Blog 1 Derek MIller

Hello everyone, my name is Derek Miller and I am a senior here at Chico State. I have been involved in several different majors during my years here at Chico. I am currently in my 4th major, and I finally think I found my calling. I’m so happy that I changed my major to be an English Studies major. I am from San Diego but have lived and traveled to many different places in the United States, and other parts of the world. During my four years here at Chico, I have been on the Men’s Ultimate Frisbee team for the school, which competes and travels to other big schools all along the west coast. I have at least another year here in Chico, but I cant complain and am excited to see what Chico has still to offer me.

I found the Szwed article very interesting, because it made me really think about what was literacy, and how is it involved in my life. It made me stop and think about what I do everyday that involves literacy, and it basically involved everything. I have always had an interest in reading and writing, but there have always been those times in school I haven’t liked reading or writing something a teacher wanted me to do. I really liked how Szwed talked about how it depends on the person, and what they are doing and what they are reading and writing. “Or a student who shows little interest or aptitude for reading may read Jaws in study hall.” I agree with Szwed that it is all about what motivates them, and what gets students excited about reading and writing.

For me, as a student, I have always found an interest when it comes to reading and writing about fiction. I’ve always enjoyed coming up with stories and using my imagination. On the other hand I get bored with reading and writing about facts. It doesn’t give me the same excitement as coming up with something on my own.

Last, I found that it was interesting that Szwed stated that “Educators often assume that reading and writing form a single standard set of skills to be acquired and used as a whole by individuals…” I think it is tough as an educator to make standards for all of their students, when all students learn differently and it takes certain students to learn in different manners. I don’t think these considerations are always taken, but they should to treat all different types of people and students.