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
Comments (2)
I also agree with you on the language used in these chapters. I am sure that almost all of our students “code switch” or change their discourse from school to home. Some parents will allow their child freedom of speak no matter how pleasant their words are. At school we are not going to put up with such language and we are definitely not going to allow them to teach the other students new vocabulary. I also agree with the parts that talk about a child learning who they are from their environment. We all learn fro our environment and from the people that we are around the most. Since this is the case, why does Social Services allow abused or neglected children to remain in that environment too long. I do realize there are certain laws, but we must protect our children first. They did not ask to be put on earth and they are our future!
Misty Mistretta
Posted by Misty Mistretta | June 22, 2009 3:15 PM
Posted on June 22, 2009 15:15
You mentioned the part that said we expect learners to march like soldiers toward independent mastery in the same way. I agree with you, that we cannot do this because all students are not alike, don't come from the same places, have different experiences, and therefore how could we expect students to all learn the same way. I think that may be what our state expects with their methods of assessing students, but good classroom teachers, I think, learn quickly that all students aren't marching to the same tune and will not master literacy in the same ways or at the same time. They can't. They come to school already at varying levels, because literacy starts way before children step foot inside a school.
Posted by Heather Houston | June 23, 2009 3:28 PM
Posted on June 23, 2009 15:28