Once Lost---Now Found
Before I read this research, I had heard of the Lost Boys of Sudan but I did not know their story. It was so powerful, coming from the horrible loss they experienced to the successful young men they are today, full of ambition and promise. These boys lost everything in the civil war, including the right to learn about who they are and where they came from in the way it had always been passed down, through storytelling. I cannot imagine what it must have felt like to realize that they would never have the opportunity to learn about their culture from the elders, from listening to their stories of the past and in so doing preserving their future.
It was fascinating to me to learn how and why these boys came to be writers beginning with the lessons they were exposed to in the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. I had not really thought of all the reasons we tell or write stories, “ Human beings narrate to remember, instill cultural knowledge, grapple with a problem, rethink the status quo, soothe, empathize, inspire, speculate, justify a position, dispute, tattle, evaluate one’s and other’s identities, shame, tease, laud, entertain, among other ends.” The Lost boys wrote for many of these reasons, the main ones being to keep their culture alive for themselves and others and to educate the rest of the world to what was going on in Sudan as far as human rights was concerned.
Storytelling had been so important to the Dinkas because there were few who went to school to learn to write so all knowledge had to be passed down through oral storytelling. These boys learned that literacy was a way to preserve the way of life they had to leave behind. Storytelling in the form of plays, narratives, etc. enabled the world to experience or to at least be aware of the culture and problems of Sudan. Transformed storytelling came about because of the different needs of the boys in sharing information. Where as before it had been to mainly pass on history or to share personal experiences, now it was a means to educate and inform to a much wider audience.
Because of this study I realize the importance of having our students write with a purpose. So many times we put a prompt in front of them with little meaning to them and expect a great piece of writing. My daughter just finished writing a letter to our senators about a concern she has for the conditions in farm factories. She has never loved writing herself but when she wrote these letters she did it with such purpose and passion because she actually had something to say, something she felt strongly about. I have learned a lot from this and will take it to the classroom!
Linda Bohland
Comments (5)
Linda,
There is significant importance in allowing our students to write for a purpose. In teaching writing, we often get wrapped up in the writing prompts that particular programs or the state has created. Allowing students to have the freedom to write on their own will give them the opportunity to have a "voice". Like your daughter, students will achieve in that which they are driven or passionate about. I applaud your daughter for taking the initiative to write to share her voice. So often in America, we forget about the great freedom of speech. I wonder what the response would be from students if they had "free-write" days, in which they could write about whatever was on their mind? Or if they were given time to have free "story-telling" days?
Posted by Katie Johnson | June 16, 2010 9:48 PM
Posted on June 16, 2010 21:48
I think though that we have to teach kids to have a ‘voice.’ Often when I give free writes my kids complain they don’t know what to write or stick to the tried and true “I like…” statements. They don’t know what they have to share. The fact that my students have few experiences to draw from is also a detriment when they write. The most exciting thing many of them will have done over the summer is to go to Golden Coral to eat. One way to get around this is to write imaginary journals and responses to imaginary trips to places we have learned about, but nothing can replace experience in terms of impassioning and motivating writing.
-Rebecca Ashby
Posted by Rebecca Ashby | June 17, 2010 10:29 AM
Posted on June 17, 2010 10:29
Linda,
You made a valid point when you stated that children need a purpose for writing. I never just sit down and write about my feelings. There are plenty other ways to work through an issue. I cook, clean, read, garden and play with the dogs. I explore how I feel by reading. I am currently working on ways to incorporate real world writing into my class. Do you have any other ideas? Thanks.
Elizabeth Achor
Posted by Elizabeth Achor | June 17, 2010 2:46 PM
Posted on June 17, 2010 14:46
I had never heard of this story of the "Lost Boys" of Sudan before reading this article. I am not very good at watching the news or staying abreast of the world. That is something I am trying to do better, for my fiance is very worldly and he feels it is important, so I try to watch it with him. How many of us write to keep our culture alive. I thought that was a powerful statement as to why they wrote. I agree with you as to giving our students a prompt and expecting them to write! How insane, because so many students don't have the experiences to share! I have struggled this past year with my students. They didn't enjoy writing until I gave them all a Writer's Notebook that they were to keep and draw on the cover of, and write about anything they wanted. They were allowed to share personal stories, funny stories, poems anything! It was amazing to see what they did....although it was also sad to see what they wrote. I know many students have lots to share, and letting them be proud of their culture and family is becoming a bigger issue because of the pressure society puts on them. I think that we need to continue to encourage and allow our students to share their background, for it identifies them!
Posted by Abby Boughton | June 17, 2010 8:28 PM
Posted on June 17, 2010 20:28
Writing for a purpose is defintely lost in the classroom. We are too hung up on structure, form, content to allow our students to express themselves in their work. I know even as an adult this has been a struggle for me on some occasions. If we as educators can make it relevant and reflect back upon our students' lives then I think we have won!
Posted by Nikki Leggins | June 17, 2010 10:18 PM
Posted on June 17, 2010 22:18