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

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

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

“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

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