Sad Farewell

As I attended my last day at Ms. Ayo’s theater and my last day of tutoring at SMDP, I felt a bittersweet sense of sadness that I will not be interacting with these very important teachers (the students)anymore.  I had an intense conversation with Ms. Ayo about literacy and what the theater provides for the children.  Unfortunately, my recorder died (I didn’t know it) and I got a mere four minutes of a fifteen minute chat.  The most important idea that she wanted to convey is that she provides, ” a place to do,”  where the individual can do what is right for them.  Unlike the confines of a traditional classroom, the theater has the freedom of allowing the students a space in which they can interact, create, resolve, negotiate, and convey their interpretation of an idea.  I too had no idea of the importance or ability of performing arts as a medium to accomplish literacy-it completely changed my original idea that literacy is about how well you read, write, and learn.  Not only did I see this happen with the children but I had personal revelations when performing and creating alongside them! 

I proudly attended their final performance on Friday, sitting in the front row with a smile a mile wide as each of them put their “heart and soul” into the delivery of their perception of what it meant to dance, sing, tell a story, and, recite the emotions of a poem.  Boy am I going to miss those guys!  Thanks ED 140, Ms. Ayo, and SMDP for a life-changing opportunity.

Our Visitors Today

Did anyone else have an intense emotional response to the film on Whiteness? I have had a few conversations with a white male regarding the fact that he will never be able to recognize the implicit racism that exists in our society because he sees the world through very priveledged blue eyes. I agree with the filmmaker that she and others can take on the responsibility of making changes but as Sally pointed out today, how does one get involved or inspired to do this if most (as we saw in her interviews) people don’t recognize that it really exists? It seems that the ones that are aware of it are more often people that are directly affected by the institution of Whiteness. Before understanding what this ideology is, I was even blind to it. It wasn’t until I really thought about my education and personal experiences on a more magnified level that I realized that I too have been affected by it. Did anyone else relate to the film today?

Post #6-Mahiri and Sablo Reading

I was blown away by the examples of poetry and songs that were included in this reading.  I am not much of a rap fan but I am now curious about it and would like any suggestions on who to listen to… 

This approach of trying to incorporate the students’ outside writing with their academic writing sounds like a great idea and I definitely see the importance of Mahiri’s suggestion that it is critical to find a way to link the personal to the academic.  This reminds me of the stance by Rodriguez that everyone should learn English because without it, you will not thrive in our society.  I agree that it is important to be fluent in English but I also believe that people should be encouraged to maintain their first language (if it’s different than English) because it does help to maintain a very important part of ones identity.  This is where it gets tricky because it seems that there is such a black and white view of language and culture.  You are either a part of the dominant culture or not, there is no in-between.

Back to Mahiri, I wonder if we need to find a way to make the personal writing count for the academic requirements?  Would this create a disservice to the student when they go out into the real world and are expected to write or, will it create an interest in writing and continuing in school?

Blog #4-Richard Rodriquez

Questions:  How to promote literacy so as not to create cultural divides as found in the Richard Rodriguez narrative?

 This question is very complicated for American schools as Rodriguez probably represents a large part of the population. His biggest issue seemed to be a lack of coexistence between his cultural and familial identities with his academic identity. I am not sure if this separation occurred because of Rodriguez’s own inability to meld the two or if it was because of society’s lack of acceptance. It was probably a combination of the two.

One solution that is currently taking place is the addition of American Culture and Ethnic Study courses at colleges and universities across the country. However, maybe this type of learning should begin from day one before the separation occurs. I have actually seen the local junior high school offer a Multi-Cultural Day to celebrate and share all cultures that exist within the community. When asking my daughter whether or not this encourages cultural acceptance, she said, “yes.” But again, I think it should begin in kindergarten and be a regular ongoing part of the curriculum.

I imagine that trying to incorporate this into an already stressed day of learning would be challenging, especially during these times. There would need to be some powerful case studies or statistics demonstrating the benefits of this idea in order to implement it. It makes me wonder how American Cultures became a requirement in higher education? Does anyone know how/when/why it was implemented at Cal?

Blog #2-Bakhtin

I have finally finished reading Bakhtin and can’t say that I truly understand the point of this article for our class. I first tried to understand his terms for heteroglossia as, “language and literacy as involving multiple voices” and as defined in Wikipedia as, ““another’s speech in another’s language, serving to express authorial intentions but in a refracted way.” My best interpretation of this is that is he is describing how language is a combination of others words and the use of those words by a different person… This allows for the person a means by which to view the world…That language takes on different forms in different realms and that understanding language happens, “only in response.” (78)

How does this relate to our literacy course? Well, it gives me one theory about how language is acquired through others and through our own viewpoint. This explains how one comes to an understanding of the world around us and how it is difficult to take on a new language. Ultimately, through this struggle, we develop our own discourse.

I can understand the idea of a foreign word not really meaning anything until you respond to it because of how I felt when we sang Happy Birthday in Korean. The words are just sounds to me and I don’t have any connection to them beyond their sound and the idea that they are saying happy birthday to someone. If they are translated to English, what do they mean word for word?

Anymore thoughts or idea’s on this article?

Wk 1 Blog 1

I have chosen to reflect on, “literacy-as-a-sate-of-grace,” as defined by Sylvia Scribner in, Literacy in Three Metaphors.

I was very intrigued by her description of this state as, “the literate individual’s life derives its meaning and significance from intellectual, aesthetic and spiritual participation in the accumulated creations and knowledge of humankind, made available through the written word.” (13)

I am in agreement with her statement until, “made available through the written word.”  My understanding of “aesthetic” is related to emotion and sensation versus intellectuality, (dictionary.com).  Unless she is referring to the sharing of one’s aesthetic literacy via written words, is her definition accurate?  Also, the “spiritual” aspect is another agent that I understand as relating to attitude, outlook, interests, etc…  Do we learn or acquire our outlooks?  If we do both, then the written word is not always involved but is heard, felt, shared through listening, experiencing and coming to a decision within our own spirit. 

I though this idea was exemplified in Mike Rose’s, I just Wanna Be Average with learning through his own experiences and observations in life.  It was in his chemistry set that he learned in a, “visual and phonetic” manner as opposed to his classroom experiences of “daydreaming to avoid my inadequacy.” (19)  Granted, he did have to elevate his learning by reading and studying when he was guided by his awesome English teacher but it wasn’t that his ability didn’t exist, it was present but in a more inate state.

I have seen people gain this “state-of-grace” that is gained through learning and literacy but it is gained through more than the written word as she states.  It also exists in the aesthetic and the spiritual experiences that we gain every day in life.

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