Readings 2/23/2012 - Merging Worlds - What are my limitations?

Readings: Beers et al. Chapter 14

                 Hull and Schultz "Literacy and learning out of school"
                Phalen et al " Adolescent Words: Donna and Ryan"


“Reading a book is like re-writing it for yourself. You bring to a novel, anything you read, all your experience of the world. You bring your history and you read it in your own terms.”  Angela Carter

As I skimmed each of this week's readings I began to feel overwhelmed. I derived motivation to actually begin reading the first by explaining to myself that the best way to teach about reading is to actually have students read. :)

The readings were in no way difficult to comprehend, but I got a sense that the articles were more substantial in breath than in depth. I felt as if I had read the same things before and that it was a waste of my time to be reading them again. However, as I actually read and began to make connections and synthesize the information I realized that I also began to derive new meanings from what I thought was the same ideas or concepts. Interesting food for thought.

The readings were all different but the theme of using students out of school literacy experiences to get a sense of where they are was apparent in all four pieces.

The Hull and Schultz article focused mainly on the concept of literacy and learning out of school and the implications of this 'educational experience' on a child's 'schooling'. It emphasizes that the focus should be on out of school and in school movement from one context to the other, where learned out of school literacies should not be ignored when students are in school but used as a spring board for teaching literacies in school. The authors also noted how accomplishments outside of school contrasted with poor school based performances. This concept was also brought up in the Beers chapter the author stated that there was value in knowing how kids engage in the use of technology outside of school. The author states that there is value in finding out how students engage with technology that may enhance reading and find a way to merge that with out teaching to make learning more meaningful.

The Ryan and Donna article were studies about students whose engagement in school was based on their cultural backgrounds as well as the value they and their families placed on education. It was postulated that students were highly likely to live up to expectations if these expectations were meaningful and realistic. Ryan and Donna were from different backgrounds and had different experiences but had a lot in common in respect to education - they both wanted to be successful and both oriented towards friends who shared their backgrounds and sociocultural components.

In really constructing meaning from the readings I would be inclined to say that the Beers Chapter stood out to me the most. I am aware of most of the technology tools that can be used in a classroom to enhance literacy instruction as well as the ones students access outside of school and how to integrate those into the classroom so students experiences merge at some point. I have tried a couple of these and some were easier to access than others. Working in a school system, that in my opinion, has little knowledge of how effective technology can be in enhancing instruction if teachers are trained to use them appropriately and the resources are available is a constant pain.

Most websites and software that students would access outside of school are block in school, hence not only restricting our ability to use them to enhance instruction but to teach students to use them appropriately. Students want to have experiences that matter and as an educator I want to be able to provide those experiences, but with little or no support because of the litigious nature of our society is very de-motivating.


Iffeisha