have been able to see a difference in reading enthusiasm in most of my struggling students. I look forward to reading and commenting on everyone's posts...it sounds like it's going to be an interesting class!

Erica Spicer

Hi everyone,

My name is Loren Van De Griek and Iive in the George Hildebrand area which is between Morganton and Hickory. I say GH area, because I have a Hickory address, a Connelly Springs telephone exchange, but it is in Burke County. I am originally from Centerville, MA, which is on Cape Cod. I spent most of my childhood in Stuart FL, but as soon as I graduated I went back to Mass. I moved down here 14 years ago to get closer to family. I am married to my high school sweetheart and have 3 beautiful boys. One of my sons has autism. When he was 3, he was "labeled" moderate, but now he has almost been cured and is very high functioning.

I was a hair designer for 12 years and then 3 years ago I changed careers and became a teacher. I teach 5th grade. I don't know what inspired me to change, but I am so glad I did, because I absolutely love it. Reading comprehension has always been a struggle for me. I love to read and read often, but when I finish a book it is hard for me to remember details. I am pretty sure that I would not be able to take an AR test and get a 100 w/o looking back in the book. I do not visualize when I read. My mind wanders while I read and I have to really concentrate on what I am reading. Therefore, when I teach reading, I can put myself in the shoes of my struggling readers, but I don't know how to help them overcome their defecit.

Getting my masters in reading was a "no brainer" for me, because I want to be able to teach my struggling readers better. When I teach math, I can teach the same concept in a variety of ways using a variety of manipulatives. To me, reading is harder to vary. As a result, I hope to learn how to "spice up" my reading lessons and reach those struggling readers.

Loren Van De Griek

Hi! I am one of the few high school teachers in this program. I teach 9th grade English and 10th grade Civics and Economics. We just finished EOC testing and it went very well, so I am excited to wrap up the end of the year. This is a busy summer for me. As soon as this semester is over, my family will be arriving for my wedding! I am very excited to have them all here from many different parts of the country. I am also very excited to marry my wonderful fiancé!
Reading has always been a strength and love of mine. I have been reading for fun for as long as I can remember. I would rather read then watch a movie or a television show. Because reading has always come naturally to me, I was baffled when I first encountered struggling readers as a teacher. My brother had been a struggling reader in school, and in my mind I always thought he was just stupid. Now I realize that this is not the case. As I encountered many struggling readers at the middle and high school level, I became frustrated with my inability to help them. That is why I decided to enroll in this program and learn more about reading and teaching reading.
Shannon Keough

My name is Kelly Beckley and I am a first grade teacher at Hardin Park School in Boone. I am just finishing up my third year of teaching (we only have half a day left!) and can absolutely say that teaching first grade is my dream job. I am originally from Chattanooga, TN, but came to Boone in the Fall of 2002 for school. When I graduated from ASU in 2006 I didn't want to leave so I have been here ever since!

My favorite part of teaching first grade is teaching the early literacy skills. I love seeing my students blossom from only knowing their letters and sounds to being full fledged readers. It's amazing to see how much they change in first grade! I have always been an avid reader myself and consider myself a "life-long learner." These are values I hope to pass down to my young students. Teaching reading is my favorite thing to do, which is why I am pursuing a Master's in Reading Ed. I am nearing the end of the program and am very thankful for what I have learned, however, I am definitely ready to walk across that stage in December!

As far as my own literacy development goes... my mom loves to talk about how difficult of a child I was. I was raised in a middle-class home with educated parents and a stay-at-home mom. I have an older brother who was one of those perfect kids... you know the kind I'm talking about! I, on the other hand, was far from perfect. I was very active, stubborn, and independent. I wouldn't sit still with my mom and let her read to me for more than two minutes. I didn't become interested in reading until I was able to do it by myself. I learned to read in first grade and never struggled with it, but was never the best either. I was just a solid, average student. I started first grade in the fall of 1990 right when the whole language was in it's hay day. My teachers didn't use any phonics or small-group instruction at all; my whole class read out of the same basal reader. Now that I teach first grade I don't understand how I, or anyone for that matter, learned to read with that kind of reading instruction in first grade.

As soon as I learned to read I was obsessed with reading. My favorite books were Amelia Bedelia books. I can remember re-reading the part about her dressing the chicken over and over again. I also loved Green Eggs and Ham and other Dr. Seuss books. As I got older I got more and more into reading. I read a lot of series books through elementary school. Some of my favorites were the American Girls Books, The Babysitters Club, and The Boxcar Children. this is when I got into the habit of reading every night before bed, a habit that has stuck with me my whole life. I read in bed every night before bed... even if it's just a couple of pages. It's an important thing for me and I will continue to do it for the rest of my life.

Kelly Beckley

Both of these texts discuss the problems with acquiring ‘standard English’ in the African American culture. Both authors expressed the idea that this ‘standard English’ would help the children involved be successful in life, but it hurts them socially, so it creates a struggle within a person when deciding which language they will embrace.

My first question while I was reading was in response to the Dowdy text. The author speaks often about the need to speak the “the Queen’s English” to be successful. My question is: What is her measure of success and whose standard of success is it? If it is in fact necessary to speak this way to get a decent job and be accepted by society as a responsible adult, then it is indeed necessary to attempt this language. Whether it is ‘right’ or not, we all have to morph ourselves in some ways in order to be successful in society.

Another question that applies to both readings is : Doesn’t there have to be a common language for a society? The answer in my mind is absolutely. There has to be a standard way of speaking that people use to conduct affairs in the public arena. I think the language issue is not just an African American issue, for there are many dialects throughout the country that are not considered ‘standard English’. I am originally from Washington State, and I am sure that if many of my current friends and coworkers spoke to my friends from Washington, they would be seen as ignorant because of their dialect. It is a prejudice that comes from what you know, and you must unlearn the prejudice that you developed in order to accept people who speak differently than you. Having said that, I also think it is important for people to be aware of the way they speak and be able to ‘code switch’ when it is appropriate to do so.
The Delpit article spoke a lot about the ability to ‘code switch’ and learn a second dialect. The intimate mother tongue you learned as a child absolutely has a place, but that place is not always in school or at work. Connecting the home language to the ‘standard English’ desired in school is an important step in seeing growth in ‘standard English’ acquisition. Also, children (and adults) must understand that in an academic or work environment all people must ‘switch’ their way of talking. None of us talk the same in the classroom or to our principals as we do to our spouses or mothers. There is a level of formality that must be used in the appropriate setting.

These texts have addressed a subject I have thought a lot about. The issues of language and intelligence, of acceptable speech in school, and of whose standard we must obey have often been thoughts of mine throughout my experience as a teacher. And although I have no finality to my thoughts, I do believe that these articles show the struggle that goes on for many African American students and parents. Does wanting a child to be successful mean that we must teach them to speak ‘standard English’ and if so, how do we do this and still embrace the language which each child considers their own?

Shannon Keough

Dowdy and Delpit both view language as a layer of one’s individual and cultural identity. For Dowdy, “white, British diction” was a form of subjugation and emotional turmoil. Delpit, on the other hand, found herself questioning her daughter’s use of “language reflect[ive]” of her African-American classmates. Both authors agree that language is a tool of much power that we instinctively use as a survival mechanism. The key seems to be striking a balance between the language of intimacy and that of discourse—regardless of the setting. In short, we have to figure out how to linguistically fit in without disappearing.

As I read Dowdy’s essay, I kept flashing back to my senior year of high school when I was in the running for the prestigious Morehead scholarship to UNC. During my final panel interview I began to realize that I was going to be different from most of the other kids at whatever college I chose. I remember feeling like an uneducated country bumpkin in front of the panel, not because I was unintelligent or poorly educated, but because they made it clear—both in their language and demeanor—that we were from different spheres.

I am a white female, who grew up in a home with two college-educated parents. My mother was a stickler for proper grammar in speech and writing. However, there is no denying that I am from the rural south. The first time this was clearly evident to me was during the interview in which my mouth shaped my words in ways that were not up to the status quo of the group. It was humiliating.

As I read Dowdy speak of her days as a school girl in Trinidad, I could partially empathize based on my own experience. Dowdy’s primary argument seems to be that language is a tool that can either be utilized to force individuals into submission or to create a forum for rebellion against injustice. Is this what our schools do? Or are we working to empower new thinking rather than eradicate old identities?

I haven’t been in education very long, but I think we’ve been guilty of eliminating certain groups from inclusion in our instruction which has fostered isolation. In response, we’ve created months to highlight & celebrate specific groups. When will come the day when our classes read well-crafted literature by Sandra Cisneros, Edgar Allen Poe, and Maya Angelou without a special event being involved?

Reading this essay was painful, as her tone and word choice are clearly indicative of ongoing animosity and hurt from the days of her youth. It makes sense to me that she would see “the colonizer’s language, English…[as] a force field against which I had to do battle for my soul.” (p. 11) In her world, all things English were designed to destroy the existing culture of Trinidad, in order to create submission to the colonizer’s authority. There was no middle ground for her language choice.

I wonder if this is how some of the Spanish-speaking students in my classes feel? I can easily see how they might view teachers (and other institutions of the US) as power-hungry individuals demanding that they “chain their tongues” (p.10) and submit to the existing rules of the language of power. Do I stifle them? This was a depressing thought to me as I read Dowdy’s essay, almost as if my attempts would never be good enough simply because I have white skin. However, I found hope in what Delpit had to say.

Perhaps I found Delpit’s essay more welcoming altogether, as she looks at language acquisition in a more positive light. (It also soothed my conscious to hear how she initially reacted to her daughter’s code-switching.) She paints the picture of language being a concept of community, in which we can add layers of complexity to our language libraries instead of stripping away the language we were raised with.

We as educators must build community! I hope that my classroom would be more along the lines of what Delpit suggests to be foundational for success. I appreciate that she acknowledges that a language of power does exist. If our goal is to give students options for their adult lives, we must equip them with language options, as well.

On page 38 she writes, “Perhaps we have in our country’s development reached a stage in which some of the American populace is willing to see beyond skin color to access intellectual competence, but there are as yet few pockets which can “listen beyond” language form.” I believe this is part of First Lady Obama’s message in her address to the youth of DC and applies to both those at home in the neighborhood—whatever neighborhood that is—and those in power. The fact is, if you don’t measure of to the language expectation of whatever group, you will not initially be allowed in to it.

In our school, I see this situation play out in regard to language issues influenced by socioeconomic status. Students of color berate one another for “acting white” or for being “ghetto”, dependent upon their language choice at school and their attitude toward academics. Do you all agree that this issue of language is not simply one of skin color but also one of privilege? Some of the cruelest racial interactions I have ever experienced have been with members of the same racial community.

Delpit says, “…acquiring an additional code comes from identifying with the people who speak it, from connecting the language form with all that is self-affirming and esteem building, inviting and fun” (p. 39) Perhaps my students simply do not identify with one another. That’s something we as a team and as a school are working on. There must be a sense of fostered community in order for students to feel safe enough to experiment with language and code switching. I need to up the fun level—or allow students to do so—within my classroom. I have attempted a few introductory lessons about code-switching, but think there must be more far-reaching and authentic ways to tie this to instruction, as Delpit did in her integrated unit about hair care.

Delpit also brings up the issue of respect being tied to language use. I had never before thought that failing to validate a student’s language of familiarity would be a slap in the face to the student’s entire family. Every day I hope that my skin color will not detract from my effectiveness in the classroom, as the students whom I interact with primarily come from ethnic backgrounds different from my own. As an educator—regardless of my skin color—I must be very aware not to turn into a seventh grade dictator who chastises language patterns different from my own. My worst fear is that I am the equivalent of the Morehead judges for some of my students. I wonder at times if my attempts to expose my students to “standard English” and the subsequent corrections to their own language patterns simply breed more animosity either among ethnic groups or between school and home.

Ruth Johnson

Hello! I am Jessica Jackson! I am in my second year teaching kindergarten at Pilot Elementary School in Davidson County. I have taught 5 years total. Prior to kindergarten I have taught two years in first grade and one year of third grade. Moving around has allowed me to work at very different schools with very different socio-economic status—yet one thing remains the same—wherever you go there are students who struggle to read. This is what helped me decide to pursue a degree in Reading Education.

My mom is also a teacher, but was a stay at home mother while my brothers and I were young. My father worked in construction, so he worked very hard so that my mom could stay home with us. We always had what we needed, but not really much extra. I remember being read to from the time that I was very young. After bath time we would choose two or three books (usually the longest ones that we could find) and crawl up on the porch swing where mom would read to us. She admits now that she often tried to skip pages on the REALLLLLY long books, but we always knew! Many of the books she read came from my grandma. My grandma was a teacher as well. For each holiday (and I mean ALL holidays) we got a new book from the Scholastic book order. It came in the mail signed and dated from Grandma and Grandpa Hornback and included a stick of gum and some stickers as well. I still read many of these books in my classroom today!

I developed a love for reading at a young age. I was the girl who packed a bag full of books to take on vacation and tried to finish the whole bag before getting home. In school I loved to read. I still remember the day that my teacher told my whole reading group what a nice job I had done reading with expression. That was a big deal to me! I never remember struggling in reading until I got to college. It was there that I realized that I am a good reader, but I am not the most efficient reader. I read slowly and word for word. I don’t comprehend well unless it is quiet and I can really focus. I did fine all through school, college included, but I missed out on many of the comprehension strategies that we now teach our students. It makes me wonder what kind of student I would have been if I were learning to read in today’s world of assessment! I think I’m glad that I learned a long time ago!

Jessica Jackson

Both Delpit and Dowdy view language as part of a person’s heritage. It belongs to them. They also concur that society makes assumptions about a person’s education and class based on the language they speak. Is this any different than society making assumptions based on a person’s clothes or a person’s house? Although it is not fair and it is not correct, society has driven us to judge people.
Delpit stated “All people have the right to their own language. We cannot constantly correct children and expect them to continue to talk like us,” (33). My immediate thought was WHY NOT? As a parent, I expect my children to “talk” like me. I correct their incorrect grammar all the time. I was brought up using Standard English and my children should also. However, while reading the passage further, I kept thinking – accents. Accents are what makes us who we are. I’m from Boston and I say paak (park), depaatment (department), and maak (mark). My husband grew up in Florida and he says his Rs. When, we decided to move down here, my first thought was uugh! I don’t want my children to grow up sounding dumb. Yes, it was a typical Yankee thought and believe me I am embarrassed by it. However, now I admit with confidence that the way people talk, in the south, does not reflect their education. My boys sometimes add a little “twang” to their words, and I don’t correct the enunciation of their words, but I do correct their grammar.
Grammar refers to the structural rules of the composition of sentences, phrases, and words in any given natural language (Wikipedia). Natural language is the key. Grammar is how we write and how we talk in our natural language. However, school is the place where children learn English grammar. Therefore, when Delpit stated that since it was easy for her daughter to “pick up” at school a new language, then what is preventing millions of African American children from acquiring the dialect of Standard English? (35). I agreed and I had to question – schools.
It is the schools responsibility to teach and prepare their students for the future. The African American technologist that was brilliant in her field yet could not communicate correctly with the “company” is a perfect example of how society reflects on improper grammar (38). Yes, it is not fair, but it is life. The way we speak and carry ourselves is judged every day. Therefore, all schools need to “up their game” when teaching grammar. I know, in my classroom, I struggle with teaching grammar to my Spanish and Hmong students, however I also know that it is imperative that they “get it” so I do whatever I can to teach it. Furthermore, Dowdy stated that one not only had to look the part, but one had to sound the part (5). Again, unfortunately, this is true and unfortunately this is how society has made us. We judge people based on their look as well as the way they speak. As a teacher, I have to deal with this every day. I would love to have another tattoo and get my nose pierced; however I cannot, because I am a teacher. Parents would judge me and not want their child in my classroom.
Dowdy’s story about the girl playing cricket and getting made fun of, because she said “over there,” again society has instilled this upon us. I am constantly being questioned, “You are not from around here.” When I read to my students, they snicker or ask me to repeat a particular word. I get made fun of, because I do not like greens or liver mush. Now, I do my share of poking fun also. For example, my son plays basketball and during a game his coach kept yelling, “right der Kyle (one syllable) Kyle, right der (southern).” After the game, I went up to the coach and told him that my son probably didn’t do the correct play, because he didn’t understand him. So, then the coach said oh, “right there Kyle (2 syllables) Kyle right there” in a drawn out northern expression. We still laugh about it today and that was 4 years ago.
Dowdy mentions peer pressure (8). Peer pressure plays a big role in schools and in society. However the “Head Girl” overcame it and made a statement when she showed her “black pride,” (10). She persevered and shaped her world as she saw fit. She knew when and where to use her native language as well as the English language. However, she also came to realize that people will always be at war regarding linguistics.
I am not sure if society will ever agree on one particular language. However, English grammar is one language that society recognizes; therefore educators must bestow it upon their students. Now this does not mean that teachers should disregard their students’ native language. Delpit states that language is “the skin that we speak” (47). I agree, however she also states that we must treat all with love, care, and respect by welcoming their interests and history into our classrooms. We must respect them, so they feel connected to us and then they might be willing to adopt our language as their own (48). This I don’t agree with. Their language is part of their heritage and therefore will be part of them for as long as they keep it. They need to accept a new language to use in the “real world.” My grandparents on both my mother and father’s side are from Sweden. So Sweden is part of my heritage and I keep it going during the holidays by playing Swedish songs, cooking Swedish foods, and decorating with Swedish things. It is not forgotten.

Loren Van De Griek

Every good mother wants her child to succeed. This success may mean changing your habits and your appearance in certain situations. But should one have to change the very core of who they are - their language? Delpit and Dowdy discuss how African Americans have to speak “white” to speak right and get ahead.

The need to speak Standard English to succeed in this world may not be right, but it is a reality. In order to communicate effectively in this world, one must be understood. Here, that means speaking correct English. This in itself is not the problem. The problem comes when one is made to feel inadequate because of their natural tongue, the one spoken to them by their mothers. Children become confused and at war within themselves fighting the battle of when to speak which language. Friends may find them foolish for speaking “Standard English,” while school teachers may find them ignorant when speaking their natural tongue. Dowdy feels often African American children are “rendered voiceless (12)” with this struggle between languages and identities.

While Dowdy’s mother was the one pushing for her daughter to speak “white,” Delpit is the one who found herself pushing her own daughter to do so. Delpit was an educated African American who found success in life. She was pushing her child to also speak Standard English in the presence of others to appear successful. When her child changed schools and began to pick up Ebonics so quickly, she became alarmed and began to personally struggle with the reasons behind her alarm.

I had the same question in the back of my mind as Delpit. If it is so easy to pick up on a second language among peers, why can’t it be done in the classroom? The answers Delpit found were ideas we all needed to be reminded of because they are the essentials of effective teaching.

First, when students are picking up on a second language among their peers, they are having fun being a part of a group. Our classrooms have become so bogged down with testing and other political tape that the fun has almost left the classrooms. If your students are not having fun they are going to turn you off! Get the fun back in your classroom by being creative and getting around the red tape. “In other words, the less stress and the more fun connected to the process, the more easily it is accomplished (40).”

Second, when students are with their peers they are not quiet! They are talking and interacting and bouncing ideas and opinions off one another without correcting each other. In the classroom, the teacher should not be the only one talking. Students need lots of talking time to build relationships. Learning should not be about worksheets and answering the questions at the end of the chapter. A classroom where children are the center will be a classroom where children are talking and expressing their ideas.

Third, a teacher has to be “with it.” She/he needs to know the students. Not just their names, but really get to know them and their interests. The teacher needs to build a classroom around the students by making the lessons meaningful and purposeful. There are many ways to teach a curriculum, just use what interests your students. “The object is not to lower standards or just teach what is interesting to the students, but to find the students’ interests and build an academic program around them (45).”

When I first began teaching in 92, I worked in a city school with a very mixed population. Many backgrounds were present. I loved the fact that we were required to make home visits for at least one of our conferences. It gave me a chance to get to know not only the child, but the family and where they “came from.” I tried to bring their interests into the classroom and make learning fun. I never remember reprimanding anyone for their language patterns, no matter how different than my own. Instead, I continued to model my own. I loved the richness of the backgrounds in my classroom and we had lots of fun. I hope to have the opportunity to teach in a city school again some day and study this situation. The school system I have been at since 1996 is 90% caucasian. At my school it is even higher.

Tamera Wilson

Hi! I am Dana Eudy and I teach fourth grade in Claremont. I have taught fourth grade for three years now. I love teaching ten year olds, it is a great age. They are starting to gain some independence, yet they still want to please me. I have loved reading my entire life. I read every night before I go to bed and during any free time during the day. I like to help children who are struggling with reading. I have had several students who are on the primer level in the 4th grade and I want to be able to better help them. That is why I chose this program. I have completed 12 hours in the master's program so far. By the end of the summer, I will be over half way finished! I am looking forward learning new ways to better help my students.

Dana Eudy

This debate is a two edged sword that will cut you no matter which way you turn. Let me start with this. When my father came to this country from Norway some 60 years ago, he spoke some English. He served in the US Army (82nd Airborne), and was obliged to learn the language if he was to get along. So it was for many thousands of emigrants who became US citizens. When I discuss this issue of language with him, he becomes very frustrated with me. He insists that when one makes the decision to come here, one must assimilate. That means learning the customs, the language, and the “ins and outs” of the newly adopted society. This does not mean by any stretch of the imagination that one must forget one’s heritage. Learning the new ways does not betray one’s ancestral culture. Obliging diversity at every turn weakens what makes us American.
Now, from my “enlightened” viewpoint, I would suggest that diversity makes us stronger. Our melting pot society enables individuals to present their uniqueness; cultural differences allow us to discover new and interesting facets of our people, adding to the richness of our lives. The imperialistic conquest or colonization of one people by another is not the same as making the choice to emigrate. It is when one culture attempts to dominate another that we begin to see growing friction and intolerance between peoples. Marginalizing a whole sector of society, pushing any group or ethnicity to the status of “other” is what caused Dowdy to constantly remember whom her audience was. “The white way …was the right way…” The choice between oppressive imperialism or to embrace the Queen’s English rather than be in the margin doesn’t seem to be such a difficult one. “Embracing the creed of colonization” may seem like a betrayal to some, but I see it as a matter of survival. The author calls it the “mask of language”. The indigenous tongue is deemed useful only for the arts, for poetry, songwriting, and entertainment. To get ahead, one must learn the “discourse”, whatever arena that discourse may be in. The author’s siblings could not embrace the Queen’s English, and it came to represent for them all the troubles and oppressions Britain imposed on the people of Trinidad. By asserting their Afrocentricity, they publicly rejected the idea that their mother tongue was substandard, that they were somehow deficient. Dowdy, however, chose to function in dual realities. Her carefully crafted success was a cover, a camouflage of the inner struggle the author was enduring. The speaker alone must come to grips with the worth of both tongues, each being equally worthy for public communications and self-expression. It is the speaker who must decide which is a better fit solely on who she is, not who she is speaking to.
The code switching of Maya and her school friends is the flip side to this debate. Those kids could choose how and when to use the lingo and jargon of either dialect “to get ahead” that is, to fit in, to be cool, or simply to communicate with friends. The ability to speak the dialect of those one identifies with is the ability to make a connection. Those kids could assimilate and dissimilate at will. Is this so very different from “sounding white”? Using language for a purpose other than pure communication? So then, if the Standard English is required on a college entrance essay, or some other practical use, why would it be wrong to expect students to learn and use “this other code” in school applications? Again, it is the rejection of the speaker due to what the language represents (or is perceived to represent) that is the problem. I don’t think Michelle Obama sees her “white sounding” language as a problem. There is no stigma attached to the dialect she or our new president speaks. It is simple a means of communication, and an insight into who they are as individuals. We need to recognize that one form of language is not superior to another. To think otherwise, is to label the speaker as deficient. In the classroom, allowing students to express themselves in terms of their own intimate language is a given. To try to erase or change it would deny our students the opportunity to be themselves. We must allow them to connect, to build bridges with language and meaning. By doing this, we begin to learn from each other.
Annie Croon

Hello, everyone! My name is Janet Gross and I teach first grade at Love Memorial Elementary School in Lincoln County. I have been at the same school for almost 20 years, six as an assistant in Kindergarten and the rest teaching first. I took the assistant’s job in March of the school year when the other assistant moved away. I told my mom, “I can do anything for three months!” Well, as you see I was hooked. I finished my bachelor’s degree at Lenior-Rhyne College in 1996 in elementary education. My experiences in a Title I school have been great. The students are needy and appreciative of what you do for them.
My own education began in Orlando Florida, where I was born and lived until I was 7 years old. We moved to North Carolina to be close to family. I cannot remember not being able to read. It came easily and I enjoyed every minute I could get with a good book. Summers were replete with trips to the public library, bringing home stacks of books. I loved school too. It was my social outlet. My fourth grade teacher did not think it should be and I spent a lot of time writing “silence is golden” over and over again. It didn’t help though!
Teaching reading is the best part of my job. It’s what excites me and motivates me to press forward when paper work is burying me! I love the kids and they keep my young at heart.
Janet Gross

Hello! My name is Barbara Terauds. I am currently finishing up my last 3 days teaching first grade. I have absolutely loved teaching students to decode and read for meaning over the last four years. With the recent budget cuts I am in a transition right now to teach third grade next fall. So I am preparing for a whole new adventure with teaching comprehension skills and applying grammar and language conventions to reading. My husband and I moved down here from Michigan four years ago to teach. We both have a passion for making an impact in our student’s lives and are both continuing our education, in hopes, to learn how to better help our students. I chose reading education because I love to teach reading, but I do not feel that I have a strong reading background that can help me reach all students and their needs.

My own experiences with literacy learning are very vague. I grew up in the “whole group” basal reading era. I do not recall ever doing big book reading or guided reading/ literacy centers, but instead we did a lot of whole group phonics and basal reading. I cannot think of any time that we used expression in reading or writing. I am sure it was taught because I used it in my reading and writing in high school, but I do not have any experiences that stick out to me. My mom has said that I loved to read in elementary school and always had a book in hand or wanted her to read a book to me, but I grew disinterested in reading once I got into middle school. I wish I could pinpoint why, but it makes a whole lot of sense as to why I do not remember ever reading too many books for pleasure in high school, college, or now. This isn’t because I do not appreciate reading, because I think it is the most important factor in succeeding in school, but outside of my classroom I do not engage myself in reading, with an exception to the daily newspaper and my magazines. In my classroom right now, we read so many different types of genres in read aloud, guided reading, and big books so I can see what interests my students and continue to build on their interest in reading. I want my students to be strong readers and want them to continue to read and develop a passion for reading.

Because of all of this, I do not consider myself a good reader, or writer for the most part, but I love to read to my first graders and teach them how to develop reading comprehension and writing skills that will help them as they go through life.
I look forward to blogging with all of you,
Barbara Terauds

Hello, my name is Kim Shaw. Currently I am a stay at home mom with 2 little girls. Addison is 3 years old and loves to play with her friends and take care of her little sister. Addie just finished her first year of preschool. I am so amazed at how she has absorbed so much information. She loves to read stories--from memory of course and, make up her own. Sydney is 7 months old and is getting her first tooth. She is rolling over and soon to be sitting on her own.

My husband, Jay and I just recently moved to the Mooresville area and our enjoying our new house and getting to know our neighbors. We have been working on furnishing the house and creating a comfortable place for us to live. I love to shop, but interior designing is not my thing. I have enough trouble deciding which shoes to wear with an outfit, let along trying to figure out which fabric compliment others and what style of chairs are practical and stylish! So, I leave this job to my mother-in-law when she comes down from Kentucky to visit.

After graduating college I came down to N.C. to visit for the summer. I got a summer job working as a teacher assistant at a daycare in Cary, before getting my first teaching job in Wake County. My first two years of teaching Kindergarten were filled with a lot of challenging times. My college coursework prepared me on how to teach, but time spent in the classroom is what prepared me for the reality of teaching. There was a lot of trial and error, but eventually I did find a style of teaching that fit me. I returned to Kentucky were I began teaching in Middle School with a 7th and 8th grade revolving class. I continued teaching there for 4 years, and after getting married I returned to N.C.

When applying for a teaching position here, I knew that I wanted to return to teaching at the lower elementary level. I got a job teaching first grade in Forsyth County. Several of my first grade colleagues were beginning the program at App. State, so that encouraged me to begin too. I resigned from teaching in 2008 so that I could stay at home with my 2 children. However, I continued working on completing the Master’s program. With only one class left, I can see the light at the end of this seemingly very long tunnel.

Being in the Reading Master’s program, I have developed a renewed love for literature. Being exposed through various types of texts, authors, instructional strategies and teaching practices, has help me to instill this love in my students too! I am using practices that have been researched and proven to be successful with vitally every type of learner.

I have never been an avid reader by any means, but I would read a book here and there before having children. During the past 5 years, I have spent the majority of my reading time completing assignments for coursework. Although they were very rewarding in the professional sense, I wasn’t reading for enjoyment, but rather requirement. And, it goes without saying that I have read numerous children’s books over the past years. I can’t however remember the last time I read an adult book. I guess that really doesn’t matter—since my life revolves around children in both the personal and professional realms, children’s book is what I should be reading!

I am looking forward to blogging and sharing comments on the readings!
Kim Shaw

My name is Megan Machuga. I am from Gastonia, NC. I am a kindergarten teacher at H.H. Beam Elementary School. I am about to complete my third year teaching. My first year I taught 1st grade and the past 2 years I have been in kindergarten. I love this grade. The students are so fun and energetic. I love how my students get so excited about learning new things. I get such a joy out of watching my students grow and learn. When I see the expressions on their faces when they figure something new out it makes me rememeber why I do this job.

I do not remember much from kindergarten about learning to read. I do remember taking home little Saxon Phonics readers when I was in first grade. My mom tells me that in kindergarten I did fine beginning to learn to read but that in first grade I struggled in reading. She said that I would look at the pictures to try to figure out what the sentence was saying instead of trying to read. She said that I would get confused. Eventually I grew out of that and began doing fine in reading. I know we did a little bit of phonics but I think that most of our reading instruction was whole language during first grade. In second grade we did saxon phonics, but I don't remember much about that.

I began really enjoying reading when I got into third and fourth grade. I would read boxcar children, babysitter club, and goosebumps books. I would read to my parents some at night. One of my best memories from my childhood is at night my parents would sit and read a chapter of books that were still to hard for me to read. One book I very vividly rememebr them taking turns and reading to me was James and the Giant Peach. The way they read it made the book come alive. I contribute a lot of my success in reading to my parents taking the time out of their nights to sit and read to me and my brother. Those memories mean so much to me and at the same time helped to build reading skills that helped me further along.

I feel that through my elementary school years my teachers did a great job of introducing me to interesting and exciting literature. Most took the time to have storytime and read outloud to the class. This was always fun to me. I have always liked to listen to other people read books. Having this modeled for me showed me how important it is for students. I do this in my class daily.

I do remember starting to dislike reading in middle school because we had to take AR tests. I did not like having to read to answer questions. I think that this program turned me off to reading for a while because some of the books I wanted to read were not on the lists and so I had to read books that were not enjoyable to me. After middle school I continued to read books that I enjoyed.

I feel that in my classroom it is so important to expose my students to great literature. I know that if they do not get to hear them and look at them in my classroom they might not ever see them. I work at a Title I school and many of my studnets do not have books at home to read. I see how important it is for these students to be exposed to as much literature in school as possible because they may not get that at home. Reading is one of the most important skills for life and I want my students to understand that and learn to enjoy reading because it is fun not because the teacher makes you read.

Megan Machuga

I think people oftentimes correlate language and intelligence. I know I did when I was growing up. I grew up in a small town outside of Nashville, Tennessee that had quickly developed due to huge corporations buying cheap land and transferring in large amounts of employees from the North in a very short amount of time. There were very few true Tennesseans around in my neighborhood. Even though I was born and raised in the South, I've never really spoken with a Southern accent because my dad is from Michigan and my mom is from New Jersey. Most of my friends in school came from similar backgrounds so the way i talked, kind of ambiguously, was normal. Nobody in my house ever uttered words like ya'll, ain't, or yonder. We said get instead of git and never confused a pen with a pin. I just learned Standard American English naturally because I was immersed in it. When I was in the 8th grade my family moved across the state to a small town outside of Chattanooga. I was immediately bombarded with questions from my new peers. They went like this:
Them: Hey Yankee, where you from?
Me: Nashville
Them: Nah, Where was you born at?
Me: Louisiana
And this would continue until they would figure out that my parents were from the North, and then it all made sense to them. At the time, I honestly thought I was more intelligent than these people. It took me a while to appreciate that they just had an accent and a dialect that was different than the one I was used to.

However, because I am an articulate person who speaks using proper English without a thick accent of any kind, I will want my own children to speak this way too. I realize that this is silly because accent and dialect do not have anything to do with intelligence, but I realize that not everyone knows this. Because I was once one of them, I know that most people in our country assume that people in the South are stupid, and the thicker your accent is the dumber you are. That way of thinking is unfortunately a reality.

In this way I guess I can relate to Delpit and Dowdy's mother. I can understand them wanting their children to use language that will help them to be socially accepted by mainstream society and the upper-class elite. Everyone wants best for their children, and in their eyes, and mine too, that more proper way of speaking is best. The part that gets me thinking otherwise is that these two young girls were ostracized by their peers for speaking with such diction and grace. Everyone wants what is best for their children, but does everyone also want their children to be teased? Probably not. I guess in the end I have to applaud Delpit's daughter Maya and others like her. They have the ability to adapt themselves to their surroundings. Thus making themselves more comfortable and more accepted.

Kelly Beckley

These two articles give good examples of how African Americans using or not using Standard english can cause differernt judgements. In the Delpit article the mother was dealing with why her daughter had such a hard time at her private school versus going to a mostly African American school. When I first read this article I had a hard time understanding why also. The daughter did not have anyone that she felt she could relate to and be herself around in the first school. In the second school however students welcomed her with open arms. I found when I was reading the article that I tend to correct my students language in my classroom so that they talk with correct words and language. I found myself wondering if this will influence their language later on in a negative way? I had never thought about this until I read the article. I guess I have always corrected my students because in school we were always corrected.

This article brought to my attention that language is part of culture and heritage and when we start to try to change students way of talking to make it correct or so that it fits with Standard English we might be taking away from where they come from or how they communicate with their family and friends. This issue is a hard one because you know students need to be taught to speak correctly when going on interviews or doing things in the real world with jobs and organizations, but how do you go about doing this without taking away their background and culture? I thought that the Delpit article addressed this very well. She went out and researched different ways to engage the students using their interests. She found many ways to incorporate all the subject areas including grammar and Standard English into hair or hairdressing. I thought that her ideas were great and would really engage students if teachers used them. I think that if we as teachers try hard to figure out what our students interests are and find lessons that will target those interests and the skills they need to learn at the same time, we will be able to provide the students with everything they need includeing using Standard English at the correct time. But Delpit is right. We can't expect students to learn the Standard English if we just force them to , we need to be willing to show them when and where to use it by giving them these experiences through their interests.

I thought that theDowdy article was very interesting also, because it took the same issue and showed how changing your lanuage to fit into a different class or group can affect a persons culture and heritage. The woman speaking seemed to be upset about how her mother made her speak in the Queens tongue. Her mother had her best interest at heart but the child was the one that took all the bullying from her friends. She felt different and out of place because she was not able to speak like everyone else.

This article really helps to show why allowing students to be themselves and use their home language in the class is important. The Delpit article showed it and now so does this one. Students want to be able to interact with other students and fit in. They want to be able to use their language not the language that society says is correct-standard english. I had never thought about how we look at the way people talk until I read these articles. Yes I have corrected children's language in my classroom but I had never really thought about how most of their language comes from their customs and culture and that it is important for them to be able to use that language and also Standard English.

Both of these articles show how important language is in society and in schools. Students can pick up language easily but we have to decide if it more important that they be socially correct, that they be able to maintain their heritage and culture, or both by teaching them through their own interests when it is important to use Standard English. I say both, students deserve to be who they are.

Megan Machuga

After reading both of these articles, I felt that I walked away with raised eyebrows. These articles brought to light an issue that I feel as if I do not necessarily acknowledge in my profession. I teach in a predominantly white school where we have several students bussed in each day from lower income areas. Most of the students coming from these areas speak with an African American "dialect" that was addressed in the Delpit article. I began to wonder how many times in my two years of teaching that I had stop to correct the way these students are talking. I know that I have said countless times that they are not using proper grammar. But then I begin to think about my own social dialect as a southerner. I'm sure that if I moved up North that someone would be sure to quickly tell me that you should never say "ain't" or that "I reckon" sounds weird, or that "over yonder" just makes me sound like an ignorant redneck. I began to immediately began to wonder when such a large emphasis was placed on all people sounding the same when we are constantly taught to embrace diversity. How does a person's dialect or upbringing determine a person's IQ. If for example I speak with southern slang and another person speaks in an African American dialect, does that make them more ignorant than someone who uses only the "Queens English"? I think growing up in a particular area, you can come to find some unfair social classifications based solely on what people sound like. After reading these two articles, I realized how closely knit dialects and society are. From personal experience, I know I have had many teachers throughout the years that have constantly engrained into my mind proper English and grammar. I've had this for so long that it makes me want to cringe when I hear improper grammar (which after reading these articles I feel really guilty about that). But it raised the question: What is proper or improper? Who decides this? This in turn led me to think how my classroom instruction of grammar personally influences those students which do have a different dialect from my own. As stated earlier, these articles gave me a lot to think about. I never realized that self-esteem could be directly affected by grammer. This knowledge gives me something to look out for and embrace in the coming school year.

Erica Spicer

I remember hearing about how the African American people wanted to officiate their language and have it referred to as Ebonics. When this surfaced, I thought to myself—oh gosh, now we are going to legitimize the use of incorrect grammar, because if not someone might view it as being racist. As a teacher, I was furious that this type of language was going to be seen as acceptable to in the professional world.

As a first grade teacher, I am expected to teach students to read and write with accuracy and fluency. If I allow students to use their “mother language” in the classroom, how will I ever be able to teach them to read and write the English spoken word? If students are accustomed to saying “ovuh dyuh” and it is accepted within the classroom walls, will they be able to recognize the words “over there” in their text? Will they be able to learn to spell “over there” for use in their writings?

I am a little confused about what both authors want us (all people) to do. I recognize that everyone is different and that is what makes us unique. As part of my curriculum, I teach students about different cultures. I use a wide variety of multi-cultural text to help students realize that it a big world out there and that we are all special regardless of our visual and verbal differences. I do not feel that if I require my students to use proper English while in my classroom that I am in any way hindering their development of self esteem or confidence. It is all in how the correction is done. In order to appreciate the differences in upbringings and backgrounds, you have to teach students about different cultures and highlighten the differences in a positive manner.

In the Deplit article, I do not necessarily agree that the school in which Maya attended was the sole cause for her feelings of inferiority and acceptability. Teachers cannot assume the blame for every negative thing that impacts students. Parents have to assume some of the responsibility. Had Maya’s mother involved her in activities and social settings that provided her with a sense of belonging, or had she been listening to her daughter the need for switching school may not have been necessary.

The overall view towards teachers and school professionals in this article is very negative. With statements such as, “almost no one in the school listens to students” and “schools aren’t inviting to students” is very upsetting to me. I can guarantee that if as a teacher I polled the same students, about their parents and home-life, the same kind of responses would be given. It is important that people stop pointing fingers at who is to blame for all the “wrong” that is happening with today’s youth and start working together to make a difference. Education begins at home—and it is the job of teachers provide a continuation of that learning!

I applaud the way Delpit took the interest of the girls wanting to do hair and turned it into a learning experience. The curriculums used in schools across the country definitely lack in the area of student interest. It is the teacher’s job to find what motivates and interest her students and then pull it into the curriculum. However, I do feel that just because students rebel against a rule, doesn’t mean the rule is not valid. For example, I taught in a middle school that wore uniforms. On a daily basis I would have to tell numerous male students to pull up their pants. So, as suggested by Delpit, should I encourage it and make it a learning experience just because the students are not obeying or “are tired of listening to it”?
In Dowdy article, I enjoyed reading about how she found other fields in which she could show her talents and “be herself”. We are all forced to do things and act in ways that are not our norm. This is not an issue of culture, but just society as a whole. So, it is the responsibility of the individual to find opportunities that allow them to express themselves feely!

Kim Shaw

As I read the two chapters from THE SKIN THAT WE SPEAK, I immediately could relate to scenarios such as the ones mentioned in the chapters. I teach at a school where 80% of the students are either African American or Hispanic. Living in the small rural county I live in, my school would be considered the “inner city” school in Alexander County. I have seen first hand how the surrounding schools in our county look down upon our school and view our students as the “dumb ones.” Sad to say, we are treated the same way, even by our higher administrators.
Daily I hear the different codes of language due to the variety of cultures represented at my school. Throughout the year, we read literature that introduces students to different dialects. I do this purposefully, because I want my students to understand that how people speak is based upon their environment and their culture, and it is okay to be different, but we must be respectful to one another, regardless of if we like a person’s dialect or not. In this chapter, it focuses mostly on Ebonics, but the African Americans at my school are constantly referring to the “Rednecks and Hillbillies.” So this is not just a problem with the African American culture.
While reading the pieces of literature, that introduce different dialects, we discuss our own dialects and stereotypes. In my opinion, it is fine for our students to speak this way at home, because it is part of their culture. But, at the same time, we are doing our students an injustice if we don’t teach them proper English. Whether we like it or not, people that speak improper are often times not going to get a great job opportunity, scholarship, or other outstanding award that could be beneficial to one’s future because people do relate proper English with intelligence.
I tell my students it is fine to speak however they wish (their own code) with their friends and family, but when they are working on a school assignment or are in public, it would be to their advantage to speak correctly. I’m not saying it is right for people to judge others by the way they speak, but it is how our society is, and I don’t see it changing. For that reason, as an educator, who is trying to produce globally competitive citizens, I feel it is my responsibility to teach and model proper English. In informal conversations with my students, sometimes, when I am a little laid back, my own dialect comes out. But, I think this just shows the children we are just like them in the way that we aren’t always perfect in our English, and again, when it’s in a fun conversation, it is okay.
Heather Houston

Delpit kind of hit a nerve with me. The way she said a couple of things really bugged me. To me it sounded like she thinks that no teachers try to make connections with their student’s home lives and respect their home language. I try to make it a point throughout the school year to make connections with my student’s home lives. Since my school is mostly Hispanic and the rest African American, I learn new things about language almost everyday and how it is used at home all the time. I knew that there were many different dialects of Spanish, but this year I finally realized that not only my Hispanic students know two languages, Spanish and English, but some even know a third language, their parents native language. Wow, I do not know three languages. I do feel like it is my job to teach them proper English especially for my ESL students. Most of the students do not even realize they are saying something wrong. I have found that most of my students are really good a code switching. I will sometimes just sit and listen to their conversations (lunch is a great time) and see how they communicate with each other. I am amazed at how differently they talk to each other and then how they talk to me. I am considered one of the younger teachers, so I would think that they would not be afraid to speak to me the way they speak to their friends. I even sometimes try to talk to them in “kid/teenage” terminology. I do this for several reasons: sometimes to get their attention, sometimes to make more of a connections with them, and sometimes so they know that I know what they are saying.

Melissa Lange

RES5535
Dowdy; Ovuh Dyuh

I find this piece very refreshing in that it is open and honest about how colonizing countries has taken away many things from the people of the land. Not recognizing and demeaning their way of communication is dehumanizing the citizens. I like the way the message was conveyed, in a simple story form.
It is natural for parents to want their children to succeed, but at what cost, giving up their identity to please others. The very ones who took their freedom! If we are honest with ourselves we all want to fit in with our peers as well as please our parents. In this case she lost herself, she wore a “mask of language”, “My role was to survive”. I like how she used her expertise to get to a place where she could help herself as well as others. We need to go along, get along learning all we can until the time presents itself to apply our new skills to enrich our lives through communication in a manner that best represents who we really are. The end was poignant in that it validated her communication skills in her own language, “blossom into the flowers that had been dormant in the arid land of the master discourse”. Her language of intimacy set her free.
This is relevant in today's classrooms because we must take into consideration a child's language background to help them succeed. If they are learning the English language from different areas of the country they will say words differently as well a misspell due to what they are hearing. We must be mindful of cultural “words” and respect the history that brought the child to us. I am guilty of trying to correct mispronounced words because that is how I was corrected when I was young. I will continue to do this but I need to be more patient.

Delpit; No Kinda Sense

I agree with much of this article, we must connect to the child with all of their history. They learned their mother tongue and should be proud of it. However we need to teach our students the language they need to be productive adults in society. Like the brilliant computer tech who could not speak the language well enough to represent herself to the clients, success is not guaranteed. You may be the best at what you do but you must know when to use what “language”. I have learned the hard way, as an older teacher, connect with what the students are interested in. This used to be easy, I have problems with the new value system out there, the way they speak to and about one another. I pick subjects I hear them talking about that I can apply to the concepts that I need to teach. We do need to lead them to identify their positive attributes, therefore earning their trust to take risks along the way learning new things. I found the “code switching” interesting, it makes sense and does take intelligence to accomplish. Less stress in the teaching environment, by choosing the right time to make corrections will make for a happier child and teacher.
Fortunately I am a mover so my students don't sit and do worksheets or read from the boring basal. My students work with their peers so they share their language all of the time, making the work relevant to their world is the trick. They have to come up with problems for each other to solve. We connect when I have to solve their problems and they can share what they are talking about which gives me a more in depth knowledge of who they are. I believe the best statement is on page 46 where she states “those of us who teach must fist make our students recognize their potential brilliance”. We must protect their feelings to earn their trust while we teach the language to move them on to a productive future. “The skin we speak” is to honor their heritage and their identity.
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I am going to do my best to stick to the assignment—which is to critique the readings, not a generalized gripe about our educational system spurred by these readings—but before I fulfill this commitment, I must state: I totally agree with Delpit when she writes “The object is not to lower standards or just teach what is interesting to the students, but to find the students’ interest and build an academic program around them.” Amen, sister. Let’s go to the house. In my opinion of limited experience, pacing guides—for one—should be thrown out the window. I’m appalled that any “educator” of educators would insist that a checklist be any teachers’ gauge as to when students are ready to move on to the next subject because they’ve “mastered” or “learned” that skill. Or, for that matter, that the vehicle (textbook, for example) by which the state has chosen from which this child is to accomplish a certain objective will actually “speak” to her. Have mercy! Pacing guides and standardized testing take no cultural roots, individuality, or diversity of any kind into consideration at all; these methods born of madness should make no sense to any teacher (learning coach) that recognizes and understands how students learn for actual understanding. I don’t say this to come down on our local public schools or teachers that don’t have much of a choice. I understand we are smothering under the weight of bureaucracy, but I do believe there are creative ways to get around these stifling standards, and I also appreciate the time and extra effort it takes to make change happen.

Now, the next thing I can’t get off my mind is Michelle Obama claiming that she didn’t know what her peers were talking about when they commented on her talking “like a white girl.” I do not believe this, and I’m trying my best not to be too terribly judgmental as a lay down this judgment. This woman is not that much older than me, so I know the generational lens through which she peers. Granted, we come from different cultural—and probably religious—backgrounds, so I’m sure there’s considerations to be made here. However, I’m just not buying it. Her saying that she didn’t know what they were talking about is like trying to convince someone that it’s cloudy on a clear day, or that George Washington was not the first President of the United States. Ever since I can remember, there’s been a differentiation in the media in race. I’m pointing this out because the media has a huge influence on all of our lives even if we don’t watch TV, listen to the radio, or read magazines or newspapers in our own homes. Guess what? Most everybody else does, and it’s (the mass media) influencing everything from the way we talk to the way we dress and eat. Bottom line: I think The First Lady—with all due respect—is writing the American Public off as a bunch of nimrods if she thinks we’re going to buy this. Furthermore, I don’t appreciate her going into the schools of American children and trying to sell this. Then again, who knows if she really said it? The media generally writes whatever it takes to get a rise out of its consumers. If so in this case, their age-old trick worked on THIS nimrod!

One word to Dowdy: WOW. There were so many incredible nuggets of life and the-meaning-of-it-all in this piece that I just put my Hi-liter down because I found myself shading everything! First of all, the lady has such an incredible command of the English language that it’s not even funny. Luckily, I was able to construct meaning of unknown words from context; otherwise I would have never gotten through this piece for time spent with my nose in Webster’s.

There’s such wisdom in being true to who we are. There’s such vitality in knowing and growing from our history—good and bad. There’s such freedom in the confidence that comes from being affirmed for the roots from whence we came. I could go on and on. I relished every bite of this entree. I admire Dowdy for her honesty and the research and reflection deep into her psyche that it took to come to such conclusions. What a brilliant lady!

I was stunned in thought at the irony in this statement Dowdy used to describe her mother’s insistence on learning the “Queen’s English”: “If we were to continue this outstanding tradition of service in public life, whether political or cultural, we needed to have certain baggage.” BAGGAGE. I can’t think of a more terrible condition in which a public servant could put themselves. If we are to serve effectively—in essence, have the energy to do and care for others—how can we “carry” them and their needs along with our own proverbial U-Haul of baggage that Dowdy’s mother, for example, is insisting she carry?

One statement, however, that didn’t resonate well with me was one of the times she spoke of slavery: “Your job…is to be best at the language that was used to enslave you and your forebears.” I’ve often in my life heard references made to this sort of mindset. Today, some descendants of slaves seem to have offered their wrists up for enslavement just because it seems like the thing to do. I don’t know. Is it a convenient excuse for not trying to better one’s situation? What is it? I really want to know. I’m not being judgmental—just critical if you’ll allow me the difference in the two. I know that there’s some nasty stuff in my ancestral history if I’d take the time to dredge it up. I hope though, that if and when I ever do, I won’t be bound by it. I hope that I would then turn and dig around for legends of golden treasure on which to hang my ancestral hat, you know? I don’t know—that’s just what I’m thinkin’. Maybe I misunderstood what Dowdy meant to say altogether.

Erin Farrington

This week’s readings were enlightening to say the least! I specifically enjoyed Delpit’s piece. One specific quote from early on in her chapter sticks with me: “All people have the right to their own language. We cannot constantly correct children and expect them to continue to want to talk like us.” i feel like I have pondered this very idea so many times in my own classroom. Daily I go back over this struggle in my mind when a little boy in my class finishes his work and calls out, “I dun” each day. I struggle with this for several reasons. First, because it is the 179th day of school and he is still calling out verbally to let me know when he finishes a task :-) And secondly because I struggle within over whether to correct him or not. I know that in his home and culture correct English is not something that is modeled or expected. And I never want to discourage him or make him feel like he is less than he is, but on the other hand I know that being able to speak and use correct grammar is so important in being successful in today’s world. In some ways I feel like it is my job as a teacher to model correct grammar in front of him and to encourage him to do the same. If I don’t, who will? So this struggle goes back and forth in my mind. I’m sure that you are wondering how I handle this situation. Well, I would like to say that I never correct the things that he says. The truth is that I try really hard not to. I try my hardest to simply model correct speech in front of him, but sometimes it is so hard (especially when these same speech patterns show up in his writing.)

Delpit discusses code switching. I think to some degree we all “code switch” when we need to. I was born and lived the first few years of my life in the midwest and most of my family still lives there. I will never forget the first time that we visited family after living in the south for several years. My family immediately began to chuckle when we talked. They asked us to repeat words like dog, which apparently sounded like “dawg” to them. They teased us for saying y’all and other things that are very typical of southern talk. I remember feeling a little bit hurt and I remember trying my hardest to “fix” my language before the next visit. I think one of the reasons that my feelings were hurt was because I had grown to love the sound of the southern accent. I had grown familiar with the use of terms like “cut off the lights” and “I’d like my hotdog all the way.” I liked that part of me and felt like they attacked it out of a severe lack of understanding. Code switching is an important concept. One must be able to switch codes to fit the expectation of the party which is being conversed with. I feel like this is a sad reality in our world today, but definitely a reality. In America we have come a long way in acceptance of others that are different than us, yet the speech of a person still speaks volumes to most. America still evaluates a person’s intelligence according to the words that one speaks.

It was so interesting to me that Delpit’s daughter so easily picked up on the language at school, yet we teach and teach standard English and never get anywhere. I strongly agree that until we accept students for who they are and make learning meaningful to students we really do not have an audience. I appreciated Dowdy’s example of teaching language through the avenue of studying hair styling across the curriculum. I agree that much meaningful instruction would come from experiences like these. I began to really think about my own classroom and how I could implement that idea more and more. I feel like in education as a whole we have tried to adopt this idea to some degree simply through minimizing worksheets and trying to come up with more authentic learning experiences. I try to make the experiences in my classroom enjoyable and interesting, but I feel like there is only so much that we can do when staring into the face of the assessments and standards that are constantly looming over us. I long for a day when we teach based on the interests and needs of our students rather than to perform for someone who has no idea what it is like to be in a classroom!

I appreciated Delpit’s words, “If we are truly to add another language form to the repertoire of African American children, we must embrace the children, their interests, their mothers, and their language.” As Delpit’s own daughter began to quickly pick up a new form of language when she felt accepted in these areas so can be the results in our classrooms if our students feel the same acceptance. As a teacher striving to reach every student every day, may I always look for opportunities to invest in the lives of my students and the things that are meaningful to them in hopes of making a difference that will never come from constant verbal correction!

Jessica Jackson

After reading these articles, I began to think about my teaching. I have a large population of ESL students and several African American students. I know that my students do not speak properly; many of my Hmong students leave the “s” off the end of a word. It is my job to try and help them. I know that my students know the difference between the way the talk to their friends and the way they talk to me, I can tell when they write. Almost all of my students write with correct grammar even though they do not speak that way. During a class discussion, I often find myself correcting students out of habit. It drives me crazy when someone uses incorrect grammar. Sometimes when I hold conversations with my students one-on-one, I do not always correct them (or at least not too much). I know that is what they hear at home, it is who they are. I think that they should attempt to speak correctly during class, but I know at recess they talk completely different. I do not think just because my students do not use the Standard English that they are not smart. What they say actually surprises me sometimes. I was brought up speaking correctly; my parents always corrected my errors. I will probably do the same with my children.

I have such a diverse class that everyone has a different accent, I have students from all over the country and from many other countries. Their accents will never bother me and I do not try to correct how they say particular words unless they just completely get it wrong. I believe that grammar is another story; we can all speak with correct grammar.

I found myself feeling sorry for Maya, but understanding what she is coming from. It must be tough to not fit it and to not feel like you had friends at school. Maya learned to code switch pretty quickly at her new school. I also understand her mother’s concerns, she had never heard her daughter speak this way yet she seemed happy now. Maya knew the difference; she knew when to use each “language.”

Dana Eudy

Dowdy, in The Skin That We Speak, created in me a conflict of emotions that I have not resolved. I understand how she felt betrayed by her mom and grandmother for forcing her into the language of the colonizers, but what about the power it afforded her? No one wants to feel like they joined the enemy camp, but she readily admits that her siblings were confined to dead-end jobs because of their lack of foresight. She could have chosen the same path. However, she realized that the British language was an avenue to achieve what she ultimately wanted: to express herself in a manner that was comfortable, meaningful, and representative of who she was as a person. I think all of us who are originally from the south understand this dilemma. We do not always speak the same style at home and with friends as we do when teaching or interacting with peers. It is not acceptable, nor effective. Should I blame this choice on the oppression of the North who conquered the South in the civil war? That would be ridiculous. Many of us come from backgrounds and families who do not speak as those born in the Midwest (without any discernable dialect). We all make the choice about “code switching” sometime in our lives. It need not be detrimental to our self-esteem. It just makes sense to me that we all understand how to communicate effectively in any arena.
Delpit has a somewhat different situation in her article and I would like to address the aspect of what I can learn as an educator. What struck me the most was on page 39 where she discussed what it means to teach language to a child which is: “self-affirming and esteem-building, inviting and fun.” Who does not want to learn everything in such a way? Now I must admit that she lost me when she took the beauty issue into such a depth. There had to be boys and girls in the school who were not the least bit interested in pursuing cosmetology. Although I am sure everyone learned something from the activity, this seemed extreme. Where were they going from that position, whose interest was going to be legitimized and whose was not? However, the point is well taken. There is more than one way to skin a cat! Meet the kids at the place of their needs, interests, and desires if possible. Teaching children and adults is all about getting them involved in the learning process and creating a purpose for the acquisition of knowledge. Their communication through spoken and written language, which is audience centered, allows them to use what they are comfortable with and how to step into someone else’s zone of comfort to speak effectively.
Janet Gross

When reading the articles, and then reading them again, I can understand the overall struggle that Dowdy and Delpit were putting forth, pertaining to their speaking in their mother tongue and speaking Standard English. In some way I can agree with both of them on how their language should not coin them as being “stupid”, but the big problem we have had always in our society is that you will never be able to convince everyone that it is acceptable. I do applaud them though on their expressive concern for their own language.
While reading Delpit’s article I started to think about how her daughter Maya was able to pick up on Ebonics so quickly, which is how many people whom transition from the North to the South, or visa versa, pick up on different dialect. I am not saying they are the same exact thing, but different dialect (language) is all around us, and people can choose to adapt to it if that is what they would like to do.
I can remember what is was like for me to go away to college and have to fix my Upper Michigan “Yooper” dialect, where words starting with “th” usually made the “d” sound (e.g. saying “dat” instead of “that”) or saying “aboot” instead of “about”. While attending college, people from other states would comment on my strong accent. I had never noticed I had an accent, nor did I ever write how I talked, but as people started to point it out, I started to notice it more. I was slightly embarrassed, just as Dowdy was when she was playing cricket with her friends and shouted “over there” instead of “ovuh dyuh”. I made sure to correct my poor language until I did not have this problem anymore. Then I moved down “South”, where that language/vocabulary is different from that of the “North”. People could pick me out right away as a “Northerner”, but I also adapted my language to the “South” so I could better communicate with my students in the classroom. (e.g. asking students to cut the light off instead of asking them to simply turn the lights off, as we would say in the North).
I agree with Delpit, for the most part, when she suggested having the teacher create curriculum around the student’s interest. Her example might not be something that we can relate to, but I think and understand that she it trying to help us understand both her feelings as a mother, wanting her daughter to speak Standard English, and her thoughts as an educator, on how we can better help relate to our students, making them more at ease to want to learn.
In Dowdy’s article, I feel she was trying to give us an understanding of how people functioned in a colonized society and the struggles that one may go through to “fit in”. Again, I feel as if I can relate to her in a small sense, since I use certain dialect when talking to students and their parents to get my point across easier (e.g. your child was cuttin’ up today), but when I go see my family and friends in Michigan I constantly catch myself about to say something “Southern” and quickly have to convert it to “Northern” terms (e.g. he was acting out today) to they understand me.
To get back to Delpit and her concern for teachers not incorporating enough student interest in with their curriculum, I feel that we have come along way with this. I do not quite agree with her that we should allow our children to continue to use poor grammar/language in the classroom. I currently teach first grade and feel that they are very influenced by imitation. I do not correct them if they say a word slightly wrong, but I may repeat a phrase for them to hear it stated correctly and act as if I am just confirming what they have stated or asked me. This is to make sure that students hear the language and hopefully through reading well written text, and hearing it modeled will allow for them to imitate and hopefully develop a stronger language base.

Barbara Terauds

The article “Ovuh Dyuh” made me reflect on myself and my previous years of teaching! Even though I have taught very few African Americans or biracial students, I can recall times that I have corrected their grammar! I know that I did this in a very professional way, but did I create a “mental conflict” as the article discussed! I was trying to teach my students the acceptable and expected way to speak in public. This article has taught me that I should be aware of cultural differences and to except them. By trying to change these I could create self-esteem issues with the child.
This article also made me think of everyone’s life in general. We all change the way we speak to separate individuals. For example, if we do go for an interview we do know how to “code switch”. If we are talking to a baby or toddler we talk to them in our language. Just because we “code switch” in these ways it does not make us look more unintelligent. I do not view African Americans and their language as looking less intelligent. However, I do agree that there are people out there that does believe that the properly language is the correctly spoken English language.
If you think back to your school days, do you remember making fun of someone’s accent? I can definitely remember these things happening. I can also remember watching my peer and looking to see what they were wearing or the way their hair was fixed. I wanted to fit in with everyone else. I also do this for my son. This relates to the article “No Kinda Sense”. As teachers I feel that we should try to prevent these types of situations! A parent should never have to move a child to another school because of their classmates making fun of them! This made me think of a child in my class this year. He was new to our school and has CP. He has told me many times that he loves my school and never wants to leave. He says that the students at his old school made fun of him for the way he walked. His school now does not do this! His disability does not make him ignorant, in fact he is the highest reader in the class! We all need to love each other for who they are! God has a purpose for us all and everyone’s purpose is not the same! We must remember that we are all equal and no one is better than anyone else.

Misty Mistretta

Judith Baker’s article is an interesting alternate look at what Delpit called code switching. The three major formats for language available for students to choose from include 1) language used at home, usually a combination of English and the mother tongue, 2) formal language, learned from reading and the media, and 3) professional language, learned in college or vocational school, or on the job. Each has its purpose and place. It is up to the student to choose which one to speak in any given forum. Is this not code switching? I believe it is.

Baker’s plan to gain students’ trust by building respect for the home language is a worthwhile one. This is an excellent method to find out what language is spoken at home, where the student is most comfortable. By asking students to present and then analyze their home speech, students become aware of small idiosyncrasies they’d not noticed before, giving them opportunity to change / correct them if the choose to. These presentations are efficient in that they are mutually instructive; the teacher learns from the students, and vice versa.

The role play exercise is an idea that deserves a second look. By changing the scenarios ever so slightly, students can realize how attitudes can affect their own perceptions and actions. I found the scenario with the Hispanic mother and the college bound son an excellent example of how others’ opinions might influence our own ideas about our language use. When the mother expressed pride in her son, she praised him and held him up as an example to his siblings. When she responded negatively, claiming “solamente español en su casa” , the feeling was quite different. In the business role play, mixed responses from coworkers demonstrated how differently we come to view a person’s linguistic abilities.
As Baker worked with students to prepare their required presentations, she was surprised by how easily they slipped into the professional jargon specific to each student’s topic. This too, is code switching, and it’s is not a detrimental thing. Knowing when and where a certain type of language is appropriate is a useful and essential skill in later life. The realization by students that to learn or not to learn a formal grammar is a choice they must make puts them in control. No one is imposing upon them; the choice is freely made, in an unthreatening way. As students have the freedom to choose, they are less fearful of being disrespected for their home language. Baker is a sensitive and thoughtful educator, who has taken the stand that her students deserve respect and time, choice and freedom if they are to connect with her. Only when this connection is solidly in place will these students be engaged, willing learners.

Inspiring! Baker’s article made me almost want to teach high school. (Only because of how much (and deep) the small group discussions were among her students). I loved how she took the language of her students and made it fit into the curriculum. She found a way to motivate her students by allowing them to study their own language patterns and codes. “Motivation first, rules last (59).” She validated their language and thereby gave them a reason for wanting to learn. By allowing them to study their language, it opened the door to learn Standard English in a less demanding way. The small groups working together allowed them to speak openly and candidly about the different languages in the groups. How powerful! Baker writes, “It has allowed us to go much further than my previous error-correction model of grammar study (56).” Students were no longer afraid of being corrected in front of their peers, but were openly speaking about their language.

Baker was not afraid to jump in head first. She knew she did not know everything she needed to know about the language of all her students. Through this study of language patterns she also learned a lot. She learned about their languages so that she could understand the difficulties they may be having with learning Standard English. We can’t be afraid to admit we do not know everything as a teacher. Our students need to know we are human and can always continue learning. This gives them permission to try and fail, but try again. Furthermore, how powerful for them to be the ones teaching each other.

I was not so inspired by the Ladson-Billings piece. I was a bit turned off immediately when she wrote, “I cannot help but wonder if permission to fail was granted Shannon so easily, in part, because her cultural style, form of language, and attitude deemed her unworthy of teaching in her teachers’ eyes.” I felt prejudice was written all over this statement and then throughout a bit. This immediately made a judgement call about the teacher’s motivation or lack there of being because she was white and the child was African American. While it could be we will really ever know.

Ladson-Billings followed the “poor” example of teaching above with the one of an African American Male teacher who tried to motivate his students through music. She found this to be a wonderful example of demanding success. However, I think this kind of teaching happens all the time in effective teacher’s classroom. This example did not seem over an above like the Baker example. She went on to write that she didn’t feel Carter had an automatic “in” with his students because of his color. I would have to disagree. He had 2 pluses on his side: being an African American and being a male. Although he was from a middle class family and educated, he was still viewed differently than a white female teacher would have been.

All this being said, I do agree with Ladson-Billings when she said, “The “magic” is in the teaching (119).” She is correct. I inspire to be a magician in the classroom. And when you lose your magic, you have to find it again or retire. There is no place in the classroom for worn out teachers stuck teaching the same way they did when they first started teaching. Times are different and so should your teaching. We have to find new ways to motivate our students! Never give a child permission to fail. It is a shame with all the budget cuts, new, exciting, fresh teachers are losing their jobs while many unmotivated, burned out teachers are keeping their jobs. (Not talking just years in the business.) I hope I am not stepping on any toes with the last statement. I am going to assume I am not, otherwise you would not be going back to school to get your master’s!

Tamera Wilson

Hi: I’m Toni Wheeler, a native of Charlotte (I still live there) and I teach 5th grade in Gaston County. I’ve been teaching for six years, and the last four of those years have been in Gaston County and the first two were in a Charter school in Charlotte. Now I know you’re thinking Charlotte, isn’t that close to Gaston County…But it’s only a 35 to 45 minute drive, and the way I see it getting around anywhere in Charlotte may take that long. So, I don’t mind the drive.
I’ve always wanted to teach but when I graduated from high school and went to college, everyone said, “Teachers don’t make any money”. Well after completing undergraduate in 1986, attending Pfieffer University and receiving a dual MBA/MHA in 1991…my job as a HR manager was eliminated, the company moved to Germany. So I was what they called a ‘displaced employee’. This was my opportunity to go back to school and get my teaching degree…So I did. Now I’m in Appalachians Graduate Program…loving it and learning a lot.
All the ideals, strategies, information, and the innovate approaches I’ve learned so far at Appalachian I’ve been able to apply in my classroom. My students are pleased when I tell them that I read this book and this is the exercise/activity we did in class. They enjoy it when I demonstrate what I’ve learned in my classroom as a student and introduce, and teach it to them in our classroom as a teacher. I feel that I’m blessed to be a teacher to be able to touch, affect, and reach out to so many children in a positive way. In the six years I’ve been teaching I’ve never looked back nor regretted the money I once made in corporate. [But now we all know that the money in corporate is drying up!] I love what I do with and for my students and I’m in it to stay! Toni B. Wheeler

What a relief to read essays with practical advice for teachers. I’m realizing that I have a bent toward application in conjunction with research, not research and data alone. I was glad to read Baker & Ladson-Billings essays because they brought relief to my teacher heart.

Both classrooms discussed were innovative environments facilitated by teachers who weren’t afraid to step away from the text book. I love that students were motivated to behave as anthropologists in both classrooms. Baker empowered her students by helping them discover the hidden elements of their own cultures through language study. Carter brought in musical elements that students would warm to, and encouraged them to envision the music as a narrative. I love it!

Motivation is a huge factor at the middle and high school level, especially with students who have grown accustomed to a cycle of failure. This is where Baker & Carter seem to stand out. As Tamara said in her post, the students discovered personal “motivation first, rules last.” They helped students find the internal drive to explore their own language, and subsequently be open to learning “formal” and “professional” English. Self-discovery is a great way to teach any concept.

Neither classroom was just about personal and social validation. Both required students to engage in systematic learning approaches that invited individual creativity and exploration while building community. It’s a lot more comfortable to take risks when you’re taking them with others in an environment where you are not “fearful of being manipulated or disrespected” (p. 59). I think this idea of group buy-in is most likely the reason why students did not fail in these classrooms.

I appreciate Ladson-Billing’s passion for student success. However, I want to know more about Shannon, the six-year-old she mentions. It is my responsibility as an educator to ensure that my students become successful, as Baker says, “socially [fulfilled] and economically [viable]” individuals (p. 50). When do we begin to hold students accountable for their own successes or failures? Out of a team of 76, we have 4 students in danger of failing this year…with ridiculously low county failure standards. Is it our fault that these students might be back in seventh grade next year? I use music, role-play, football, the StankyLeg, picture books, secret snack stashes, and just about everything else I can think of to motivate and show that I care. Is it my fault that a student who has been taught that failure will simply equal social promotion is poised to fail again? Perhaps in part, but when it comes down to it, I can’t combat 14 years of negativity and a tumultuous life in 55 minutes a day. I’ll do my darndest, regardless of the skin color involved, but we’re fighting a system not just one stubborn 6-year-old. Ok, I’m taking a deep breath and stepping down from the soap box now. :-P

Ruth Johnson

I anin't writin' nuttin'/Ladson-Billings
I thoroughly enjoyed and agreed with most of this article. We must never lower our expectations or accept excuses, that would be giving them permission to fail. Everyone can write something which gives teachers a place to start. I have played background music before but never made it the focus for writing, very ingenious. I will also adapt writing one sentence each morning for morning work thus giving the students something of their own to pick from for prompts. As Ladson-Billings said we must recognize the language and literacy skills the students already possess and connect them with conventional forms of literacy. Setting a real purpose has always worked better, kids can make connections therefore they will be less likely to make excuses why they can't write.
I will use the idea of moving the students from a small “r” and small “w” to reading and writing with a big “R” and big “W”. This would be a good motivator for third graders who think they are big kids now. As she quotes Haberman (1995) “I wonder what I do next?”, is a thought I have quite frequently.
Dressing as a professional has been an issue for a long time, I am guilty of wearing jeans to work on Fridays. I am seeing less modesty and more “cool” clothes on the teachers which says I am one of you, not I am a responsible authority figure, a role model. As stated in the epilogue, there is an impending danger of any child failing if we stand by and let them choose when to learn.
Some points I do not agree with are p. 111, move past blaming and search for inequity and injustice. As an experienced teacher, all of my years in Title I, Equity Plus schools, I push all of the children to succeed. Anyone who has been teaching very long knows we have all ethnic groups that are poor, p.113 states that expectations for African American are exceedingly low, I disagree, it is sad to say but that holds true for all of our poor students. As a poor white girl in school fifty years ago it was as true as it is today, “some” teachers want to teach the kids who know what to do, it take time and effort to help the slow ones.
Trilingualism/Baker
“Englishes” is a new term for me, but now that I have read it, it makes sense. I still find myself asking my Hispanic students to speak English in the classroom. This is not from lack of respect of their language, but I believe the more they use English it will become easier for communication among everyone at school, peers and teachers. Unfortunately there is not enough time allocated for writing in our school system in the lower grades causing more of a problem when they get to middle and high school. On p.55 a great point about not enunciating words clearly causes me to remind myself how important this is for our ELL's. How can they learn a new language if we don't speak it clearly. I liked the idea of tape recording conversations and then listening to them, I would like different people to read a script and discuss the differences. The role playing on p. 57 was excellent, at any age people can determine what is appropriate language, dress, etc. I agree learning formal grammar is a choice a student makes-not a choice a teacher makes for a student. It would be interesting to listen to students as they share what they think being able to write means to them. We must be the motivators, they must feel they are respected and in a safe environment to share honestly without criticism, so progress can take place.
Grandma Cunningham

I can relate to Delpit. I totally understand the dilemma she was experiencing with her daughter, and I feel her pain and concern at the same time. I’m an educated black female, working toward my 3rd Masters Degree; and my husband an entrepreneur for 20 years. We have an adopted son and a biological daughter. Our daughter is bilingual in Japanese; she’s always been an ‘A’ & ‘A/B’ honor roll student, and she didn’t get her exposure to 90% African Americans until her freshman year as a 9th grader in high school. I was completed terrified with the what-if’s. Unlike Delpit’s situation, her daughter understood the code switch at an early age. My daughter in the 9th grade and first major exposure to sooo many African Americans did not. So every day when she came home from school, she questioned why so many students taunted and teased her. She said they picked at the way the talked, the way she walked, and even the clothes she wore. I tried to explain that she needed to become more versatile, and learn to wear more than one hat…Like I do (I explained). She said that if people couldn’t accept her for who she was then she would just move on and not let them bother her. She also stated that she thought I was being a phony and she didn’t want to deceive people. I tried to explain to her that I have several discourses. One for when I teach [I am the only black teacher at my school], when I go to church [there are about 9% African Americans], in our neighborhood [only about 8-9% African Americans in our neighborhood], when I hang out with my girlfriends, go to Panther games, and/or have my date with my Husband. Regardless of which circle of friends I find myself hanging with I still have to manage to be me. I may use different dialects depending on my discourse, but I’m always articulate. So when I read the portion of text from a man who stated, [I’m paraphrasing] blacks have finally figured out what we’ve all known is that they are too stupid to learn to speak English, like the rest of use. I WAS FURIOUS! Hearing comments like that almost infuriates me more than hearing comments that anyone would even consider making ebonics a language. Not to mention, the native African American language. Like the article discussed, no linguistic, nor intelligent African Americans were consulted. I don’t think any group of any race of people would appreciate it if only a few individuals spoke up for their entire race and stated they would speaking something totally off the wall and not even correct grammar. I could go on and on about how outrageous this whole thing is but I won’t. Nonetheless I have students in my class, just like my daughter was in high school, trying to fit in. My daughter still maintains her honor roll statues. She marches to her own beat. I have students in my class who weren’t taught the different discourses, by their parents, so that too becomes my job to teach them. So when I hear my students (who are 92% white) using slang. I don’t openly call them out or embarrass them. But I do ask them to restate their question and/or statement. They understand, they make their correction, with some modeling and guidance from me and it becomes another teachable moment in the classroom.

Toni Wheeler

I found the chapter, “Trilingualism,” to be quite interesting. I had never thought about there being a variety of forms of English. As I read the chapter and thought about the author’s theories, I found the way she categorized and thought about these different ways of speaking the same language to be interesting. It is also helpful in helping students understand the importance of speaking properly. People are going to automatically learn their “home” English. People need to learn the “academic” English so they can be successful in the public eye, and then “professional” English so that they can be successful in their chosen profession. Her idea of role playing various scenarios was a great idea. Students actually get to place themselves in situations, which helps them realize the reasons we sometimes use our home, academic, or professional English. I agree that by doing activities such as role plays, showing our students the importance of using specific types of English in situations instead of just telling them, will help to build the needed foundation that will lead our students to understanding the importance of using appropriate grammar in certain situations.
The Ladson-Billings chapter caused me to cringe, just as it does when I see that very scenario mentioned, happening in my own school. A teacher, who would allow a child to fail, in my eyes, is not a teacher. We have the responsibility as educators to meet the needs of each child. When a strategy we are using doesn’t work, it is our responsibility to try a new one. Differentiation and individualizing is vital for some students. I will be the first to say it is not easy, and it is very time consuming, BUT it is the RIGHT and NECESSARY thing to do. Our children are our future, and when we allow them to fail, not only are we hurting them, we (TEACHERS) are hurting all.

Heather Houston

After reading the two assigned chapters, I think I am finally making sense of what exactly Depit was trying to get at in her chapter No Kinda Sense. I understand thoroughly that all children come to school with “baggage”. Whether it is language, ethnicity, appearance, etc, it is our job as educators to make them feel welcomed and wanted. We must meet them at their level of instructional and as Ladson-Billings said, “Not permit them to fail” regardless of that baggage.
It saddened me to read how easily Shannon’s teacher let her escape from the writing assignments due to her feelings of inadequacy. There is a child like Shannon in every one of our classrooms. It is our duty as educators to engage them students in the assignments whatever it takes. We must be creative in our educational practices to grab hold of those students who have all but given up. I hope and pray that Shannon was rescued from herself and the teacher who so easily gave up on her!
Reading about Carter and his efforts to reach out to his students was so inspiring! Having taken into account his students background knowledge, interests and academic levels, he creatively got the students to do, just what they “hated” doing-- WRITE. I am sure the students were so caught up in the music and being able to share things from their own culture that they didn’t even know they were writing. Curriculums provide a teacher with “what” to teach, and as educators, we must find motivating and interesting ways to get students to interact with it.
The three forms of English Baker described in her chapter Trilingualism were very enlightening. Her explanation and reasoning behind each language helped me to better understand the differences in language and the context in which they are used. Reading the article convinced me that I do not need to “change” a students’ language in order for them to master formal English grammar and speech. It is true that many of my students come to school with an extensive home language, but, I still stand firm on the belief that I must encourage the correct usage of English as described in my curriculum. Although I would not do a lesson on the 3 languages as in depth as Baker did, I do feel that I could modify such a lesson to demonstrate to my students the differences in language and describe the appropriateness of each. Thus, helping them to see that their home language isn’t wrong, but that the classroom is the wrong place for their “home language”.

Kim Shaw

When I started reading the Ladson-Billings article I was taken aback. How could a teacher let her First Grade student choose to abstain from working? It seems as though the teacher didn't even try to encourage Shannon to work. Perhaps she had given up on her? I think this is sad and exactly what's wrong with lots of teachers today. I think too often students are allowed to slide by or slip under the cracks. Nobody ever holds them accountable for their own success. Maybe I'm lucky in that I find my students aren't yet to the point where they dislike school, but they also know they don't have an option when it comes to school activities. I always hold my students accountable for their work. I expect them to be successful and to always try their hardest. I do, however, set different goals and expectations for each student. When it comes to writing some of my First Graders are writing like Third Graders, while a few of them are still only writing one sentence. Because they know I will praise them and be proud of them as long as they do their best, they are not reluctant to write.

I applaud Carter for finding methods that appealed to his students. I imagine that would be a difficult group of students to be able to reach out, especially if they had never had a teacher like Foster who encouraged them to do their best and was able to foster their creativity. Using music as a basis for writing is not something I've ever considered, but I will definitely try it.

One thing I really like about Baker's method of teaching language is that she gives language a purpose. She shows her students through careful explanation, studies, and role-play why it is important to be trilingual, as she says. I think it is great how the whole class listens to each other, and their families, and carefully analyzes. They find similarities and differences in the languages represented by the class. They also begin to understand why certain mistakes are made in language. It makes me think of my own students who are just learning to write and sound out everything as they say it. Many of the errors they make are due to the fact that we don't always enunciate or expect others to enunciate. For example a student may write they are "gettin a new dog" because that is how we often speak. We do not always enunciate the "ing" in our daily, casual speech. So I end up explaining that even though we may say "gettin" the word is actually "getting." They can then spell the word because they know that the letters i-n-g say "ing."

Kelly Beckley

First of all, I want to start this entry by clarifying something (getting ready to state the obvious probably, but oh well): We are all approaching these readings from various backgrounds, experiences, beliefs, opinions, etc... Having said this now comes my disclaimer: I am a very passionate person who also happens to get a little wrapped up in detail from time to time which, in turn, causes me to ignore the big picture. I’m aware of this but choose to blindside it right now because when I get my mind on something that I want to know, I tend to ask for insight from those around me until I—or we—can construct an answer.

Okay, the “I ain’t writin’ nuttin’” piece is really bothering me. I get the whole “permission to fail” and “demand to succeed” argument, and I must admit I’m guilty of both. Nobody’s going to convict me for the latter, so let’s look more closely at the permission to fail issue. While teaching at a very challenging middle school, I certainly didn’t “write kids off” and give them permission to fail because I never cared, and certainly the gift of permission to fail was usually one of omission. But admittedly so, when the madness emanating from a student or two got to a certain point—yeah—I committed the teacher’s crime of figuratively throwing up my hands. I was tired. I was frustrated. I reacted in my weak human flesh. I’m not going to bore you with any more detail about this other than to say that some of the best teachers I know walked out of that middle school after one semester. It was a tough place, so I’ve got a soft spot for teachers of super tough students. Enough said. Okay, so in this case of Shannon, Ladson-Billings’ statement about her teacher frustrates me a little bit: “I cannot help but wonder if the permission to fail was granted Shannon so easily, in part, because her cultural style, form of language, and attitude deemed her unworthy of teaching in her teachers’ eyes.”

I don’t believe we’re given the whole story here; perhaps we’re being manipulated. I can’t help but look at the “what ifs?” What if Shannon’s “cultural style” happens to be disrespectful and socially inappropriate? What if her “form of language” and “attitude” is hateful? What was the time period? In other words, how long did Ladson-Billings witness Shannon’s teacher giving her permission to fail? If it was so bad, why didn’t Ladson-Billings intervene?

Furthermore, what happened to Shannon? Where is she? The author even referenced to “impending danger” in Shannon’s life if her teachers continued to allow her to fail, but we weren’t given any clue as to where this child is. Perhaps Ladson-Billings did help Shannon after all. I’d like to know, because you know what? She’s just as guilty as Shannon’s teacher if she didn’t. Two minds are far better than one; and especially, if you are an educator of educators you should model best practice just teachers should instead of going on to write about this child’s hopeless future and leave us only to assume that the teacher who gave her permission to fail is still plugging along giving other kids permission to fail day after day. This is not the kind of “cliffhanger” I like to read. Suffice it to say, as an educator of educators, Ladson-Billings gave Shannon’s teacher permission to fail.

(BTW, “Trilingualism” was fantastic—very helpful and informative! I can’t wait to get back in the LA classroom and put these tools to practice—brilliant!)

Erin Farrington

Both Baker and Ladson-Billings depict an innovative teacher who is not willing to allow children to fail. The ideas these teachers came up with came after something else didn’t work. They did not ‘magically’ decide to do these wonderful lessons with their students out of nowhere. They first tried something that did not work and decided to find something that did! As educators we should all do this! We should not stick with something simply because it is all we know, even if it is not working.

The idea of trilingualism is ingenious in many ways. First of all the study of dialects as languages is something I would have never thought of. Each student is then allowed to take pride in who they are and ownership over what they learn. Language is no longer a study of right and wrong or yours and mine but a study of the things that make us unique and also the elements that unite us. Incorrect grammar and language is so deeply imbedded in who we are if it is the language of our home. It is nearly impossible to correct this quickly and effectively without acknowledging the value of the language which a person identifies with as their own.

I suspect that I have been guilty of giving permission to fail, and I identify with the teacher who allowed Shannon not to write her sentence. I do not agree with Ladson-Billings that the reason the teacher did not require her to do the sentences was because she was “unworthy in the teachers’ eyes” (110). I believe that this teacher faced the same struggle that many of us face often. The struggle is when a student is programmed to fail, it is very difficult and exhausting to re-program them. As a high school teacher, I encounter students who have failed so many times and simply expect to fail. These students are often resistant to school and even develop a negative attitude toward learning and teachers. So, giving a student permission to fail is not always something the teacher does on purpose, and I surely hope is not something that most teachers do consciously, it is just a negative outcome of having too much to do! It is unfortunate that this author has had experiences that led her to believe the teacher would consider a student unworthy, although this is probably a reality with some teachers.

I think the teacher who used the song to get his students to write did a very good job of pushing all students to write and not allowing anyone an out. This idea is one that many teachers do not try because it takes a lot of planning, and it is hard to know what the final outcome will be.

I really like Ladson-Billings “culturally relevant pedagogy” and the three propositions that go along with it. My school has a motto: we want kids to be able to read, write and think. If they can read, write and think then they will be able to do anything else that they are faced with. This concept along with the idea that students should be culturally aware and able to interact with many different cultures comfortably and be aware and able to question inequality and injustice truly make a well-rounded individual. These three principles she lays out could be the only three principles in school and I think we would be on the right track. We are not attempting to create robots who can bubble in the correct answer on a multiple choice test, but intelligent thinking adults who will contribute to society.

In conclusion, I believe that teachers should demand high quality work from all children and be creative and innovate in the way they attempt to challenge students to do things that they have previously been resistant to.

Shannon Keough

These articles gave more insight into the previous articles by Dowdy and Delpit. I work at a Title I school where we have a lot of low income families and students from bad areas of town. I have never really thought until I began this class about how students home language impacts their life and their language skills. The Baker article gave three forms of English language: "home" english, "formal" english, and "proffesional" english. I like the way that she broke down the way people use english. This helps me as a teacher to see what areas I should be teaching students in the classroom. I think that the using lessons to teach these different areas really will show students where they need to improve.
I think that one of the most important areas that we need to teach older students is the Proffesional form. We need to ready these students to either go onto college or go out into the workforce and be able to present themselves respectively. Many of the students in this article started to see that through the activites they participated in. One example were the presentations they made to their class in their technical fields. I liked that the students really began to understand that the way they present themselves is important.

I believe that like Baker learning formal grammar should be a choice of the student not a choice the teacher makes for the student, however I do think that they need to be shown why it is so important so that they make an informed choice. Baker used motivation as a key element in her classroom. I also think that motivating students is key to their success in learning through real life activites and events like language use in their home, at school, and professionally. One question I had when reading the article is what so you do if they still refuse to learn how to interchange these trilinual englishes. Do you continue to push it or is there another way that we could try to teach it.

The Landson-Billings article brought attention to some of the negative things that might go on in the classroom. I was shocked at the Shannon scenario. I as a teacher know that if a student refused to write that I would never be able to walk away and choose to let her loose out on her education. I bet that this does go on in some classrooms however maybe the way that the teacher did writing was not appropriate to her needs. Maybe the teacher was not giving her "permission to fail" maybe she was going to come back later on and work with her. We only see part of what was going on in this first grade classroom. I have seen students that take really struggle with writing and it might take another approach to really see the affects of what the students is capable of doing. I just don't know if what the author was presenting was the whole story.

I was however very inspired by what Carter did in his classroom to get his students interested in writing. I wondered thought what grade was he teaching? I assumed it was highschool but I don't think the article ever stated it. It would have helped me to more fully understand the students if I knew what age. I agree that like Carter when one thing does not work you have to find something else. I do not teach older children but it would have been hard for me to step out of the box and come up with the activity he did. I really liked that he started out with something they could connect to and then branched out from there. I don't even know if the students really knew he was getting them to do writing work like before because they really enjoyed it. I think breaking it down into different days and having students wokr with each other gave them more confidence in writing and helped them to see that they could come up with the final project.

I hope that in schools today that students are not given "permission to fail" but I do also think that there may be extenuationg cicrumstances to why some studnets may not be pushed as hard. We can never see the full picture just from reading a text. I would however would have liked to be in the classroom to observe what Carter did because I think comeing up with activities like that and seeing them unfold can bring new ideas to teachers.

I walked away from both of these articles with mixed emotions. After reading the Baker article, I found it refreshing to see that there was a person out there who agreed with my point of view. I think it very wise to teach your students "trilingualism" or the right language for the right situation. I feel that as an educator, it is very important for me to get to know the languages of my students and the cultures they come from. I loved how the author of this article took the time during the school year to divide students up into cultural groups within the classroom and actually give them the opportunity to "tear apart" and analyze the way they speak. It was very interesting for me to see the different things each student noticed about their dialect. I also really liked the way the teacher asked students to see if they could recognize other culture's languages mingled in with their own. I think that this would be a very beneficial activity for students who are high-school age and who are getting ready to either go out into the job market or into interviews for colleges.

After reading the Ladson-Billings article, I came away a little upset. I am furious with the fact that there are some teachers out there who are not pushing their students to their highest potential. I was also upset that this author has the general idea that newer teachers are completely shaped by veteran teachers and can't learn to push students on their own. As a fairly new teacher, I am constantly searching for new ways to inspire my students to write and enjoy the process. I thought that the young man in the article did an excellent job of not going by what his colleagues were doing and that he branched out and did his own thing with music and writing and the students loved it! As an educator, I feel that it is so important to be able to creatively inspire students and to hold them accountable for their education. It is unavoidable that there will be unmotivated students...to me, that's adolescence. It is the teacher's responsibility to provide the motivation for these students and to help them see that what we do in school is truly beneficial. I think often times, students try to use their language struggles as a crutch. We need to help students embrace their linguistic differences and show them that it can make our classrooms culturally diverse in literacy regardless of their ability level.

Erica Spicer

Trilingualism: home, formal, and professional…makes sense to me. I have never really thought of it the way Baker explains it, but I like it. Once she spells it all out, I understand it better. I feel that it is okay for students to use their “home” language, but it is my job to teach and model “formal” and “professional” languages at school. I also expect them to use “formal” and “professional” in the classroom, but I do not discourage their “home” language while we are in a more relaxed atmosphere (lunch room, recess, etc.) I slip up at times and use improper language, but I use it as a teachable moment.
I would like to put my students into groups at the beginning of next year and try what Baker did in her classroom. I would have to adjust based on the age of my students. The idea of students learning from what they observe is something I love. The scenarios she added helped me understand what she did better.
“Permission to fail”…Wow! What teacher in their right might would allow their students to fail? Unfortunately, I work with a couple of students like this. Sad! When teachers make the comments like, Well that student is EC so they can not learn or I will put them in the corner of the classroom because they do not know the language, make me sick to my stomach. Why does an individual come into this professional if they think that some students can not be successful? It is our job to make sure at our students become successful.

Melissa Lange

n the article “Trilingualism,” I found it very interesting that children will appreciate and learn the appropriate grammar rules if you respect their home language. I agree with the author saying that children/adults are aware of know when to use the appropriate English language. For example, we all know how to talk to our friends, co-workers, boss, and even our preacher. We use different forms of the English language while conversating with these people. I do believe children and adults know how to change their language to fit in and when to change their language for professionals. I also agree with the author about choices. I do believe in any situation or subject area if a child is given choices they will perform at a higher level that with having no choices.
In the Ladson-Billings article I was so furious when the teacher walked away and did not even offer to help Shannon to get her thought down on paper. I believe that if a child is intimated by not being able to write due to their spelling then you should sound out each word for the child asking for each letter after that sound. This will help with their phonemic awareness skills. In my opinion Shannon wanted to write because she had already started with the word “I”. I do like how the teacher put them into small groups for support of their peers. However, it seems as if their groups were not being monitored to closely. I do not accept or allow such rude remarks in my classroom. I also agree that all teachers should demand success. I know that I demand success every day and my expectations of my students are very high. This made me think of my principal moving me from first grade to third grade. When I think about why I was moved it is very clear. I always demand success and there is no room for failure in my classroom. On page 112 I became angered. Why does one race deserve more help than another one? In my eyes they should not! As I read on my anger subsided when the authors talked about teachers finding ways to engage their writers. Mr. Forshay reminded me of myself! I am always trying to find new and innovative ways to engage and teach my students. Mr. Forshay used music to engage his older students. I use picture books to engage my students in the writing process. This also made me think of the children’s parents. I know that every educator does his/her very best to help a child stay caught up with their peers. If a child has fallen in the crack we try as hard as we can to get them caught up. Are the parents allowing their own children to fail by not helping them at home?

Misty Mistretta

Hello to all of you! I am late posting my entry b/c I am technologically challenged and our school email has not been cooperative lately so I am trying to play catchup on the last few days assignments. I am a teacher in Catawba County, at Lyle Creek Elementary (Go Crocodiles!). I have taught several different grades in my 16 years of being in education, those being 4th, 2nd, K, and 1st. The last 11 have mostly been in kindergarten, with a few in 1st or a K/1st combo. Next year I'll be moving to 1st again, so I am excited about that. I tend to get bored doing the same things year after year so change is good for me in that way. I love teaching little kids because there is sooooo much they don't know, and I get to be the first person to introduce them to so many interesting things. Plus, they think you are brilliant at that age and they are not old enough yet to think they know more than you do.

I am married to a wonderful man named Darren, my husband of 12 years. We have 2 beautiful girls, Alexa who is 11 and Regan who will be 8 next month. They are the center of my world and keep me busy 24/7. As a family, we stay very very busy, especially since I begin this program last fall. Lately, our family activity of choice (if we have any spare time) is just to hang out by the pool and rest. We love to travel, and try to go on a trip somewhere new with the girls once a year. We also love to garden, so my summers are usually spent canning and putting veggies and fruit in the freezers for the winter. It's a lot of work, but I love doing it and I like knowing what my family is putting into their mouths. My specialties are homemade salsa and peach jam. I imagine that I won't have much spare time for that hobby this summer, because in addition to this online class I am also doing my practicum.

I began working on my masters last fall, so I am only 2 semesters in. I have always wanted to get my degree, but many things have happened that have caused me to put off starting it. I have to admit, I have been very overwhelmed at times, and questioned why I ever embarked on such a journey, but I have learned so much already and I am excited about all the new things I have yet to learn about. Reading for me was always a breeze; I struggled at times with math, but reading and language arts always just came natural to me and I learned to read at a very early age, mostly on my own. I can remember my father (who passed away just this past March) reading to me every night as a young child, so I guess I just memorized words and learned to read that way. I learned about phonics and vowel patterns later on, but I was reading by myself when I walked into kindergarten the first day. It was interesting to me when I began teaching in a 4th grade classroom and there were children in there who could not read. Of course, you don't know anything when you get that first class, but I learned all about the diversities of abilities quite quickly. I also learned that for most children, learning to read does not come easily as it did for me, and that for some it is a painful and embarassing experience. Teaching reading has always been my favorite part of my job, and when I moved down to the early primary grades and began to work with children who were just learning to read, I knew I had found my niche. This is truly what I love to do. I am fascinated by differences in kids, and how they learn at different rates and by different methods. I love to watch them finally start to get how the language works and begin to be able to actually decode words on their own. I work at a Title One school, and we have a huge population of minority children at our school. Many of our kids are ESL, and many of those come to me as a kindergarten teacher knowing not a word of English. This presents new struggles for me in teaching as it is hard to teach a child that you cannot communicate with. I am interested in addressing that topic in our posts.

I hope to gain from this program new strategies to help those struggling learners for whom reading is an unpleasant thing; I want to be able to reach those kids that would otherwise slip through the cracks and get lost in the shuffle. I want to be the one who will make the difference in somebody's life.

Lorie Hedrick

This article made me recall several events from my own life. One of which occurred during my student teaching. I am a true southern girl, raised out in the country in Alexander County, poor by today's standards. My mother only completed 7th grade, and my dad only 4th. Neither of my parents were formally educated, but they were very wise in other ways. Being country people, we spoke with a country accent. I never really knew I had a southern accent; I though I pretty much sounded like everyone else did. During my student teaching, my advisor wrote on my observations and spoke to me several times about my accent, and recommended that I work on it to try to change the way I sounded. She thought it would interfere with the students being able to understand me and also that I would sound more professional if I didn't sound so country. I still talk that way; it's just who I am and as much a part of me as the color of my eyes. It doesn't make me uneducated (I do have a college degree!!) or lower class; it may make others think that I am because sounding like a country bumpkin is often associated with stupidity. We Americans are so quick to judge others based on outward things, like skin color or accents or even how fancy our clothes are, and we often write people off before we give them a chance to show us who they really are. I know I am guilty of doing this. I have often wondered what I would have thought about myself if I had had myself as a kid in class. I didn't have the fancy clothes, I only had one pair of shoes and they were not the cool sandals all the other kids had, my dad took me to school in his rusty old work truck and I was so embarassed that I hoped nobody saw me getting out of it. Kids picked on me at times because of what I wore or what I had in my lunchbox (it was always homemade, not the little prepackaged treats from the grocery store). I specifically remember a little girl making fun of me for bringing my mom's homemade pound cake day after day; her name was Dana and I can still to this day hear her telling a kid next to her to look at my lunch-I had that same old cake again. That's been over 30 years ago and I still can hear her words today! I was a good kid in school, always made straight A's and the teachers liked me because of that, but I wonder what they may have thought before they actually got to know me.

I try really hard to look at each one of my kids in class and remember that they don't choose the families they are born into. If they could, they'd choose wealthy ones where they'd be loved and cared for and read to every night and made to feel like they were the most important kid on the earth. Sadly, very few of them get that reality. Instead they get neglected, abused, or just overlooked because parents are either too busy working just to survive or they just don't have the parenting skills to know how to be a good parent. And some just don't care about their kids at all and don't attempt to take care of them. It is not the child's fault if he is born into any of these situations. As a teacher, we have to realize where our kids are coming from, and love them and teach them in spite of their crazy behaviors or grimy hands or inability to speak proper English. Everybody's heard it before, but it bears repeating that we are all too often the only positive in their little lives.

I am sure if I were ever to become the First Lady, there would be lots of chatter about the way I talk and people would wonder how I ever made it this far in life. But as I said earlier it is part of who I am and I don't want to change it. We are who we are because of our surroundings and the culture/homes we are raised in. It makes me think of Laura and Nellie on Little House; they grew up within walking distance but everything about their lives was so different. I think that today our discriminations are not just based on skin color or ethnic backgrounds, but many are based on income and social class as well. We shouldn't be judging books by their covers, but that seems to be all to common in our society.

Lorie Hedrick

The Baker article on “Trilingualism” was very interesting. I had never attempted to separate the language we speak in elementary through high school from that of a college student or professional. Before now, formal English was what was used when not in a casual setting. After reading the article, I plainly understand what the author is tri-ing to say! (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.) The method used to gain the student’s trust and ability to communicate in different venues effectively was most inviting. Since she made them study and research their own home language idiosyncrasies, they had no choice but to see the necessity in using an alternate form for more formal settings. It was a tough assignment in which they seemed to excel. Although this exercise would not be doable at the lower elementary level, there is something to be learned from the statement: “I see no reason why students have to be convinced that the way they talk is wrong in order to master formal English grammar and speech.” That was an eye-opening statement for me. In addition, the speech patterns of ESL students really are a combination of what their mother tongue is and what their peers speak. And in the rural south, that can be a very strange combination indeed. “Motivation first, rules last” may sound backwards, but I believe it is really a step forward.

Ladson-Billings raises more than a “red flag” in this provocative article! Issues addressed range from stubbornness in children through music being the universal language. I would like to focus on two parts. First, teachers should be about questioning themselves. After more than twenty-five years as a mother/teacher and educator of children in public schools below the age of seven, I realize that I question my peers and myself far too little. While I have always been about focusing on students, supporting students, and promoting student’s interests and abilities, most often I have pushed too hard to get my agenda and the state of North Carolina’s agenda “covered.” In years past, I have taught the way my elder peers taught, used too many texts and tests, and stagnated in using the same methods over repeatedly. Some of the best teaching I have done came about when I attended the state’s first grade convention, exposing myself to ideas that were new and innovative to my small rural school and me. Even though I did not effect change in many of my colleagues, I was able to convince a few to break out of the mold. However, that was then and this is now. It’s time for me to question again. How can I help my students of today? They cannot collaborate and create at the same level as middle and high school students. However, as beginning readers and writers, they are capable of greater achievement than I have expected of them. Secondly, I believe that this success will come about from making connections with them. Carter Forshay made his connection with music, the international language. Although the Ladson-Billings article states the he “demanded success,” I did not see it as demanding at all. He invited success. He created an authentic reason for them to write. It’s a little harder to create an authentic reason for a five-year old to write who cannot spell anything much or relate to many experiences outside of their hometown, but somehow I will do better at making those connections. They must read and write with Big “R” and Big “W” if they are to practice to succeed instead of practice to fail. For if they practice to fail, they will surely succeed!
Janet Gross

I loved both of these readings and could really relate to them. First, they gave information that I can bring to my classroom and use next year. Second, both made me reflect on my own style of teaching.

“Permission to fail.” (110) Wow! Ladson-Billings stated that a teacher gave her student “permission to fail,” because she allowed her to skip writing. Did the teacher do this because the student was African American? Did the teacher do this because of the high demands from above so this particular student will just be a lost cause? Did the teacher do this, because she was not in the mood to deal with it? We will never know why, but permission to fail – isn’t that a bit strong? I allowed my student to copy answers from me, because I knew he didn’t “get it,” and I had to move on. Did I give him permission to fail? I allowed my student not to turn in homework. Did I give him permission to fail? I certainly hope not, but did I?

Carter Forshay, an excited, first year teacher, did an excellent job using a stimulus to get his students to write. I believe many first year teachers are excited and eager to do whatever they can to inspire their students to work hard. I believe master teachers do this also. However, like Ladson-Billings said, how do we get the rest of the educators to not only talk the talk, but walk the walk? (118)

Judith Baker, obviously a master teacher, gave an excellent account of Delpit’s “code switching”, and how to use it in the classroom. “Trilingual” will be my first Word of the Day next year! It makes perfect sense. This past year, in my class, I had several students where Spanish was the primary home language, and several students where Hmong was the primary home language. I would have loved to use Baker’s idea of studying the home language – patterns of speech, rules of grammar, and vocabulary first and then teach “formal English” (52).

The role playing of the hypothetical situations was awesome (56). It brought me back to the time when my son with autism did not talk much and did not know exactly what to say in different types of social situations. We had to role play what to say when he met an adult; what to say when he wanted something to drink. I never thought to use role playing, in my classroom, to teach grammar. Nevertheless, I am eager to use it next year.

Loren Van De Griek

Shannon may refuse to write, but it seems like her behavior needs an adjustment. How many days is this belligerent, angry child allowed to go off on other students? She has to participate. It’s my job to get her to somehow. Even if I allow her to dictate while I type or write, sometime she has to make a start. Otherwise she is truly being shortchanged, and the teacher is remiss. Just as Delpit described motivating the class with lessons revolving around hair, hair history, hair tessellations, and all the other related ideas, something is going to turn Shannon on, and we have to find it. How about picking pictures out of a hat and describing them? This way, kids can’t fault her for her word choice. How about sentence starters? How about blindfolded sensory descriptions? Memories? Wishes? Something is going to get that girl started writing. And then she’s hooked!

Annie Croon

I really enjoyed reading both of these articles this time. Baker does a great job of designing her lessons around her student’s native language and formal/technical language. I really felt that she truly wanted to incorporate as much of their “home” language into her classroom, to make a connection with her students, and listen to them. From this she developed a deeper understanding of her student’s dialect and turned that knowledge around to help them. This is a good example of a teacher making student centered learning engaging and impactful. Having students describe and discuss their thoughts on their language and other peers “home” language gives students a better understanding of each others background.
When students are able to discuss their prior experience, build background, make connections to one another, and engage in each others lifestyle, they are more comfortable and able to open up and understand new things. Baker took these concepts and applied them to her students own language. It was very interesting to see how her students were able to come up with their own reasons for why they speak the way they do. Because I do not teach high school students, I would have anticipated their answers to be very broad in answering why they speak the way they do (e.g. answering- because that is how I talk), but the discussions they had sounded very analytical. I could also relate to Dwayne, in the sense, that I am sure if I were to watch home videos of my family I would be able to observe my own families “Northern” dialect and compare it to my dialect I have adapted to in North Carolina. After reading this article, I wish I could have been in Baker’s classroom when she was doing this lesson. I am sure I could have learned a lot more about student’s native language and could use that to help my students in my classroom.
In Ladson-Billings article, I once again feel like our education has changed so much over the course of 7 years (give or take some years) from when it was written. Reading that Shannon, the little African American girl that didn’t want to write “nuttin’”, was just allowed to get away with not writing was shocking. Being a first grade teacher, I would never let a child use that as an excuse. Then, I tried thinking about why the teacher would have let her get away with that and I do not know the reasoning behind it, but I also do not know what whole group literacy entailed at the time. Maybe she was hoping the child was not developmentally ready, or didn’t want to push her into writing and make her dislike it. Unfortunately, I snap back to my common sense and think that the teacher was setting her up to fail because she had to know at some point that the child was just using it as an excuse and it was not that she couldn’t do it.
I also liked how her article addressed the need to find something that students may have an interest in and incorporate it into something that might not be liked; in Carter’s case his students’ hated writing. We can not let our students fail in something, just because they do not like to do it. If you have high expectations for students and do not give up on them, or let them make excuses (do nuttin’), it will be much easier for them to understand success because they will do more often. As a result, they should want to perform better once they know they can (or they will perform because they know they can not get away with failure.) Either way they are learning and growing as individuals. Failure in not an option.

Barbara Terauds

I love the way that the readings for this class make me think outside of the box. It is so easy to get comfortable in our classrooms and not give enough thought to some of these things that matter so much to the true success of our students. I found myself sitting around a coworker’s table afterschool the other day telling my team about what we have been reading. They were so intrigued and it started up a great discussion!
The article called Trilingualism is a great follow-up article to the Delpit article that we read earlier in the week. I agreed with Delpit that students must know how and when to “code switch,” but to me the Baker article made the idea of code switching very practical. It is so true that each of us use language that is different based on who our audience is. It is also true that we learn best when we make the choice to learn. Baker says that “students can learn formal grammar quite well when they discover that they have control over the choices that they make: to learn, or not to learn, the languages associated with cultures in which they may decide to participate.” I love Baker’s element of choice. We all respond better to choice than to being made to do something. In this language leaning situation the teacher is still able to control the content that is being taught, but it is presented in a way that students choose to learn from. If given the choice to learn there is always that student who would choose to not learn, but Baker’s approach to learning language encourages students to make the choice to learn because they want to for themselves. This mostly comes through the teacher showing a respect of the students’ home language. I loved the idea of the little boy taping his father’s dinner time conversation and then analyzing his speech patterns afterwards. What a great learning opportunity. And what a learning success when as a result the student becomes excited about spelling because the experience interests him. Role play is another great idea for teaching students correct grammar in a way that they enjoy learning. Honoring the home language of a child is often the simple thing that it takes to get students to feel comfortable enough to take a risk with the more formal parts of Trilingualism. In every area of education we desire to have students who are willing to take a risk because that is where real learning occurs. As Baker shows, when students begin to feel like their own language is acceptable as the “home” part of Trilingualism and they realize that they just need to work on developing their formal and professional English, they are more willing to keep trying. That method sends a whole different message than the message that is sent when we correct a student telling them what they said was wrong. Instead of sending the message that their way is wrong and they must do it our way, it sends the message that their language is great, but that these skills will help them to be better code switchers.
In combining the two articles, I think that Trilingualism is a demand for success. It doesn’t give permission to fail because it allows for students to use the grammar that is comfortable to them and still demands success by empowering students to want to conquer formal and professional English because the context in which it is taught is now meaningful . In a classroom that constantly corrects one will constantly see patterns of avoidance towards the learning. When a student’s own life and conversation are used as prime learning opportunities avoidance lessens and inspiration to learn can rise. After reading this selection my eyes will be more in tune to looking for authentic learning experiences that will foster an excitement about language in students so that they may learn from their own grammar and language patterns.

Jessica Jackson

What would you do if you had a student like Shannon? Would you ‘give her permission to fail’? Or would you be persistent, innovative, and willing to try something new. Let’s be realistic, we’ve all had a least one ‘Shannon’ in our classroom. Think about it. What did you do? Were you too having a bad day, therefore, you let your student do ‘nothin’? Or did you challenge your student and/or yourself with something new or different? Well I’ve had students like ‘Shannon” and I have to admit that it is quite difficult to try something new, and/or challenging with these students when they want to do things ‘their way’. It really is easier to let them have their way, huh? In retrospect I probably didn’t make the best choice with my ‘Shannon’, especially since I am the only African American teacher at my school.
That was then, and this is now…we all make mistakes. Thank God he forgives us, therefore, giving me another try. Now, regardless of the color of my student’s skin, I knock myself out for them, and I always go that extra mile. ‘Giving my students permission to fail’, is now not an option. Now, I’ll ride them and try new strategies. I let them know that winners never quit and quitters cannot win. Every opportunity I get, I share with them my own very meager up- bringing/culture. I let them know that when I started school, I was bused clear across town and I was the only black child in the class. It was very scary and sometimes I too got in a lot of trouble. Maybe if my teachers then would have tried something new, innovative… something to engage and involve my mind, body and soul…All of me! Not just a worksheet. Are you teaching your children…or Not!

Toni Wheeler

Students from cultures other than the dominant one have too often been marginalized in educational settings. They have not been given enough opportunities for exploration, thought, discussion, or chances to write about issues crucial to their own lives. They have been systematically conditioned throughout their time in school to submit to the expectations of the dominant members of culture, society, or gender stereotypes. This absence of opportunity, especially prevalent for young Black women, leaves students voiceless. “Voice is power – power to express ideas, connections, power to direct and shape an individual life towards a productive and positive fulfillment for self …” This lack of personal voice then, leaves students powerless. These students may experience alienation and cultural isolation, as well as other barriers to assimilation. Henry has attempted to de-program societal rules from these passively silenced students by providing safe opportunities to express themselves verbally and in writing. Students were asked to interact as a group, allowing them to develop confidence in their own expressive abilities. The girls were motivated to actively participate in articulating their viewpoints, feelings and concerns on a variety of topics relevant to their lives.
Henry’s longitudinal study included 7 female African Caribbean students aged
13 – 14. They met weekly for 30 – 40 minutes each session to read and discuss cultural literature, films, and videos chosen to stimulate connections to the girls’ lives. The girls kept a response journal, giving them opportunity to write without regard to grammatical conventions. Henry discovered that time was needed to gain students’ trust, initiate critical discussions, and to come to the realization that it was okay to “speak up” about pressing topics, issues, and problems relating to personal experiences. Henry related that it took time for the group to understand there was possibly more than one right answer to a question. As the sessions progressed, the girls conferenced with each other, looked at strengths in each others’ writing, and offered suggestions for improvement.
The introduction of culturally relevant materials must have been particularly empowering and motivating for this group of African Caribbean students. Instead of being dismissed as “other”, outside the circle of literate focus, Henry was able to bring these students to a safe place, a carefully crafted forum of trust where they could break down boundaries and discuss topics otherwise off limits and out of place in the usual classroom curriculum. By doing so, the researcher could successfully address academic issues with motivated, engaged and connected learners who, in their own words, “had never been more excited…about school.”
We cannot expect these otherwise excluded students to actively participate in a classroom that does not have any connection to their lives. Nor can they engage with teachers who refuse to recognize who their students are, or what cultural, societal, and personal backgrounds they bring with them. If we truly value diversity in the classroom, we as educators must move past the status quo in the learning environment. We must make it our prime objective to creatively expand upon the requirements of the curriculum. With careful, thoughtful selection of materials and subject matter tailored to the needs of our students, we can offer each individual student a chance to bridge the gap from his / her own personal reality to a meaningful and honest connection to an otherwise foreign real world.
Annie Croon

No Kinda Sense
By Lisa Delpit

I enjoyed reading this article, and it made me really think about how my children feel on a day to day basis in my classroom. As I have stated on some comments, there is a high ESL population at my school so I work with a very diverse group. We have high numbers of Hmong and Hispanic children, but not many African Americans. The kids always talk to each other in their native tongue, but try to speak English as best they can in class discussions. Being kindergarteners, some don’t know enough English to talk at all and even though they talk to their peers, they don’t say much to me. I suppose I might be much the same way if I had to move to another county where I did not know the language. I think it is just a part of our human nature to want to fit it, to want to be around others who are like us. Being different from those around you, whether it is skin color, accent, social status, or other factors that set you apart, makes you feel a little nervous and possibly unwelcome. My own daughter is white, middle class, has 2 college educated parents, and goes to school where I work. She comes home daily telling me stories about how this girl or that girl said mean things to her that day, and she thinks she gets picked on because her mom works at the school. I know part of that is just being a pre-teen, and having a surge of hormones gushing through her, but kids can be cruel at just the slightest little difference. I can imagine how Maya might have felt being a black girl in a predominantly white school. And 5th grade is a tough age; it’s just when kids start to notice how other kids look. They are concerned about little details all of a sudden, like whether their hair looks right and if their shoes match or not. And suddenly, they actually care whether or not their teeth have been brushed. Kids, like adults, want to be around people who accept them for what and who they are.

While I agree with the author 100 percent on the importance that we be accepting of the unique differences our kids bring to our classrooms, I do think that we must also keep in mind our goal as educators; that being to help our kids become equipped to survive and succeed in life. Job markets are tough, and employers want the best person for the job. Language skills are very important in many different fields. As the example in the text revealed, just being intelligent and the best at what you do may not be enough. You have to be able to communicate your knowledge to others. Even though the lady was brilliant, her communication skills or rather the inability to communicate in proper English cost her the job. That doesn’t really seem fair, but it is the reality of the day and age in which we live. It almost seems that one must approach a job as if he were an actor on stage; at times you must put on a show and pretend to be someone you are not. Then when the day is done, you can go home to your family and become your normal self once again. I think to an extent, perhaps we all do that a little bit anyway. For example, I am very relaxed in my conversation with my husband or my mother; they are my family and I do not feel the need to impress them with eloquent language. But when I speak with my pastor or my boss, I might try to dress up my speech a little, and try to speak a little more proper. In some ways I code switch depending on the audience that is hearing me.

We all learn to speak by listening to our family speak, so it stands to reason that our language patterns will replicate those of our parents. If they talk in slang or have an accent, chances are the children will pick up those habits. I think language habits are mostly formed in the younger years of life, and that adults are not as easily influenced as children. I feel this way because I see children in my school who have been born and raised in this country, but whose parents grew up elsewhere. The parents still have strong accents, but the children talk very much like white American children do. They have very little accent, and I can assume this is due to the influence of their friends at school. My daughter has 2 close friends who are both Hmong. These girls speak English the same way my child does, with hardly any accent at all. Their parents, however, have strong accents and speak choppy English. I’ve been in both their homes, and they speak in their native tongue there so the influence has to be from their friends at school.

I strongly agree with Delpit that teaching children to speak proper English is of utmost importance, but we are not going to be able to cram it in them against their will. Children have to see a relevant reason for acquiring this skill, or else they are not going to put forth the effort required to learn it. I thought her ideas about the lessons on hair were very interesting. I wonder how many teachers would be willing to put that much effort into their lesson planning to try to make it more interesting for their students. Of course they are going to be more interested in learning if the topic is something they feel passionate about; that is true for a student of any age. Put me in a class about rebuilding car motors and I probably won’t be very attentive. Not all students are going to be interested in the same things, but it wouldn’t be hard to do a little survey and find some topics they were interested in.

One of the most striking statements to me was the one about how if we criticize the language children speak, we are insulting their family and namely their mother. This makes a lot of sense, as most of us learn to speak from our mothers. To say there is something wrong with the way we talk is to say there is something wrong with our mother. The way we talk is a part of our very beings, and if others are critical of the way we talk then we interpret that as them being critical of us as a person. I think it is extremely important for us as teachers to be accepting of the unique characteristics of all our students, but at the same time keep in mind the importance of teaching correct grammar to them. It is a necessary skill that will help them be successful in life.

Lorie Hedrick

In “‘Speaking Up’ and ‘Speaking Out’,” Henry discusses how Creole-speaking African Caribbean Immigrant girls are often left voiceless in the classroom. These girls rarely saw themselves in the curriculums they were asked to study. Therefore, they were less likely to become engaged and often viewed as low performing. Henry saw a need to “develop the self-expression, thinking skills, language awareness, and writing abilities of” female students (240). So, she attempted to give them a place where their voices could be heard - a place where they could discuss issues important to girls their age with the same cultural backgrounds. Henry picked books and movies the girls could relate to and asked them to respond through discussions, writings, and role plays. Throughout these discussions, Henry learned what difficulties these adolescents faced daily with Standard English, peers, identity, and prejudice. The girls learned to express themselves and share their views. They also gained self-confidence.
Having small group discussions where teenage boys and girls can get together to discuss topics important to themselves is a wonderful idea. Often times issues important to teens are swept under the rug because of the need to fit all the curriculum in. Middle schools around the country would be a happier place if such a program were in place. All teenagers struggle with fitting in and finding their identity.
The problem is ten fold when you are part of a very small minority not at all represented in the school systems. Teachers need to find movies, books, and articles about the various cultures in their classrooms in order to open the doorway to discussions and understandings. It should not be a “cultural awareness” day or “multicultural day.” It should be intertwined in the curriculum every day so their voices can be heard over and over again.

Elizabeth Noll looks at a different cultural group in her article, “Experiencing Literacy In and Out of School.” She was interested in how literacy played a role in the lives of Sioux Adolescents because reports showed American Indians do not perform as well as their white peers on standardized tests and are more likely to drop out of school. She found this was in part due to their lack of representation in the classrooms. Their cultural backgrounds were not taken into account. Inside the classroom they were average students who did not always fully participate in class. They were often mocked or misunderstood. Racial comments were common.
Outside of the classroom, the Sioux teens had lots of support from the home and community. They were read to at early ages by their parents and encouraged to do well in school. The community was involved in teaching them about their heritage and involved them in literacy activities.
There is obviously a gap between school and home. No matter what the geographical area all teachers need to bring the community into their classrooms. These teachers are missing out on some wonderful opportunities to bring the culture into their classrooms through guest speakers and field trips. Just think of the possibilities the Native Americans could teach all the children. It would be wonderful to see all the children learning about each other and not making judgments on color alone. Sometimes it is simply the lack of knowledge about one another that causes racism. Imagine how empowered the Native American Adolescents would feel if their culture became represented and understood in the classroom. I feel these teachers need to wake up and get involved with what’s going on outside the classroom walls.
As an educator it is my duty to make my classroom a community. A family meeting time is a time when we discuss issues happening within our classroom and try to solve problems. This could be one way to open the doors and give your students a voice. Children’s literature is another. Authors are becoming aware of the need for multicultural literature. Take advantage of the books and use them as springboards for discussions and writings.

Tamera Wilson

I found these articles very interesting. In Baker’s article, the idea of trilingualism is a realistic look at society. We all have a home language and a formal language. I know that I also have a professional language. I believe that being able to switch between the three can make a person successful, it helps you fit into a given situation. I want all of my students to be able to use all three languages so that they can have productive lives.
It’s hard to believe that Shannon’s teacher would just let her fail! I know that some teachers would probably just give in to her behavior problem and let her continue to be get away without doing her work. She is a child; she should not be able to be in charge of her education. I feel that it is my job for every child to succeed. Teaching fourth grade, writing is a large part of what I teach. I would never let a student just sit during writing time because they did not want to write. I would find a way to make writing fun. You just have to motivate your students, like Carter did. He took students who had no interest in writing and found a way to relate it to his students.

Dana Eudy

I had never heard the term “trilingualism” before I read this article, but it does not sound like a new concept to me. These articles all seem to share the same message: that children all come to school with their own familiar languages and we as teachers need to become familiar with those unique aspects and use them to our advantage in our teaching styles. You have to accept the child for whom and what he is, even if his way of speaking doesn’t seem proper to you. This makes me think back to my own childhood and how awkward I thought my mother sounded when she would come to school to see my teachers or talk with someone “important” on the phone. She didn’t sound like my mother at all!! Her tone changed, the words sounded funny to me, the yeahs turned into yes maams and I just thought she sounded snooty. Like I’ve said in other posts, I grew up out in the country, with parents who didn’t have much formal schooling. They talked like country people talked, and I am sure I made more than one teacher cringe when I started school. But even so, my mom knew how to change gears quickly when the need arose.

I think a key theme is that there does have to be a standard accepted form of a language in a society so that the members can communicate effectively with one another. How you talk at the dinner table or when you are just hanging out with friends is your own business, but there are situations that call for a more proper form of language. It’s the same with how you look as well. Our society expects us to dress a certain way for varying occasions. You wouldn’t go to a wedding dressed in your yard work gear or jeans and a tank top. I think that often children are scorned by their families for talking in a way different than they were brought up, for trying to get “above their raising” as my mom used to say. They are embarrassed to use proper English around the family because the family may jab at them or criticize them for abandoning their heritage. They feel torn between what the school tells them is right and what the family tells them is right. I strongly agree that if kids understand that as teachers we are not telling them their language is wrong and English is right, but rather that English in a proper form is a tool that they need to get somewhere in life, they will likely be more open to wanting to learn it.

I know we all say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but honestly don’t we all do that? We look at somebody clothes, hair, makeup, piercings, tattoos, etc. and make an instant judgement about them. A really good friend of mine once made the comment that teachers even have to be careful about what they put in the buggy at Wal-Mart, because somebody will see you and say something about it. It’s funny, but it is true. We judge people on so many levels, and the way they speak is just one of them. The bottom line is that different social settings call for different behaviors, be it dress, language, actions, etc. As teachers we should try to help our children learn how to switch gears between these different settings rather than telling them proper English is right and the way they talk is wrong. I loved her idea of letting the children critique each other, because they seem to be more accepting to hear criticism from their peers rather than the teacher, and they tend to be gut-wrenching honest with each other as well. Role play would give them the opportunity to practice using a language that may seem a bit foreign to them in a relatively safe setting.

Lorie Hedrick

America is a melting pot. Our country was settled with colonists from various countries, all of whom spoke in their own languages and varying dialects. Tolerance and racism has been an issue in our country for quite some time, and I doubt we will ever see the end of it. There is the image of what the perfect American should look like, what kind of house they should live in, what kind of family life they should have, and how many kids they should have. In our minds we picture June and Ward Cleaver or Howard and Marion Cunningham and think that’s what our lives are supposed to be like. How many people really live like that? The truth is that our nation is a mixture of so many different cultures that it’s hard to say what exactly American culture is. It’s a mixture of lots of different things. I grew up in an all white school. I teach in a school where white is almost the minority group. Of course the influx of so many languages and cultures is going to affect our education system.

I do feel strongly though that since English is our accepted form of language here, it should be used and taught in our schools. I do get very frustrated as a teacher when I can’t communicate with parents because they don’t speak English. I don’t consider myself to be racist or prejudiced, but I think that if you choose to go live in a country, you need to be willing to learn their language. I am not trying to anger anyone with my opinions, and I know this is a hot topic. It just seems odd to me that people would move to an English speaking country and make no attempts to ever learn the language. I do realize life for our immigrant families is difficult and that many of them come to America looking for a better way of life. It seems that learning to speak our language would just open up so many more doors for them.

I do agree that if you want to be successful in America, then learning to speak proper English is necessary. Just like the author’s mother insisted she speak in British to keep climbing up the success ladder, so it is true in our country today. Executives of big companies are not going to hire employees that they can’t communicate with. Communication is vital to a society’s survival; how can we say it isn’t important for an individual’s success within that society???

I did not quite understand why the author felt resentment towards her mother and anger over being forced to speak in English. I understand that she was teased by her friends, but kids tease each other over all sorts of things. It seems to me that her mother was just trying to see that she had opportunities to get ahead in life and providing her with the tools necessary to do so. Learning to speak English is not like learning calculus or knowing how to perform brain surgery; it is a necessary skill for just about any job I could think of. Why is such a fuss being made about teaching it to our students? Proper English is spoken in our government buildings, our schools, our medical facilities, our universities; it is our accepted form of language. If you are going to live in this country, you should be willing to learn to speak English.

Lorie Hedrick

I ain’t writin’ nuttin’

How many times have I been told by a student: “I don’t want to” or “I can’t, it’s too hard”? More than I can count. Like someone else posted, we all have had our Shannons, some years several of them at a time. Lots of kids come to school with the attitudes that could kill, and they refuse to cooperate with anything you want them to do. It seems that no matter what you offer, they balk and refuse to give it a try. I have mixed feelings about these children. On one hand, I agree that we as the responsible adult have an obligation to find a way to help them learn, and that we can’t just shrug our shoulders and turn our heads when they shake their heads no at us. On the other hand, being raised by strict parents in a house where disobedience or disrespect of any form whatsoever immediately gained you a swat on the backside, I am a bit angered at a child who blatantly stamps their foot at me and tells me no. I tried to think about what I would have done if I had been the teacher and Shannon had refused. I am certain walking away would not have been my reaction. My first thought would probably be “Oh yes you will write today!”, but I have learned from experience that you really can’t win by forcing a child in a situation like that. I thought that Carter had a clever approach with the music. Like it or not, we are competing with so many things to gain the interests of our students. The older they get, the more their attention spans turn to other things rather than school. In reality, everything about school can’t be fun and games, there are some parts of it that require more effort to stay interested in. We all say we care about our kids, why else would we be here?? It most certainly is not for fame and fortune, and nowadays not even for respect. Teachers seem to be getting bashed constantly and blamed 100 percent for the low performance of our students. And in some cases, it very well may be the teachers’ fault. There are good and bad in everything, but I dare say that most of us in this profession really do care and really do want our students to learn, and most of us do try our best to be the very best educator we possibly can. We go to great lengths to ensure our students learn, but even then some of them will inevitably fail. It is impossible to say that we will have every child on grade level and that nobody will ever fall behind. However, I think the teacher in the beginning of the article just wrote the child off and didn’t want to fight the battle with her. She just gave up and walked off. I hope and pray my own kids never have a teacher like that, one who just doesn’t want to bother with them and doesn’t push them even when they don’t want to do something.

Lorie Hedrick

Research can be interesting!
I learned a lot more about how research papers are conducted, I am not looking forward to writing one this involved. Both Henry and Noll chose unique populations to write about, I was very interested to the point I had to read all the way through before I stopped. I must admit I don't agree with all of the prejudice talk, I feel this word is used to much for any type of problem.
I see recurring concepts of the reluctant writer, participant in all of the articles we've read, until Noll. I hear the same excuses, “Do we have to do this?” “I don't have a pen?” etc. (Henry). I agree the problems run deeper than most people want to admit but as teachers we must address the needs of the child first, understand where they are coming from (not make excuses for them), and motivate them. I would like to have the time to dedicate to this, it would be a great after school “club” to let down their guard and be themselves, talk in whatever relaxed language they choose and listen in to what their concerns are, not necessarily school related. Page 246 (Henry) is a good example, talking about boyfriends and their parents expectations, society's expectations. Everyone benefits because they learn from their peers, and we could put some questions out there for them to contemplate upon. I believe very strongly that any club should be for anyone who wants to join in, alternating weeks perhaps for girls/boys and boys and girls separately. The interactions and independent actions would be a great study.
We are all important as is our heritage, I wish we could concentrate on how we are the same not how different. On page 234 it states that naming issues critical to their own lives gave them voice, I agree, our students' perspective of their life and history is an essential part of who they are and we must encourage their journey into that history, as long as it is not denying anyone else their identity. “Colonial literacy model” = “literacy for stupidification” is so true (Macedo 1993 p 204), I am happy to see history books being rewritten including various ethnic groups, class, and some women. It probably will not be in my lifetime that they include the influence women had on these events.
Page 235 mentions middle school is a critical time for intervention, I think the earlier the better, they are street smart etc. by third grade. The quote from Talking Back mentions again, all students in the class should have a chance to communicate their needs to the teacher, I see this in every article, I wish every teacher would act on this early in the year, include the families. I started our school program of visiting the neighborhoods years ago, it does break down barriers.
In the Noll article a good point is made on p 206 “what constitutes literacy and who possesses it?” I would like to get locally developed materials for the students literature classes as suggested by Begay, Dick, Estell, Estell, & McCarty, 1995, but where and how? I agree it would make a difference in students scores if they were reading about their world. I had to laugh at the mention of an after-school club on p 210, I thought of that when I read a previous article. Depending on my workload for Grad school I might take that on next year. I hope I will be as open minded as Noll, when she says she had to change her definition of literacy (p210), as I take on new research. Daniel wrote but reluctantly, and then misplaced his work, this tells me he is resisting “our” education system. His Indian education of dancing, singing and drumming are a higher priority. On the other hand I saw more promise of Zonnie succeeding because she did her “work” for school, but put her heart into her writing for herself. She realized this was a way she could immortalize herself and what was important to her, family and friends. Both subjects were proud of their heritage but Daniel wanted it his way and was doing poorly in school due to outside interests. They were both fortunate that someone set and example for them at an early age that reading was important. On page 223 Noll, a “bad way” of responding to her poetry would be trying to “fix problems and mix around words” is a good reminder to me not to try to fix everything, it takes away ownership of the piece.
Again the final thought is we must prepare all students for the global society we all live in and must therefore become productive members. I revised this so many times... sorry it is still long.
Grandma Cunningham

As I read the article by Henry I could not help but to disagree! Think of the Obama’s! Michelle Obama is black, wealthy, and a successful businesswoman! If all teachers are permitting the African American or cultural diverse women to be silent then how did Michelle Obama become so wealthy and well known! Look at Oprah Winfrey! She may have been educated like the article discussed but was able to pull herself together as an adult and today she is one of the wealthiest people in America! I cannot think of a Caucasian woman who has done the same. Can You? This article made me more aware of the importance of teaching the history of famous African American and how we benefit today from their creations or inventions! There are no books on our third grade book list that deal with cultural differences! I know that next year I will add some of these books to Cleveland County’s list. As teachers I feel that we all get behind from time to time in our teaching! When I find myself in this situation, the first thing that I ditch is history! What about you? History is not on the EOG so this becomes the first thing I mark off on my lesson plans when pushed for time! I am not sure about black girls learning to be silent, but I did have a caucusing AIG that was very quite this school year. When she wrote you would have thought that she was a high school student instead of a third grader! The journals discussed in this article are an excellent idea in which I will definitely use next year! I do not give my student options on if they want to answer questions in class. I pull sticks with the students name on them! This keep all students ready to answer at all times! This is a fair and consistent way to do classroom activities!
After reading the next article I will ensure that I read more cultural diverse literature in my classroom! I will try to cover all cultures represented in my classroom! This article took me back to my first year teaching! I had a student who was a Jehovah Witness! I was very careful that I did not make or let him participate in an activity that his culture did not approve of! However, I found him wanting to do more and more activities that he was not suppose to do! Looking back I now realize that he was just trying to fit in and to be liked! The parents still tell me to this day that I am his favorite teacher because "I loved him for who he was!" Wow this is a powerful statement after reading these articles!!!

Thanks for the podcast! If you have not taken Teacher As Research, you may want to take notes! This podcast would have really helped me if I had heard it before I took the research course!

It has occurred to me lately—and now especially after reading Henry and Noll’s research—that our textbooks and standardized tests, for starters, are written with the majority in mind. For a multi-cultured nation such as ours, this is a problem, but I don’t know that there’s an easy answer. For one, there has to be some sort of “standard” to work towards in our schools, right? I mean, we have to comprise some guidelines as to what our goals are and how we know when someone has reached those goals. These sorts of practices, then, lend themselves to many absolutes in our pedagogy; there just aren’t a lot of gray areas where we can work within this sort of paradigm. On the other hand, we are also responsible for teaching our children that life isn’t so cut and dry—there is, at times, room for negotiation and compromise. Isn’t this what the “tolerance” movement is all about?

On to the reports…These two research reports marry just about everything we’ve read so far: The need for students to be affirmed in the area of their home language; how kids interact one way in their school culture and then another in their home culture; and how we as teachers should not give our students permission to fail. You know, all of the participants in Henry and Noll’s studies needed to be affirmed in their home language and culture, and it wasn’t until then, that they seemed to open up and make themselves vulnerable.

I find it especially interesting that the teachers of Daniel and Zonnie gave a much different report of their school performance than the performance that we were seeing with the researcher. It definitely is because Noll was taking the time to understand their culture and home language. It’s important to point out too, I think, that the reason these children excelled more in their culture communities is because they are comfortable with people like them—people who aren’t going to call them names, make fun of their skin, the way they dress, or how they wear their hair. It’s important to point out too the importance of parental involvement. Can you imagine if Daniel and Zonnie’s parents weren’t involved in their education? Wow. They’d really struggle—especially Daniel.

The research on the African Caribbean girls was—as a whole—much more difficult for me to read with much fluency or comprehension. For me, it may be because I read it first, and the research-style writing is much drier than what we’ve been reading, and I had a very hard time switching gears. Even more so, though, is that Noll really made her students come alive on the page. I would imagine that she may have built a closer, more personal relationship with her participants because there was more of a passion there in the reading for me. Nonetheless, Henry’s report of the Caribbean girls further solidifies the notion that we need to affirm our students’ home culture and language and make great efforts to educate ourselves about their cultural background. It’s SO vital that we open up our minds to think differently than we’ve ever thought before and to teach differently than we’ve ever taught before! And lastly, every good teacher knows, certainly, that she should always have her eyes, ears, and mind perked and ready to learn from her students; we know that if we are paying attention, they’ll teach us how they learn best.
Erin Farrington

I would like to start by saying that in my school career k-12 and also in teaching, I have never really experienced any students getting short changed with their education. I grew up in a southern Indiana town that was 99% white, so there was no minority throughout any of my years of school. And now where I teach, the whole school is in the minority (most years I am the only white person in my classroom.) So, I am in the minority. I guess that means I have been lucky not to have seen students short changed with their education, but I know it is out there.

I found the Noll piece a little bit easier to understand. I learned a lot about the two students she did this research project with. I feel like I know these students based on the information she included. Henry did not put as much detail about her students in her article.

Noll picked two American Indian students who live in a predominately white community. Neither student spoke their parent native language which I found odd. Neither student felt that school was of importance although Zonnie knew she had to do what was required. Both students had a passion outside of school: drum group and poetry. Both students had a way with words. Zonnie wrote through poetry and Daniel only wrote when he liked the topic. As a child growing up, I have never been in a setting where I was in the majority and no minority, so I do not know how these kids are feeling. Noll knew a lot about these two students. I liked how she not only used their lives at school, but she also included their outside lives. One can not truly understand someone until they learn all about them. I am going to try to get to know my students more next year and find out more about their lives at home and their interest. I think if Daniel’s teachers did this he would have been more willing to participate in class and do assignments. He was much smarter than and C and D student.

Melissa Lange

Qualitative research is great when you want to develop a theory and quantitative research tests that theory. These articles showed huge results in their qualitative research, however both articles, just reiterated what I already knew: minorities have a difficult time learning in a “white” school. I understand this being a problem, but what I don’t understand is how to solve it. Does this state see the results of this research?

While I read Henry’s article, I kept getting irritated, at myself, at education in general, and at my school for several reasons. First, in Henry’s research it stated that “teachers who ignore issues in the lives of minority students leave them “voiceless.”” Why does it always have to be the minorities – my classroom was full of “voiceless” white children. Most of my students were from a very low socioeconomic background and therefore did not have a place in the “academic setting” (236). They did not have the “identity” or the “power.” It said that students were “reprimanded for using their first languages in the classroom” (237). Could it be – since voice is power (236) and the teachers didn’t understand their voice they felt powerless resulting in a reprimand?

Second, again in Henry’s research, it irritated me that she took a group of 7 girls and had a “private” lesson. They read The Diary of Latoya Hunter… so she could connect with the lives of the girls. During their discussions and writing assignments, they made connections as well as made inferences. I do that every day in my classroom. I have trouble getting my students to connect, because they do not have the background just like these girls do not. They know more about divorce, death, drugs, and deportation than vacations, historical landmarks, and sometimes even just happy times.

Finally, from Henry’s article, I was irritated most, because it made me feel helpless because I don’t know how to help my “minorities.” It stated that the “school’s ESL department practiced current approaches to developing reading and writing” (243). My school has one ELL person and I never saw her. I had 3 Spanish students (1 student just moved here 2 years ago) and 2 Hmong and no one helped me. My one Spanish student has no clue how to read on a 5th grade level, but she will be in middle school next year. How is she going to make it? These authors went out and did the research and published the results, but what is being done in the school systems, because of this research?

On the other hand, Noll’s article enlightened me some with the amount of parental support that Daniel and Zonnie have. In my school’s community, education does not seem important to most. Even though Daniel and Zonnie are minorities, their parents seem to have a strong desire for their children to get a good education. They also were involved during their early school years. I loved the solution Daniel’s parents came up with regarding the bullying (213). However, I was a little alarmed that Daniel’s parents didn’t seem concerned about his grades and his disorganization.

I understand that we have many different cultures in our classes and, as teachers; we need to learn them and to be respectful of them. On page 230, the quote stating (summary) – it is up to the educators to learn the specific information regarding the culture which will lead to more effective educational practices – says it all. However, one concern is time & resources and another concern is…………..EC.

Loren Van De Griek

The Henry article was very difficult for me to interpret. The scientific lingo and research verbiage obscured my comprehension of the study. The article is similar to those we have read, in suggesting that we as educators need be aware of different cultural “home” languages that are students have. Allowing students to “Come to Voice” is helping them to identify who they are as individuals and providing them the ability to express themselves freely, without prejudice or otherwise. It was extremely interesting reading about how each participant was able to “open up” in the small group discussions and begin to find themselves in regards to culture. When trying to find applications I could incorporate in my classroom, I had to keep in mind that this was a year-long process. Due to the already overloaded curriculum and the lack of resource teachers, this type of small group instruction is not applicable. However, I do think that at the beginning of the year I could do activities that help students express “freely” who they are. Through the use of diverse literature and relatable writing assignments, I hope I can help students feel comfortable in their being and appreciate who they are.
The Noll article confirmed for me that parental involvement is extremely important. Parents must take responsibility in helping their child develop—both academically and socially. Daniel and Zonnie’s parents recognized their child’s need for cultural awareness and therefore became active in their development. It is vital that parents realize they are their child’s first teacher! Without their ACTICE involvement their child is automatically placed at a disadvantage. That blame cannot be placed on the teacher!
Kim Shaw

I came away from the Henry article with a bad taste in my mouth. Why is it that some of these researchers can only pinpoint on the disadvantages of minority students? Coming from a rural town, there are several white students in my class that could be considered "voiceless" based simply on the criteria listed in the article. I also felt it unfair to other non-minority students that 7 Black students were taken from the classroom and placed into a small group setting to read and discuss a book as well as life issues. What student wouldn't benefit from small group interraction like this regardless of race? I strive to do things like this in my classroom as much as possible, but I also find it difficult to reach out and connect with some of my students that I don't have cultural similarities with. How can I connect with these children?

After reading the article on the Native Americans, I am amazed at how talented these two children are. I came away from this article feeling better than after the Henry article for one simple fact: it focused on the positive aspects of the culture instead of the negative issues. It was so refreshing to see the Native American families so involved with each other and so closely knit together. I especially enjoyed how the culture of these children was such a huge and positive part of their identity. It was interesting to see how involved in their children's education and success the parents were. One thing that annoyed me about the article was the attitude of the teacher and other students toward Daniel. I think that if the teacher had taken the opportunity to embrace Daniel's culture, everyone would have been enlightened by his talents and in turn more understanding. That is one thing I would like to take away from this article.

Erica Spicer

Speaking Up and Speaking Out

First I have to begin by saying this was a difficult article for me to read and understand. I didn't know what some of the terminology meant, but I think I still got the main jist of it. As I read this article and pondered the author’s discussions groups with these African Caribbean girls, I tried to imagine what I myself might feel like if I were in a similar situation. I think that in our country, as much as we try to say we have put race issues behind us, many American still harbor negative feelings about those who look or speak differently. I know that being a teenager was hard enough for me, coming from a pretty normal family similar to those of the other kids I went to school with. We were not wealthy, but I didn’t have the issues these girls had to overcome. It’s hard as a white woman to think about what it would be like to be of another color, and how many difficulties that would pose for you. Add in the language factor, and it’s no wonder these girls felt some insecurities.

For many children and teens, contribution to class presents some problems. Kids are often afraid to speak their thoughts for fear of being laughed at or made fun of, especially if you are not in the “in crowd”. I would venture to guess these girls were not part of the socially popular. The article mentioned how schools can produce fear about public speaking; if students feel threatened by their peers, either due to their speaking abilities or differences in opinions, why would they volunteer to share their thoughts? If I thought or knew that people would scorn me for sharing my thoughts, I would likely keep them to myself.

I thought it was an interesting situation the author created by meeting with these girls in a separate setting apart from the regular classroom. However, it didn't seem like a scenario easily replicated due to mere time and resources in the read world. I realize she was doing what she did for the sake of research, but not many teachers would have the time or resources to pull that off. However, this situationt gave these girls an opportunity to open up and be themselves, and even in this setting it took them a while to be able to do that. I wonder if that was so because of their own feelings of inferiority or if classmates’ teasing had caused them to become that way. When I was in high school there was a Vietnamese boy in my class. At that time there were not many immigrants in our area. He was in fact the first person in our school from another country. He started classes with us in 9th grade, and was immediately accepted and quickly became friends with almost everyone in the school. His English wasn’t very good at first, but he was very outgoing and brilliant. He always contributed to class discussions and nobody ever laughed about his language or accent. His family was upper middle class, so he had educated parents and dressed like all the other kids. The language issue didn’t keep him from fitting in and finding his way in our culture, so I have to think that there may be other issues at play with the girls in the article. Do black immigrants (or blacks in general) have more difficulties being accepted than Asian immigrants? Do girls have more trouble fitting in than do boys?

There was a comment in the article about how one’s voice is formed, not found, in a classroom setting. I think that statement is very powerful. Everything that happens in our lives helps to shape and form our opinions of the world around us. Our experiences at home as well as those at school form our opinions about ourselves and influence the choices we make in our lives. The play between Alice and Nadia gives us some insight about their plans in life: they are going to grow up and get married and take care of their families. It doesn’t sound like they have many academic goals, such as college or careers. Perhaps this is because in the cultures they come from, girls are expected to marry and be housewives. I doubt if many white American girls would be writing about cooking for and taking care of a husband. That’s just what was important to them, so it’s what they wrote about. At such a very young age, they had already resigned themselves to follow in the footsteps of their mothers and grandmothers, without thinking that maybe they could take another path. I am not saying that being a mom and housewife is demeaning, just that it didn’t seem like the girls thought they had any other options.

It seemed that by the end of the study the girls really began to open up and take more risks in their writing and oral contributions. I think the author found topics which the girls could really relate to, things that really mattered a lot to them in their lives at the time. In a regular classroom setting, however, even if discussing the same topics I don’t think they would have participated as much. Being in the small setting with similar peers gave them the security needed to takes risks in their learning, and opened up opportunities for them to contribute and share their thoughts and ideas both verbally and in writing.

Experiencing Literacy In and Out of School

Daniel and Zonnie both had their own set of complex problems to deal with. Daniel seemed to be having a harder time fitting in at school, but he also seemed to be more assertive in expressing his identity as a Native American. They both had their outlets of expression, Daniel with his drums and Zonnie with her poetry. But they both seemed to be floundering with literacy according to their teachers; they seemed to be the kids who took up a seat but didn’t really stand out as special in any way. The teachers only see them in the academic setting of school, a place where neither of them really shines as a star, so they are missing out on their unique abilities in music, dance, and composing. Even Zonnie’s abilities at writing poetry seem to go unnoticed because at school she is asked to write about things that don’t really matter to who so the teacher doesn’t see her true abilities. Both of these children are using literacy to a great extent in their personal lives, even if it isn’t in ways traditional schooling would consider academic. It is sad that they are not being given the opportunity to develop their talents in school, but at least they have supportive families that recognize their abilities at home and encourage them to persue their education. Zonnie was able to connect to her reading teachers, probably because they came closer to understanding her than any of her other teachers, but Daniel didn’t seem to really connect with any teachers or friends at school.

It is very sad to see children in situations such as this, but it happens much too often in our schools. Children are left out for many reasons, not just for their cultural backgrounds. Being a teenager trying to fit it is difficult for any kid, but I imagine that the difficulties increase dramatically for those of different ethnicity. I wish that there was an easy solution, one that could make these groups of students feel worthy and important and their ideas welcome in our classrooms. Unfortunately, racism is a difficult monster to defeat. It seems throughout the articles that we have read that the students seemed to respond best when teachers took the time to acknowledge these different cultures and validate these children as having a place in their classes. If the children feel welcomed and important, then they are likely to be more interested in trying to learn in predominantly white classrooms. It seems in both these schools the teachers didn’t do much to try to help the children fit in. I would think in areas with higher populations of minority groups, as was the case where these children lives, emphasis would be placed on the teachers and training given to them to help them understand how to be more accommodating. At my school, we have a high Asian and Hispanic culture, and we have had many workshops about the cultures and customs of these groups. It helps to understand why they do things the way they do, and it helps me as a teacher be more understanding of where my students are coming from and more patient with them as I help them learn.

Lorie Hedrick

These two articles have identified something that I have often thought to be true. Writing has to be connected to more than just content in order for it to become meaningful in an adolescent’s life.

The first article showed how a small group of African Caribbean girls learned to express themselves when confronted, through literature, with many of the problems they face in their own lives. The girls were able to make meaningful connections to literature in both speech and writing. They were able to think critically about what they were reading and how it connected to their own lives or what they saw in the world around them. These girls had not previously had the opportunity to express themselves this way in class, and therefore had been left voiceless in much of their educational experience. As teachers, we cannot create an environment where we take out seven girls and do an intensive literature experiment with them, but we can be conscientious about the literature we choose to have our students read. We can also create small, safe, student peer groups that allow students to express themselves in a way they may not be comfortable doing in a whole class setting.

I took particular interest in Henry’s statement that “it took those first few weeks to convince them that there is never only one “right answer”” (241). I find that many students have their voice stifled by the way reading is assessed in schools. They are often taught to find the one right answer and are not encouraged to form a personal response to their reading. By the time students get to high school some of them are so programmed to find the one right answer that it is a challenge to get them to think more deeply than that.

In Noll’s article she did research on two Native American teenagers. Neither of these teenagers experienced a great amount of success in literacy in the school sense. They were not seen as particularly successful students, but they both identified a personal connection with some form of literacy in their personal lives. So, my question as a teacher is how do we tap into these other literacy’s that children experience in their own lives. By tapping into these alternative ways of student expression, teachers would be able to more fully understand a student’s ability.
Teachers need to make a conscious effort to engage students in learning that feeds into their need for a sense of identity. Students must be allowed to discover who they are as they learn in school. They should be discovering things about themselves as they learn content information and not “be doing school work to be preparation for the following year” (226).

Shannon Keough

After reading “Speaking Up” and “Speaking Out,” I have to admit there was a little frustration. I understand that as educators, we need to make sure we are not short changing minority groups, but honestly, we have to make sure we don’t short change all groups, regardless, or race or gender. At the school, in which I teach, the white students are the minority. I give them no more special attention than I do my Hispanics, Hmong, or African American, because in my eyes they all deserve the same. In the article it stated that “Voice is identity, a sense of self, a sense of relationship to others, and a sense of purpose.” This voice is the same for every boy and girl, regardless of race. At the end of the selection, the academia was less of a concern, due to issues in the girls’ lives. I think this is true in a lot of situations in our public schools. Our students come from all walks of life, which influence their learning. That is why, it is so important we take the time to tap into our students lives. BUT when….? In the maybe 20 minutes I have to stuff down my lunch, or the few minutes of recess, when the kids are “by law” suppose to be “moving.” Our educational system does not give us opportunities to get to know our students. (I do the best job I can getting to know my students, and feel I do as well as I can in that area, but I am just pointing out that it is hard to dig deep into our students’ lives with all the other demands). It is hard to be a full time guidance counselor in the classroom, when the state demands we teach such a rigorous curriculum on top of everything else that has to be done in the classroom. Overall, we need to make sure we are short changing no one, regardless of race or gender.
Again, after reading the other selection “Experiencing Literacy In and Out of School,” I was still a little frustrated. I cannot really relate to middle school teachers and their responses about the two students in the case studies, but it does not seem that they know the two students very well. Having a self contained classroom, it seems it would be easier for me to get to know my students, because I have more time with them throughout the day. It is also frustrating that all you hear these days is that we need to be global, but yet we are not meeting the needs of the children in our own backyards. As educators we are going to have to be more creative in the ways we teach (Examples: multi-cultural fairs and projects). Also, as I was reading about Daniel, it made me think about the importance of doing interest inventories with students. The hard part is finding the extra time to go through twenty some or more for middle and high school teachers, to find out what the students are truly interested in and how they like to learn. Then, with all the extra money teachers are given, how we come up with the resources to meet their interests.
The podcast was very informative, and I feel it will be very helpful as I take the Teacher as Researcher class in the fall.

Heather Houston

Wow! I enjoyed Noll’s qualitative research study of Zonnie and Daniel. For only being in middle school, I feel they carry a lot baggage and intelligence with them. My heart goes out to both of them because they have to play two roles in life (learning in a predominately white public school and also carrying on the traditions of their heritage/family outside of school). Just like other articles we have read about non-whites fitting into two different “worlds”, the same goes for Daniel and Zonnie, whom amazed me with their talent in literacy and the arts. For being looked at as being disorganized/lazy in school (Daniel) and mediocre (Zonnie) their stories, journals, music, and poems were very impressive.
I wish I could have somehow helped Daniel with his sense of belonging in the school. I was slightly upset by the fact that white kids would pick on him and when his parents went to ask for help with this, there was no help from anyone. I give credit to Daniel for not wanting to use tae kwon do on those kids before given permission by his father. It must be very hard to want to be liked by others and instead he was verbally and physically abused by them. It makes me realized, that as a teacher, I must make connections with my students and understand why they might not be turning in assignments or focusing in class. He is a bright kid and if given a little motivation and encouragement from a teacher it might have pushed him in the right direction. Instead they sounded like they were frustrated with him when he did not turn in work. If asked “why” about these things, he might have told them and gave his teachers an understanding to his behavior/lack of assignments. It is not like he did not have supportive parents at home to push him if someone were to show interest in his academic talents.
Zonnie… what an amazing poet for only being 14 years old. I also felt much sympathy for Zonnie when she went on about how she enjoyed her reading teacher and that her teacher understood her love for reading, when actually the teacher said she didn’t know Zonnie liked to read and called her “mediocre”. We should be trying to lift up those mediocre students and pay attention to them, instead of allowing kids to think we are listening to them when we as teachers, don’t know what they are interested in. Zonnie and Daniel are falling through the cracks of our education system when there is so much that we could be encouraging them in. How disappointing. :(
In reading Annette Henry’s article on “Speaking Up” and “Speaking Out” I liked the literacy ideas she used to get African Caribbean girls to use their voice. Making connections through reading and writing using background that they can relate to makes for good discussion and allowed these girls to express their thoughts.
I also felt sympathetic for these girls as I put myself in their situation. To be in a new country, without some part of your family or living with relatives, observing different cultures, and trying to learn a new language, would be very scary for me and leave me voiceless as well. I would be afraid to speak up because I would be afraid to be wrong or offend someone. By the sounds of Henry’s article, the girls were able to eventually communicate theirs thoughts on reading and current events, along with discussing their feelings and asking questions.
The podcast mentioned that the qualitative research articles need to be “rich, thick, descriptions” on the research. In some way I felt this article way so descriptive in parts that I needed to go back and reread these sections many times. (Rereading it may have confused me more in some parts, but for the most case I understood her study and outcomes.) Side note: As curious as I was to know what Tamisha shared with the group, I found it sincere of Henry to not disclose this information. She obviously respected her enough to leave it out of her study. Kudos!
Barbara Terauds

Hello,
Better late than never. I have entered this class as a late add on and am trying to get caught up with the course overload I'm taking this summer.Here is some information about myself . I am a mother of two daughters. One is in Greenland in the USAF or better yet she is on top of the world. My other daughter is married with two boys, Trey and Clyde. They call me Nanny but I don't get paid. I am a teacher at Dudley Shoals Elementary in kindergarten where I have taught the past eight years. I am at the end of the MA reading leaving only the seminar and product left to complete after this summer session. I am currenly separated from my second husband and I have had my youngest daughter and two grandsons living with me since her husband is stationed in Korea at this time. She had been living there for the past two years where both Clyde and Trey had a career in modeling. Those who know me also know that these grandchidren are my world. I'm happy they are back in the Unitied States due to the missle crisis from North Korea. She was advised by the US Army to relocate back to the states because of red zone areas due to North Korea and their missle happy leader. In any case I don't have much else happening in my life at this time.I have always been interested in literacy due to my parents lacking a high school education. My parents are active readers with newspapers and Our State magazines. I grew up with my mother reading me fairy tells and telling me stories about The Three Little Pigs and such. I love to read romance novels and Barnes and Noble is a weekly shopping thing for me due to free readings of books and I love Starbucks coffee.I love children's literature and I have a library consisiting of over 1000 books in my storage building. I journal write daily after reflecting form the days events. I love to write and it keeps me on schedule and it's always nice to be able to look back upon incidences that have happened in the past. I just went to my thirty year high school reunion so now everyone can figure that I am the oldest one in this cohort. In any case, I'm very energetic and some people call me crazy because I am forever starting new projects that most people run away from. I look forward to blogging with everyone this semester and this class sounds really exciting. Thank you Dr. Jackson for allowing me to enter at this late date.
Robin Hand

As I read both of these case studies I noticed I kept underlining & making notes about two thematic similarities: trust & culturally relevant curriculum. While Noll & Henry approached their research and reporting in very different ways, both case studies made clear the need to build trust within learning communities while involving the student’s unique cultural background as part of a responsive and culturally relevant curriculum.

Before reading these case studies, I had never considered the need for researchers to establish themselves as trusted members of a community rather than simply as observers. On page 241, Henry explains that she worked to build relationships with the girls in her study groups before ever pushing them to extend their thinking or take emotional and educational risks. It was almost as if she needed to reprogram these girls both to trust her and to trust themselves, as opposed to the prior system “in which the teacher does the thinking, knowing, talking, and decision making, and in which the students passively comply and regurgitate.” Her research was tiered, with each tier represented by an increased level of trust.

Initially, I was turned off by her word choice and seemingly prejudicial opinion statements. However, I made myself read the whole case study twice. During round two I understood what she meant by calling the research “outsearch” in which her dedication to the young ladies in the study was more important that her objectivity as a researcher. I appreciated her clarification and believe it brought a degree of humanity to the study.

Noll explains from the very beginning that she is an outsider asking to be included in the American Indian culture. She worked to cultivate trust from the very beginning, inviting parental, educator, and student input. Her responsiveness to parent and student understandings demonstrated a dedication to the people involved in the study. (An example of this is found on page 211 when she changes the name of the club to “Literary” rather than “Literacy Club”.)

I wonder if the research and “best practice” information that is handed down from us from county and state educational decision makers considers the humanity who are represented by the numbers and figures?

Both studies also make clear the need for schools to create culturally relevant curriculum that works to facilitate social change. I would argue that it is impossible for students to find and utilize their “voices” in classrooms that don’t recognize their unique cultural backgrounds. I love the quote Henry includes on 236, “Voice is power—power to express ideas and connections, power to direct and shape an individual life towards a productive and positive fulfillment for self, family, community, nation, and the world.” I think we, as teachers, ultimately desire all of our students to find their voices, but maybe we’re falling short on this.

Noll points to the disconnect between what’s taught and what’s real in the lives of Daniel & Zonnie. Although there is no reference to “voice,” both students are seen as nearly invisible. They participate minimally in school instruction, although both clearly have strong literacy skills that carry over into their home communities. It’s not okay for us to say that students are “just kind of there” (225). It hurts my feelings for Zonnie, but makes me think of many of my young Hispanic ladies who love poetry, friends, and boys, but fall through the public school cracks.

I thought both studies were thought-provoking. I’ll admit that I need to work on finding ways to include more culturally relevant information in my instruction—likely in Language Arts & Social Studies. I love the idea of an after school club that would get into more real issues like Henry’s did. Any suggestions on ways to do that with administrative support?

Ruth Johnson

Noll really opened my eyes. I hadn’t thought of literacy in those terms. And I wrote my thesis in college on multiple literacies, and the effects of gender, behavior difficulties, and the home environment. So I KNOW there are multiple literacies, just as there are multiple intelligences. I just never addressed the arts; I mean, literally, the arts of music, dance, and art. Those Lakota and Dakota students made meaning for themselves in new and unique ways that I had not seen before.

First, I must say, I must be a little slow on the uptake. I mean, the grand objective of reading is making meaning, right? Comprehension is the ultimate goal, and when students can understand what they “read”, they are literate. But there is so much more to “reading” than I ever thought before. There doesn’t even have to be a letter recognition component, because stories can be told rather than written down. How incredibly novel, (no pun intended), for a story to be related rather than written. And that constitutes literacy! Well, making meaning of one’s world, making a place for oneself in an environment where I am the minority (or even marginalized) also constitutes literacy! Imagine that!

The students in the study were using reading and writing to somehow construct meaning in their lives. In order to understand how they did this, we must agree with Noll to broaden the definition of literacy and the construction of meaning through language AND other forms of expression. Decoding meaning from any of these forms means literacy is present.

Daniel was fortunate to have his parents to teach him about the familial ways. His father sounds like a wise man to me, and someone I would call “friend”, if he would let me. Daniel’s exposure to two different cultures makes him a gifted and richly blessed individual. But he must also struggle with ugliness in the forms of racism and discrimination from those who may not even appreciate his special gifts. Daniel could sing cultural songs of his people, could speak to others through his drum music, and could tells stories in ways we can not begin to understand. Daniel had trouble finding his way through “white man’s stuff”, and found himself uninterested in his politics, history, or current events. Really, no surprise there, Teachers! Daniel’s identity was clearly formed apart from the standards and objectives of any white man’s education, and the little importance that student placed upon its requirements should have been forseen by someone.

Zonnie found a way to express herself through poetry. Her feelings and thoughts found an outlet there. Zonnie had trouble writing, because the writing assignments were unconnected to her life. HINT… writers write what they know…that’s where good writing comes from. So how could we possible expect her to have any interest in those assignments? Even in her journal, the teacher rarely responded to Zonnie’s thoughts
( probably because he / she couldn’t relate at all!) Zonnie wrote about discrimination in her journal. She described her life’s experiences there, and tried to work out her questions and problems there. So literacy became for Zonnie, a way to deal with racism and her culture.

As educators, we must be aware of the many forms and disguises in which we can find literate practices in our students’ lives. I had never thought about literacy in these terms, but I will be much more on the lookout for signs of meaning being made through alternate means in my students’ lives.

Annie Croon

“Speaking Up” and “Speaking Out” is hard to critique. In fact, I was not sure what to discuss about the research. Should I comment upon the research topic, methods, or about the girls and their “voice”? While I cannot possibly understand what an immigrant from a black culture in the Caribbean experiences, I do understand their need for voice as a woman. On page 236 of the article the definition of voice was given in an extensive paragraph, which in turn prompted a question within me: “Where was my voice when I was in school?” It seems that education has lacked in this area for all students. Those in power of every society, namely, men, mandate curriculum! I can only try to empathize with minorities in society for I will never grasp the entirety of their dilemma.
The research of Elizabeth Noll was most interesting. The role of literacy including but not limited to reading, writing, music, dance, art, and storytelling opened my eyes. It caused questions to arise about my own definitions of literacy and then to change them. Making meaning is what it is all about and I believe this researcher did an excellent job. What I came to realize about the Native American youths is that they above all of us have the best understanding of their identity! What other culture has such a rich heritage still right in front of their eyes? What other group of people are still passing along their traditions so clearly in the United States? I do not know the answer to those questions but the author of this report made me aware of the importance for the participants of the research. I hope they grew to appreciate it as well. Racism is not a situation to take lightly. Hatred damages parts of ones well-being that may not heal. We all have experienced it in some form or another because children (as well as adults) can be very cruel. However, Daniel and Zonnie have goals and values that are enviable for most people. Not only have they learned to read and write in the traditional sense but also in the Native American ways, supported by their families. This is what I see lacking in many of our cultures today.
Janet Gross

Both articles were extremely interesting and hit home for me. I found it intriguing that in both articles there were subgroups/minorities which envisioned themselves as less than most; or perceived themselves as possibly not having a “voice”.
In Noll’s article of the two American Indians students and the perception of the teachers about their students’ lack of skills in reading and writing is despondent, but true. Unfortunately there are teachers who look at students’ economic situation, and/or their cultural backgrounds, and they make judgments about the students’ abilities to perform. Sometimes, it isn’t the student’s lack. Sometimes it is the teacher’s lack of knowledge of the student’s culture/heritage. I found it sad that the U.S. Dept. of Commerce reports “that American Indian students score an average of 57 points lower than White American students on the verbal SAT, and that only 66% of American Indian students graduate from high school nationwide”. Knowing statistics like these are shocking and we all, educators and concerned citizens alike, should be alarmed and willing to do whatever it takes to close this gap. Low level remediation of these students isn’t the answer. Not only do we as educators need to use their dual linguistic skills to our advantage. We also need to learn more about their culture and way of life and let the students make connections through their music, dance and art. With these literary devices all ready in place, and we are all working together for one common goal, we can definitely close that gap.
I thought Henry’s data was innovative and interesting. It’s true…we either look over the black female in our classrooms, or we define who she is by her social calendar or how mature her body has developed. Regardless if you agree or disagree with the previous statements made, we all have been guilty of this in one form or another. I applaud Henry’s ability to collect the data (and understand this group is being over looked and sometimes under-served in our classrooms); establish these particular young girls in a group, get them talking and trusting her, and ultimately get the girls reading and writing. During Henry’s research/out-search I think she did learn a lot about herself, the students she studied, and how to conduct research. I think we as educator can take a listen to the way she listened to these girls and got them to talk out and speak up…I believe these girls found their VOICE!
Toni Wheeler

I really enjoyed reading the Henry article. How wonderful that these girls were given an opportunity to meet as a small group. These girls were very lucky to have a time where they could talk openly about school, boys, and their home lives. I love that Henry chose a book for them to read as a group. This is a great way to prompt discussion, and because the book was so closely linked to their lives, it was a great way for the girls to make literary connections. Each girl kept a journal, which any adolescent would benefit from, but especially ones who were so far out of the cultural loop. It got me thinking about how every teenaged girl would benefit from an experience like this. I think many young girls feel as though adults don't care about them or what is going on in their lives. These girls knew that someone did. I feel like a program modeled after this, for all middle school aged girls could help them more clearly make good choices as they go on through high school and college. This close intimate group (with no boys allowed!) allows girls to speak freely about issues concerning them.

I really admire Daniel from the Noll article. Not many children would continue to embrace their unique heritage after getting ridiculed and ostracized by their peers, especially during adolescence, when children are so impressionable and unsure of themselves. It is a shame that kids can be so cruel. Daniel seems like such an intelligent and talented boy, yet these traits go unrecognized by his peers. As a result Daniel feels like he doesn't fit in at school, doesn't put in any effort, and is not doing well in academic areas. My heart also goes out to Zonnie. How sad that already she is counting down the years until she is done with school. As a teacher I find it truly amazing that Zonnie is a talented poet (and she enjoys writing poetry!), yet she doesn't like school. She says she can't wait to get home so she can spend time with her family. I guess she feels as though they are the only ones she can relate to since she looks and lives very different than her white peers.
Kelly Beckley

Wow! These journal articles were quite a change from what we had been reading! The podcast was helpful processing and understanding what I was reading. This was my first introduction to qualitative vs. quantitative research. My mathematically focused mind immediately began looking for statistics and numbers, so I had to train my mind to read this differently. I actually listened to the podcast after reading the first article and it affirmed many of the things that I had been wondering while I was reading. I wondered how I was to be sure that the research we were reading was quality (other than the fact that Dr. Jackson wouldn’t give us unreliable research for this course!) That question was answered for me in the podcast!

I enjoyed both articles, but I especially enjoyed the journal by Noll. I have been on several mission trips to the Native American reservations. When we go on these trips we usually go to the neediest parts of the reservation to help. Because of my narrow exposures to Native American cultures and the fact that all of my exposure has been based on the lowest income areas, I went into reading this article with some preconceived ideas. Some of the research that I read was not really what I had expected. I had never really thought about the parents being so concerned about what the data from researchers would look like and what it would say about their children. I was intrigued by the fact that the parents asked Noll to change the name of her literacy club to literary club to make it sound more academic. It made me wonder how we are sometimes perceived when we go there to do missions work. Most of the Native American people that I know are very proud of their heritage, so I hadn’t ever thought about their concern over what research could be falsely skewed to portray. I was pleased to note that Noll did ask parental permission, explained the research to be done, and accepted feedback from the parents before beginning, which shows that the research is quality!

On page 206 Noll explains that “students’ cultural and linguistic differences frequently are perceived as deficiencies” when actually a lot of times differences result from miscommunication between Indian children and non-Indian teachers. Once again, something that I hadn’t really thought of, but something that makes so much sense. I can see how this could easily happen in the classroom. On a much minor scale I try each day to make sure that this doesn’t happen with my speech kids. For students with severe speech delays one would think that they simply cannot read if you didn’t understand how to listen beyond their speech challenge areas. I can see how a minority student could feel even more misunderstood—in language, culture, etc.

In both articles I found one large common thread—students must be educated in a way that is meaningful and authentic to their own life. The tie of home to school is crucial in academic and social aspects. Once again we saw the drama scenario and observed how effective it was in teaching language. It seemed that students were much more willing to write when they could include their lives in their writing and when they could write things that would be helpful in real life—like notes, phone messages, journal entries, poems, etc. For each child it seemed to boost their sense of belonging and their confidence when they could feel secure in their culture, language, etc at home and at school.

Jessica Jackson

Both articles were extremely interesting and hit home for me. I found it intriguing that in both articles there were subgroups/minorities which envisioned themselves as less than most; or perceived themselves as possibly not having a “voice”.
In Noll’s article of the two American Indians students and the perception of the teachers about their students’ lack of skills in reading and writing is despondent, but true. Unfortunately there are teachers who look at students’ economic situation, and/or their cultural backgrounds, and they make judgments about the students’ abilities to perform. Sometimes, it isn’t the student’s lack. Sometimes it is the teacher’s lack of knowledge of the student’s culture/heritage. I found it sad that the U.S. Dept. of Commerce reports “that American Indian students score an average of 57 points lower than White American students on the verbal SAT, and that only 66% of American Indian students graduate from high school nationwide”. Knowing statistics like these are shocking and we all, educators and concerned citizens alike, should be alarmed and willing to do whatever it takes to close this gap. Low level remediation of these students isn’t the answer. Not only do we as educators need to use their dual linguistic skills to our advantage. We also need to learn more about their culture and way of life and let the students make connections through their music, dance and art. With these literary devices all ready in place, and we are all working together for one common goal, we can definitely close that gap.
I thought Henry’s data was innovative and interesting. It’s true…we either look over the black female in our classrooms, or we define who she is by her social calendar or how mature her body has developed. Regardless if you agree or disagree with the previous statements made, we all have been guilty of this in one form or another. I applaud Henry’s ability to collect the data (and understand this group is being over looked and sometimes under-served in our classrooms); establish these particular young girls in a group, get them talking and trusting her, and ultimately get the girls reading and writing. During Henry’s research/out-search I think she did learn a lot about herself, the students she studied, and how to conduct research. I think we as educator can take a listen to the way she listened to these girls and got them to talk out and speak up…I believe these girls found their VOICE!
Toni Wheeler

These two articles were very interesting because the students in the acrticles felt unheard and without a voice. In the Henry article these girls felt that they must become silent to blend in. I was frustrated by this article because I felt that the fingers were being pointed at teachers for not doing their part. I feel that teachers do the best they can with the students they have. I think that middle school is not just an important and critical time for these girls but for all students of this age. Why did just these students get pulled out. There are many situations that all children this age are going through and we as teachers need to figure out how to help them but I don't think it was fair for just these girls to get pulled out just because of their race and their language skills. In the article Henry stated that "traditional forms of literacy education have required silence, invisibility, and other forms of accomodations." My question to this was why does this author think that these girls voices have been silienced. She never seemed to really explain this she just kept stating it. I feel that yes teachers need to try to bring in students culture into teaching about things that they can relate to, but there is so much for teachers to get through in a year that we are lucky if we just get the required things in.

I think the Noll article was very interesting too. I felt very bad for the way the students percieved themselves and struggled with their culture and how to find a happy medium with their school lives. They seemed to both feel more comfortable outside the school environment and they thought of school as a job that they wanted to leave there everyday. I found it very interesting how the Native American children used music and art to interpret reading and writing. I had never thought the way they had with music and art. I do however think that these children were very intelligent and that they just were not as interested in school. They had many other different things going on outside of school. I think that Daniels teachers did try to engage him in the classroom with some of the choices in work but he was just not interested in them. I think that he felt that his teachers were not trying very hard to see who he was as an individual and therefore he just became voiceless and they thought that he was not a fard worker. I think that Zonnie had more friends but she did not like the attention that they gave her about her poems. She felt that her work was personal and that it shouldn't be read outloud. I feel that Zonnie still felt like she disappeared because her teachers did not take an interest in knowing who she was either.

I know that as a teacher I take all my students interest at heart. I make sure to learn about who my students are and to make sure that they are not falling silent or voiceless in my classroom. I think this happens more so in the upper grades, middle, and highschool level. So many children come through those doors of the classroom and I think that the teachers have a hard time finding the time to speak and learn about these students. I am fortunate enough that in kindergarten I am able to spend ample amounts of time with my students and make sure that they are being heard.

Megan Machuga

After email, Internet, and computer issues I am trying to play catch up. It was a matter of everything that could go wrong with technology, actually going wrong for me.

My name is Caroline Walker. I teach ELL at Longview Elementary in Hickory. My school is about 95% free and reduced lunch. We are also a school whose students are mostly minority students, with a large population -- about 1/3 being ELL students.

2009-210 will mark my 7 year teaching ELL, before that I taught 4th grade. I am entering my 11th year at Longview and I absolutely love my school and the students. It is challenging, rewarding, frustrating, inspirational, and I absolutely love it. I honestly cannot imagine teaching at another school with another type of student population.

I am looking forward to this class helping me better reach and teach the students at Longview.

These articles really hit home to me because this is an issue I run into every day of the school year. We are constantly walking the in between making sure our students know when and where to use a more formal language.

Before they come to school, the children have had 5 -6 years of exposure to their home language. It is ingrained in every fiber of their being, but they also have to know how to speak correctly in the situations that require it.

The children's home language can be respected while teaching them the more formal English. Dowdy seems almost resentful that her mother and grandmother demanded she know how to speak in certain situations, but she knows that without that she would not be where she is today. None of us would be. All children living in the United States have to be able to communicate in English. However, like I stress to my ELL families, it is vital they do not lose their home or native languages. Language is a link to culture and all cultures should be valued in our society. It is important for teachers to recognize the contribution of each child's culture and language to theit school, classroom, and lives.

I have learned so much from my students and their families -- about history, cultures, values, traditions, and language. Each language and culture is an important part of the world as a whole. Not knowing the that another culture, religion, lanuage, and way of life, while not being yours, is just as improtant to the people it belongs to as ours is to us.

Delpit brings in Ebonics and the language of Africa-American homes. I hear that a lot in my school with our students being that our school is predominently African-American. Not only do I hear it, I use some of that language myself. We have a discussion yearly that at home and in their neighbor hoods, how they say words such as police and sandwich among others is different than what they will hear in, for the most part, the media, in professional, educational, and other settings ourtside their homes and neighborhoods.

We have taught our children what is acceptable to their homes and neighborhoods might not be as acceptable to society as a whole. Knowing when and where to "code switch" is important. Often times my way of speaking in an informal setting -- like with friends and family -- is "lazy."
I drop endings, such as saying, "I am drinkin' a glass of water," instead of, "I am drinking a glass of water."

I am more conscious when working with my students and when talking to colleagues to use the more formal (correct) way of speaking.

I think it is important to be able to understand and respect your students' home language, while making sure you arm them with the tools to use in more formal settings.

In addition to these two articles I thought the ABC News piece on Michelle Obama was really important. No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, I do not understand how anyone can deny that the election of our nation's first African-American President has had a profound effect on our minority students. I have noticed for the first time in my teaching career little boys and girls from minority cultures who don't just want to be president when they grow up, they believe it is possible.

The children have seen that it is possible to achieve greatness even though much of your background might give you an excuse to fail. Students are now more conscious of how they speak and of their goals in life. They know that President and Mrs. Obama speak correctly, went to college, worked hard at their jobs, and while they made mistakes along their way to success, they did not allow those mistakes to define them or cripple them. They learned and grew from those mistakes as we must all do. Along the way they happened to inspire people around the world.

My students and others students at my school see themselves in the Obamas. They see all the possibilities of their lives. They know that with enough hard work and, "doing what the teacher says," they can also achieve more than they people who surround them have.

Caroline Walker

These articles took me a while to read, I just couldn’t get into them. It’s hard for me to relate to the students in the articles, I am a white female from a middle class family. It’s sad that we as teachers sometimes do not realize our students’ potential, like in Noll’s article about Daniel. I’m sure that I probably have had students that read more at home than at school because it is more interesting to them. I try to let my students have free choice reading time in class so that they are encouraged to read something that they want. I find it amazing that the parents were so involved in their children’s education and wanted the best for them. This is not really who I am used to teaching to. Most of the parents I deal with do not even bother to call me back.
Daniel may have not liked to read at school but he has so many other talents. I’m very glad that Daniel didn’t give up on who he is. I’m not sure that I could say the same, if my classmates were constantly teasing me. I also can’t believe Zonnie’s love for poetry, this could be because I hate it. If Zonnie was in my class, I would do everything that I could to encourage her to keep writing. It’s not often that a teenager would rather write poetry than hang out with her friends. Being a teenager is hard enough, but being different makes it even harder.
In Herny’s article, I think that it is great that she tried to choose books that relate to the girls’ lives. Our culture is an important part of who we are. I also liked how she told them that there was not just one answer. It’s sad to think that so many students think that their voice is not important. I want all of my students to feel comfortable in class and to be able to contribute to our class discussions. I know this is easier said than done. No teenager wants to say something wrong in front of their peers. It is hard enough to fit in, let alone be from a different ethnicity. I have always taken my life for granted.
I want to make sure that all of my students have a voice in my classroom. It doesn’t matter to me where you are from, in my class we are a family. I need to make sure that all of my students get a chance to speak up when they have something to say. I never really considered that my ESL students did not speak up in class for these reasons. I have also never really studied any of my students’ cultures. I try to be respectful when I know about certain topics, but I have never really gone out of my way to research their cultures. Next school year I am going to be aware of the differences in my classroom. I also am going to make sure that my students feel like they have a voice.

Dana Eudy

As I have said before, I teach in a school where minority students are the majority. At one point we did not have the 40 white students being tested needed to make a subgroup in grades 3-5. Our teachers have to be able to relate to their students home language -- whether it is Spanish, Hmong, or a less formal language of English.

All of us, especially in education, speak at least 3 forms of the English language -- home, formal, and profession. Using any of those 3 in one of the other settings might get raised eyebrows and questions. It is important to know all of them. Most people would feel uncomfortable with a doctor who asks his or her patient, "What be the problem which you today?"

We also shouldn't expect children to have formal language at all times. Children learning English and coming from homes where English is rarely, if ever spoken, are going to have issues mastering it. The younger they are when they start learning to speak English the quicker they will learn.

In the Ladson-Billings article, I could not understand how a teacher could let a child opt out of learning ever. MOst of my teaching career has been spent in a classroom where my race was the minority of the faces and backgrounds. My first year teaching 4th grade at my school, there were only 5 white studnets out of 27.

I tried to put myself in the position of a teacher with 27 students and only 5 were not white, and I could better understand the fear that might go into allowing a child to not even try. People, for the most part are very skittish is discussing race.

As a woman from a white, middle class background, I know that there is nothing I can read, watch, or listen to that will really, truly let me know what is feels like to be an African-American, Hispanic/Latino-American, Asian-American, or anything other than what my experiences are. Even the most empatheitc of us will not have the experiences that build into those perspectives. When I was going through licensure to become an ESL teacher I had to take a course called "Multicultural Perspectives in the Classroom," to help us better understand where our students were coming from and what their perspective of the world might be and why. I thought at the time it was a course that should be required for all education majors.

At my school, many of the teachers have for years brought in things from the outside world that the children know and understand to help build what they need to know and do.

Caroline Walker

Dowdy evidently had a difficult time trying to please her superiors and family with linguistics and language logo. It seems that language barriers really shouldn’t exist due to a right and wrong way to enunciate words. Why is there a certain way phonetic sounds should be pronounced and considered correct even if a student has a different language background?

Why should other cultures have to adapt to the English linguistics when their dialect is just as important as any other cultures. Having to play two different roles in life has to be difficult. Prejudice comes to mind here in my opinion. The article opens my mind to appreciate all languages and respect ones culture and the language that is a part of the person that makes all specimens their own individual.

Both articles refer to switching dialects and the controversy over which dialect should be for the common good. Who’s to say that in the work place or at school that ELL learners should lose the dialect from their culture. There needs to be open communication when it comes to delegations and political issues however code switching should not be mandatory for African Americans or any other culture for that matter.

This article opened my mind to appreciate other races dialects and to respect all languages. Maybe we should all resort to sign language and that way no ones individuality would be disrespected. Then maybe people would appreciate just having the ability to communicate with each other. I personally have often spoken with that country southern slang that has been questioned by my superiors and has often been commented on in New York and northern states. People definitely know that I am from the south when I speak it is obvious but also is my own individual being and I am proud to be southern. As a teacher I respect creative thinking writing and certainly want all students regardless of ancestry to be proud of their heritage.

Robin Hand

I must say that this has been the most interesting article that I have read so far.
I really enjoyed how the author went into great detail on the Sudanese children and the storytelling ability. In my opinion this made it easier for these children to fit in and to be liked by other US children. The Sudanese children loved to tell oral stories about their history, their past, and the obstacles that they encountered while migrating to the US. I also enjoyed how the American children loved to hear the Sudanese, “Lost Boys”, stories. This made fantastic history lessons for the children. I also liked how the author discussed that need for children to narrate to remember. This is a wonderful way for children to learn something new and to remember it. The author also discusses the issues of how the Sudanese parent’s told oral stories every night and how they expected the teacher to read the written stories. Even thought the Sudanese parents may have not read to their children they definitely gave them lots of background information to build upon in school by spending time with their children, attending evening gatherings, and even telling their children their history through oral stories. By the students having more background information it makes it easier for a child to learn to read and write. In the US today the majority of the children do not get this from their parents. Their parents are to busy in their daily lives to slow down and read or tell stories to their children. Today is seems that more and more children are raising themselves. This is such a shame! Hmm what about the social services agencies taking responsibility for the refugees. This really made me mad! I have, one child by my ex-husband, a five-year-old son whose father was killed in a car accident on June 5th of this year. His father provided insurance for Dylan. When I went to social services they will not even help me to get insurance for my son. I am the only parent that Dylan has, his father will NEVER be back, and they refuse to give me any help with insurance! I am a fourth year teacher and I make to much money!! HAHAHAHA! To me social service can help people that are not from the US but refuse to help the people who really need the help. Any way moving on! I also like how the author described the girls as being unable to socialize with young unmarred men. This reminded me of slavery. Small numbers of females or not they should be allowed to talk openly and freely not matter who they are or what race they may be! I also enjoyed the story about the school in Kakuma. All children were expected to do something either write or they could present to the audience. They were not just allowed to sit their and do nothing.
Misty Mistretta

The Noll article had me confused as to the similarities and differences between Lakota and Dakota Indians. I didn't know if, while they were both Sioux, if there are different cultures/language of Sioux -- much like the term "Asian" is broad and then you define them more when you label people of Asian descent and begin to define them as Hmong, Vietnamese, or Chinese: I wondered if Sioux was a broader term used to describe a group of Native Americans. I have not had as much experience with American Indian students as I have had with students from other backgrounds and this was something that peaked my curiosity.

Both children in Noll's article are very proud of their culture and are seen at and participate in cultural events.Daniel's teachers recognize his intelligence, while they are frustrated his scatteredness and the fact that he doesn't seem to care whether or not he turns in the work. He will write stories but he seems to edit them as he tells them. He becomes discouraged if his work is not singled out by teachers. Daniel seems to be torn, while proud of his heritage he also wishes he could blend in more with the white world.

Zonnie on the other hand would rather work on her poetry than spend time with friends. At an age that has most children seeking to break away from their families, Zonnie still enjoys spending time with her family and is close to them. Like many of the children I teach, Zonnie's father has spent much of her life in prison and other family members have helped her mother raise her.

While Daniel still is very active in different cultural groups, Zonnie has started t break away in ways like no longer taking part in a traditional dance group.Both children have been the victims of racism in their lives - both in school and out of school. While Daniel becomes discouraged by the lack of teacher response to work, Zonnie feels more free to express herself.

Both children in Noll's article have families who support them and their education. The families of both children have been part of supporting their literacy. Daniel and Zonnie come from families who are very active in the cultural community. Both children have experienced racism and have written about the racism they experienced.

As educators it is important to acknowledge our students' experiences, even if they make us squirm. We can make it possible for them to feel free in their wirting while still acknowledging their work. We have all had students like Daniel, and we know getting tehm to turn in work is half the battle. We need to make sure that those children feel rewarded so that they will want to turn in the work on a more regialr basis.

At the same time we have all had students who, like Zonne, can get lost in the crowd because theya re quiet. They do what is expected and are more "middle of the road" -- not trouble makers and not the top students.

Henry's article focusing on girls of African Caribbean descent was of major interest of me as I have had and do have students who come from that area of the world. All children must be given the freedom to explore their literacy through writing. Teachers must be aware of dialect and of native languages. Sometimes in wiritng the native language and English meld and a kind of new language is created. This happenes when children are speaking as well as writing.

At one point, as a 4th grade teacher, I had a student who moved to HIckory from Brooklyn. TH epoor thing spent the first six weeks asking me, with my very southern accent, to repeat everything. Children coming from one of the African Caribbean will have this type of experience also.

Journal writing is a more free way for children to express themselves. In my class children have journals. If they are writing something they do not want me to read, they fold over the pages they do not want me to read. If they do not trust me to keep my word, the can staple the pages in question. They can not do this every day, as I do respond to each child's journal at least once a week.

When a child comes to the United States not only must they learn the langauage -- both social and academic -- but they must also learn what social norms and how to navigate their way through these norms. It is difficult for me to imagine being far from home, in a strange country surrounded by a strange language being spoken to people who do not look like me or dress like me or eat the foods I like. All of that then being thrown in to school and expected to speak, write, and read in a langauge I was only beginning to learn and do it formally.

Caroline Walker

Oral tradition has been around since the first human, we keep adding new ways to communicate. I believe the face to face, personal touch is best. However this piece did an excellent job demonstrating the need for a wider audience for the stories that need to be told. Literate people have a voice that reaches beyond the borders and can let the world know the truth about the dark side of humanity. It is hard to help someone if you don't know they are in need.
I do believe being literate meant having access to power for these young men. The fact that they spoke many languages tells of their intellect, which they learned from their elders. The story telling from when they were young helped shape who they were, it provided cultural models to be followed. I liked how Perry made connections by tutoring and mentoring before starting the research, she showed she genuinely cared about them, as we must do. It was interesting to see how they moved from being a listener until they had no more elders, to telling the stories, writing papers, acting out scripts, media interviews, internet, and ultimately the United Nations. These are goals we must help our students set, learn all you can and then reach out to others.
It was smart to include units on “oral literature” in the curriculum at Kakuma high schools, utilizing traditional African stories as official texts create powerful experiences for the students' identity. I am thankful that so many churches go overseas and provide the means for children to learn to read and write in their local language This allows for them to pass on important cultural and historical information. As they mentioned, once they were in the camp they had to rely on letters being posted to get to others, the written word was the only communication they had, their families were gone. The chart on p 339 explained the transformed storytelling very well, the purpose, audience and medium changed, giving a voice to the many that had been silenced. Perry did a thorough job and made the point, literacy is liberating.
Grandma Cunningham

This article was the hardest for me to read and follow. It was monotonous. It was repetitive. On the other hand, it was very inspirational.

From storytelling to writing gave me hope that my students will succeed, that my students will care, and that my students will share their stories. As I read it, I tried to put myself in the “Lost Boys’” shoes. I couldn’t. They came to a new country not knowing anyone and yet through storytelling they maintained their identity and furthermore shared it with the “outside world.”

These boys were from a world where they relied mainly on oral methods of learning; as Chol described, “No paper written….only in mind,” (350). I could not imagine moving to a new country, and in order to learn, I would have to read. I don’t think I would get very far, and yet, these boys embraced reading. Ezra stated that reading and writing are very important and he learned this in Africa. He said that his ability to read and write prepared him enough and got him to where he was (337).

These boys went through so much, but they persevered. They did not give up. They supported the American ways, but kept telling stories to keep their culture alive. As a result, their stories are being told today and educating the world and possibly changing the world.

Loren Van De Griek

The article Trilingualism focuses on African American language and the loss of idividuality in the classroom. Students of a minority definitely are at a disadvantage in the social and academic world. As a teacher I must try to meet the needs of all students reagardless of whether Hispanic, African American, or Hmong. Why should we cater to the majority? Does this make our job easier by making minorities learn another culture's dialect. I like the code switch idea but how many children are prepared for formal language when presenting or job seeking? I find that self expression is a must and children should be allowed there own language of which adults should accept to a certain extent. It's like when I was growing up my mother used to correct me when I used what I thought was a word,"ain't." My mother would say," Don't say aint" say "I'm not" or "I won't do that"etc. This is minimal compared to the Trilingualism article where cultures are subdued due to enunciating words. It's sad that somenone can be brilliant in an area of theier own expertice but be subdued because of a language barrier or conflict of interest.
In the Ladson-Billings article, no child should be overlooked or excused from learning in the classroom. It is the teacher's responsibility to reach all Ell learners as well as inviting them to share their culture and language with the class. Teachers should accomadate all forms of language barrieres by introducing new and engaging games, visuals, and hands on matereials in the classroom. Each student regardless of race should feel a part and the teacher should be the mediator and creator in making this happen. I know we all have our objectives we have to follow but when students do not feel apart of the process, then we will have more drop-outs and social problems will always be at rise.
Everything new we can introduce from the world around us will help all cultures to better understand each other and maybe one day everyone will leave the prejudice behind and get on with collaborating with each other on working out solutions to these problems.
Robin Hand

“From Storytelling to Writing: Transforming Literacy Practices among Sudanese Refugees” was an incredible work! My heart was broken concerning the plight of children in this Sudanese war and their eventual escape to America. The questions posed by Perry in this research were appropriate and answered with clarity. Why have the white cultures of the United States not passed along history, philosophies, or identities through storytelling? The heritage of this nation, with the exception of Native Americans, came from other lands. Why then is our culture not filled with rich experiences in oral language? It’s baffling.
Perry was in an excellent position for conducting this research, being closely tied with African experiences. The Sudanese community in Michigan embraced her and provided insightful documentation. I was enthralled with the stories of the participants and their desire to learn new ways of life, transform old ways of storytelling, and keep the traditional ways of storytelling. Transformations the refugees had to make for storytelling began as verbal accounts of their escape to local strangers. Afterwards, it also became a written story that would reach around the world. This transforming literacy is an example of something that continues to evolve.
One of the most inspiring parts of the whole study was how these children did not give up, whine, or make excuses. They made themselves accountable for what happened to them after the horrifying ordeals they experienced in Africa and the United States. Their education was paramount to their success and survival in this nation and held in high regard by the three participants. Let us not forget that they are still orphans and strangers in a strange land. Oh, that our native children and adults would be this accountable for what they do with the opportunities they have!
Janet Gross

I cannot imagine what these young “Lost Boys” went through before coming to American. How scared they must have been. Yet, how strong they have become.
The Lost Sudanese Refugees were seeing change in action and were in the very middle of it. They come from a background of traditional storytelling - a very meaningful activity at the very heart of their culture. They grew up listening to stories in their local language in order to learn about their values, traditions, and beliefs.
After coming to America and becoming a part of their new communities, these “Lost Boys” came to realize the need to write down their stories. They were afraid their stories would be lost because here in America there were very few to carry on the tradition of oral storytelling. How would others learn about their heritage? Ezra once said, “we Dinka must preserve our culture and our identity, or else we will be lost (349).”
They also used the written form of literacy storytelling to get the word out. They published books, newspaper articles, magazines, etc. to let others know what was going on - to put a face to the tragedy - and to also push for a change.
The Lost Boys also used their art of storytelling to orally tell of their struggles in Sudan when making speeches or talking in classes.
No matter what the form, the “Lost Boys” were telling their story to be heard, because it mattered to them. They weren’t pretending to write for an audience - they were writing for an audience and for a purpose.
As an educator, everyday writing can become routine and boring creating reluctant writers. We need to spice it up a bit.... write for different purposes and for different audiences.... write plays, letters, articles, poems, and blogs. Write to family, to the newspaper, to the principal, to students in another country. When you hit upon something your students love... run with it. Don’t try the same old boring approach of assigning a topic to write about. Get creative and write for authentic purposes. By trying many different approaches, your reluctant writer or the writer who keeps holding back may just let their heart out on paper.

Tamera Wilson

I thought this article did an interesting job of exploring how oral tradition and storytelling are an integral part of Sudanese (and other selected countries of Africa) culture. Before reading, I understood that language is a social construct that changes over time. This morning I used the phrase IDK in conversation and had the urge to smack myself. The fact is, language changes with time and within different groups of speakers. However, I had not thought about the ways modes of literacy change given social and political context.

I loved the quote on page 223, “Johnstone, for example, noted that making sense of the world through stories is quintessentially human.” Of course it is! I love reading stories to my nephews, to my students, and to myself. We study traditional literature and culturally based stories in seventh grade. One of the goals of the unit is for students to recognize the power of stories to teach lessons and transfer social values.

The value shift was the most interesting aspect of this article, to me. I find it fascinating that these young men, who grew up in a society in which elders are the holders of wisdom, didn’t become rebellious and turn to destructive behaviors when their elder structure was decimated. Instead, they turned to education and utilized the craft of storytelling as a channel for social change. Fascinating!

I realize that we are not in the midst of civil war in the United States, but would argue that we are in a cultural war that is producing lost boys (and girls) just the same. I wonder if we might be able to begin a grassroots movement of reclaiming history and identity if we were to use storytelling in the classroom. The young men who spoke in this article referred to the need to tell stories in order to maintain cultural identity—not just in name, but in practice. I sometimes feel that the only stories children hear about their cultures are the ones that are mentioned on the news. We all know how infrequently positive stories are shared. Maybe, by encouraging students to explore storytelling and traditional stories from their family’s history, we would help them realize that their stories are worth telling. I love the fact that the Sudanese men recognized the fact that Americans wanted to hear their stories, so they began telling them broadly and with tenacity.

I didn’t expect to find inspiration from this study, but did. These young men are examples of the enduring capabilities of the human spirit.

Ruth Johnson

There are so many interesting aspects of this article. From the defintion of story telling to the description of narritive writing. The research part of the article was a little challenging for me to read, but I was able to make sense of how I could apply this to my teaching.

It is true for all, that when we write/tell stories we blend in literacies from home, community and school. Student need to be encouraged to do the same in the classroom. if was very evident how writing and storytelling help these Lost Boys deal with extremely tramtic issues. I was inspired by their actions to turn to education rather than become definiant in the actions taken against them. There is a great lesson in that for all of us.

We need to remember that we all have a story to tell, as educators, we need to provide a safe and comfortable place that allows students the freedom to share theirs! Establishing this safe haven will encourage students to share their stories and in turn be share their home, communities, life experiences and more importantly find themselves.
Kim Shaw

Like others have stated, I cannot imagine what these young men have been through. Even the most empathetic among us cannot begin to imagine what it must be like to suddenly have to flee your home without knowing if members of your family are alive or dead. I have been lucky enough to hear one of the "Lost Boys" speak and to listen to his story. It confirmed that I am extremely lucky to have been born where and when I was with the family I have.

I can imagine what they went through. It has been stressful enough getting my parents ready to go on a trip to the Canadian Rockies and the west coast of Canada. I cannot imagine fleeing my home with only the clothes on my back, and

These men from Sudan not only have their traditional stories they want to share, they have these amazing stories of their survival of a civil war, their escape from danger we cannot imagine, and their journey to freedom and new lives in the United States.
The thing that is so clear in this article is the connection between storytelling and story writing is fairly new, especially in some cultures. Throughout history people have been entertained with and by stories. Whether it is the entire village going to hear a story being told, or a child being told a bedtime story by a parent, or hearing our grandfather’s war stories, or about a siblings adventure in middle school, most of us have listened to a story being told, not read.

The thing that I find difficult for my students to believe is that we all have stories to tell. We just have to have the courage to share them to a willing audience. I liked what one of the “Lost Boys” about passing down family stories from one generation to the next and beyond being so important.

Traditionally stories were told within the same culture, orally, in the same language to pass down history, values, and beliefs. Now stories from one culture are told in other cultures often changing events, characters, and issues in the stories to fit the new culture telling the story. There is a Cinderella story for every culture I can name. Some one heard the tale on travels and took it home, adopting and adapting the story to fit their situation.

Stories that were once only told orally are now written down, sometimes in every language you can name, and then some. A book published in New York might be translated and shipped to countries all over the world. These stories are told for different reasons – to inform, entertain, persuade – the reader.

The history and tradition of storytelling is one that we must, as educators, pass on to our students. I tell stories to my students without them being written down, whether it is about my dog chasing my cat, or about when I was in school. And I love to listen to their stories. Whether it is about something their grandmother did or about a trip to Target, listening to the stories our students tell can give us a lot of insight into their lives

We need to make them feel proud of the stories they tell and their ability to tell them. It is vital that they feel comfortable and secure as storytellers.

Caroline Walker

Let me start by saying: “TRANSFORMING Literacy Practices” is EXACTLY right. In this article, Perry recognizes in her writing the transforming power of not only serving as narrator but the transforming power of witnessing a meaningful narration. Consider this from the perspective of pre-K teachers and parents of toddlers: Did you know literacy research proves that we can gauge what a child’s 4th or 5th-grade reading level will be when he is only about three years old? We can gauge this by their practices in narration or lack thereof. Now, we may not consider our hyper-active, broken-English speaking toddlers narrators, but they often are doing just that when they dash in the house, gasp for breath, and spit out the story about two dogs across the street that were chasing one another around the neighbor’s house. Granted, this may not be the kind of compelling story we would choose to pass down from generation to generation, but it is a form of narration that is crucial to the language and literacy development of our children. Bottom line: make time for their storytelling. Do NOT cut them off due to “lack of time.” Take time to witness, encourage, and ask questions about their story all the while remembering that we are investing in their literacy and language skills. Just as we’ve read in this article, literacy is the gas that fuels the car of life, so to speak. Life is all about relationships and literacy is the number one tool in building relationships. Without relationships—rather the ability to use communication towards healthy relationships—life is lifeless.

Let’s look at how we learn to narrate and tell stories. Why have you heard YOUR toddler narrate, and why have I heard MY toddlers narrate? Because WE narrate to THEM; otherwise the art form would not be learned if one did not see it modeled. We tell them stories from a book or from our memories. Certainly as they get older, we’ll share with them family stories or gut-wrenching historical stories—just like Perry writes about—that impact and transform lives and perspectives as they are passed on through the generations.
Erin Farrington

Storytelling seems to be a great way for refugees, and other individuals who have been through traumatic experiences, to convey their message to the world. According to the study, storytelling seems to have two major purposes: to communicate personal stories and experiences and to preserve the culture and history of a group of people. Both of these purposes were very motivating for the young Sudanese boys in this study.

Storytelling is a link to literacy. As many Sudanese men are now spread throughout the world, it will be more difficult for them to rely on oral storytelling to preserve their culture. This is the link to literacy. The rich language and culture associated with the Sudanese society has not historically been written down. Until the 1900’s all of the history was told through oral storytelling. What an opportunity for the young men who have escaped from the area and have the means to record this information. As the people are spread out, they will have to rely on written material to keep the family and cultural traditions and history alive with future generations.

This need to write down many oral stories will encourage young Sudanese refugees to embrace the written world. Seeing the importance of the written word in their own lives will hopefully transfer to an appreciation for the written word in general.

Now, how does this apply to us in the classroom? I think we can use storytelling, both oral and written, with students who are reluctant to talk or express themselves in any other way. Many students would be less intimidated to tell a ‘story’ than to tell factual information about themselves or their family. Even though the story may convey the same ideas as factual information, they will be less intimidating because they are told in a story form. How many of us have family stories we have heard from our parents or grandparents? I can think of many from my own family, but even now they seem a little fuzzy. The idea that stories from the past and from our experiences should be written down to be preserved is not explicitly reserved for refugees. I think all people can embrace this as a way to connect and remember where you came from and who you are.

Shannon Keough

Wow! These "Lost Boys of Sudan" are so inspirational. I am amazed that they could go through all they went through and be able to come out stronger and living safe and comfortably in the United States. This article provided so much information on the culture and history that the Lost Boys came from. I was very interested to find out more about their traditional ways of story telling and if they still incorporate it into their lives in America. These boys came to America and the way that they coped with the new situation was to share their experiences through oral story telling. They were able to give others in this country insight into the life they came from.

It was very interesting to learn about how these boys used story telling and how they viewed it. The boys viewed story telling in the US as different from their home country. In their home country story telling was used to pass down history and customs. The elders were the ones that told the stories and enlightened the children of the tribes. In the US the boys viewed story telling as just telling stories. It wasn't used here for historical or cultural purposes.

The African culture from Sudan was so rich in oral culture and very little writing took place. The boys however were exposed to writing in the refugee camp in Kenya. I thought that the story from Ezra about the Red Cross message board was a very interesting way to show how he saw literacy in hiw early life. He shared how important this message board became and that these letters became peoples lives that were searching for others. This is only one way that literacy was in his life. The boys were taught at the refugee camps and they had been introduced to literature and writing and other forms of literacy before they came to the US. Some of the boys also went to church to learn their tribal language, this was the only place it was spoken since they were in Kenya. The boys expressed how important it was to rememeber their culture and be able to speak the language and pass it down to younger children that might not have ever heard it. These boys used their story telling as a way to enrich their community and keep memories from their home land alive. The boys depended on their story telling so that they could keep their memories and help their community. I was so glad to see how these boys turned out and how respected they are in the community. This article really opened my eyes to some of the unfair actions that are going on in our world.

These boys helped their community stay close and they also brought the important aspects of literacy into their lives and their communities. These boys showed how if you listen and learn what you are being taught that you can succeed and really make something of yourself. The boys expressed how important it was to them to reach these goals and I think that they were on their way to accomplishing just what they set out to do. This article gave great examples of how using story telling can help studentschildren express themselves and become comfortable using literacy.

I found that I enjoyed this article more than most. I feel silly admitting this, but I could just picture some of these boys as they are often portrayed in shows such as 24 or in the movies. For me, being able to make this connection brought this article to life. One thing about this article that truly inspired me as an educator was the statement that through this study, the researcher found that the participants "ascribed great importance to literacy, in part because they believed education and literacy were the keys to improving their own personal lives. What a powerful statement this is! I often feel that education is taken for granted in our country. If more people had this positive attitude about gaining an education, I think educators would face less problems in the classroom and in a sense gain more respect. Another aspect I found interesting in this article was how these boys viewed English as a way to empowerment, however, they still have to learn their own communities languages in order to preserve their heritage and culture. Again, in our country, I feel as if we take this for granted with everyone having equal opportunity and living in a place where English is such a huge part of our culture.

Although the points discussed above are very interesting to me, the author of this article chose to focus on three main points for the study: the roles of storytelling in the lives of the Lost Boys of Africa, how the Lost Boys have transformed traditional storytelling as a result of their experiences in refugee camps, and how storytelling and its transformation relate to issues of identity and community for this group of refugees.

The history behind why mostly boys fled their homes is a traumatic one. Boys having to flee to avoid being kidnapped and forced into either sides army or because their families had been slaughtered is surely and emotionally trying experience. After all of this heartache, the boys were left to travel thousands of miles to a safe haven. Through interviewing some of these boys, Perry got an idea of the importance of storytelling and the structure of the stories that were told. It was shown that storytelling came about in two different ways: talk about storytelling and enacted storytelling. I found it interesting that the Bible and religion were such a huge part of the literacy of these boys. Several stories from the Bible found their way into the lives of the boys and provided a connection back to their communities as they were told in both English and Dinka. Overall, storytelling for these boys provided motivation for them to become involved in printed literacy practices and develop their English language abilities. Overall, I liked how storytelling or writing stories was empowering for the boys in this study. Understandably, all refugees were not comfortable with speaking of their experiences, but thankfully there are boys like the three mentioned here who can share their stories and in a sense educate the world in the goings on of their cultures.

Erica Spicer

After reading this article, it leaves me with a feeling of HOPE! To see young orphaned men, in a war ridden country, WANT to learn has been so refreshing. So often, students in America complain that they must learn, and don’t take advantage of all the opportunities available to them.
Storytelling, in my opinion, has always been important. Cultures are able to pass down family history, cultural history, and make lasting memories through storytelling. In this article, I realized, though, just how very important storytelling is for some cultures. Without storytelling, many of these young men will “lose their identity” and won’t be able to relate to their community. Also, by sharing their stories with people in America, we have to opportunity to be much more globally aware. Wow, what lessons could be learned from these young men. It is obvious how important and vital storytelling is in their culture. It makes me a little sad that my family doesn’t take the time with one another to tell stories to keep our family memories and history alive.
I am just amazed and inspired by these young men. The horrific and tragic experiences they have endured, yet, they continue to do what they can to learn and share their experiences in hopes of changing the world. They realized the importance of telling stories, the connection it has with literacy, and took charge to learn all they could to not only tell stories, but communicate as well.
Heather Houston

The Lost Boys of Sudan

Reading about the misfortunate events in these boys’ lives made me think how very fortunate we are to live in America. Even with all the problems we have, I can say that I have never been through anything close to what these children went through. They seemed so determined to hold onto their culture and the traditions of the Dinka tribe, even when separated from all of their families and loved ones and forced to leave their country to save their lives. I am sure their experiences affected them in ways we cannot imagine.

I am somewhat envious of other cultures for having a more relaxed way of life and not living in the rat race we experience daily. I know that they do not have the luxuries and conveniences we have, but I think we are missing out on some special things in exchange for having these perks. The storytelling seemed to be such an important part of the Dinka’s daily life, and these boys tried to continue that tradition even when separated from the elders who normally passed these stories down. Sure, we have history books and picture albums and video tapes to document every moment of our lives today, but for the Dinka telling stories was their only way to preserve their heritage. I can remember back when I was little and my mother would tell me stories about her life growing up; they were not historical events that would ever make the history books, but I loved hearing about what her life was like when she was my age. She was somewhere in the middle of 11 children, grew up on a farm and they really barely had enough to survive on. They grew everything they ate and enough extra to sell, so her childhood was very different from mine. Listening to her stories helps me learn so much about what life was like during that time and also about my ancestry. Perry says that part of belonging to a family is learning the family’s stories. We all have them; some funny, some sad, and some that are priceless and we will carry them all our lives and pass on to our children some day.

It must have been so hard for the boys to have lost their parents and then to be separated from their families, since they seemed to have shared strong bonds between members of the tribe. I think that this strong sense of family may have been a factor in their ambition to get an education. Perry stated that becoming literate would be a source of power for them. Isn’t that true for anyone though? An education is the key to getting anywhere you want to go in life. We know that as Americans because we hear it on a daily basis from the time we are very young. I think it is interesting that the Lost Boys knew this too, even though they grew up in a country very different from America. They also knew that the only way for them to carry on the traditions and heritage of their culture and to pass it on to future generations was to put it in writing. They would have to have an education in order to be able to do that. The chain of oral storytelling had been broken, and the boys wanted to do what they could to mend it. In addition to writing about their culture, they continued their tradition of oral storytelling by speaking about their experiences at various events.

When I hear the word story, I automatically think about a piece of fiction, but their stories were simply accounts of the things that had really happened to them. They were telling about their lives and sharing with anyone who would listen about the terrible strife they had been through. This probably served several purposes. One would be that it would inform the rest of the world about the war and possibly bring help to their country. Another might be that it was part of the healing process for them. As humans we seem to be able to deal with our burdens better if we can just talk to somebody about them. By telling their life stories to others, it probably helped the boys to overcome their feelings of sadness. Perhaps they also told about their tragedies as a way to continue the storytelling tradition itself. The Dinka tribe elders told stories to the younger generation as sort of a history lesson. It gave them a way to teach the children about the things that had happened to the tribe or its members in the past. That’s really what the Lost Boys were doing, even if it wasn’t being told to younger children of the tribe. Perry devoted an entire section of the paper to this practice and referred to it as transformed story telling. Rather than telling stories as history lessons, they were instead telling their stories to inform the rest of the world of their experiences.

Even though the boys had been uprooted from their home and had lost everything that was familiar to them, they continued this very important part of their culture, the tradition of telling stories. Although the way they told stories changed, the tradition continued on. They had to learn new techniques, for example how to use various forms of written communication, but they carried on in spite of all the many difficulties they faced. I can relate this to how we send messages to one another these days. We used to mail letters, and now we can make phone calls, send emails, or text one another. The ways in which we communicate over time as new technologies are developed change, but we adapt to the new technologies and sometimes learn new forms of literacy (like in texting) to continue old traditions in new ways. As I mentioned at the beginning, we Americans are often to busy in our lives to take time to sit and talk like families used to do. I think that this practice of telling our life stories among family members is somewhat of a lost art among us. Our parents and grandparents have so much to tell us about their past, if only we could find the time to slow down and listen to their stories. We might be surprised how much we could learn about ourselves from listening to their stories.

Lorie Hedrick

A big difference in this article, as compared to the others, it that the Lost Boys of Sudan took great importance in literacy and storytelling so they can be active participants in our culture, and yet maintain their own culture and Dinka identity. They wanted to better themselves as individuals so that they could have their voice heard, inform others of the war in Sudan, and fit into our culture. I loved the excerpt from Ezra’s interview where he said, “The think there is not any culture in the world that is superior to any other culture, so it is very important for each group of people to keep their culture but then learn not only to be self-centered in their culture, but also learn other cultures and learn to appreciate other cultures and learn to interact and intermingle with other cultures” (pg 47 line 16-21). What an amazing statement to come out of an orphaned young man that was force from his family and culture because of different cultural beliefs. In my eyes, Ezra’s excerpt confirmed that I need to be open to other cultures and make my students aware of other cultures around the world. In all honesty, I had truly forgotten much about Sudan because of such a huge focus on Darfur. Storytelling is important for these boys not only keep their identity and write about their culture, but to make sure that people understand what they have experienced because of the war and help people understand what life is like to be over in this turmoil.
We are very privileged to be living in a country that is free of civil war and people have free speech. These boys have gone through a great deal of heartache and pain, but they do not seem “angry with the world”, instead they use their storytelling and literacy experiences to share their knowledge in a literate, sensible way.
I was also impressed by everything they had accomplished over a short period of time. From coming to a new country, polishing up/ learning a new language (on top of knowing many others), graduating from school and college, and using their storytelling to write, talk, publish, and preach to us (on top of many more accomplishments) about their culture, journey, and struggles to maintain their identity. I will never be able to say I know how they feel, but this piece by Perry reminded me of so many things to be grateful for. I am already looking into one of the many refugees books out there on their journey. There was such a tremendous amount of great information in here it leaves it very hard to discuss it all. I will just say that this is by far my favorite reading.
Barbara Terauds

I really applaud these teachers for embracing the culture of the Lost Boys and advocating for their oral storytelling! I gotta say that oral storytelling is something I wish was more prevalent in our culture. Instead, it is viewed as a rare talent that few people possess. It seems like every year a traveling storyteller comes to our school or community theater and puts on a show for my students. They really get into this! Wouldn't it be neat if it was something we focused on teaching our students more.

I know for myself I have a difficult time telling stories orally. I leave out parts, forget details, and I definitely say "ummm" too much! I always tell a version of The Little Red Hen orally to my students at the kick off of our Folk Tales unit, but the written version I then read always ends up being better. We talk abiout oral story telling, but we kind of drop it at that. Maybe if our culture valued oral storytelling more I would have become better at it, but instead I have always read directly from picture books, using the words as a crutch as I tell stories. Perhaps I will include more of it in my teaching in the future... and even allow my students to do some oral story telling for themselves.

Kelly Beckley

I enjoyed reading this article on the Sudanese Refugees. I was excited to see that students who lived under such unfortunate circumstances for so long are being successful and rising above the tough times in their lives thus far. I know that over time things change. In all areas of education the needs of our students change, and so do our methods and practices. The same is true in storytelling. I appreciated reading about how these boys took something that was so meaningful to them in their home country and tweaked it to make it work for them in their new lives.

Once again the research shows that when a student’s home experiences and identity can be tied to what is being learned, more successful learning occurs. We saw the same thing in this article as the boys began by orally telling stories as they had done in their home countries. Soon as their needs and audiences changed they began to record some in print. It was interesting to me that eventually their whole reason for telling stories changed. I found it interesting that much of their writing is done for political reasons now. I also found it intriguing that because they were aware that they would not have access to older people of their culture to help spread their stories, they felt compelled to write down the stories instead of relying on oral traditions. Now much of their story telling is done through print and digital media and websites too—quite a change from how they began. One of my favorite quotes from the article was that “The Lost Boys are using stories to connect with their Sudanese communities, with their US Communities, and even with global communities. In order to do so, however, these youth have needed to utilize print literacies. These young men have transformed storytelling from an oral practice to a written one.” This quote perfectly summarizes the influence that the Lost Boys have on the communities that they are a part of. This is another example of how, when learning is done through something that interests students it can be very successful. By telling their own stories these underprivileged boys have gained literacy through learning a new language, and learning to write in it as well. All the while they are not losing their identity which is still greatly tied to their home country, because the things that they are doing are so linked to their culture and their people. Very interesting article about how something so dear to these boys has allowed them to acquire literacy skills and reach the world to “compel them to act by changing the course of history.”

Jessica Jackson

The article was somewhat hard to read, but I found this topic to be very interesting. These young men have overcome so much in their lives, I find it inspiring. I could never imagine going through what they have. I love the art of storytelling. I wish that it was more a part of my life. Of course we all have stories, but their storytelling comes from generations. I do not know any old stories from my family and it kind of makes me sad. I wish that storytelling was a part of American history. I find it very interesting that different parts of the world share this aspect and that it was never brought to the US. It’s also tragic that these boys no longer have that in their lives. They can retell the stories that they have learned but they will not have any new stories to share.
I find it amazing that these boys came from another country alone and not only learned a new language, but succeeded in it. Many of the boys went on to college. I know that many of my students will never go to college and it saddens me. The parents of the Sudanese children seemed to show a great interest in passing the stories along. They may not have actually read books to their children but telling stories still gives us knowledge.
I currently have a student that just came to the US. She does not speak any English and she also came from a bad home life. When reading this article I thought of her. She is only ten years old and already went through more in her life than most people every will.

Dana Eudy

This article was touching and very interesting. I appreciate how Perry explained why she chose the three young Sudanese boys, and not girls. I think Perry paid her dues to the community at large and the three boys in order to compile this research. I find it uplifting how these young orphaned boys found their way to the U.S. without a family, a support system as we know it…they just had themselves…and they relied on each other and their ability to tell and/or retell stories. I like the idea of how they rebuilt their lives through storytelling. I think of some students in my classroom whom have had difficult lives. Of course their hardships can’t compare with the three Sudanese boys, but they’ve had hardships nonetheless. I wonder if I were to share pieces of this research, of course I would have to do a lot of paraphrasing and summarizing, with my fifth graders would they/or could they try to grasp the depth of what these youth experienced yet still came through like pure gold. I guess I would try to relate to my students that even though you may come from poverty; have no parents; see death and people dying all around you; moving from place to place; and not know where you’re going; or where your next meal will come from, and all the other obstacles the three Sudanese boys endured…that through it all, storytelling, building and rebuilding who they are is how they became the success they are today. Maybe after sharing this research, I would have students who would be more willing to reflect in writing after they’ve read a book, but before they take an AR test. Maybe some students would be willing to try to attempt to write more of a narrative piece when given a prompt instead of only five to eight sentences. Who knows, maybe a students will be inspired by these Sudanese boys and during our poetry unit; their inspiration will come through in an I Poem. I don’t know, but truly this work and their accomplishments are worth being shared with others, and just like how I was moved, maybe it will move some of my students.
This is truly what literacy is all about!
Toni Wheeler

Sorry for the delay…all of a sudden I had technical issues after the last line of storms blew through. I think my router crashed, but I’m back in business now.
Kristen Perry’s paper was as eye opening as the Noll article in that it forces us to broaden our definition of literacy to include a practice that doesn’t require reading or writing – the conventional formats for literate practices. Oral storytelling as a social and literate practice is examined as the very essence of the practice undergoes a metamorphosis of sorts. For the Lost Boys of Sudan, telling stories played huge part in defining who they were in the local community. They used storytelling as a tool for making sense of the world around them, and for education within their own culture. As these boys moved forward in their lives and circumstances, their identities changed as they responded to the environmental, cultural, and social events around them. As the boys resettled in the United States and were exposed to new ways to use literacy, these former storytellers began to tell their own stories in an attempt to alert people on a global scale of the atrocities being committed in the South of Sudan. They began to use literacy as a different tool, as a critique of governmental policies that allowed the extermination of so many innocents, as well as a condemnation of sorts for those who watched. They used storytelling to help others understand their realities. My question is this: Are the Lost Boys of the Sudan more literate now that they can write down their stories? Now that they can communicate via documentary, speech, internet, or other means? Clearly, these young men learned to use a specific form of literacy as a tool with a specific purpose. The ultimate goal of literacy, making meaning in whatever format, remained the same. I suggest that the change in the way storytelling was used was not so much a transformation as a bonafide appropriation, as Perry calls it, of newly learned literacy practices. This growth was authentic – as powerful and real as any other literate practice one might think of. “Authentic literacy…involves providing opportunities for students to write for real audiences and real purposes, beyond learning to read and write or earning a grade.” This authentic “mother of invention” type of change is exactly what we as teachers are hoping to see happen in our classrooms every day. These students had a legitimate reason to engage with reading and writing, outside of the formalities of content and convention. This authentic literacy was powerful, energizing, and effective.
I must make mention at this point of that little girl Shannon, who “wasn’t writin’ nuttin.” Perhaps the reason she wasn’t writing was because of the conjured up circumstances of the writing opportunity. Shannon had no reason to write during her group time. The boys took care of everything, and unconsciously excluded her entirely. Give this child a real reason for caring about writing, and I’d bet she could easily be engaged and productive. While we’re talking about classroom practices, perhaps there should be more storytelling in our language arts time. Using descriptive (oral) language and varied sentence structure would be a great way for many of our students to practice and engage with literacy in a new way. I recall a children’s lit class where I was required to tell a folktale. It isn’t easy! Remembering the sequence and every minor detail (so the audience can see the movie in their minds) is more difficult than you might think. Try it!
The authenticity of the Lost Boys’ needs for different literate practices may also be contrasted with those of Daniel and Zonnie. Storytelling might have been perfect for Daniel to relate some of the stories and culture of the Native Americans. How motivating and unique an assignment that could be.

Annie Croon

The language used in this piece makes it difficult to understand! I muddled through.
I agree with the parts that talk about a child learning who they are from their environment. Different gender, ethnicity, and socio-economic backgrounds have a great influence on what is expected of each of us. Talking about becoming hybrids, shifting discourses, when a child goes to school in this article was called code-switching in prior articles.
The African Jamaican girls who had no voice were following what was expected of them from their society, just as the theory here says we are a product of our environment. Code (p16) points out “as a child learns how to name, she also learns how to be, know, and feel in relation to others around her”. On p. 17 a great point is made that we expect all learners to march like good soldiers toward independent mastery in the same way, we need alternatives for learners who are different. Our discourses differs from place to place therefore so must our way of teaching literacy. I agree with the comment on p. 23 where Code suggested “there is no moment of learning, even “simple” naming, that occurs outside of relations infused with feeling and value, and formed through attachments with others.” Our home visits before school starts gives us a true picture of our children's lives.
There was mention of the storytelling traditions of Trackton, a black community with gendered stories, similar to the Lost Boys story. This sets the different social worlds for girls and boys from an early age. Boys get treats first lets a girl know her place, just like in Jamaica. Roadville children also have their version of expectations, girls get dolls boys soldiers and trucks. The texts that have been in our classrooms set yet another view of what is expected of children, not taking into consideration their different home life.
Walkerdine's alignment with Critical literacy is politically sensitive research that aims to change social injustices. These educators want to work with students to bring awareness to the silencing and oppressions that can be embedded in texts. They will be asking questions about who is empowered by by the text, what about the morality, ethics or lifestyle, helping students become aware of the fictions that shape them as readers, writers, and acting subjects.
Page 33 has a section that rings very true, “as children and their caretakers (or teachers) engage in discourse practices, they create shared histories or response that become part of contexts of meaning”.
Grandma Cunningham

As I began to read chapter one, I must admit I was bored out of my mind. I felt that it was very redundant. I feel the author should have shortened this chapter by several pages. If an adult buys a book chances are they are going to read the book and not waste their money. I would have much rather read a short summary of the book and a reflection of why the author wrote the book and then began reading chapters that actually mean something to me in my career.
OOPS! I did not listen to podcast first I had forgotten about this and listened to it after I had read chapter two! THIS IS NOT A GOOD IDEA!!! It would have been MUCH EASIER to understand if I had listened to the podcast first.
In chapter two had to look up the definition of autonous because I had no idea what the author was talking about and the author did not explain exactly what it was. I cannot read a text if I do not know what the words mean. I found that autonomous reasoners are students who are “not controlled by others or the outside forces; they are independent in mind and judgment”. (Internet-dictionary.com)
On page 25, I enjoyed how the author discussed Heath helping teachers to construct o classroom environment that allowed children to move between cultural discourses without giving up their community experiences and language. I feel that this is very important for children and a way in which the children respect their teacher for accepting them for who they are. I feel that teachers are not at school to try to change a child and their background but to provide a safe and comfortable environment in which they can learn. I was bothered by discussion of the mother-daughter relationships. It may be that I just misunderstood what I read, but I do not think so. However, I do believe that a working class mother can still be sensitive to their children’s educational needs. Just because a mother works does not mean that we do not have time to help educate our children so that they may become “the verbally articulate reasoner” (page 27).
I am glad that I did not give up on my reading after chapter 1 because I did find chapter two interesting and educational!
Misty Mistretta

As I began to read chapter one, I must admit I was bored out of my mind. I felt that it was very redundant. I feel the author should have shortened this chapter by several pages. If an adult buys a book chances are they are going to read the book and not waste their money. I would have much rather read a short summary of the book and a reflection of why the author wrote the book and then began reading chapters that actually mean something to me in my career.
OOPS! I did not listen to podcast first I had forgotten about this and listened to it after I had read chapter two! THIS IS NOT A GOOD IDEA!!! It would have been MUCH EASIER to understand if I had listened to the podcast first.
In chapter two had to look up the definition of autonous because I had no idea what the author was talking about and the author did not explain exactly what it was. I cannot read a text if I do not know what the words mean. I found that autonomous reasoners are students who are “not controlled by others or the outside forces; they are independent in mind and judgment”. (Internet-dictionary.com)
On page 25, I enjoyed how the author discussed Heath helping teachers to construct o classroom environment that allowed children to move between cultural discourses without giving up their community experiences and language. I feel that this is very important for children and a way in which the children respect their teacher for accepting them for who they are. I feel that teachers are not at school to try to change a child and their background but to provide a safe and comfortable environment in which they can learn. I was bothered by discussion of the mother-daughter relationships. It may be that I just misunderstood what I read, but I do not think so. However, I do believe that a working class mother can still be sensitive to their children’s educational needs. Just because a mother works does not mean that we do not have time to help educate our children so that they may become “the verbally articulate reasoner” (page 27).
I am glad that I did not give up on my reading after chapter 1 because I did find chapter two interesting and educational!
Misty Mistretta

How great is the quote that Hicks uses to open chapter 2? “Knowledge comes to form in human relationships. The world we notice is the one that someone we cared about once pointed to,” from Madeleine Grumet.

You’ve probably noticed that I tend to harp on relationship building, because I believe it integral to effective classrooms. I really enjoyed reading these chapters as the research theory that Hicks draws from is primarily involved in observing the whole person of the child and/or using the child’s home learning experiences as a platform for social change.

Initially, I didn’t quite understand the point of the chapter. However, I believe Hicks was trying to show the theoretical contrasts that exist in various research modes. On page 17 she says, “The powerful and particular…practices of literacy research are readily appropriated within a conservative politics of education. A market-driven emphasis on individual achievement with its associated forms of practice…can be easily aligned with cognitive metaphors of autonomy and mastery.” Market-driven emphasis. Can I borrow that phrase the next time I pitch one about losing an instructional day for a benchmark test? Excellent.

I feel like chapter two included many of the concepts we’ve already read about this semester. On p. 21, Hicks talks of students’ ability to come to know multiple forms of discourse. Wouldn’t that be similar to code-switching? Children come to acquire literacy in their home setting and then learn other discourses, as needed. This is something our school is working on, as a whole. Obviously, public schools are primarily set up on in a middle class discourse. (Is that the appropriate tense use of discourse? My internal grammar buzzer is going off.) However, the majority of our students have learned other ways of handling themselves in the eleven to fifteen years they’ve lived before coming to us. The included example of Jake & Lee Ann made me laugh and think of my students. When being literate in your community means skillful use of profanity, acquiring the material goods that you need however possible, and kicking butts (literally in Lee Ann’s case) it makes sense that you’d have some transitioning difficulties in public school.

I also found the ongoing discussion of literacy as a community-established and acquired skill set to be fascinating. As I was reading I wondered what that means for students who have very little community and/or adult influence in their life. Hicks spoke to this on page 30, saying, “Textual shapings of an always-already social world—media images, stories, film, comic books, talk—create fictions that become realities for individuated subjects.” Of course it makes sense; I had just never thought through it that way.

I’m going to force myself to wrap this up, but I enjoyed these chapters. I’m looking forward to what she has to say as we continue reading.

Ruth Johnson

The first thing that came to my mind when I finished reading these chapters was a statement that I read on page 10 and it stuck with me: “Brilliant, but doesn’t make a grain of sense.” I believe Hicks was talking about Flannery O’Conner’s psychology writing; this was my thought about Hick’s writing. It was very hard to follow and stay involved in. My mind kept wandering; however, with this in mind, I did savor a few good points.

“Students’ searches for social belonging …” (1) is huge in a child’s education. Students learn through their peers, and this whole semester we have been reading about how different groups of children have trouble learning because they do not feel they belong. The African American girls had their own language. The American Indian children had their own styles of learning. The Lost Boys had their stories to tell. Finally, these chapters are talking about poor, working class families who are White (4).

I loved reading about Frankie by Carson McCullers and how she was an “I” person (3). In my own classroom, there are many “I” persons – students who come from different backgrounds, who deal with different family issues, and who have very different social ways. These students suffer not only academically but socially as well.

I wonder what happened to the other 4 families that Hick’s started out with? She said that Jake and Laurie’s families “welcomed them with open arms (6). Did the other families not? Did the other families move? I can think of several families in my classroom that would not welcome a researcher with open arms. Heck, they don’t even welcome a teacher or even education for that matter. They do not come in for conferences. They do not sign their child’s planner. They do not go over homework or make sure it is completed.

I smiled when I read the incident on page 18 & 19 regarding Jake shoving his sister. This would have been an excellent time to teach appropriate manners, social skills, and life’s lessons. However, survivor skills were taught. I see this way too often in my classroom. My students do not know how to communicate appropriately with their peers. I have to teach them academic skills as well as social skills followed by life skills.

Loren Van De Griek

There was a statement in the first paragraph of chapter one that I thought summed up the entire chapter and really set the stage for what the rest of this book would be about. It said that students’ searches for social belonging are as much a part of learning in school as anything that might be described as cognitive. I think that makes a lot of sense. I can remember things that happened in my kindergarten class, and that was over 30 years ago. Kids worry so much about whether or not they will fit in and be accepted, and to most of them that is more important than the quality of the education they are receiving. The schools are set up and run by middle class people and are designed to serve middle class children. This does present a problem for children who don’t belong to this class and don’t know how to fit into it. Our schools are not designed to meet the needs specifically of non-English speakers, kids of lower class families, or children who belong to minority groups. We try to make adaptations for these kids with programs like ESL, EC, and tutoring programs like Title One, but these sometimes put a label on children and create another reason for them not to fit in. They are know as different and may be teased and picked on by other children, even in elementary school.

We as educators say we try to change things and make life easier and better for these children, but it can be frustrating for us too because these are the children whose parents are often not involved and don’t try to give their children help at home with homework or be supportive of the teacher’s efforts in other ways. Maybe this is because they are just so busy trying to survive that they don’t have time, or maybe education just isn’t high on their list of important things in life. It’s easy for us to just blame the parents and say they don’t care about their kids because they don’t do things for them we think are important (such as reading to them or helping with homework). I have been guilty of saying that before. The truth is that they probably love their kids as much as I do, but the difficulty and hardships of their life makes it hard for them to find the time and energy to give to their kids that they need.

Children come to school with their opinions of literacy already somewhat formed. The literacy practices that have been in place in their homes have created a framework upon which their learning in school will be attached. If children have been read to and have seen their parents engaged in practices involving literacy (such as reading, writing, using computers, sending emails, etc.) then the children already understand the importance of learning to read and write and they see the value of these abilities in their lives. Contrary to this, if kids only see their parents watching TV and never see them reading or writing in any way, then the children will not understand the value and importance of being literate. This will impact their attitudes and their attempts at learning to read and write in school.

I can relate to the practice mentioned about naming colors. I have always referred to the flesh toned crayon as skin color, and it has never really been brought up as an issue because we don’t have many African American children in our school. Last year, however, I had a particularly bright young boy in my class who was African American. He took great issue with the color being called skin color and as he pointed out to me in the first few days of school; his skin was not the color of that crayon. So we began to call that color peach from that day on.

I was very surprised as the scenario in which Lee Ann and Jake were having a little tiff and the mother and grandmother encouraged Lee Ann to go take care of Jake after he shoved Lee Ann. I can’t imagine telling a child to go take care of another child. This goes against everything I try to teach my children. I would never ever tell one of my kids to go get revenge on the other one for any reason whatsoever. I do agree that everything that goes on in a child’s life will impact their attitudes toward learning when they arrive at school. Page 22 says that all ways of living, including eating, sleeping, worshipping, and how they spend their free time all impact the ways children acquire new knowledge. Kids don’t just learn to read and be literate at school. They have many interactions with literacy outside of school, even if reading isn’t a popular practice at their homes. A good example of this was how the children in Roadville had a hard time making up stories at school because that had been a punishable practice in their homes. Our world at school is sometimes very different than the homes our children come from. It is very difficult for them to change gears every morning when they come in our doors. We have read articles about children with ethnic differences from other countries who have difficulty adapting in our culture. Sometimes we don’t think about the kids who were born and raised in America but still feel alienated in our classrooms because they come from families that are not white middle class families. I imagine that an African American child who lives in the “projects” would feel just as out of place in a classroom where the majority of the kids are white middle class as would an immigrant child from Mexico.

I am eager to read the rest of the chapters in this book to find out a little more about what happens to Lee Ann and Jake, and to learn more about how working class children find ways to fit in at school. While I enjoyed reading the other articles, I could not really relate to how those in the stories really felt, since I have never been in their particular situations. However, I can relate to Lee Ann and Jake to an extent because I grew up in a situation somewhat similar. I came from a working class family, and finding a place to fit it was tough at times, especially as I got older.

Lorie Hedrick

OK… SO I definitely have a few questions about the chapter, hoping someone can help me understand chapter two a little bit better. Or I might gain more insight/confusion once I read other blogs, but not until after writing this, so I do not confuse myself more. Dr. Jackson’s podcast did help me get through the first few pages in chapter two, but with being a first grade teacher for so long, using simple terms to get instruction across, the complicated usage of some terminology got me messed up reading these chapters. Question 1: When they keep referring to independent “mastery”, what are they actually implying? Does it mean, for example, when a child is reading/comprehending above a first grade level at the end of first grade, I would say she has “mastered” first grade reading, or is their different meaning behind what people would refer to as “mastery”. Question 2: I was slightly confused on the “mother/daughter language transcripts section (p. 26-27). Is Hicks saying here that she thinks that portraying middle class mothers as “sensitive” to the educational needs of her daughter is a bad thing? Instead you should portray them as what? I know I was raised middle class and I would say my mom was sensitive to me and my sibling’s educational needs. I know for sure that not all mothers looked at it that way, but then what can we do as educators to fit/address every students need. Maybe I just read/reread it wrong. Question 3: Before I started reading the rest of the book and realize I had taken critical literacy the wrong way. Is critical literacy education a good thing to Hicks or something that needs to be altered? HELP!!!

One thing that caught my attention was Walkerdine’s transcript from Schoolgirl Fictions, showing an example of the shifting of powers, and the way those preschool boys talked to the girl and talked back to the teacher, without the teacher correcting this type of behavior. I know it is not discussed how the teacher handled it, but I would have not let it go on to the length that it went to. I guess that goes to show you the difference in upbringings/culture.

What did catch my attention was the fact that non-fictional storytelling was still expressed and seemed very important to the people in Trackton (and Roadville). It once again had me thinking about The Lost Boys of Sudan and the importance storytelling has on communities. In this case, Trackton’s Black communities were trying to maintain their traditions/identity. I agree that this language is important to convey in a classroom and to keep students engaged in all areas of the curriculum.

Hoping for some clarifications!

Thanks,
Barbara Terauds

I question whether I got this or not. But here it goes.

At one time I was the working glass girl in the middle class classroom trying to find the “me in the we” of the classroom. It was second grade when both my parents were laid off and we went on food stamps, at least that is what mom tells me. Yes, at that time we were in a different class. However, “My family had middle-class aspirations and pushed education strongly (5).” Both my parents worked hard to quickly overcome the hardships and by third grade we were building a house on 3 acres of land. I learned by example that hard work pays off and education would make my life easier.
The theme of diversity within the classroom resonates in this piece also. Schools are for the middle class, but aren’t the middle class often the minority? Our classrooms are filled with different races, classes, and gender. Once again, we are looking at how classrooms are not paying attention to what “history” children bring with them into the classroom- this time it focuses on class. Hicks believes that the way a child is socialized at home effects how they relate to school literacies. This does not mean children have to fail. She feels children can shift among the two discourses of home and school. As educators, we must not ask children to forget who they are when they walk into our rooms. We must not write them off because of the amount of their paychecks or the looks of their clothes. Take what you know about their backgrounds and work with it.

Tamera Wilson

I am searching for a critical space of understanding where I can engage in new discourses I had not known or even thought of before. Questions? Did I have some questions while trying to understand these last readings? Terminology? Oh yeah, talk about semantics! I had some questions about terminology, all right.
Anybody want to explain these to me, go ahead and comment.

1. Post-structuralist theory
2. hegemony - leadership or predominant influence exercised by one nation over
others, as in a confederation.
3. agency - a means of exerting power or influence; instrumentality: nominated by the
agency of friends
4. autonomy - being able to do things oneself
5. politics of subjectivity
6. gendered social lives (yeah, so, this is how we all grew up)
7. critical literacy

I’ll try the last one. Critical literacy was referred to in the text as “an umbrella term for politically sensitive research and practice that aims to change social injustices…draws on the frameworks of post-structuralist theories of discourse, critical discourse analysis, and feminism” (page 31). “Critical literacy educators strive to…ultimately change social injustices that hinge on inequitable power relations…critical literacy theorists argue for reading and writing as sites of social praxis (reflection and action).” And further, “critical literacy resists any simplistic or generic definitions because the agenda is to understand the complexity of the relationships between language practices power relations, and identities.” It seems to me critical literacy and qualitative research were made for each other. Who determines what is socially unjust? Haven’t we as a society always lived with social injustice; some of us even thrive on it. So, is it in the process of making meaning, as injustice occurs, that critical literacy takes place?

I remember way back when I first was going to school to become an educator, one of my teachers was talking about how important home visits were. That every teacher should do his / her best to visit the child at home to understand where the child comes from, how best to teach this child. This would be a fact-finding, eye-opening mission in many cases, I’m sure.

Further, aren’t we all subject to shifting relations of power, gender, and class? How many times have you returned home for the holidays and slipped right into your prior place in your familial pecking order? Fallen prey to your mother and her guilt trip prodding, or your sibling’s time-worn tricks that still manage to annoy you? Everywhere we go there is a hierarchy, and we have to figure out where we fit into it. Isn’t this a matter of shifting relations? And what about age? Age was mentioned briefly in one section. All ages can and do wield power. Small children can hold adults hostage, as the two preschoolers demonstrated. Do we still defer to our elders, I wonder? Or have the latest generations forsaken the wisdom of the elders for the speed and flash of the Internet?

One thing this last reading got me thinking about was the given idea that children are essentially powerless in almost all situations. Be it home, the classroom, church, or anywhere, older people are in charge, and kids just don’t have a say. No voice, no power. How do we empower our kids? How do we empower them to [learn, read, make good choices?] Are they really free reasoning agents? How could they be? They’re just children! They live daily with “the smallness of power” (page 33).

Also, isn’t adjusting to a different discourse pretty much the same thing as code switching? Every one of us has entered a situation “saturated with specific cultural meanings, values, and forms of knowing” (page 24). And yes, these specifics are foreign and strange to us, but we figure out a way to fit in and assimilate. “Children’s engagements in discourse practices are responsive…imaginative, resistant, ironic, sad, curious…. creating shared histories of response that become part of contexts of meaning” (page 33). Code switching, right?

There were an abundance of $10.00 words in this reading. It may take awhile to further digest and understand just what all we are talking about here.

Annie Croon

I’m not sure I am on the right track with what I took away from the readings, so please correct me if I am not.

I am definitely in agreement with Hicks when she speaks of literacy not starting at school. Every aspect of the home has some influence on a child’s literacy. Thinking about how children learn to talk. In most cases you can easily tell when you talk to a three to four year old how their literacy is developing, and it is usually based on how the child is talked to at home and the language he/she hears spoken in the environment in which the child lives. When I visit a friend of mine, I am always surprised at how extensive her two year old daughter’s vocabulary is. I remember on one occasion when I visited, I asked her what the fan was doing. Her response was “spinning.” I don’t know many school age children that would use the word spinning. Her vocabulary is the caliber it is because the people she is around most often (parents and extended family) talk to her and read to her on a daily basis. However, all children don’t have this luxury of having parents who read, talk, and give them their undivided attention on a daily basis. This often times spills over into children’s success in school. In public schools I agree there are many schools where the middle class is the majority, and therefore it makes it very hard for the working class to fit in, which results in greater chances of a child being unsuccessful. I think frequently, the parents feel the same way. I do believe that many parents don’t become involved in their child’s schooling experiences because they are embarrassed or feel inadequate compared to teachers. They are unable to help their children at home. Further, these days especially, many of our working parents are doing all they can to make sure the children’s needs (roof over kids head, food, clothing) are taken care of. Education obviously takes a back seat because that is not what’s at the forefront. All of these situations affect literacy. I don’t think educators often times stop and think about all the factors that do influence a child’s literacy, me being one of them, until I became involved in the graduate program. Literacy is not something that is pushed at my school, sad to say. As educators, we have to take into account all aspects of a child’s life. How can we do that? Consistent communication with parents is key. We can ride buses home to see where the kids live. Home visits are an option too. Getting to know the parents well can really open a teacher’s eyes into what is going on in the life of a child and the aspects of their learning.

Heather Houston

The situation that happened between Jake and Lee Ann were children just playing. But the way their mom and mom-mom responded to it, was their discourse. We may or may not agree with the way the adults handled the situation, but that’s all they know. Unfortunately those adults teach their children what they know, and then send their children to school. So these children end up in our classrooms with their ways with words…again….that’s all they know…that is their discourse. Until they meet you, and you teach them your discourse and your expectations, and over time (if you’re lucky before the end of the year) you’ll see them shifting location. Once they make that shift in location, you’ll see a much more discipline student; maybe their parent will make reference about how they have noticed a change (for the better) in their attitude; maybe a teacher will give you a praise report about how this students choose not to follow the crowd and made the right choice even when no one was looking. There is some truth in Heath’s (1983) ways with words. A lot of her cultural research I do agree with because students do come to us already knowing. They have a specific knowledge base already. As Heath stated, “As children enter classrooms, they encounter worlds that also saturated with specific cultural meanings, values, and forms of knowing” (p.24). Which may then present a “conflict” as Heath stated, but that’s were our teaching and training comes into play. We as teachers and educators must always teach, encourage, motivate, and sometimes reshape their way of thinking until the shift in location with their discourse actually takes place.
Walkerdine states that “mathematical reasonings are practices with discourses” (p.28). She continues as she shares the story of the three bears. She asks relational questions to the preschool students regarding who’s the biggest bear. She states that the children responded that the mother bear was the biggest because possibly in those children’s homes, their Daddy possibly wasn’t there, or maybe he’s the big silent type. Nonetheless, she continues with a term she has used before, “always-already-social”. The issue I have with this term is that it doesn’t fit all our students all the time. For instance, I have two English-language learners (ELLs) in my classroom. What I’ve come to notice is that their cultural background is totally different from our American background and of course they don’t understand a lot of words. In our language there is figurative speech, homophones, homographs, and all types of grammar and syntax. Regarding the relational term example, with the three bears…depending on the student’s cultural background, if they are an ELL student…they will not “get it”, and both of their parents may be in the household with the Dad substantially larger than Mom. Fry, E.B., Kress, J.E., and Fountoukidis, D.L. (2000) say, “Words potentially change the meaning of the text for ELLs who are not familiar with their multiple definitions”.
Toni Wheeler

While some people were shocked that a parent would encourage a child to go get revenge, I am used to situations like this with students and parents in my school. In their neighborhoods not going after someone is a sign of weakness and will cause further grief later.

We have had parents come to school to try to continue things that started in the neighborhood between children. Yes, we have had parents who have come to school to try to talk to a child who was having a problem with his or her child. We have had parents who have attempted to board school buses to talk to children, not their own, who are rumored to have said something about somebody. It is ridiculous and stupid of adults to react this way about a child, but these people do not know another way to behave. This behavior is acceptable in their world.

We have had to bring families in for conferences to explain that the rules of the neighborhood are not the rules we follow at school. We have to make it clear to the entire family that behavior like that is unacceptable at school. We have had to call police of parents and have parents banned from school grounds.

Most of us cannot even begin to imagine telling a child, encourage a child to seek revenge. And the idea of an adult going to a school for the purpose of terrorizing a child is absurd and insane. We have had to have

There is no doubt literacy is influenced greatly by children’s lives outside of school. The situations children are exposed to, as well as literature they are exposed to has an impact on them. And in turn it can influence the entire classroom.

When the majority of your students are from lower socio economic families, you have a challenge to expose them to things that can raise their background knowledge. At my school we have many students who have never been out of the county, and many have never heard of much less seen many of the things they are reading and learning about. It is hard for them to realize there is a world outside of their immediate world – which is Hickory. A few years ago I had a student who had lived in Hickory his entire life and had never been to the mall.

Many children are not exposed to books, but they are exposed to stories when they hear their parents, grandparents, and people who surround them tell stories about what happened at work, or at the store, or at the party they went to last weekend.

When we host parents’ nights at school we do try to emphasize how important it is for them to talk to their children. We have taken the families to the public library so the parents can see where it is and get library cards. That has been very successful for us. A majority of our families now have library cards and use the public libraries weekly, if not more often than that. It took educating the parents – literally getting a bus and driving them to the library and helping them fill out library card paperwork, but it worked and that is al that matters when trying to help increase family literacy for our students.

Children are introduced to many new things when they enter school for the first time. Many have never been read to, or seen their names in print, many don't even know their actual name becaus ethey have been called nicknames their entire lives. They are exposed to other children and adults who who may look like them or talk like them. We have to give them the tools needed to survive in their new world and in their home environment.

Caroline Walker

Well after reading other blog posts, I am glad that I am not the only one who was left dazed and confused after reading these chapters. I too will tried to make sense of what was read and do my best at finding applications to my own style of teaching and to my students.

The themes in the assigned articles all centered around teaching to the individual rather than the class. With the lack of parental support, community involvement and funding all of which seemingly worsen each year, as educators we must take it upon ourselves to teach the “whole” child-his heart, head, body and emotional being. Teaching to the child’s physical, intellectual, emotional and moral capacities provides them with a strong foundation for future academic, physical and social challenges.

Hicks’ two year study of students from kindergarten through second grade was startling.
The results of not recognizing and incorporating home literacies into the classroom greater impacts a student’s educational journey. In order to help working class children (and all children for that matter) learn, we as educators need to be aware of each child’s family and community influences and what impacts they have on developing literacy within the child. Helping students to share stories of self openly and without discrimination will help them to find success in the classroom and feel that they belong to this “community” too. Students also need to see the “human side” of their teachers. Sharing our stories can help students to form a caring relationship with their teacher. This relationship will strengthen their educational foundation and promote their literacy progress.

Kim Shaw

So I felt myself drifting back and forth in and out of confusion as I read these chapters. I reread some and hopefully I will be able to respond sensibly to what I read!

I like the focus on class that this book takes. I think that much focus is given on assisting students who speak another language and sometimes there are even special things for minority students, but the child from a working-class family who doesn’t fit any of the other categories often goes overlooked. I feel like these are the students who we see everyday in our classrooms who have fallen through the cracks. They don’t qualify for any other services, but they don’t have the support that they really need to make it successfully in the classroom.

I liked Hicks’ definition of literacy: institutional modes of talking, reading, and writing that are connected with their own histories, formed with others whom they value and love(1).

In the podcast Dr. Jackson mentioned that literacy isn’t just written—it is a cultural process. I found this statement to really support the situation with LeeAnn and Jake on page 19. After the documented conversation, the book goes on to say that “such moments of living have a lot to do with how children later engage with school literacies.” This quote kind of made me chuckle and shake my head. Here we see a situation that seems less than nurturing and that encourages behavior that is less than would be expected at school. I see situations with my students and their parents like this all the time. Every once in a while I wish that those experiences that they had at home didn’t have anything to do with how they engage in school literacies! I see more and more students that come from home situations that I wish deep down had no impact on their learnings at school!

A few lines down it says that Jake and LeeAnn were being socialized in ways of being, knowing, talking, acting, and feeling. This line was exciting to me because I thought deeply about how this is literacy—and in that instant realized how much this class and these readings have expanded my view of what literacy is—and, more importantly, that it is not just reading and writing!

Jessica Jackson

After reading these two chapters, I wasn’t sure which way I would pronounce it! What really lives here is an unending stream of psychological, sociological, and educational vocabulary! It stressed me out completely and was unnecessary; in fact, a roadblock to comprehending and appreciating what Hicks was trying to communicate. Now that I have that off my chest, I will comment on some of what I gleaned through the jargon.
One statement that grabbed me right away was on page 2, “…feeling and valuing are integral to what it means to know.” I have never read anything in education that has made any better sense. Why does public education demand that everyone fit in a box? (The same box, of all things!) Even when ascertained that a child has learning difficulties, exceptionalities if you will, the state of North Carolina requires that child to experience the identical tests as every other child. To top that off, the tests are created by a set of peoples who have no knowledge of children as human beings. I contend that knowing is just as Hicks has explained through her own words and the studies of others. Literacy is indeed a social and cultural practice, never independent of others. We all come to the table of learning with prior knowledge and experiences, which differ from others and shape us as individuals. Sometimes we break out of molds when thrust into socially diverse settings such as college or change of location. The example from the podcast clarified this. I immediately thought of the “code switching” situation from the Baker article. Other examples are replete throughout most of the articles we have read for this class. We do bring ourselves from our histories to literacy and every form of learning. As educators, we see this on a daily basis if we are looking at the children instead of numbers on a chart.
Janet Gross

After reading these articles I was a bit confused, I wasn’t sure exactly what I read during some parts. I do agree that children come to school with an opinion about literacy. Some children are not read to and have no concept of print. Their parents have not worked with them and it can become difficult for them. On the other hand, some children are read to every night by their parents and help write the grocery list. These students have a head start when it comes to school. I’ve never taught kindergarten but I’m sure that the teachers can tell a difference when a child comes to school if they are familiar with print. Teachers can tell how much help a child is getting at home. I know that I can tell in the fourth grade if a child is receiving help. I think it depends on what is important to the parents. Some parents simply do not have the time or do not make the time to work with their children. These children probably do not see literature as being an important aspect of life since it is not pushed on them. I was read to every night as a child and when I started school I couldn’t wait to learn to read.

I could not believe that Lee Ann’s mother told her to get revenge on Jake! Then the adults kept trying to get her to go after her brother. Jake is a child too. He pushed his sister down; I can’t count the number of times that my brother shoved me. Of course my parents punished him but they never once told me to get him back. This is how many of my students try to handle situations, it’s normal at the school I teach at. I try to turn it into a teaching moment. Some parents tell their child to fight back, but this is not allowed at school. That just ends up getting both students in trouble. Many students have a hard time separating home life and school life. The language that many of my students use at home is not allowed at school. Several of my students do not understand that if mom and dad let them say certain words why do they get in trouble at school for saying the same thing? I have to teach the academics and how to get along in civilization. Many of my students have no social skills and I am constantly trying to work on that. When they get in high school it will be a different story for them and I worry about them. I understand that many of these students are just trying to survive and they do what they have to in order for this to happen. I’m sure that things go on in my students’ homes and neighborhoods that would make me cringe. It’s sad that children have to learn to survive at such a young age.

Dana Eudy

Whew! I am glad to see that others were just as confused as I was by this reading. Until this point I have really enjoyed all of the articles we have read for this class, especially the first ones that came from the book The Skin We Speak. But this was different for sure! I will try my best to relate to it.

I think I come from a very unique teaching situation. While I think of most schools as being either predominantly upper class or middle class or lower class, the school I teach at has a wide range and covers all the bases. I teach right in the middle of Boone, very close to the university, so we get a plethora of students. We get the kids from the poorest parts of the county who live in the trailer parks, we get the doctors kids who live in very nice neighborhoods, we get the average middle-class kids, we get the kids who have parents that are professors, we get the kids that have parents who are in school earning a degree themselves, we have almost all of the minority students in the county, and we get all of the kids who come from the different shelters in our community. I can honestly say that this is one of my favorite parts of teaching at Hardin Park in Boone. The kids come from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences and they all learn from each other. Everyone has something to offer! And in first grade anyway, nobody is discriminated against, but I can't speak for the older grades. One thing that seems to be common, though, is that education is important to everyone. That is something that all of the parents I work with have in common. I'm guessing it has something to do with the college being so close and the influence that ASU has had on the Boone community, but it's nice to see. And even if the parents didn't have the means or knowledge to help their child prepare for school before coming to Kindergarten, they take suggestions well and are very supportive of all of the teachers. In fact, this past year I found that the parent who pushed her son and supported his education the most was one who was very young and never graduated from high school. She realized how important his education was and really wanted her son to be successful.

i can't say I was really surprised by the actions of the parents in the chapter, but i definitely can't relate to them. I have definitely heard people say that college is a waste of time. They obviously don't value education at all, or teachers, or school. I think that's a shame, but at the same time as the years go on more and more people are earning college degrees and seeing the importance of continuing their education beyond high school. I am a perfect example of that! On my mom's side of the family I was the second person to graduate from college; the first was my older brother. While my mom and her siblings weren't really given an opportunity to go to college, they value education. My going to college was never a question... it was expected. I grew up knowing I would go to college. I think more and more families are instilling this in their children and seeing the true value and importance in today's society.

Kelly Beckley

There's no doubt whatsoever that I find Deborah Hicks' research very interesting. In fact, it's something that I will continue to do more research and reading on myself: How DOES class affect our construction of meaning in the school's literacy discourse? This subject is without a doubt research-worthy. I did, however, have a very difficult time with her flowery use of language. I don't mean this to be an insult; it's just my reality.

Now, as I try to construct meaning of what I've read thus far about her research, I understand that she's trying to understand where students are coming from, their language histories, and how this affects their ability to construct meaning in their literacy practices at school. I think she also is concerned that many children are so enmeshed in their literacy cultures of home that they are unable to make profitable meaning of the literacy exposures at school.

To me, this all stems back to all of the readings we've done thus far: children must be affirmed with concern to their home language, literacy, and culture in order to move forward in their education. In relation to this, I do know that when humans feel threatened in any way--even by a teacher's dissaproval in the classroom--there is a place in our frontal lobe (I believe it's frontal lobe) that shuts down and prevents learning from taking place. How many times have I offended students in a way that "threatened" their security by correcting their cultural use of the English language? I'm sure I probably can't count. I thought I was doing what I was supposed to do as their teacher.

Now, on the note of autonomous mastery: I do believe that students autonomously construct meaning about countless things every day. Autonomous "mastery," however, is a totally different ballgame. I don't believe anyone--unless they've been a hermit all their lives--can even possibly autonomously master anything because as a culture, we're always interweaving bits and pieces--even if subconsiously--of life for the construction of understanding and meaning. I don't know that mastery is achieved here on earth. I just don't believe that as imperfect beings we can know all that must be known for true mastery of anything.

Erin Farrington

“The way s of living, eating, sleeping, worshiping, using space, and filling time which surrounded these language learners would have to be accounted for as part of the milieu in which the processes of language learning took place” (22). This sentence sums up what most of the reading was about. Children come to school with a lot of learning already done. They have a way of doing things and saying things and understanding things that may not be the way that others in school are comfortable with. Children learn a lot about literacy in this sense before they ever enter a classroom or open a book. They are socialized into the values and beliefs of their culture and everything they face thereafter is affected by this socialization. The reading also mentioned the idea of shifting locations and moving between discourses. This idea reminded me of the Delpit article we read about code switching, which is to use the appropriate way of speaking with the appropriate audience. This shifting between discourses seems to be much the same but to a greater degree. Switching discourses seems to include much more than language but also beliefs and values. After considering this reading on socialization and culture and the way children express literacy, I can’t help but wonder a few things: Isn’t it part of teaching to socialize children? And if so, whose cultural reality are we socializing them to? Is this detrimental or beneficial?

The other part of this reading that stuck out to me was the, although it was difficult to understand, was on page seventeen. The author is discussing Code’s work and he says that “a practice that locates itself on the “rough ground” suggest alternatives to learners marching, like good soldiers, toward independent mastery”. This seems to imply to me that if we are considering literacy to be all of the things included above then we cannot expect uniform mastery to happen in our classrooms. Things will not happen for every child at the same time, and mastery may not look the same for every child. How we make this happen in a classroom: I have NO idea. But, I do like the individuality that is considered for each child and the acknowledgement of the background they are bringing to the school experience.

I would like to make one last comment on Jake and Lee Ann and their fight in the yard. I was shocked by the reaction of the mother and grandmother, and to me this proved much of what this reading said to be true. I was not socialized in that way, and I do not understand why you would allow a small child to take revenge. However, it opened my eyes a bit to the notion that some of my students may have been socialized in this way. That leads me to consider how these children might react to discipline or teasing by peers in the school setting. I, or other teachers, may think a child is acting out when they are simply doing what they were taught to do!

Shannon Keough

These two chapters were very difficult for me to get through simply because of the "professional" wording of things. However, I will say, that the podcast really helped me get the gist of these two chapters. I like the argument mentioned here that literacy is a social and cultural learning process, not something that just occurs in the classroom. That single statement should make so much sense to teachers. If all it took to become literate was to attend school and do your tasks there, teachers would be on cloud nine because all of their students could read and write. But think about how many times you've heard teachers say, "They get no help at home." Or I know I've often said, "It's just one of those students that you would like to get out of the home life they're in and watch them flourish." I fully support this argument that becoming literate is a social and cultural process. I also like the idea that the cultural background of a student will effect how they interact with being at school and becoming literate in more ways than just reading and writing.

Also listening to the podcast, I found the example of a discourse of being a southern woman very interesting. It was nice to make this professional jargon revelant to my life. I also found it interesting to realize how the discourse idea effects ways of reading, talking, and interacting with other students and teachers. I think that as adults we have internalized a discourse and we don't often realize that we're trying to push our ways of life onto other students who have a completely different culture than us. I can't imagine students such as our ESL kids having to take on discourse after discourse just to try to interact with others. Overall, these two chapters gave me a lot to think about over this summer break when considering the identities of my new students next year.

Erica Spicer

These two chapters were difficult to read but hopefully I got through them with some good information. These two chapters show that children from all different classes, gender, etc. struggle. In the second chapter I started to understand what the author means by literacy being affected by the child's social surroundings. I do think that the way you are brought up and the way that your parents and family speak and interact affects your literacy. I was shocked when I read the example of how Lee Ann was told to go jump on Jake from his mother and mom-mom. I would have thought that they would have called her over to talk to her about being nice, and explain why we don't call people names. This showed how issues are solved differently in different classes. I think that Hicks taking students home lives into her study was very important so that she got a whole look at the students lives so she could see whether literacy was affected from all areas of the children's lives. I work at a title one school and I see the behavior like Lee Ann showed. The students are not taught to come tell the teacher they are taught that it is ok to fight back if someone bothers you. I also see how we expect children to change in school whether it fits their social class or not. I think that it is important as a teacher to try and make children of all classes, gender, and race feel special in my classroom. There are adjustments that students have to make when they come to school.

I think that these two chapters closely relate to the other articles that we have read. It all comes back to how students language and environment at home affect how they might talk at school. As teachers we need to try and engage students and make them feel like their language use is a choice. We as teachers realize that we can not change a lot of the things that students come to school already having learned. We just have to try and show our students that there are important ways that we need to act in school and rules that can't be broken even if they are at home like Lee Ann hurting her brother.

These two chapters were difficult to read but hopefully I got through them with some good information. These two chapters show that children from all different classes, gender, etc. struggle. In the second chapter I started to understand what the author means by literacy being affected by the child's social surroundings. I do think that the way you are brought up and the way that your parents and family speak and interact affects your literacy. I was shocked when I read the example of how Lee Ann was told to go jump on Jake from his mother and mom-mom. I would have thought that they would have called her over to talk to her about being nice, and explain why we don't call people names. This showed how issues are solved differently in different classes. I think that Hicks taking students home lives into her study was very important so that she got a whole look at the students lives so she could see whether literacy was affected from all areas of the children's lives. I work at a title one school and I see the behavior like Lee Ann showed. The students are not taught to come tell the teacher they are taught that it is ok to fight back if someone bothers you. I also see how we expect children to change in school whether it fits their social class or not. I think that it is important as a teacher to try and make children of all classes, gender, and race feel special in my classroom. There are adjustments that students have to make when they come to school.

I think that these two chapters closely relate to the other articles that we have read. It all comes back to how students language and environment at home affect how they might talk at school. As teachers we need to try and engage students and make them feel like their language use is a choice. We as teachers realize that we can not change a lot of the things that students come to school already having learned. We just have to try and show our students that there are important ways that we need to act in school and rules that can't be broken even if they are at home like Lee Ann hurting her brother.

Megan Machuga

WOW! I loved it when Hicks talked about caretakers shaping the learners’ values, feelings, and attachments. (page 36) This reminded me of the time that my son was two years old and in daycare. The day care that my son was attending was beginning to get my attention. I was seeing multiple things taking place that I was not pleased about. For instance one day I SAW the owner pull a small child down the hall by his arm and put one child in the kitchen closet for time out. I quickly realized that this was not the place for my son. I called a Christian lady who kept children in her home. My son absolutely loved/loves her and even refers to her as mom-maw. Not only has he learner respect but he has also learned excellent manners. I can definitely see lots of her values instilled in him. As parents we must be careful of whom we trust with our children. If a child is in the wrong situation then a lot of damage can occur.
I disagreed with Hicks on page 40 when she made the statement about black being a woman’s color and you have to earn the right to wear the color black. Clothes are items that we wear, no more or no less. As long as we have something clean to put on then it does not and should not matter what color it is. As I read about children reading to escape that triggered my memory. I have never read to escape, I have always read for pleasure. It made me wonder about our student’s home lives. How many of our students read to escape the family life. This makes me sad to even think about. About a decade ago many people would get married because of a pregnancy. The majority of the time this leads up to an unhappy family and later on a divorce and the child is stuck in the middle of a bad situation. The emotional distress of the child/children plays a large role in their child’s ability to learn. I am glad that our society has evolved and this doesn’t occur as often these days. With this being said and I moved into chapter four this seemed to be somewhat similar to what was happening with Laurie. She was being raised by her mom and grandmother both of who were working. She was forced to take care of two younger siblings. After being placed on medication for ADD Laurie’s attitude and learning changed for the worse. This makes me ask myself in some situations are the children’s parents doing this do their child/children with out even realizing what they are doing. It was sad to hear to Laurie coming to school complaining of the side effects. This was hard for me to read, I can only image what the teacher/observer was feeling. As a teacher I am very careful when I talk to parents about the children’s problem with focusing. I have been teaching for five years and I have only recommended one parent to consider seeing a doctor. Most of the time I find with a little extra attention and praise the student will do better and become more engaged.
Misty Mistretta

I enjoyed reading about the author’s childhood. I couldn’t help but laugh at her description of being socialized in the South and the way it seemed to be synonymous with being socialized into Christianity. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest where Christianity is not embraced in the culture as it is in the South. Mentioning Christianity in public places often visibly makes people uncomfortable. I was shocked when I moved to the South and people talked about Jesus pretty regularly. Also, they prayed at public events such as graduation. This would never happen where I came from. So, I guess this further illustrates Hicks point that we are socialized into a culture, and that culture comes to be what we expect. When we face something different, it is baffling at best and incomprehensible at worst.

“Children have never just learned how to read and write and then looked around for uses to which they might put these skill” (37). To me this seems to mean that children have a reason for reading and writing. It always serves some kind of purpose in their lives. And it may serve different purposes depending on the culture this child is a part of. Therefore, some children may not see usefulness in school literacy and as a result they are not as willing to engage as a child who has been socialized in a way that values school literacy.

Chapter three gives a detailed picture of different literacy experiences. Each woman described used literature, in part, as a way to escape the reality of their lives. Literature became a friend, and adventure, an escape. It was more than just something necessary in school. It became a personal and meaningful practice that each individual embraced and therefore excelled at. If we could get students to embrace literature in this way, it would not be such a chore to get them to read. The question is how do we get kids to engage with literature this way? How do we get the reluctant ones to understand the magic that reading has?

I love the story of Laurie reading the book Where’s Our Mama. Her engagement with and connection to the story is obvious in her response with the umbrella after reading the story. Her story continues in a less positive way. This is a young girl who struggled greatly with school and reading. I couldn’t help but notice the connection that her home life had to her struggles. She was not getting the attention and affection she needed at home, and therefore was unable to do what she needed to be successful at school. Also interesting to me was how her attitude toward school changed along with her home life. As I read this, I couldn’t help but hope that Laurie would not get stuck in the same home life that she grew up in. It is obvious that she is loved by her mother and grandmother, however the stress and strain of taking care of the family left some of Laurie’s needs unmet.

Shannon Keough

I appreciate Hicks sharing with us a part of her childhood memories. I can understand how and why histories of her childhood ring so vivid and aid in her becoming a lifelong reader. I’m glad she acknowledges the childhood memories of Hooks and Frame, helped in shaping her literacy framework. As for myself, growing up in the South was quiet different from how Hicks describes her childhood, but it wasn’t as strained as Hooks childhood either. After all, Hooks and I are both Black. She is “light-skinned”, I’m dark-skinned…maybe she’s older than I am; maybe she was raised in a rural area that was deeper south than where I was raised (which was Charlotte, NC). None the less, I can understand the fear and possible hate she had growing up. I can even relate to how she felt in school when in class, slavery was mentioned and the other students’ reaction to the word savage. Being a dark-skinned black person, and the only one in class (I was the first child in my family to go to desegregated schools), I to could not relate to a savage, even though I am a dark-skinned sister. But when reading her memoire I can understand why “she married a man whose skin is the color of soot and the other wonderful black things…” Because as she stated, yes light-skinned blacks has and still are being treated better than dark-skinned blacks, but none-the-less Hooks (who was light-skinned) still was black, BUT not black enough…or light/white enough. Therefore that’s why her husband is black like all the wonderful things she loves. As the memoire continues (p.40) and the statement was made, “Black is a woman’s color”. That doesn’t mean only woman can wear black. It is more of a cultural thing. When I was growing up, my mama told me too that, “You are not grown, when you become a woman, you can wear black”. We, black people, just think that the color black is too BOLD of a color for younger girls to wear (really that’s it!). In fact when my daughter was growing up, she didn’t wear her first black dress until she was 15 years old!
Laurie, who was being a “good-girl” in 1st and 2nd grade, and her academics were in a downward turn; reminds me of so many students who come into 3rd grade. I don’t know who if anybody is the blame, for these children not being prepared when they get to 3rd grade. I taught 3rd grade for four years. When these children come into our class, after all the parents send their best to school, parents don’t understand or have a clue why their child (who just entered in 3rd grade), is behind. The parents tell you how “good” they have always been in school, and how much they loved school in 1st & 2nd grade….now these same “good” students have to sit and read to learn, instead of learning to read…That is a problem!
Toni Wheeler

I found myself seeing my own childhood when the author was describing her childhood.. As a daughter of the south – born and raised in North Carolina by parents who were born and raised by southerners, I really saw myself in the author’s stories of her own childhood.

I remember Bible School and Sunday School, singing “Jesus Loves Me,” eating cookies, and drinking juice. Going to church was mandatory – my parents, my sister, and I attended every Sunday. I knew Bible stories as well as I knew the story of The Three Little Pigs. I still have a copy of Bible stories I received as a child – it still has a chocolate ice cream stain on the inside cover from reading it while eating an ice cream cone.

My parents purchased books for us, like the author I had many of those Little Golden Books, and both read to us every night. The TV did not come on except for an hour or two a night. We played outside, helped in the garden, and read. We listened to our parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles tell stories about when they were little.

While we weren’t wealthy, we had what we needed. My parents, if they had financial concerns, never let us know about them. While I see many of my own stories in the author’s memories of her childhood, I see many of my students’ stories in Laurie’s story.

Teaching at a school with a student population of only working and lower socio-economic class students, I know that students sometimes know too much about adult problems. They know the day when food stamps arrive. They know that they have to go to grandma’s house to take a bath because their water got turned off. They know they have to get homework done before dark because the power was turned off and they won’t be able to see their books if they wait until late to do it. They know they better eat their school lunch no matter if they like the offerings or not because they might not get to eat until school breakfast the next day.

Their parents can choose between attending parent teacher conferences or working so they can put food on the table. Many parents do not have the comfort level needed to help their children with even the most basic of assignments. It is hard for parents to worry about 3rd grade math when they also have to worry about paying for the glasses a child needs.

It is also hard for a child to focus and concentrate on what needs to be done at school when he or she has seen and heard things most of us never had to worry about at that age. I had a student whose mother used to disappear, without a word to anyone for, days. Her car would be found in a parking lot with the contents of her purse scattered all over the seat. Her children would be afraid that something horrible had happened to her. Their grandmother had to pick up the pieces. She would remind the children each time it happened that their mother had done this before and just was trying to get attention. Both children were extremely bright, but of course could not focus on what they needed to focus on to be completely successful at school. Most of us as adults could not focus on what we needed to focus on if we had so many outside issues distracting us.

Caroline Walker

I was pleased to jump into Chapter 3 and not need my dictionary (which I have not placed on my computer dashboard).

I enjoyed reading each of the ladies stories. I could relate to each of the working class girl’s stories.

Although white, I could relate to bell hook’s story. She spoke of church having a great impact on her becoming a reader. While my immediate family went to church sporadically, my caregivers during the day, were Mr. and Mrs. Parks, a minister and his bride. My mother teases when she says, “That is why I turned out so good.” They read the Bible to me, took me on trips, treated me like their granddaughter. They had no television, but 6 children much older than myself to keep me entertained. I know they shaped my behavior and my literacy experiences.

I found it interesting all 3 ladies read for escape. Don’t we all have something we do for escape from the stresses of life? Pedicures. Bubble Baths. A Glass of Wine. Scrapbook. Reading about places you could be or places that might be can give someone just enough hope to make it through tough times. I believe once we find something that gives us that escape we need, it can also be a source of pleasure. These ladies developed a joy of reading even though it began as an escape.

I didn’t find it strange the mother-daughter relationships, good or bad, played such a big part in literacy. Generally, most mothers have that special bond with their children that is just different from a father’s relationship. While there is the notion of being a “daddy’s girl,” so much of who we are and what we become is based around our mother -the care giver.

“With classes that are too large to manage and increasingly stiff curriculum mandates, it becomes difficult for teachers to come to know children with the kind of depth that engenders successful change (96).” Just in my teachings since 1992, I have seen such a push in academics that makes the classroom teacher go, go, go with curriculum. We are jumping through hoops and pushing the curriculum often at the expense of those already struggling to keep up. I have felt the push and find less time each year just to “talk” and get to know my students on more personal levels. I miss that. As with all the chapters and articles before, teachers need to “listen” to their students and give them a voice no matter what their culture, race, class, or gender.

Tamera Wilson

The personal and professional light with which we were allowed to view Laurie fills a void for me in connection with my own students. Often times I wonder what is going on with children at home and why. Although we still are not able to see what happens when Hicks is not present we do get a glimpse of the reasons as to why Laurie is looking for her knight in shining armor.

The disturbing thing for me is the fantasy story about the flowers. “I’m gonna kill (unclear word) who did it and (unclear word) break the heart flower [feigns crying]” I could not help but call out in my own mind to Hicks, “find out if someone is molesting or abusing this child!” Hicks states, “Violence and goodness sit in complicated balance in Laurie’s Magic Garden story.” (p. 79) It really upset me that Hicks treated this as normal writing for a first grade student. Anyway, it was just more proof that home contexts spill over into the classroom setting, playground, and cafeteria. Children cope with issues as they have seen others cope. They must develop defensive strategies that make sense of their world if they can.

For educators, this can be a difficult thought to recall amid the daily stress and business of teaching first grade to a challenging child among 20-25 other children. The significance of Hicks’ research thus far speaks as much to the current styles of educating the masses as it does to how our specific histories affect how girls “write, voice, and live in school.” (p. 97)
Janet Gross

I kept questioning my own responses as I read these two chapters. I understand Hicks’ observations of Laurie and the contrast Hicks includes between Laurie’s home reality and the possibilities for adult women, of multiple social classes. However, is it really so wrong for Laurie to want a Daddy? Perhaps her outpourings point to emotional confusions about life, but it seems she just wanted the element that she believed would make her world okay.

I’ve been whiney and close to tears all day, delayed onset of grief & coming of a hormonal surge, I guess. None the less, I found myself to be irritated by the seeming slant of Hicks against ideas of women fulfilling traditional gender roles. I guess I’ve gotten to a stage in my life where I recognize my upbringing (complete with a crazy family whom I love), understand the value of education, and still want to find a husband and make babies. I fully intend to eventually get my doctorate and be a college professor, but if it came down to it, I’d choose to be a stay-at-home mom, at least for a bit, without hesitation instead. Does that somehow make me less of a woman or show that I have foolishly conformed to the standards of our culture? I don’t really think so. If feminism is about options, then let me choose.

Perhaps Hicks does validate my way of thinking by including the quote from Jane Miller on page 80 “[Literacy] offers scope for imagining multiplicity and change, and for resisting, as well as yielding to, the seductions of the domestic and the feminine.”

Now on to Laurie’s behavior, which most fascinated me in the article. At home, Laurie is a junior parent, watching two younger siblings and helping Mom & Grandma keep things together. She has to discipline her siblings and behave as an adult. Then, she goes to school and her primary focus becomes being a “good girl” who is quiet and well-behaved. Talk about a switch! Sometimes I struggle when it’s time to switch from being the teacher to being a student. Can you imagine a switch from adult to child? In a setting where you are falling behind? Blah!

I think there’s no surprise at all that Laurie was diagnosed with ADD and subsequently medicated. She seems like a highly imaginative little girl who was unable to successfully get out her energy or creativity at school; when she returned home with 8 hours worth of store energy, it was too much for Grandma to deal with while working. Isn’t Kindergarten a bit young to label a child & start medicating them? Help me out Kindergarten & first grade ladies. It seems ridiculous to me. Again, let me identify a personal bias here. My nephew will start Kindergarten in the fall. I am already praying for wisdom & strength for whoever his teacher will be. Nephew-boy doesn’t need Ritalin, he needs to move, think, tear apart/put together, and explore his world.

Laurie was rendered unable to explore since her angry outbursts were behaviorally unacceptable, the work of first grade was cognitively beyond her instructional level, and her peer relationships were strained, at best. Yet, her primary concern seemed to remain “being good.” Hicks says, on page 75, “Laurie resisted school by tuning out rather than through overt disruptions. She was never openly resistant in school.” Now that, I totally agree, is a socially constructed gender issue, with a little bit of genetics mixed in.

I feel like I’m still processing these chapters, so I may have the urge to say more later. Thanks for bearing with me through my little rant about wanting kids. I’ll close with this quote that makes me feel better about my rant & thought pattern: “Teaching, like research, involves situated readings of students. We read students’ lives in ways that draw on our own histories as learners.” P. 56

Ruth Johnson

Yes, our caretakers then teachers impact our child's life in ways that will stay with them forever. Sad to say some mothers don't have time for their children, I see them sitting in fast food places talking on their cell phones while the child in front of them sits in silence. Being a single mother is not the worst option today, society has made a few wrong turns, including not considering a fetus a baby, I remember being ecstatic when I found out I was expecting, now it's, is it convenient for me, do you want to help me with the responsibility or shall we continue on our merry way. Children used to be a treasure. Enough of that, The discourse of the Bible Belt made it to NJ where I raised my children, there are many rural areas of our country where morals are still set from the Word.
I see many of my students in Laurie's position, trying to be a child with the responsibilities of an adult. This is very detrimental to their school work. It is hard to think about academics that you don't see as important, when more urgent issues wait for you at home. Many parents try to help their children the best they can, but their experiences with school are shaky at best. On p. 56 it mentions we read student's lives in ways that draw on our own histories as learners this can be helpful if we came from the same background, but how many of us did? Again the point is made on p. 65 “children learn what they live”. Hybrid identity appears according to region and time/era. Dad's giving books to their little girls to write in so they can be like their moms is nice, yet still sending the message of "place" this is not always bad. The idea of girls seek power by being nice, kind and helpful, should be transparent to veteran teachers. Page 66 talks about Laurie living a dual existence as a model student who was learning how to fail, we see this in classrooms and as in Laurie's case, we don't have enough staff to give the one on one they need. If we could only concentrate on the lower grades, get them to read, we wouldn't have the problems we see in the upper grades. I seen the idea mentioned on p. 73, reading to a stuffed animal wok in my room. This is non-threatening so they take more risks and make more progress. I have used the writers notebook in the past but these readings have given me more ideas, I don't know what to try first. It offers them freedom from tension, it is their space, and I usually learn much more than I want to know, but it helps me understand my students. I know this was all about girls but I see these behaviors from boys also.

Just as Hicks mentioned her childhood had an effect on her appreciation and love of literature. When I think back on my childhood, I can’t recall my mother or father ever reading to me. If my mother were alive I am sure she’d say differently. As a child I liked to read, but never really eastablished a love for reading for enjoyment. Now, I love to read for my students (children books), and occasionally will read a book seen on Oprah. Had I been raised in a house that modeled reading for enjoyment the outcome most likely would have been different.

It is crucial that we help students establish a purpose for reading. In order to truly value this skill, they must find it applicable to their everyday life. To do this, we have to incorporate literature that is exciting and interesting to our particular grade level. I remember reading stories that were so
Far-fetched from my personal life as a child. I remember reading Dick and Jane –really who can connect to that? Today, literature is beginning to “tune in” to what kids want to read about and publishers are supplying topic s that bring in “real life” themes that children can make some personal connections too.
At the beginning of the school year, I have my parents complete a reading survey with their children. Questions relate to their hobbies, interest and personalities. This is great way to get to know more about my students so that I can provide them with books they will find interesting.
Reading how Laurie’s home life affected her literacy development reemphasized that something needs to change! If parents do not become more active in educating their children, the cycle is only going to continue when they grow up and have children of their own. I don’t know how what more we can do as educators to help parent realize this. At my school, we have done things like supplying free books, holding literacy building workshops (with free transportation, childcare and dinner) and still the response is sparse. I wish someone would come up with a solution to this ever growing epidemic!

Kim Shaw

These 2 chapters, unlike the first 2, really drew me in and brought up an array of emotion from me. I’ve read on many posts about how family life was growing up. I didn’t really have such a normal life growing up. I guess by normal I mean the typical American family. Neither of my parents even finished middle school. My home life was somewhat dysfunctional; my parents separated after I was grown but they didn’t get along when I was young, and my father didn’t help my mom out with us or financially either. She had the burden of being the emotional and material provider for me and my 2 much older siblings. Somehow in the midst of all that I became a good girl at school and managed to stay at the top of my class. I think I tried so hard because that made my mom proud of me, and since she didn’t have much time to give me it was a way to get attention and approval from her. I didn’t have much in the way of role models for reading and writing. My mother loved and still loves me and we have a close relationship, but I can really connect with some of Laurie’s issues. My mother was in her late 30s when she had me, so she wasn’t a young mother raising 3 kids but instead a mom who already had teenagers and wasn’t really planning on adding a new baby to an already tough situation. When a kid comes out of a less than ideal situation like that, one of two things can happen. They can be rebellious to show their anger at their situation, or they can strive and work hard to try to rise above it and make a better life for themselves than they had as children. It seems that what usually happens is the first.

Laurie was very much shaped by her caretakers. This is not a news flash for any of us. Kids pick up on the language, body language, habits, and values of those who are taking care of them daily. Parents are truly their child’s first teacher. Behaviors are learned from watching others. It just makes good sense that a child’s approach to literacy learning would be modeled after that of his parents or caregivers. I understand that Laurie’s mom and grandmother were in a bind so to speak with raising 3 young children, and they were doing the best they could. Still, I can’t help but be angry at situations like this. We have so many women out there (of all colors) who are single moms raising kids by themselves with no father around. I don’t want to anger anyone, my own dad was present but not involved in my life either. I just don’t understand how and why these women end up with 3 or more kids by the age of 25, no husband or father to help raise the kids, and no job or education to rely on. What do they think is going to happen to these kids? And why do they keep having more babies when they can’t care for the ones they have? I am in my late 30s and I have 2 girls. I am married, so I have a husband and 2 sets of grandparents to help out. I work and go to school, and it is HARD to manage things and be a good mother when I am so busy. Many of you are in the same boat and know what I mean. I just don’t understand how these ladies let themselves get into such difficult circumstances; it’s the kids who suffer because they are not getting the attention they need, as was Laurie’s problem in the story. I don’t think she had ADD; it sounds like she just needed somebody to be a good parent to her and give her the attention she needed. You can love your kids and still not be a good parent to them. Hicks even stated that she thought Laurie was reacting to stressful material and her emotions. I wonder how many kids we have on Ritalin that really are not ADD, but just come from a less than ideal home situation.

While I understand that being a single parent would be difficult, and in some cases things happen that we have no control over, it just seems to be so common these days for young women to be raising kids alone or with grandma’s help. That often creates a financially stressful situation in which the mother doesn’t have time to be a mother because she is too busy just trying to survive. Kids have to deal with so much emotional baggage, how can they be expected to behave at school and be engaged learners? There is a sentence on page 64 that says, “Amid the economic and child care stresses faced by the adults, Laurie’s needs and interests were sometimes lost.” And in addition to her, there are 2 other kids in the family who are going to be in the same situation as Laurie when they enter school!! Maybe what we need to work towards in our country is educating our young people about how difficult being a parent is. Maybe rather than trying to fix the problems of all these children we could do more parent educating and lessen the number of kids we see coming from situations like Laurie’s. It is a viscous cycle that just keeps repeating itself. Our children are our future-we have heard that so much but I don’t think some Americans really take it seriously. If we don’t do a good job raising our children, both academically and emotionally, we are headed for a big mess.

Lorie Hedrick

We shouldn't be surprised to see in a chapter that where a child grows up has an impact on their literacy. It breaks my heart to read about students like Laurie or to even see random kids out in public and automatically know that they're not getting the attention they need at home. Its not always low income, single mother families, but it's also families where parents are too wrapped up in their own lives and careers to even recognize that their children aren't getting the attention they need. I was very lucky in my own childhood. I had both my parents around and all four of my grandparents. My mother was a stay at home mom because she always wanted to pick my sisters and I up from school and help us with homework and what not. Although my dad worked the typical stressful 8-5 job, he would always come home curious about our school days, ready and willing to play outside with us and most definitely always ready to tuck me in with a fun story, a Bible story, and a prayer. I was also very lucky to have two older sisters who liked to be my other moms. I was very well taken care of and I probably got too much attention. I have a very hard time relating to situations where there is a young single mom struggling to make ends meet. That concept is luckily very foreign to me. Knowing that there are families out there who don't take the time to work with their children on important matters such as literacy makes me want to strive to work even harder in my own classroom to give these students the attention they need in order to form a strong foundation in literacy. Laurie had more responsibilities than she should have at her age. I want to be able to provide an environment in my classroom where it's ok to be a kid and learn at a reasonable developmental rate. I just wish there was a way for me to get parents more involved in what I do in the classroom.

Erica Spicer

Noll/ Henry

In a recent study of students ages 12-13 all girls were placed in groups of multicultural backgrounds. They were to listen to others tell stories about their cultural backgrounds listening for likenesses and differences. This study enhanced young writers to become more avid thinkers in the world that surrounds them today. Students often feel left out or just not in the realm of society due to our subject material being biased in a way that only certain criteria are not met due to cultural differences. Of course, our standard way of teaching is to eliminate any topics that we are not familiar with leaving only “our” culture the one we all know and expect others to succumb to. This is problematic due to lack of knowledge where other cultures are concerned. In the past, I have taught ELL learners in the classroom, mainly Hispanic descent. I often wondered in my beginning years of teaching why these students never spoke out or answered questions I knew that they had knowledge of due to materials that were covered in class. I quickly found that these students felt intimidated to write their feelings much less answer a question in class worrying about language differences and culture differences. After a year of studying why and what could be done to enhance ELL learners in the classroom, I found that comparing background knowledge with other students would and does help creative thinking and writing. When students are young they are very impressionable and with this article putting thoughts and ideas into perspective students can become great writers and independent thinkers. By the way, one of my ELL students was documented as making the most progress from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. She had no discrepancies except her way of life was not the same as our southern culture. The materials we use in class needed expansion to incorporate all learning styles and learning criteria needed exposure so these students could feel a part of the culture they have become to know as an intimidator.
Whether Indian or Creole descent, the teacher is responsible for expanding the SCOS into something creative and interesting that students can relate to in life. I love learning about different cultures and lifestyles and when this is opened and discussed in the classroom then students are more engaged and feel a part of a safe and happy environment. When children feel less threatened or less pressured to know what is expected of them then their creativity will transpire into wonderful prose and vocabulary will expand giving students the knowledge to communicate verbally and production will increase in essays and writing tests.
I thought that including Chinese New Year was a big step in integrating different culture backgrounds in the classroom. After reading these articles, I feel that every week should be devoted to other cultures and everyone should be subjected to learning new material about descendants from other countries.
Robin Hand

I enjoyed reading the last two chapters. I could relate to bell hooks reading on being treated differently than her brother. During my upbringing my parents allowed my brother to do a lot more things than I was, using the reason “because he is a boy and he can handle himself out there. Still when I was in college and would come home for the summer I would have a midnight curfew, unless I was out with my brother than I could stay out till 2:00am. My brother, who was two years older then me, would be able to go out snowmobiling with his friends, but if I wanted to go with my friends, who mostly were guys, they would have to come in and endure the grueling “If anything happens to our daughter out there” speech from my parents before they would tell me if I could go or not. I can relate to bell hooks, in this sense of gender roles in the family.
I also thought it was very interesting that she was told to fear the white folks, but didn’t really have a clue as to why she was doing it. This is a prime example on how not to teach equality and respect. I actually had a mother one year tell me that her daughter would not respect me because I am white. I was SHOCKED and didn’t really know what say to the mom, except that we needed to figure out a way for us to be able to respect each other because, at that time, there was only one black teach in the whole K-5 school and her odds of having another white teacher would be very possible. How a child is raise in their household before coming to school and during has a huge impact on their education. I do not treat my students any differently. I love them all and couldn’t picture tuning one out because of race, class, or gender.
The theme I came across in all four stories, from bell hooks, Janet Frames, Hicks, and Laurie was that imagination plays a huge part in a girls upbringings. Hicks’ story about her childhood kept me nodding my head and relating her middle class upbringings to mine. I too was the teacher pleaser that didn’t read much outside of school. I used my imagination all the time in my basement to entertain myself. I could also relate to her story because my mom wanted my family to look “classy”, just as her mom did. While taking notes as I read I wrote a whole page in my notebook alone writing the similarities of Hicks childhood to mine. The only big difference was that she grew up in a small southern community in the piedmont escaping her small town life through school, reading, and writing, and I was raised in a small northern community in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and escaped small town life through music, dance, and sports. I really felt that connection of being a girl in a middle class, small town.
Laurie’s story was another two pages of written comments in my notebook, but I wanted to focus on the fact that her “good behavior cloaked her academic distress”. We have so many students out there that have slipped though this same crack in education. As a teacher, I feel that her first grade teacher should have picked up on this then. Instead Laurie was going unnoticed, as Hicks said, from day to day. Even though the teacher was experienced and she did know Laurie was struggling, it did not appear to me that the teacher was doing all she could with her to help her get caught up. If the gap is not corrected early on it hinders a child from feeling successful as their school years go on. In Laurie’s case, by second grade she already coined herself as the “slow one”. Thank God she had a second grade teacher that focused on Reading/Writing Workshops. This seemed to help Laurie a little bit. It just breaks my heart to see how much Laurie struggled with school, which was very apparent in her writing journal entries, and because of her competing identities between school and home, it makes it a lot harder to help Laurie the older she gets.

Barbara Terauds

The account of bell hooks, Janet Frame, and Deborah Hicks childhoods are great examples of how life’s experiences shape who we are and how they play a role in developing our literacy. I was moved that hooks and Frame were able to escape some of their childhood feelings of iniquity and conflicts that went on in the home that influenced their literacy learning. I know some of those same things go on in the lives of my students, but very few of them turn to reading or creating their own stories as ways of escaping. It seems, these days, children are turning to roads that lead them down paths that lead to destruction. Maybe this happens because they aren’t able to identify with anyone.
The account of Laurie is heartbreaking, because as I continued to read about Laurie, many of my own students I have had throughout the years surfaced in my mind. As I read about Laurie’s angers, I felt she had every right to feel the way she did. I thought about her longing for a father, a sense of security, attention, and more pleasant, loving relationships with her mother and grandmother. Underneath many of our students outbursts of misbehaviors, are merely children that are hurting and longing for a sense of belonging, somewhere. If it hadn’t been for Hicks research, that led to home visits, and eventually tutoring, there is no telling what would have happened to Laurie. It was obvious that a connection was made between Hicks and Laurie that left, probably, the only positive influence upon Laurie’s literacy. I was disturbed during the section Laurie wrote about the flowers. Literacy practices give teachers great insight into their levels of learning, but so much more as well, as we see through her writing. I was a little frustrated that the teachers (according to what I read in the chapter) did not seem to reach out to Laurie, and try to individualize her instruction. I had a child move in a couple months after school started this year. She was medicated for ADHD, and struggled in reading and math. At the end of the first nine weeks, I was a little nervous about how her mom would react to her grades during our conference, even though she got a weekly folder containing her work and grades. It turned out that her mom was excited. She said it was the best her grades had ever been, and when the mom asked why, the child said because of her teacher. I will say that I do my absolute very best each and everyday to differentiate and individualize for my students who need it, although it cannot always be done the way I wish due to lack of resources, time, and assistance. However, it was more than just differentiation and individualizing. I treated this little girl like I did every other child in my class. I have to say I noticed she was somewhat different in various ways than the average girl, but I would not treat her any different or let her fail. I believe educators have the most difficult job ever. Not only are we trying to teach these children, we need to tap into their lives and understand who they are and why they struggle like they do. I have always known and understood that a student’s home life impacts every aspect of their being, but I never thought about their connections with literacy based on their home life and sense or, lack there of, belonging.
Heather Houston

I really had a pretty normal childhood. I was lucky. I was never discriminated against or teased... nor did I see any of my peers get discriminated against. My parents treated me the exact same way as my older brother and held us to the same standards and let us do the same thing. It wasn't until I was in high school that I really met anyone who was racist or sexist. It was pretty shocking to me.

But the thing that really got me thinking when I read these two chapters was the idea of being a mother or a caretaker. Now, I am young... only 24. And I've only taught three years so I'm still pretty new, but I can't imagine having my own child or children at home to take care of at the end of the day. It's not that I'm not a responsible person or that I don't one day want children. I just don't have time right now and I'm always so tired after teaching all day. I guess as I get older it will get easier, but right now if I had a child to come home to and take care of something would suffer... either my family or my career. So to all of you mothers out there who are also teaching and earning a Master's Degree: Way to go! I don't know how you do it!

That being said, as a first grade teacher I am often one of the most important caretakers to a child. Because so many of my students go to after school in the afternoons, I spend more time with them than their mothers, fathers, or other guardians do. That's the truth! In addition to teaching academics all day, I teach social stuff too like respect and manners. Because my mother never worked when I was growing up, these are things I learned at home, but unfortunately many students do not learn these things in the home anymore. I often find myself mothering many of my students too. This is something that many of them need. I think a lot of their mothers don't have time to listen to every worry, bandage every boo boo, and ease every sore tummy. But we teachers can balance it all, right?

Kelly Beckley

I think I can safely say I’m not alone when I tell you the big “Ahha!” moment for me was like an epiphany. Of course the unique experiences of the reader / writer / learner will affect the literacy acquisition of each of us in unique and wondrous, sometimes disastrous ways. This is now my new norm, and I can put faces to each child who I can see as living quite different discourses than mine. So after the big moment, I get it. I really do. I think the author is really killing us with details here. Truly, Janet Frame and bell hooks are interesting women, who really can write. But if each of us sat down as though to write a memoir, we could all relate special histories about how we learned to…and the people who taught us. The people we came to share values with, and to find approval and encouragement from. I firmly believe that each of us (and especially the type of person who becomes a teacher) has some stories to recount as to our life’s learning.

There are lots of Lauries out there. Only the names are Hannah, Ashley and Lorie. Each one with a story, a body of life experience. I lay awake at night thinking of kids and how I can help them learn better. Each one of these special students is as unique and complex as any scientific field of study. Their lives are situating in “hybrid identities” and additionally, their histories… “are situated within histories of locality, gender, race and class. Literacy learning is part of… these” p 37.
I really liked the recounting of how Frame’s Is-land brought her to an adventure whenever she wanted it. “I did not need to travel…I could experience an adventure by reading a book” (pg. 32). As I read her story, I rejoiced. “Hooray, a lifelong joyful reader is born! Some of the same details occurred in my literacy acquisition experience. I read fairy tales. I pretended to be a princess or lost or sailing or wherever. I read under the covers. I read to escape a really bad home life rife with economic stress, emotions and uncertainty. But those “emotions are inseparable from actions and relations, from lived experience” (65 ), or our own unique history Point is, I can identify with what others are telling me they went through, and so therefore I think I can in some way connect with my students. So we as teachers need to be mindful of these different norms, find likenesses and similarities between us. I think they will be more numerous than the differences.
I also really pounced upon what Michel de Certeau had to say. “Choices of style and form create different literary experiences”. So Laurie was making choices in her literary experience. Too many dedicated hard working teachers beat themselves up when their charges don’t do as well as they hoped. Teachers must try to realize these students come to us as they are, with a skill set ready to be expanded upon. We do all things possible to maximize learning, and that is the most we can do.
How very sad to read about Laurie’s diagnosis of ADD and her subsequent medication. How many times have you seen a child subdued and withdrawn on meds? And the side effects are so unpleasant for them. I refrained from medicating my son, and I am glad I did. It was tough to read Laurie’s experiences. She could be anyone’s daughter. We all want so much for our children to be happy, learn well, and prosper. “How can we help shape… those critical engagements with literacy practices?” (page 81). By sensitivity, compassion, and dedication. And try not to get your heart broken by some of the history that your students tell you.

Annie Croon

While I was reading these 2 chapters several different emotions came to life in me, but most of all I said, “WHAT?”. However, with each emotion, I learned something and learned to accept something different.

I totally agree with Miller when she said that children have never looked for new ways to enforce their new skills of reading and writing. As children learn to read and write, they are learning how to embrace a new culture (37). Since I have moved to NC, I have learned to embrace a new culture. I am now on vacation and visiting my friends in Boston and I am defending the “ways of the South.” Believe me, I never thought it would happen, but it has and I actually felt good about it. On the other hand, hooks said that she “struggled to invent herself in a rural Back community” (39). I believe that children struggle depending on their culture and where their culture is. I moved to FL from MA, when I was in the 3rd grade and fit in just fine. I didn’t struggle to find friends or anything. However, when I moved from MA to NC (I was an adult), I had a tough time fitting in mainly because of my beliefs. So, I believe culture, society, and children can struggle or not to “fit in.”

STORIES, again stories being told helps people become part or learn their culture. The author remembers “sitting on the linoleum floor” listening to her mom’s stories of growing up in Arkansas (44). Stories are what makes our lives go round and keeps our culture alive. If people told more stories and if stories were told more in school, then just maybe cultures would be able to come together. There would not be any misunderstandings or maybe the misunderstanding could be turned around.

Unfortunately, the author made a great point about values and class (not just socioeconomic, but elegance) (48-52)) when she discussed her parents. Her mom and dad were from different socioeconomic classes and had different values. Again, spoken language in the home versus spoken language within company was different. These mixes make it complicated for a child growing up. We are what are parents make us to be.

Now, I feel that I am a well-educated person and somewhat intelligent. I grew up in a middle to upper class family and now my children are in a middle to upper class family. Education is important to me and I teach as well as talk to/with my children. With that said, when I first started reading chapter 4, I was appalled. I mean, Laurie was only 5 and Hicks is talking about “desires for love” (59). As I continued reading, the teacher reminded me of the articles we read regarding teachers preparing their students to fail. Laurie was diagnosed with ADD and she wanted to be successful, but was dealing with the stress and emotional problems of working class life (63). Again, this is my whole class. I just get tired of hearing the problem and want to hear the solution. Finally, Laurie’s 2nd grade teacher (master teacher) made a difference. Yes, Hicks states in more words than this – that it takes hard work and alternative classroom spaces for these working class students to explore the limits between the values of home, community, and school (96).

Loren Van De Griek

I enjoyed reading these two chapters. The beginning of chapter 3 begins with a quote that says “A reader is a person in history, a person with a history.” After reading these chapters I realized really how true this statement is. I also realized how thankful I am for my upbringing and the hard work that my parents did each day to make sure that I grew up in a loving, nurturing environment. After reading this material I was reminded again exactly how much students’ literacy experiences are shaped by their environments.

I too remember much of my literary experience beginning using Bible stories. In my family, if we did nothing else during the day, we did read our Bible story at night. On a good night we even got to act it out! My brother and I looked forward to my parents coming in and reading from our picture children’s Bible and saying prayers with us. We looked forward to it so much that we couldn’t sleep without it! I also remember the little Golden books that Janet Frame mentioned. In fact, a few of my favorite Little Golden Books I still use as read alouds to share with my students.

On page Frame shares that she could make a story out of anything in her life—everything was an adventure and she found much pleasure in stories—until she went to school where such moments of pleasure were “limited” because school was a “set of routine tasks.” This statement made me sad. I feel like in school we so often squelch excitement that is already in the hearts of our students in order to teach a specific unit or certain tasks. This was a gentle reminder to me once again to look for ways to teach authentic curriculum based on student needs and interests.

I enjoyed chapter 4 because Laurie’s story was so real to me. I hadn’t thought really hard about how much school practices are influenced by economic hardships. Many times we feel like just because those kids are out of their homes and away from the situations awaiting them that they should put those things behind them and be ready to learn…impossible! The more I read about Laurie, the more my heart broke! I was interested in the comment about living between classes. So often it is hard to assess the needs of our students because they do live between the classes. It is amazing to me to see the students who arrive to school in a beautiful, brand new car, but when the bus drops them off in the afternoon it is hard to believe that anyone can live there. There are many students at our school whose parents would qualify for free lunch, but don’t because of the way that “looks” but their students are obviously hungry when they get to school. I feel like Laurie spent a lot of time living between classes. This may be part of the reason that she had so much trouble with her self-esteem when she got to where she couldn’t keep up in reading.

One other thing stuck out to me. In chapter 4 it says that “Laurie couldn’t keep up with the expected progression laid out in this series, published by Houghton Mifflin.” I was startled by this statement. In Davidson County we have done a lot to make sure that we are not teaching to a text book. We work very hard to work with each child where they are in small groups. There is a large focus on making sure that a child does not spend too much time in a text that is written on his/her frustration level. The literacy initiative that we have worked with has been a ton of work, but I am thankful that we are no longer basal teachers that expect students to pass based on the Houghton Mifflin books. Instead, I can honestly say that we work really hard to make sure that we meet every student where they are as well as we can.

Jessica Jackson

I’ll admit that when I first started reading chapter three that I found myself being offended. As a Christian, I was taken aback at Hicks’ seemingly flippant, ungrateful attitude about her rearing in a Christian home. I knew, though, if I was going to be able to get through the rest of the book and actually learn anything that I would have to widen my perspective on that which I took defensive issue and back away from my quick judgment of Hicks. I decided that Hicks was simply trying to illustrate for us the dramatic level of immersion that one can experience in their own culture, therefore being rendered almost handicapped at being able to function in any situation diverging from it at all. This recognition helped me to quickly consider how foreign my classroom must have been at times to so many of my students born of cultures dramatically different from my own.

Moving on into these chapters, I began to reflect much deeper into my own experience with literacy and how my class, gender, and race have framed this very personal picture. This reflection takes us right back where we started when Dr. Jackson asked us to first introduce ourselves and our literacy experience and expression of it.

I believe that my parents raised me with a taking-it-for-granted kind of view on literacy: I grew up white, female, and middle-class in the South. From their actions and attitudes about reading and schoolwork, I’d say that they took it for granted that I’d marry middle to upper class and not have to worry with making much money because I would depend on my husband for that just as my mom did. This is not in the least an ungrateful statement but my reality. My parents placed very little importance on my education other that the concrete expectation that I would graduate high school and head straight on to a four-year university. For some, that might sound like a high expectation, but strangely enough, I never felt like school was deemed important at our house. I don’t ever remember a time when mom or dad asked me if I had homework, and they didn’t make a point to come to school functions. My dad does have a master’s degree in education, but it seems that it was earned as a means to make more money, not for the sake of the knowledge. But, then again, that’s a judgment call on my part.

So, tying all this into the reading, it seems that when there’s shaky ground in the security of home—as in the home lives of Laurie, Hicks, hooks, and Frame—the student reverts to various forms of literacy as an escape. My home life, on the contrast, was so EXTREMELY secure that I can’t even begin to describe it in “normal” terms; it was almost imperfectly perfect. Now, as an adult, I’m learning that it was not perfect and my parents are not perfect as I always thought they were. So, I never really looked for any sort of escape in books or anything as a kid. Any time after school was really expected to be spent with family in our home, but I never saw this as a dreadful expectation; it was one that was just taken for granted. Looking back, I can see how it would have seemed self-indulgent in our home to be sitting around with your nose in a book ignoring the family members around you; there was always the underlying expectation to be making a contribution to the family unit even if it was just in conversation.

Erin Farrington

I really enjoyed my reading this time because it was much easier than the 2 previous chapters. I was very interested to read about Hicks childhood and how her socilization and literacies were formed. I remember getting the look from my mother in church that I better behave. I grew up going to church and think a lot of my beginning memories with literacy were created there and in my home before I even went to school. A theme that seemed to run very solid through all of the women's stories were that they used reading to escape the lives that they were living. They used it as a way to get away from the hardships in their lives, and they also learned many of their early literacies from their mothers. It seemed that most of the mothers were the ones sharing the stories and examples of literacies.

I think that are literacy experiences are definately shaped by our communities, families, gender, class, and race. The way we interact with people as we grow up holds a significant role in how we develop our literacies. I was lucky that I was always around people that told stories about family history, and stories about their childhood. I was also lucky to have both parents read to me before bedtime at night. My father played just as big a role as my mother did in introducing literacies in my life. They were both educated and I was lucky that we had all the resources that were needed to do this.

I think that Hicks was very caring with Laurie and the fact that they grew up from similar home situations gave her the ability to connect with Laurie and be able to more closely relate to her and help her. I think that she tried very hard to interest her in texts that she thought would relate to Laurie's dream world and also provide her with the help she needed to pull up her reading and writing. Hicks was trying to help Laurie to understand literacy not just through reading but through her own life. This is important. If a child cannot make personal connections with text and writing then they will not always be interested. I found it interesting though that Laurie in kindergarten loved writing and drawing so much and as she got older and it got harder it became more difficult for her even though she still loved it.

These chapters help to show how much family life does impact not only our literacies but also how it can distract students from being able to focus in school. If there are things going on at home then it is not always going to be easy for these children to be able to get their work done.

Megan Machuga

I found chapter five to be very interesting story on Jake and how his home life was so different from his school life. I could relate to Jake wanting to emulate his father. However, there had been books in the home since Jake was little. He was read to daily and he had books to read that were on his level and books that pertained to his interest. However, in school he struggled with reading. In my opinion his parents were blinded by the fact of his gift to recall almost anything he had been told or anything that he had heard that they assumed that he could read the books. I believe that when parents overly brag on a child for their success then it puts lots of extra stress on the child. If your parents are bragging on you for being able to read are you going to go to them and tell them that you need help. In my teaching career, I have found that if a parent struggled with a specific subject or task in school then it is acceptable for their child to perform poorly. As educators I know that we all feel that there are no excuses for not putting for the their full effort. Teachers always have hope for every child and their learning ability. We never want to settle for less but we always want the most for our students. This reminded me of a child that I had my first year of teaching. He was struggling with reading and when I called the parents in for a conference to discuss the problem they honestly thought or felt that their child could read. I had to pull out his reading book and get him to read for them. The child was later tested and labeled as LD. As parents we do not want to hear that our child/children have a learning problem, but we must be there to help our children in every way that we can. As I read chapter five I have truly been able to see how the power of choice for a student can be powerful. I do give my students choices of assignments and writing topics, but after reading this next year I want to have even more choices for my students. The more a student is interested the more that he/she will learn. As I read chapter six I could not help but to think how we as educators could cause our students to lose/disregard their history that gave shape and meaning to their lives. By reading this book and the articles in this course, I have learned that language and history had a lot to do with how children react and learn in the school environment. As teachers I feel that we must try to build on the student’s home life and to not work against it. As teachers we need to take the time and effort to lean about each of our students and to try to relate to them on a level that they are use to.
Misty Mistretta

I can see that Jake was an active boy who idolized his dad and everything he portrayed. His dad was a successful man in his community and good at what he did even though he dropped out of school. His mom wanted him to go to college (p.123) but dad wants him to take over the family business. Jake is part of this conversation so he knows dad's opinion of formal education. Not a good thing, mom mom agrees with dad.
The home life reflects definite gender stereotypes of blue collar, daughters grow up to be like mom, in the home, boys like dad, follow their jobs. I learned a new expression, experiential narrative, it fits what Jake did, act out his story. This may be fine in kindergarten but students need to learn when and what is acceptable for all students to be able to learn. I am sure there were some rules at home for what and when being active was acceptable, such as bedtime, dinner, etc. He also learned, like Laurie, how to be “good” when he wanted something, good student award. He also learned how to “do school” when he chose. He didn't mind voicing what he felt was stupid or dumb. I wonder how this was handled at home.
Hybrid languages of inquiry was a more challenging read for me, I agree whole heartedly, we must value their belief system to gain their trust. “ new relationships can constitute new forms of knowledge --- some empowering, some tragic”, it takes years for children to form their autonomous cognition world, coming to school one day is not going to change all of that. We must go to them, become part of their world to transition them into ours. Not because it is “our” world but because it is where many of them will have to gain employment to be “productive” citizens. “I can only choose within the world I can see” p 151, we need to open windows for them to get a peek at the possibilities that await them once they conquer the outside world. I liked the analogy on p. 139, “a spider sitting in the middle of its web, able to feel and respond to any tug in any part of the complicated structure” this web is their home learning to which they can respond. Our middle class text books may not be the whole picture, but there needs to be some instrument of measurement to lure the children to knowledge beyond the back yard (also where knowledge is acquired). Classrooms use trade books, smart boards and so many other things now, teachers are reaching out, but we do have a curriculum that must be followed. In our writing we can woo kids into making connections, let them write about race cars like Jake did if it makes them feel comfortable. Give them space, to try out this new idea of writing instead of speaking. Teachers have heart, reading and writing are processes we are still learning (this text), we must reflect and redeem ourselves by learning our children before the curriculum. I don't ever want to stop reflecting, to remind myself of the impact I have on a child's future, before I am hard on them I need to see what can I do differently.
Grandma Cunningham

After reading about Laurie, I am beginning to understand what some of my students go through at home. I realize that not everyone had a childhood like I did, which is similar to Hicks. I also grew up going to church every Sunday and attended Bible School every year. I know that many of my students do not have comfort at home like I did. I grew up reading books every day. If I asked my parents for a new book they would take me out to get one. Reading was very important to my parents and they would help me in any way that I needed. I remember going every week to the local library and checking out a bag full of books. I used to look forward to that. Many of my students have never even been to the local library which breaks my heart. After reading about Laurie, it makes me realize how lucky I was as a child.

Laurie’s writing often dealt with her emotions as do many writers. When I read my students’ work I can often tell what kind of home life they have. My students write about their families and what activities they do together at the beginning of the year. This is really an eye opener for me. Not every child gets to play board games with their family as I did. Many of my students just write about watching TV together or how they do not see their parents much in the evenings. In Laurie’s writing, you could tell that she was missing something at home, in her case it was a father figure. It’s understandable that she would want a father, I think most people do. I know Laurie’s mother probably had financial problems, but it’s free to go the library and check out books. It doesn’t cost anything to give her some attention.

Some of Laurie’s writings are dark and this bothers me. I wonder if her teacher ever addressed some of these topics. If one of my students wrote these stories I would be concerned. The length of Laurie’s stories got longer throughout her second grade year, which is good. I have a few fourth graders who are writing on about the same level as Laurie and we have been working hard all year to improve their writing skills. It’s obvious that Laurie struggles and it’s a pitiful situation that she is in. It seems like she is only getting farther and farther behind.

Dana Eudy

I felt as if I could have written the inserts about Jake myself. I live with a Jake every day, grew up with one and gave birth to two. I felt Jake’s difficulties in school were not so much a problem of class, but more a problem of gender. He was all boy... very much like my boys and my brother. If my son’s teacher could teach every subject in school through baseball or basketball, I might not hear, “I hate school” already from a soon to be third grader. Like Jake, Tanner is always on task, it just may not be the task his teacher wants. However, Tanner has to learn to “be good” in school. He has to learn how to play “the game of school” in order to succeed. He is only one of many children his teacher needs to get to know and I cannot fault her alone if he fails in the classroom. Family and school must work together to meet the needs of the child. When Tanner has difficulty in comprehension, I expect his teacher to work on it, as well as myself. It doesn’t take long in education to figure out, not all parents feel this way. For example, Jake’s dad was sure Jake could learn in school if only educators would find a way to interest his son. True, we have to find ways to motivate, engage, and get our students to care about school. However (let me play devils advocate), we have to push them also to engage in activities they sometimes don’t LOVE. That is the real world beyond school.
Jake was considered independent and gifted at home AND he was. He was engaged in something he cared about and was interested in, something his father valued. The task of building that bridge between home and school discourses is overwhelming. The 20-25 students we have in our classrooms can have 20-25 different histories to mesh into one classroom. There is no quick and easy way for us to do this. Hicks advocate responsive schooling - valuing the values and language of the learners - not just the culture in general, but the particular community and families of that school or classroom.
One of the sections that spoke to me was when Bakhtin describes how a child develops his individuality. “The child receives all initial determinations of himself and of his body from his mother’s lips and from the lips of those who are close to him (147). He said they develop their personalities from the outside. The task of mothering just became even more daunting. Once children come to school, teacher’s also become someone who contributes to these little personalities. The weight on my shoulders in the classroom is heavy.
Tamera Wilson

(second post - having lots of connecting issues after the power outage)

As I was reading Chapter 5 and learning more about Jake, initially I thought, what’s so special or out of the ordinary about this kid. He appears to be ADHD, and/or possibly a typical boy who isn’t interested in reading & writing. But as I continued to read and noticed how Jake strongly believed, accepted and demonstrated the typical roles, men in his life, were costumed to working, then I began to understand a little more about Jake. His histories, although it included literacy, just wasn’t as important as being like his Dad, cousins, or even a race car driver (which he was fixated on in my opinion). Jake appeared to be a little boy who enjoyed doing what he wanted to do, especially in his own social surroundings. But again doesn’t that describe quite a few boys we’ve had in our classrooms? Jake, who was totally the wild child at home and a little subdued at school…still doesn’t that sound like a child who appears to get his way at home, but when they enter a classroom, they are expected to adhere to rule, & regulations. Even though Jake did try very hard, his efforts received him an award for following the “ABC rules” being a “good boy”. This still wasn’t enough for him to increase his reading comprehension. Jake continued to struggle in school with his reading practices. Like I mentioned earlier, having boys who struggle is so different. What I’ve find to work for me is to find their interest…which is what was told to Hicks by Jake’s Mom, mom-mom, & Dad, and once you find that, try meeting the students there; at that place where it is a comfort zone for him. For a student I’ve had in the past in was Elvis. He absolutely loved Elvis Pressley. He drew pictures of him all the time; during any type of writing assignment somehow he managed to bring Elvis into his story, during classroom discussion of any type, he would bring up Elvis Pressley. So after speaking with the student, and sure enough his passion for Elvis continue to exude throughout our conversation, I decided to make a conscience decision to purposely integrate Elvis in this students’ learning. It paid off, the student was engaged, on task, and his level of interest in all things going on in the classroom increased. He was happy with his growth in reading, I was happy that he tried so much harder to apply himself, and we saw positive results, and his parents were happy that he came home daily with positive things to share about school, and they were pleased with his whole new outlook on school. Ultimately I had to meet my student, not only linguistics, but also cultural, and gender needs. I’ll admit, I did have to step out of my comfort zone in order to help by student with his reading literacy because at that time, I knew nothing about Elvis Pressley.
Toni Wheeler

Reading Lives Chapter 1
The author spills her readings of literature and philosophy and transcribes them into concerns of the ways students intertwine with literacy form socio economic backgrounds. The big question is could relations of feeling and valuing therefore be included in the ways in which literacy educators shape their practices and theories? She focuses on looking back on two students experiences growing up in the working classes.
As working class children entering a school system Laurie and Jake wanted desperately to find a "we of me" in school. Realizing they didn’t fit in they turned to other values and practices as points of identity and connection. This chapter conveys the difficulties of the poor white working class students who try so desperately to fit in to the school setting regardless of gender, race, or class. In order to write one must live and experience real life situations. In order to imagine and use their creativity a student must feel welcome and at ease with peers and teachers. As her research study progressed, she found that as a researcher she focused on language practices, mediating social becoming and knowing and later expanded here field of socio-cultural psychology. Vgotsky, work was implemented by Hicks attributing to studies of language. Hicks believe that to write in ways that are richly situated can help critique the developmental stories that are so importantly connected to educational politics and policies. That the writing of eduacational theory and research can help to change things is a powerful reason to risk taking on education and psychology is mutually shaping practices and ideologies.

Reading Lives Chapter 2
I like the way Hicks uses narrative texts writing literacy researches part of an effort to situate individualism amid the richness and complexity of feeling, knowing and valuing with others. After reading the research at hand in chapter 2, I found myself wondering well with all the testing, free lunch, and multicultural classrooms, how do we as teachers and peers not label students into categories such as gender, ethnic background, and class. I am from the working class as a single mother whose children were once on assisted living and can remember not wanting my children to be treated any differently than other children who may have been middle to upper class. Sad but true, society does look at these situations and society does react differently depending on socio economic background. So how do we as educators keep classrooms clean form stereotyping? Better yet, how do we keep other students in line with reality and alleviate clicks which leave some students feeling unaccepted and afraid to communicate feelings like middle class students. I guess one thing I can do as a kindergarten teacher is since I am the foundation of the nation, social skills starts here with me in my classroom. Social skills are a huge part of kindergarten only the curriculum is so tight in other areas that if it were not for centers there would be no time for socialism. I think the younger we can expose our students to other cultures the better we will all get along in the future. I don’t know how to alleviate the middle vs. working class issue.
Another point in Hick’s research was her empirical research was combined with advocacy, talking collaboratively with teachers to create more culturally responsive pedagogies. She helped young students juxtapose community language practices with school illiteracies as students learned to articulate language differences and move between cultural worlds. This was like code switching. With all this in mind somewhere teachers had to confront their own racism and classisms before they could see the richness of children’s culturally saturated lives.
Robin Hand.

Chapter 3
Reading Lives

In chapter 3 Jane Miller writes of children’s identities emerging in their earliest relationships, often with mothers as important dialogic others. Recalling Lorraine Code's comments about, Miller (1990) argues that gender is shaped in relation to the specificities of those early words and attachments:
It is surely within those first conversations those shared sightings and naming, that the specificity, the material detail and concrete knowing of the world are learned as values within an actual, evolving, culture. The movement from mother to school will vary vitally according to class, place, and time. Keep in mind gender is always learned.

Reading is a part of children’s histories. Miller agues that readers and practices of reading are situated within histories of locality, gender, race, and class. Literacy learning is a part of these histories.
How do all children become readers? In the always-already social world those who read and write as girls or boys in class and racially specific locations and with the caretakers who take their hands should share in their fantasy worlds and create and share histories in which reading is a part of the relation.
She doesn’t remember much about learning to read. She states she knew it was something people did in school, or maybe in certain work places. Adults didn’t typically sit around the house reading, except for a magazine or two. Reading was also expected to be taught in school. She admits that the values associated with being successful schoolgirl: obedience, accuracy, conformity, work. She admits to working hard in school. She admits to not reading if something of equal or greater interest arises.
Summing up chapter 3 the arts of writing lay in the literacy research, attachments, and identifications are part of teaching relations. Teaching involves situated readings of students.

Chapter 4
Referring to the stress of making ends meet while taking care of three young children took a toll on the women who were Laurie’s caretakers and ultimately on Laurie’s history in school. Laurie struggled to get the emotional attention she wanted and needed. When things didn’t work out for her she had violent ways. He behavior problem at home was due ultimately to a medical diagnosis that was becoming wide spread at he the time of this research study. Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). Now with research progresses we have many labels of which this is most common. The diagnosis was entangled in a history lived within material stress and the emotional strain that went with them. Economic hardship, anger, and academic struggles were a great deal of Laurie’s experience. Laurie’s dreams where of having a Dad and a prince charming. She yearned for acceptance with boys. For example a kindergarten friend helped Laurie develop socially with maturity. Although the feminine identity that Laurie readily appropriated also sometimes limited her engagements in academic activities. The academic practices that were intended to occur in the Centers were on many occasions appropriated within a domestic agenda. A positive outcome of Laurie’s was as much as she wanted to be a successful student; she encountered serious trouble that resolved around the material and emotional stress of working class family life. Prior to Laurie’s diagnosis neither Mrs. Thompson not the author had noticed anything unusual about her behavior. However later on some notes were placed about behavior. Some notes suggested depression and withdrawn behavior complaining of stomach pain due to the medication. Sometimes Laurie’s needs were sometimes lost. Laurie was from a slight verbal abusive home life expressing anger and resentment. Through all of this turmoil, Laurie still wanted to be a good student. She knew that being good meant power in the world. Go Laurie, I say Want some Get Some. Children can still be motivated and medicated at the same time with careful collaboration between teacher, parent and doctor. I do have mixed feelings about ADD medication.
Girl’s such as Laurie need safe classroom spaces for living but also for challenging the felinities that are shaped through attachments and practices in their homes and neighborhoods. How can we professionals predict and integrate writing prompts that are of sound economic issues with no prejudices with race color or class? Somewhere somebody’s culture or gender is going to get stepped on. These issues need to be addressed but how and without being biased?
Robin Hand

Wow!!! Finally, something I can really connect to and enjoyed reading. I have 3 sons: Kyle is dyslexic and has ADD; Ross is autistic; and Seth is “typical.” Needless to say, I know boys and Jake, to me, in school, was all boy (at the beginning). He wasn’t interested in drawing, writing, or reading while he enjoyed puzzles and blocks (100). When I was a sub, I can remember a first grade class, and one boy stuck out – he could not sit still; he could not stay focused; and most of all he did not like to color, write, or draw. Boy, if I knew then what I know now, I wonder if I could have done something different.

While I was reading this, I could not help thinking about a boy, “John,” I had in class last year. John lives with an older couple (friends of his grandmother) on a farm. John takes care of the animals and helps his paw paw tremendously around the house. Paw paw cannot read or write that well so John has to go to the grocery store and fill out the checks. John has to go to the doctor’s office with paw paw. Therefore, John misses school more than most. When I read that Jake’s dad took him to a job in the middle of the night, a light bulb went off in my head, because John’s paw paw does the same thing in a different way (102). Jake and John are learning so much in life’s skills, but not so much in education. This is where I struggle. I just cannot fathom why a grown person would do this. Then it hit me. They probably had a bad experience in school, and they love their children so much that they don’t want this to happen to them. Hence, they feel that they have done just fine without that high school education. However, what they do not realize because of lack of education is that, in today’s world, a job is hard to find without a college degree let alone a high school diploma. Again, this is where I struggle. How do I fix this? How do I help these boys?

I loved reading the section on “Negotiating class identities in school” (132-135). Hicks said that “children from working-class communities have to gain access to the discourses of middle-class institutions.” Again, another light bulb! This makes perfect sense. I just never thought of it that way. I understand, completely, how these children feel; the way I felt while reading some of the assignments. I couldn’t imagine having to sit through class after class reading and responding to these types of literacies. I would lose interest and lose motivation to learn. Hick’s states that “his problems lay more in conflicts between an institutional system of middle-class practices and the life worlds he embraces as a boy. For his opportunities to change in school, a deeper process of change would be required” (134). All that I can say is – AMEN!!!

Teaching is a romance (144). What a clever metaphor. We have to woo our students and invite them into our relationship to gain knowledge. We also have to “woo” our parents, but how? For the last couple of years, in our school improvement plan has been parent involvement. We have done several things – Donuts for Dads, Muffins for Moms, and Goodies for Grandparents. Yes, some parents come. We also have to have 100% parent conferences; therefore, I have made several trips to my students’ homes to meet with parents, because they do not come to their child’s classroom. Again, I struggle.

Loren Van De Griek

Nothing in chapter five surprised me. Jake seems like my mental image of a young male learner. At the moment, I am sitting in my parents’ backyard waiting for my nephews to get here for some silly time at the pool. (We are most definitely a middle class family…the pool did not add to or subtract from the value of the house; they moved last year because of job loss.) Mom and I already moved any objects that can be turned into deadly projectiles, have an overload of towels ready, and have juice boxes prepared for hungry mouths. Why? Because my nephews are ALL BOY! I realize this chapter mentions some of the socialized roles of masculinity, such as the games on Sega that encourage young men to be warriors, victors, and powerful. However, I know that my one year old nephew has never seen a video game, is exposed to all realms of gender roles, and still loves to engage in “fix-it” tasks, anything athletic, and enjoys a good tussle with his 5-year-old big brother. At the same time, he is incredibly gentle, loves animals, and loves hugs. So, did we socialize him to be that way, or some of it just genetic? I go with genetics.

As I was reading chapter 5, I kept thinking that Jake was a small version of a lot of the boys I teach. Actually, I had one young man who liked to growl at us in frustration this year, so maybe not unlike Jake, at all. We’ve long known that boys and girls learn differently, so classrooms that are run primarily by middle class women most likely will not be ideal environments for boys—of whatever class. We’ve got to build movement, motivation, and a sense of purpose into our instruction in order for boys to buy in.

I love the common sense wisdom that Jake’s parents add to the piece. His Dad explains that school could easily teach the same curricular concepts that they are required to teach, but with a focus that would make the courses interesting and relevant for boys. Of course! His Mom and Maw Maw worked to read to Jake, help him see the importance of education, etc., yet for Jake, school was just another task to do. A task he may or may not decide to engage in.

I did my inquiry project in children’s lit about motivating adolescent boys to read. If any of you are interested in middle school boys and reading motivation, I would highly recommend two books. You can pick & choose the chapters you focus on, but both include interesting field data, book lists, and practical suggestions for improving male friendly literacy opportunities in your classroom. Both are also written by male researchers/authors, so they take into account the male perspective. ASU has both in their library. William Brozo’s To be a Boy, To be a Reader (2002) and Smith & Wilhelm (2002) Reading Don’t Fix No Chevys.

The final chapter gave some further insight into the thinking behind research. I highlighted several quotes that seemed to point to the ideas of relational literacy—meaning relationships between people, within specific class groups, and defined by specific geographic locations. My favorite quote from chapter six is found on page 154; it sums up the “irks” I’ve had while reading these essays and reading through blogs and responses from our class, “This is not so much a set of general theories about “what works” for working-class children (or girls, boys, Latino children, etc.). Rather it is an effort to learn about this community, this neighborhood, this family.” I appreciate Hicks’ intention of looking at the specific cultural and familial situations of Jake & Leslie, not just at a subgroup, as a whole.

I feel like we, as a culture, have the tendency to want to group things. (That’s our naturalist and logical/mathematical intelligences kicking in.) However, there is a danger in always trying to clump things—be it people, animals, or whatever else. In the two case studies Hicks includes, both children come from families that are vastly different, but both representative of working-class families. While their school careers seem to be taking a similar root, Hicks lets us know that the reason behind their lag in education, are likely different from one another.

I’ve enjoyed reading through this book, even though Hicks had me re-reading and making all sorts of questions in the margins throughout. I feel like reading her first and last chapters gave me a glimpse into what defines her as an academic and scholar & also gives me a jump-off point if I need to delve further into the issues of class and literacy.

Ruth Johnson

If I had a dime for every student and family I have had in my class like Jake and his family, I would be a very rich lady. My school has many of them, it is "easy" to reach those kids like Jake when you have at most 5, but when you have 25 in a class of 27 who are just like Jake, and it gets a little more difficult. Not every child likes NASCAR and not everything can be connected to the things one child likes. You have to find a middle ground. Children have to understand at an early age that not everything they do is going to be fun or absolutely the most interesting topic to them. As a child I hated certain subjects, but I knew I didn't have a choice but to learn them.

I have a student whose father manages a restaurant. Because he is a single father, this means this child spends many late nights at the restaurant while her father works to close the restaurant. This child comes to school day after day, exhausted and uncooperative. She shows up without her glasses and while she will be in 3rd grade next year, she still does not know all of her letters. Last year was her first year at my school and we did test her to se if she qualifies for EC services which she does. We worked with DSS to get the father a list of people who would come into his home in order to provide child care at a reasonable rate while he was at work so his daughter could get a good night's sleep, but he refused.

I asked her to tell me some of the things she likes so that I could better get a gage of what kind of things she is interested in, all she likes, according to what she told me, is TV. At times dealing with children like this and their families is very frustrating. I think about families like Jake's and wonder if, in today's economy, there is even a family business for Jake to take over now. I know at my school, students have seen a family business that they thought they would grow up and work at too, go under.

While most of us probably cannot fathom having a parent who tells us we don't need to go to college, and I find most of my students have parents who really want them to go to college. The reason most ELL students have parents who came to the US was to give their children a better life. Most of my ELL students want to be doctors, teachers, lawyers, or other professions for which a college education is mandatory.

I find, at least at my school with my students, that college is now a goal for more students than it was even 5 years ago. This is not to say that college is a goal for every student and every family, but it isincreasing in importance with a number of families.

There is no doubt that home had a profound influence on literacy and attitude about school and education. If you come from a home like Jake’s where you are receiving mixed messages, one from mom saying you need to go to college and one from dad saying college is not needed, you are going to come into school confused as to the importance of education held by the people closest to you.

Caroline Walker

I could immediately connect Jake to some of the boys I have encountered in my classroom. When first reading about this boy, it didn't seem as if there was anything out of the ordinary asside from not being able to focus on specific tasks. He was a typical boy of this age. But at which point does it become important to quit being "all boy" and accept that there are things that have to be done in life regardless of gender or class? Jake really seemed to grasp onto the social norms of male figures he has encountered, although his mother and grandmother did their parts to introduce Jake to a variety of characters through literature. Jake was just all around not interested in reading and writing at all. How many times have we had students in our own classes that have been the same way? I had a student this previous year who absolutely HATED writing and actually reading books (he could look at Waldo books for days). He was very rambunctious, defying, and aggrevating to some students. However, when this child was doing something that he actually wanted to do, he was an angel. I can't begin to tell you of the fabulous stories this boy could write when he was the one choosing the topic. Once I took the time to get to know this student on a personal level, I was more able to recommend books that I thought he would enjoy. After choosing a book himself that looked interesting to him (The War with Grandpa) it was as if the book were like a magnet. I couldn't get him to put it down! Overall, I think the best thing that we can do as teachers for students such as Jake is to really reach out and find their interests. I know that this is often hard with overloaded class sizes and not always having enough assistance. One thing I have done in the past is let students fill out a survey that takes no more than five minutes to let me know their likes and dislikes. I think it could be a good idea to share these with parents (like Jake's mother and grandmother that read to him) so that they could get a better handle on what motivates their students. Another thing I think students like Jake need is a positive male role model. For the most part, all teachers I know are middle class ladies. We need to somehow get men into the schools to show students how important an education is to fitting in with society. One thing I tried last year was to get some of the boys from the high schools football and basketball teams to come read stories to my students and then talk to them about what kinds of students they need to be in order to be in the athletes position someday. For the boys in my class, the high schoolers were idols! For about a month, my boys like Jake remembered what they said and really tried their best. The improvements lasted just long enough until the next athlete came in.

Erica Spicer

Many characteristics of Jake’s situation are all too familiar to me. Many would say that “oh, Jake is just all boy.” What people don’t realize is that all aspects of a child’s life, especially home life, where his identity has been created, has such a lasting impact on everything else the child does in life, especially his literacy learning. Sad to say, Jake probably will continue to lack motivation in the classroom throughout the remaining years of his schooling. This doesn’t mean Jake won’t be successful in life(he’ll probably work with his dad and be able to provide for his family), but school will be an ongoing struggle that continues to build anger, and could result in the child dropping out. Then his children will probably do the same, and the cycle continues. For this reason, the way teachers teach is so very important. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out all children don’t learn the same. Teachers should be individualizing and differentiating to meet the various needs students in our classrooms have. That’s not the problem. I feel the problem for teachers is that we lack in resources and help. Jake’s situation is not surprising for me, probably since I work in a school that is full of Jakes and Lauries. Since the middle class are a minority at my school, it is not hard for these kids to “fit in.” What I find hard is how to sometimes make them tick, finding creative ways to teach them in the ways that they learn best (all my students), and how to break the cycle. I do want to note that there are probably more people hired in working class jobs that jobs that require a degree. On that note, working class people help the world go round. I’m thankful there are people that don’t mind picking up my garbage and cleaning public restrooms. I think we need to step back and not look at these people as failures (not that I ever have, but I think some educators try to instill in our children that college is a must). For some of our severely mentally challenged students, working at McDonalds, or any job for that matter, would be considered a miracle and a huge success.
In chapter 6, several things stuck out to me. First, children’s feelings are vital to the success of students. How they feel and are valued can make or break a child’s learning in school. Another incident that left an impression on me was the working class student, who was doing poorly in school. Then, teachers realized his records had been mixed up and he should have been in a higher class. Once he was moved, he began to do well. This makes me question some educator’s expectations for students. Regardless of how high or low we view our students we should have high expectations for them. In my opinion, we don’t value our students if we just let them fail, and that’s what we are doing if we expect nothing out of them, other than what they can already do. I have seen many working class students, who have never seen success, rise to success, because of my demanding and high expectations. In addition, of course, I showed them love, affection, attention, and made them feel valued, as that is my goal for every child in my class. So, what can help teachers move toward responsive types of literacy practices with these children? According to Hicks, “understandings of the particulars of community life seems crucial.” She is exactly right. We have to dig deeper, get to know the community, neighborhoods, and individual families. This means giving more time to go to ballgames, birthday parties, making phone calls, attending baptisms, ect…(whatever our kids ask us to do). I have to remind myself (when I am tired and think I cannot teach another year or let alone another day) that teaching is not a job. It is a mission that God has sent me on. What we do is so…hard, but in the long run, if we are planting seeds and making differences, it will be all worth it.
Heather Houston

I couldn’t help but feel saddened by Jake’s school experience. Last year I taught 7th grade, and I had class of mostly boys who were all labeled struggling readers. I could imagine any one of these young men in Jake’s position in the primary grades. Many of them came from working class families, and many of their parents owned their own businesses. Many of these boys had expressed that they helped their dads with work on the weekend. They seemed to be able to do what was asked of them at home, but were unable to in the school setting.
After reading about Jake, I can’t help but wonder if he will be written off as he progresses forward in school. He is a bright boy who is eager to learn, but not in the way kids are expected to learn in school. We are trying to make successful people come out of school, and mostly we do a good job at it. But, just like anything else, the same shoe doesn’t fit for everyone. Jake is a unique learner who needs to approach things from a practical point of view. He needs to be able to do something with what he learns and preferably do something active while he learns.

“The stories voiced about us , by those whom we most love and value, shape our identities in ways more powerful than even the most authoritative institutional systems of social regulation” (123). This statement is very powerful. To me, it shows that we, as educators, need to be very sensitive to the messages children hear about themselves at home. We cannot change everything about them in one year of class. We must work with what they bring to us, and hope that at least they can become a better them then they were upon entering the classroom.

Throughout all of the reading we have done in this class I have been stretched to think beyond standard practice to reach students. Each reading has offered insight into what it means to look through life, and school, with a different lens. We must begin to look at teaching through a different lens if we are going to reach and teach all children that we are entrusted with.

Shannon Keough

I think we can all relate to Jake and his story in some way or another. I don't think his home life has a lot to do with his issues. He obviously has grown up in an environment that is rich with literacy and his mother had tried desperately to foster a love of reading in him.

I really hate gender stereotypes. But there is a reason for them. I'm not going to say that all or even most kids fall into the gender stereotypes, but I think enough of them do and that's why they exist. Jake's just a "typical boy." Unfortunately school really caters to the typical girl personality. I find that in my classroom most of my girls really want to learn to read. They all want to be the most well-behaved and most successful child in my classroom. And this is already their desire in the first grade. Very few of my girls seem disinterested in reading, and school in general. And they don't care what the topic is... they're going to participate! They continue to try their hardest even when they're not finding it easy. One of the cutest things I see my girls do is during SSR... they'll get a book and sit in my big rocking chair and hold it just like I do and they'll pretend that they're reading to our class. They love playing teacher... both when I give them the opportunity to do it and for playtime, and about three-quarters of them say they're going to be teachers when they grow up. Now I realize this isn't going to happen, but they just love the school environment so much and can thrive in it.

For boys it is very different. I do have many boys that fit into that same category I just described with my girls, but not nearly as strong. It only seems to be true for the boys who find school easy... meaning they come to first grade already knowing how to read and pick up on the new concepts quickly and easily. And even still, none of these boys enjoy playing school or say that they're going to be teachers when they grow up. Other boys expect to learn to read on the first day of school, and then when they don't they give up. They don't want to have to work hard for it. I work very hard to find books that I know my boys will find interesting. Luckily my school has sets of National Geographic and Time for Kids Readers so this is easy to do. If I don't find something that is interesting to them, they lose interest. A few of them say they hate school or hate reading, and they don't put any effort into their work. This makes me so sad to see.

Kelly Beckley

Yes, we can all identify with Jake. Either we have had someone like him in our class or we have one in our family. I have had both. Jake reminds me of my 12 year old nephew, an extremely bright young boy who loves science and animals, but hates to participate in reading and writing activities. It is extremely difficult to get him to understand the purpose and reasoning behind the curriculum that he must master. Not everything he is learning makes sense in the “real world” or is even applicable to his world. What I try to do with him and the young boys in my class is get to know their like and dislikes. I try and help them to make personal connections so that they find a purpose for learning what is being taught.

When I taught middle school, I had a young male student whose family had a very successful family business. He too worked at the family business on occasion, mostly weekends. Knowing that he would work for his father and eventually inherit the family business he failed to perform at school. He was very capable, but lacked the encouragement and motivation to become successful on his own. His parents also failed him, but not demanding a performance that match his capabilities.

As I stated in my last entry, they way education is viewed at home greatly effects they ways students perform at school. Their have been numerous times that parents have given their students permission to fail. I can recall conferences where parents say, “Well I had trouble in math so I can understand why Johnny is too.” Or “I hated reading, so I knew Karen would too.” If as a child you are exposed to negative views on education it is extremely likely that when you have children you will instill in them the same thoughts. In other words, a carbon copy is made! The ones that love and value us the most shape our identity. Jake’s father did not see the “great” importance of education, so he is shaping him to not value education either. The question is, “how do we break the cycle?”
Kim Shaw

I am just going to have to play Devil’s Advocate here. Hick’s research took her into Jake’s home where literature was abounding. Jake and his family seemed to have the right idea about literacy except making Jake do some of the reading! Perhaps I missed something but it appeared to me that everyone else was doing the reading for Jake. He was a good listener and could regurgitate information when asked. And like many parents, they say he can read at home but somehow he cannot read at school. Hicks states, “reading at home was more typically immersed in the ebb and flow of work, play, and family relations. Jake listened to stories when spending nights with his grandmother in kindergarten and first grade.” (p118) Unfortunately, listening to text is not the same thing as being able to read the text. You must be able to attend to the phonetics, word structure, and sentence structure among a multitude of other skills in order to make sense of text. I never saw this going on in his social history of home. Man cannot live by NASCAR knowledge alone!

Now I realize that the statements I made are not popular and not keeping within an alignment of individualized instruction. However, let me continue and say, that if more homes were as immersed in literature and the discussion of literature as Jake’s was, many children would be way ahead of the game in school. I believe in individual, societal histories and acceptance of culture in literacy learning. My problem here is that Jake was not encouraged by his family toward instruction outside of their realm of comfort. His dad enjoyed reading about various topics, as did his mom and grandmother. They did not do a good job of showing Jake that they had to learn how to read in order to make those choices. As educators, we know that well-rounded students are able to be successful in any area of their choosing. By limiting Jake to their own choices at the age of six does not make sense. Bond with him in an interest arena of his preference to begin with, but do not let him camp out there. Lead him to other areas. This is where family and school failed to connect in my opinion. Bridging the gap was going to require give and take from both parties of Jake’s education. Also, a factor which was not addressed in this text was that Jake needed more time to develop as a reader. He should not have been pushed into the next grade without mastering the skills he needed. By the end of second grade he was making sense of reading. He could have been kept there while he developed and matured into a strong reader.

We are ALL responsible for the Jakes and Lauries and their education. Change must occur in many of us as to the importance of listening and learning about children and students from the perspective of race, gender, and class. Teaching is not limited to parents and teachers but to society as a whole and the society’s practices and beliefs. I appreciate the way Hicks summed up a point: “Rather, change also has to entail a moral shift, a willingness to open oneself up to the possibility of seeing those who differ from us. This is very hard work, but work that lies at the heart of teaching.” (p. 152)
Janet Gross

I thought it was an interesting fact that Jake’s family was so interested and involved in the research study. This family did not seem to fit what sometimes is my stereotype of a lower class family. They truly did seem to care a lot about Jake and his success in school, especially his mother. I think his study is a perfect example of how difficult it may be for a child from a family that is not middle class America to fit into our school settings. I think that when we look at ways to help these children fit in, we can’t just look at the child; we really do have to look at the family they come from and consider them as well. Children really are products of their environment, and I thought it was a great point made on page 134 that Jake’s problems lay in the conflict between his world and the institutional system of school which is typically operated by middle class people. From the child’s point of view, he is not the one having difficulty fitting in; rather it seems to him that the school is the one with the problem, that being that the school is foreign to him and they are trying to change him. His normal is the life he comes from, as was the case with Jake. He lived in his world of working class, the world of NASCAR and a blue-collar father and he wanted to grow up and be just like his dad. He really didn’t see the need to learn all that school stuff, because his dad didn’t learn and he turned out just fine. How do we overcome such thought processes?

I hadn’t thought about it in this way before, but these chapters really made me think about why Jake resisted school so strongly. From my point of view, I can see that doing well in school and being able to fit in will profit Jake well in life, but I see him from an entirely different perspective than he sees himself or that his family sees him from. From his point of view, school is trying to change who he is and trying to toss out all that has been near and dear to him during his entire short life thus far. No wonder he is being such a handful; if I were to go somewhere new and everything I held dearly and all my normal behaviors were suddenly condemned and shunned, I probably would be a little resistant as well. He was resisting change because he didn’t see a need to change; he liked himself and his world just fine as it was.

So the question becomes how do we as teachers help these children and their families see our point of view about school and education; how do we teach children like Jake who balk at our lessons and refuse to participate in typical school activities? He thought that school work was stupid if he could not see a connection to his home life. Not many children this young are going to be able or willing to make the drastic switch every morning to fit into our picture of normal for school then switch back to family mode at 3 pm.

I thought it was interesting that Hicks thought Jake would probably turn out to be just fine as an adult, although she knew school would always be a struggle for him. I think she saw that he had a strong network of family support, although that support may have not always came in the form that we as teachers wish it came. He also had moments in school that he was engaged and interested in what was going on. He seemed to love reading and writing activities that allowed him to make some choices about the topics he was reading and writing about. I think that is definitely a positive in his favor; he wasn’t opposed to reading and writing activities, he just wanted some choice in the topics. I think a good teacher should notice this about Jake and try to use this as a motivation tool. There will surely be times Jake has to read and write about things other than race cars, but a little flexibility on the behalf of the teacher could make life a little easier for her and Jake.

On page 132 Hicks states that the transition from the comfortable and familiar home literacy to the institutional literacy of school can be a painful one for children of working class families. These kids have to learn to adapt and fit in at our schools to have hopes of getting anywhere in life. Some are not as lucky as Jake, who had family support and seemed to be an intelligent little boy despite his behavior issues. It has been my experience that you can’t force your philosophies and beliefs on children, or on their families for that matter. You have to convince them that it is important to learn and get along with others at school, and they have to develop a desire within themselves to want to be successful. It seems that we are telling these kids and their families that their way of life and their social practices are not good enough for school, and that our way of doing things is better than the way they do it. This has to be demeaning to an extent doesn’t it? I am sure that parents sometimes feel that way even if the kids are not old enough to pick up on it yet.

I found in chapter 6 that I once again had to do some rereading to make sense of the text, but the main idea I gleaned from the reading was that literacy is not an isolated island in our brain somewhere. Learning is part of a complex web in our brains. It’s connected to every other part of our lives, including our emotional experiences. On page 138 she refers to Bakhtin’s writings, saying that “all knowledge is a relation between subjects”. This made me think of an illustration Dr. Mock used in her class to teach us about how kids acquire spelling patterns. They link new words in their brain onto a framework that already exists. The more connections they can link to a new work, the better the chances are that it will stick and not be lost. I think that’s what Jake was trying to do; he was trying to link the new school experiences onto something in his brain, but he just couldn’t find anything in his memory of experiences to connect it to, so he just let it slip through.

I thought that Mike Rose had some very insightful points to make. The most profound for me was on page 141, where he talks about how we sometimes don’t bother to really try to understand why kids are having difficulties in school. We try to shove “bodies of knowledge” in them and when they resist, we just push a little harder rather than looking to see what is blocking the way. As much as I would like to be able to live in a world where equality ruled, let’s face it-that is never going to be a reality. There will always be class, race, and gender issues that we will struggle to overcome in education. There’s just no way to really put everyone on an equal playing field. So then the question remains for us: How do we as teachers, as the ones in charge in our classrooms, make it a welcoming and inviting and happy place for all our kids? How do we create environments where our diverse groups of students all feel safe to be themselves, but able to learn and grow at the same time? I surely don’t know the answers to these questions, but I feel that I have acquired a lot of valuable information through my readings and I think that in the future I will look at my children who come from different cultural or social backgrounds with a little more patience and understanding. Hopefully I’ll be able to be more tolerant and less frustrated when they just don’t seem to share my system of values and beliefs.

Lorie Hedrick

There were several things that stuck with me from these two chapters. First of all, I feel like I have taught Jake so many times! The issues that Jake faced in school may perhaps be the issues that we run into most commonly in our classrooms. It was sad to see Jake thrive in practices at home and then do so poorly at school—especially when it seems much of his trouble was due to disinterest.

One part I found interesting was where it described how in kindergarten Jake engaged in practices that were closer to those experienced at home, but as he moved to first and second grades those practices were much further removed. I see this in school all the time. While the curriculum in kindergarten has changed A LOT just in the last few years, there is as much focus as possible on doing things that are developmentally appropriate and hands-on. Because of this, children from most experiences and backgrounds can do fairly well in kindergarten. The tables turn when first and second grades come. While first and second grade teachers still strive to keep things developmentally appropriate and very hands-on, there are so many restrictions and expectations that put stress on these classrooms. The expectations for reading and comprehension get even greater every year… I call it the nature of the beast! It seems that the educational “powers that be” (you know, the ones that never step foot in the doors of our classrooms but make all of the rules!) have simply forgotten that first and second grade students are still children! This year I had a little boy that I am sure has ADHD. He struggled in kindergarten, but met all benchmarks by the end of the year indicating that he is ready for first grade. I know, however, because of the nature of the first grade curriculum, that he will struggle with not being able to pay attention. While his mother is aware of the problem, she is less willing to find a solution. I feel like next year she will be forced to find a solution in order for him to stay caught up with the rigorous curriculum.
I noticed in the reading that Jake did tasks that “needed to get done.” (104) This was once again a reminder to me that purposeful instruction is a must. On page 117 in the reading I was struck by the comment “While he was viewed as a gifted reader and learner at home, by mid-year in first grade Jake was struggling academically in school.” This comment made me think of that parent conference that we all dread. You know, the one where you sit across from a parent and tell them that their child is not meeting expectations in school. As you go down through the list of expectations the parent pipes up and says “But my child can do all of those things at home!” Never what a teacher wants to hear!!! I can honestly say typically when I have heard that in my mind I’m thinking “yeah right—and President Obama is my daddy!” After reading these chapters it made me reflect on how I feel about these conferences. Maybe there is more truth to that statement than I have ever thought before. If I ever sit through a conference like that again I will for sure think through possibilities to see if maybe what is happening in the classroom may not be colliding successfully with literacy practices the child is encountering at home. What a learning experience for me!

Jessica Jackson

I cannot begin to express the feelings of déja vu I experienced when I read about Jake. I have a 15 year old son, Raymond. Raymond’s history is so similar to Jake’s, I can hardly stand to read it. Ray is a bright boy, interested and capable in many things. Just not school. As his mother, I looked into the eyes of many teachers who told me my son was doing less…not performing…distracted, disengaged. I worked with my boy. I read to him. I flashed cards. But unless it had to do with something Dad thought was important, or fishing, trucks, keys and locks, or building something, it wasn’t worth doing. Jake’s reaction to symbolic work on paper was precisely what my son did when it came time to write. And it wasn’t only that. Raymond needed to move. He was constantly on the go. We could never take our eyes off him, for fear of what he would be into. So like Jake, Ray did fine in Kindergarten because he was “able to move freely around the classroom, engaging in practices that were closer to encountered practices…at home.” (pg.99) Simply the ability to move about the classroom was approximating his home reality. So when it came time to sit still and work at his seat, Raymond was not happy, finding it hard to sit for so long while unengaged. The only way to engage him was to entice or “woo” him with reflections of boyhood values and social practices lived at home. If it was building something, or fixing something, or making something with his hands, my boy would excel. If it was reading or writing, it was torture to get it done. School work had no value, no excitement factor. Reading projects, or extended projects of any kind were deadweight on my shoulders. I always had to assist and guide him to complete something.
Now I have a 10th grader on my hands. He wouldn’t pick up a book to read to save his life. I read everything he’s assigned in case I have to help him with homework. So far he’s been getting good grades at Middle College, and carrying his own weight. I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop.
My boy’s school experience is why I became a reading teacher. It kills me that my son will never be a joyful reader. I try to tell him what he is missing out on. And he’s read some pretty good books. We have laughed together, and enjoyed many boys’ stories. Actually, our home was filled with books and stories. I am a perennial student and lifelong learner. His father is always studying some manual. Raymond will simply never initiate the reading part. Ever. Because it’s just too hard, and unimportant. Raymond will be who he is. He will find a niche in the world that is exclusively his. Because he has abilities and gifts in areas other than conventional academia.

I liked the way Mike Rose put it in chapter 6. “…there are some things…that are reflected in other working-class lives…information poverty, the limited means of protecting children from family disaster, the predominance of such disaster, the resilience of imagination, the intellectual curiosity and literate enticements that remain hidden from the schools, the feelings of scholastic inadequacy, the disclocations that come from crossing educational boundaries” (page 140). It seemed like Hicks used everything she had in this chapter to vilify her thinking on her research. I think this one thought attributed to Rose sums it up concisely. These are the barriers faced by working class children. As teachers, we can do little to change these things. But we can try to understand where they come from, who they are, and who they want to be. We can help them without hurting if possible. And we can offer unconditional access to our help every single day. Still again, Rose said “To truly educate in America, then, to reach the full sweep of our citizenry, we need to question received perception, shift continually from the standard lens” (page 141). If we endeavor to focus that lens, “what comes into sharper relief are complex individuals who strive not only for cognitive awareness but for social belonging and identity” (page 145). Hegemony? Yes, I see it… hegemony… in the very educational system we claim will change their lives. We must affect some sort of social change, but “change also has to entail a moral shift, a willingness to open oneself up to the possibility of seeing those who differ from us. This is very hard work, but work that lies at the heart of teaching” (page 152). And lastly, “…we can only change the world that we can see” (page 157). I can’t say it any better than that.

Annie Croon

Ah, there is SO much intriguing information in these last two chapters, that it’s impossible to examine it all in just one reading or within the guidelines of this assignment, so I’ll pace myself. This book is so rich with pedagogical good sense, that I must purchase a copy of my own that I can highlight and study intensely.

Okay, I’ll start with the paragraph on page 113 that begins: “Schooling in the primary grades should ideally become a set of opportunities for children to experience new identities connected with textual practices…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.” This makes absolute perfect sense; these statements—especially the last one—bring to full circle one of the recurring themes throughout this course: our students need to be affirmed in their home discourse before they will be able to adopt and/or make connections to new ones. This whole paragraph is fantastic—like a sermon right from the pedagogical pulpit!

Further indicating the truth of the former statement is the fact that when students become “threatened” in any way, there is a part in their brain—all of our brains—that shuts down rendering their ability to learn useless. As if stepping into some foreign place (i.e. school) that can sometimes be sterile and uninviting isn’t threatening enough, we start taking away all that kids have ever known that feed directly into their literacy learning. Why don’t we just shave their heads and strip them naked? Okay, maybe that’s a bit dramatic and overboard, but let’s face it: some kids feel this threatened.

“Like other things in his family life, reading had to make good sense to be something of value to Jake.” (120) Oh, if we could figure this out about all of our students! But you know what? We can. Any activity or mode of learning we ask our students to engage in simply has to have meaning for them. This is where the challenge comes in: figuring out what each child’s “meaning” is. What gives meaning to a math lesson for one student is going to sometimes be different for another student. Then again, it could be as simple as learning how to balance a bank account, right? Eventually, everyone—if they plan on functioning in modern society—will need to learn how to handle a bank account. This is what I mean by giving our curriculum meaning to our students—having it “make sense” to them—a real-world connection—the “what’s-in-it-for-me.” Then, it will be of “value” to them, thus motivating them to deeper learning construction and comprehension.

“By second grade, social spaces and practices were more bounded and constrained.” (122) I’m going to go out on a limb here to say that Jake’s not the only child whose ability to learn is hindered by the above-described conditions. I’ve been reading a lot lately on the late Charlotte Mason; her educational philosophies are on point in my opinion. One of her biggest beliefs is that “education is a life.” In other words, school should be educating students for this thing called life and living; it shouldn’t be merely training for a job. I believe most every student is threatened by the bounds and constraints of school after kindergarten because so much of our current paradigm is simply unnatural.

Erin Farrington

While reading this chapter I kept coming back to the same thought in my head. "I have had boys like this in my class". Jake's situation is so familiar. Boys like Jake take a lot of work to figure out. Reading these chapters gave me great insight into why they may be the way they are. Jake's relationship with his father was very important to him. He wanted to be like him, act like him, do the same things as him. Even his manorisms and actions were very similar according to what his father told his teacher. I truely believe after reading about Jake and Laurie that class makes a difference in the literacy that you are introduced to. Jake was loved very much and always surrounded by family. His family however never made him focus long enough to do task that took more mental effort. In the classroom he chose centers that he could move freely in the same way he did at home from one activity to the next. Jake only wanted to focus on what he wanted to do. I think that much of this came from being able to do this at his home. His grandmother said his father was the same way but that he was smart and could do so many things. Jake's behavior was made ok by his family and I think that that created issues in his school environment. The teacher had a very hard time getting Jake to read or do tasks that involved writing. If Jake was interested in the topic he would participate but if he wasn't then good luck getting him to do it.

I think that at some point we have all had students like this. I know that there are boys that are focused on their interests and if it is not interesting to them then they are not going to do the activity. This once again shows why it is so important to take students interests into your thoughts when planning a lesson. If we can't interest students then they will not focus and learn the material that we need them to.

For Jake kindergarten was a positive place for him because he was able to move around and choose activities of his own interest. The problem started to come when he moved out of kindergarten. Teachers in other grade might not be so easy to let Jake move around and ignore assignments. His behavior is going to catch up to him and as you could see start to affect what he was learning.

I think it is important for teachers to try to help parents understand that we need their help at home. It is important for them to make their child sit down and focus on the work for just a few minutes so that they see it is important in the classroom. If parents would do this then students would see that their parents think their behavior and learning is important in the classroom.

Reading this book has really opened my eyes to how important the role of family memebers and society play in children's life and their schooling. Class clearly affects students literacy and the way that they learn in and out of school. We as educators must always rememeber that students come from different backgrounds and the more we know about it the more we can help them become more familiar with school and do better in their school environment.

Megan Machuga

We all have students like Jake. He is a smart child who just struggles. Jake doesn’t seem to understand why he must participate in reading and writing. At such a young age he already knows that one day he will take over the family business. It is probably confusing for Jake hearing his mother talking about him going to college and his father thinking that he doesn’t need to. As a child, he thinks going to school less is the best idea. Of course he doesn’t want to go. His attitude may change when he gets older. I think that Jake has gotten pretty good at pretending to read. When his mother was asking him questions, Jake doesn’t really use the book in his lap. He answers his mother but with previous knowledge. His mother seems concerned and wants the best for her son. Jake sees reading in his house. When it is a topic that Jake loves, then he pays attention. As teachers, we need to find the interests of our students. I had a student who would only read books about horses. I went to several libraries trying to find books for this little girl. She would actually read them. It may have taken more work on my part, but it was worth it to me. If I had to do this with all 29 of my students it would have been more difficult.

Jake lying his head down during class is bothersome. He was pretending to sleep during a math lesson. Jake is very imaginative and can come up with excuses. During read aloud one day, Jake was making a connection to his own life. That is what we want him to do. Jake learns in a different way than most children. Jake catches on quickly at home, in things he is interested in. I feel sad for Jake though because it seems like he is just going to get farther behind each year.

It’s great that Jake will read a book about Nascar but he will have to read about other topics in life as well. Reading about Nascar for a while is fine, it will build his confidence and it definitely couldn’t hurt him. I’m not sure if these books build a strong sight word vocabulary though, but at least he is reading. There are things that we don’t like to do that we just have to. I didn’t like taking science, but I did it anyway. Jake is going to have to face other topics eventually and he needs to be prepared. If I were his teacher, I would let him write about topics that he wants. Why not? If he isn’t going to write any other way, then by all means let him write about something that he wants if it gets him writing. Eventually he will begin to write on other topics. If he doesn’t begin writing now, he will just get even more behind. You have to be flexible with some students. I had a student who would only do work sitting under a table (she was bi-polar). With my administrators’ approval, she was allowed to sit under the table as long as she would work. If she quit working she had to come out from under the table. It may seem crazy, but she did her work. Some kids need individualized plans/activities.

Dana Eudy

As I was reading Chapter Five, I couldn’t help but think about all the Jake’s I have had over the years. They have supportive parents and they are very intelligent, it is just that they do not want to participate in certain literacy activities. I have to say for Laurie and Jake’s sake, they are lucky that they had Mrs. Williams in second grade, to allow them more freedom in reading and writing workshops. If they would have had more whole-group literacy in second grade, like they did in first, I feel they would have been further behind then they were. In the beginning of this chapter, I found if harder to relate to Jake’s boyhood and needs because I am a female teacher. It was easier to relate to Laurie, since I was raised a middle class female. I agree with Jake’s dad, when he mentioned that school should be centered on his son’s interests. The only problem is when you have a classroom of 24+ students, and everyone has a different learning style, on different levels, and with many different interests, it is not realistic to do this in my classroom with every child. I have pulled students, like Jake, and worked with them using things that might hold their interest. Once I get them focused on the activity, I may offer incentives to them, allowing them to choose centers that they want to participate in. I also do reading/writing workshops, but ultimately it is difficult to tie in values of school (curriculum) and home discourse for those students needing it, which in my case is many. Jake’s calm nature at school and anger at home also made me think of many students I have had. In most cases though, it is because there are consequences at school (in Jake’s case- no recess), and when they are at home their parent(s) allow them to do whatever they want. I guess you could say their parents let them do whatever they want as long as they are not in their way. I don’t believe this was the problem in Jake’s case, but the difference between school and home behavior is obvious.
I like how they noted that you can not center every child’s interest in real complex situations. They need to find a better instructional method, but with different learning styles, since just making a new method will not fix it. Hicks said with politics and curriculum the way it is, it would be hard to come by the focus that Jake needs, an institutional system of middle class practices with the life Jake embraces as a boy.
Rose’s insight in Chapter Six allowed for me to have some understanding of growing up middle class, from a boy’s point of view. Rose had also mentioned, “The longer I stay in education, the clearer it becomes to me that some of our basic orientations toward the teaching and testing of literacy contribute to our inability to see.” I agree with this statement. I hope when he used the word “our” that he was including our politicians and public administration, who control most of our educational funding/programming, and allow for our students to suffer because of larger class sizes, fewer resources, little support, and caps on fieldtrips, funding, and local programs. I know, as Hicks said, “Teachers can be moved by action, by the particulars of context - of what they see in others, with others.” We need this support as teachers, but rarely find it. I am glad Hicks struggled with this concept too, and can see this as a struggle for both sides.
When visiting my students’ home for my home visits, I can see their world, and can better understand where they are coming from. As Murdoch said, “We can only change the world that we see.” If we do not know what is going on with our students discourse, it not only hurts the child but may also cause more work on our part because we guess what might help them, instead of seeing what is going on outside of school, and incorporate it into the classroom.

Barbara Terauds