RES 5535: Race, Class, and Gender in Literacy Research (summer 2010)

The overall theme I see throughout all of our readings thus far seems to be the idea that environment has a definate impact on learning. Where we come from, how we're raised, among other factors, not only shape who we are, but can effect how we learn positively or negatively.
Throughout chapter 2 in Reading Lives, Hicks gives evidence to support this idea. I think back to the example she gives us about Jake at home with his family. He gets into a small fight with his younger sister. The mom and grandma encourage Lee Ann to stick up for herself and fight back and actually show her how to do so instead of breaking up the fight! I found this odd at first, but Hicks later explains that the mom and grandma were "socializing" her into their discourse as a member of that family. My parents would have broken up the fight between my sister and I, as they did often times growing up and we would have been disciplined.
Hicks also gives an example of research done by Shirley Heath that looked at two very different working-class communities in the Piedmont area. She describes the learning experiences of children in Trackton vs. those living in Roadville. Heath notes a significant difference between the way the two communities tell stories. The children of Roadville tell stories that are true and are not allowed to tell untrue stories because they could be punished or charged with lying. She noted that their community had strong moral and religious values. Children in Trackton, usually boys, learn "perform" stories on front porches based on oral traditions. I say all of this to make the point that Heath observed two very different communities which had two very different cultural values and norms that were taught to children at very young ages. The parents and other community members instilled the values and beliefs of their discourse into the children. I found it interesting and sad that the children of Roadville had a difficult time coming up with imaginative stories when asked by their teachers because they were so "programmed" by their communities to only tell true stories. One final thought I have on this is that I had a difficult time deciding what I wanted to say for this post because it was so open. Even as students, in our discourse we are so used to being told exactly what to write or how to do something that when we're given a choice, we may struggle until we come up with a solution!

In the text I found some interesting quotes that stood out for me as I read. I found this quote to be especially interesting and profound, Hicks states, "It is the value and meaning of a touch, the look in one's eye, a shared moment of living in which an imaginative space is opened up for both teacher and student, or caretaker and child. These moments of living engender the memories, imaginings, and histories experienced with others who have meaning in our lives." It's very true that actions often speak louder than words and communicate much more than what we say with our mouths often times. One raised eyebrow at a student who makes eye contact with me when they're doing something they know they're not supposed, can make them stop. On the other hand, just a pat on the back or a high five can be really uplifting when we're feeling down. And sometimes those "teachable moments" where we go slightly off-topic, can turn into a really great lesson and make all the difference.

Lastly, something that really made me think was when Hicks stated, "In school children can gain or lose power and associated kinds of knowledge as they take up social discourses. They may act or talk in hybrid ways as well." This made me think about those kids who bully others. Children who may be the most popular in their neighborhoods or even talented on the field/court, may struggle in class and be labled as such, thus taking their "power" away from them in school. I feel this is the reason why some students act out and "pretend" that they don't care about grades, homework, or school in general. Many times these students may feel discouraged academically and think this is the only way to gain attention. This viewpoint may have even been mentioned in one of our readings but I feel that if we can understand and get to know our students and their discourses that we can begin to change these negative attitudes and impact lives!

Reshawna Greene