Reading together

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Time photoOur course invites you to work with data collection and analysis, readings, and discussion around the field of literacy studies

Author: sgibbons1

Down to the End

Down to the End

Throughout this course I have learned to view “literacy” in a different manner. Literacy has lost the generic meaning of reading and writing and has expanded to encompass all types of expression whether it be classical art, street art, music, dance, languages, facial expressions, etc. By viewing literacy in a new way I have begun to look at the world and forms of expression that surround me in a new way. I have found myself trying to understand why people choose certain forums to express themselves, like street art, and have begun to see the importance in their expression and how this expression can affect the public as well as myself. This class has broadened my interest and enhanced my interest in new literacy practices as well as peaked my interest in the process of changing literacies based on the passing of time and generations.

Generational literacy changes is by far the section I found most interesting this semester. I believe that by studying these changes we could not only make transitioning easier but also alleviate some of the tension between “old age” and “new age” practices. I am a firm believer that it takes a village to produce anything and I see so much animosity between parents and children because of the literacy practices they involve themselves in and I believe a balance between the two sides of the equation could create a profound difference that can benefit everyone involved. For example, the technological transition for adults tends to be difficult later in life while it seems to come second nature to most of the younger generation. I believe this is based off of exposure. Children grow up learning technology and learning how to adapt to new online formats because their literacy practices have been fundamentally different from that of their parent or grandparent’s practices. If we can formulate a more in depth sponsorship program (Debra Brandt) that crosses cultural, economic, and age timelines then our transition into new literacies can be understood at a broader level with less animosity between age groups.

This has been my favorite class of the semester while also being the class that I have felt most invested in. I began this class unsure of what it was really about and feel as though I am ending it with a much more concrete idea of what the literacies are that surround us. I feel like the group projects affected my learning the most and that I gained less understanding from the readings themselves. Also, the article groups and book club exercises were the most helpful for me because I could use my group as a sounding board and gain new perspectives and they were awesome!! Thank you Kim for broadening my perspective!

Snaps for Groups

Snaps for Groups

Going into this project I didn’t know what to expect. Sometimes group projects tend to be a flop or lack class participation, but these suffered from none of those difficulties. Everyone involved was engaged, knowledgeable, and willing to participate which made the lessons way more interesting and actually made them extremely fun!

For the Video Games I learned the importance of knowing the controls, which proved very difficult for us, as well as how necessary the graphics are. We struggled with the Surgical Simulator because it was so glitchy and none of us are very good at playing video games, but we did learn patience by playing!

During the Hip Hop in the Classroom presentation I learned how effective music and creating things outside of a comfort zone can be. I am completely uncomfortable with performing any type of musical feat in front of people but with my groups help and support I actually enjoyed the rap exercise! Through the support of a group and the exposure to music students can achieve a deeper understanding of a subject simply because they are interested and engaged throughout the process.

Finally, during the Make-Hack-Play presentation I learned that my group is creative and I feel confident that we could survive on an island. Through group participation and collaboration we were able to create and expand on several different ideas and designs such as a bow and arrow, several types of boats, a fish hook, and even a small shelter idea. It was amazing seeing everything that we could create from just a small supply of materials!

My very late update!

My very late update!

Alright, so since I couldn’t get my sh** together this week it’s now Tuesday and I am finally posting. Apologies for the delay!

I chose to participate in the Adolescent Literacy group simply because kids are fascinating and it amazes me how effected we are long term by the things that we experience as a child. Our group is largely focusing on social media and the effects it has on self image and building a powerful opinion in oneself during the crucial times of middle school and high school (which also happens to be when social media becomes prevalent in most children’s lives). What I am quickly noticing is that social media sites are either acting as a forum for kids to be their true selves with unfettered access to expression or they are acting as yet another way to hide behind a persona created by society. For example, MySpace became popular when most of our group was in middle school and promoted self expression through choice of music, backgrounds, personal blurbs, as well as lists of likes and dislikes. However, these choices also became tarnished because of the “top ten friends” list which could be altered however the owner of the profile chose. This caused chaos throughout my middle school because it became the list of who’s who and feelings got hurt. It also acted as yet another way to ostracize someone from a group or characterize them as cool or uncool. Also, certain groups began choosing the music that they would all have on their profile, even going so far as to make sure that it was always in the same order on every single one of their profiles, therefore setting them apart from the rest of the online community. This same situation and those similar to it happened in many school systems and it completely takes away the individuality of each person, but because the girls didn’t want to be ousted or judged by their friends they allowed their peers opinion to shape their actions and it became a symbol of pride to have the same songs on your list as a group. In this particular case MySpace promoted the act of creating a false persona in order to fit in rather than supporting individual expression. I had Britney Spears on mine and I have always been more of  a George Strait kind of girl so looking back I know I fell into the “hidden self”category.

These tropes of what a person should or shouldn’t be still follow us around when we get older and continue to create doubt within ourselves. Yes, older does equal wiser in this case and hindsight is 20/20 but we still base opinions of others off of what their online self presents. My grandma appears political when she isn’t and you would think my life revolves around school and my two dogs (which it kind of does currently), but those aspects are simply what we choose to show the online world. My life and past times expand far beyond what can be found on my Facebook page but an outsider is highly likely to judge me on that evidence alone. Moral of the story would be that online life is vastly different from real life and that through this literacy practice judgments, misconceptions, and false representations are unavoidable and it is our duty to remind ourselves that a profile does not represent the entirety of the real person.

We are all “Just Girls”

We are all “Just Girls”

“Just Girls” opens up and explores the world of pre-teen females in the 6th and 7th grades and describes the different forms of literacies they endure and create for themselves. This book not only describes what is considered “typical adolescent behavior” but also pushed against the common interpretation of said behavior. The middle school years are full of turmoil, change, and establishing independence, but they are also plagued by the desire to please everyone, whether that be parents, teachers, or friends. Although these young ladies describe themselves as “just girls” they all seem to want to place a boundary between themselves and the outside world, therefore creating a barrier that allows them to develop new and exciting literacies within their lives and group of friends.

For our book we have focused on how our own situations have shaped our literacies throughout school in an attempt to see if the research still applies. What we have found is that yes, it does apply but is in need of adaptation to fit the more modern world. The three of us in the group all have recollections of certain literacy events in school, such as sports, yearbooks, and I believe school dances even came up in one conversation. However, even though the event itself hasn’t changed much in the years, the way students perceive it has changed and even varies between different classes and school systems. If this study were to be expanded and re-done with modern pre-teens and different types of friend groupings as well as school systems we believe the data would be more convincing, accurate, and would developed the ability to be readily applied in teaching strategies. Overall this study has a very strong basis but needs to be expanded to fit the great diversity we have in our school systems today.

Literacy-What Is It Good For?

Literacy-What Is It Good For?

The answer to that is not “absolutely nothing” but happens to be EVERYTHING. Studying literacy and its practices, implementation, and its effects has really opened my eyes to the importance of understanding why and how different literacies develop and who they effect. For me personally the different case studies that we have examined have presented me with the most accurate and understandable explanations of what literacy is. Being able to place real examples and experiences next to the individuals has helped me to draw the connections between exposure, lifestyle, education, and history in a clearer manner. For example, we focused on Dora and Raymond in Deborah Brandt’s “Sponsors of Literacy” piece in my group, and mapping out the differences in their early life and familial history helped me to see the different literacies I myself was prepared to learn or given when I was younger. By examining different case studies I have learned to look more critically at my own literacy practices and ask myself “Why do I do this” and “Where did I learn this.” By relating the material back to my own life I feel as though I am gaining more confidence in the idea that I might just understand a portion of what literacy is.

The other aspect is the “social view of literacy” and what this actually means. To me this idea is growing into what I imagine as a gigantic melting pot of different ideas and adaptations including all types of human interaction. It is fascinating to me how language and writing in particular adapt and change or fluctuate throughout generations. Socially, the view of different generation’s literacy has to adapt with the new practices that are introduced as time passes, but it is in our nature to push back against these changes. For example, I remember my mother being anti-texting and getting after me in high school for texting too much. Now that I am in college and have moved away from home she finds it easier to text me and it is very rare that I get an actual phone call from her unless I instigate it. She grew up in a generation that still wrote notes to each other and had to call the house phone to talk to friends but has become an avid texter because the literacy practices around her demanded it and she had children in the generation that fully embraced texting who are/were willing to teach her the ins and outs of the process. I feel like I am rambling at this point so I digress. Moral of the story; literacy studies is confusing and I’m pretty sure it’s the rabbit hole, BUT I am enjoying falling into it even if it sometimes makes me realize that I am more like my mother than I care to admit. I guess that happens when your literacy is shaped by those around you!