The biggest take-away I got from the presentations is how many creative, interesting ways there are to teach. The interactive approaches demonstrated in class seem far more effective than the average lecture and practice.  My favorite presentation was definitely the rap group. It really requires the students that are writing raps to think about whatever subject they’re dealing with. They have to know the information in depth in order to create an effective and creative flow. I watch videos on YouTube called Epic Rap Battles of History that demonstrate this idea perfectly. The link below is of one that I’ve watched so many times that I’ve inadvertently memorized it.

 

Just Girls was essentially a year long ethnographic study on two groups of girls at a Jr. High School.  One way in which this helps us to understand literacy studies is by showing how many different forms of literacy there are.  The author included things like passing notes, writing on the bathroom walls, and magazines in the category of literacy.  It also showed how literacy functions as a social category because there were different forms of literacy being used in both separate groups.  My group talked a lot about the social differences between the two groups.  The Tough Cookies used literacy as a way of isolating themselves (i.e. reading silently to themselves) while the Social Queens used it to communicate and relate to each other (i.e. passing notes and sharing books).

When I think of “a social view of literacy,” what comes to mind is how Brandt wrote “By the end of nineteenth century, the ability to read was no longer regarded as an avenue to morality but rather as an indication of moral behavior itself (just as illiteracy became- in and of itself- an indication of antisocial or immoral behavior).”  To be illiterate- truly and completely unable to read or write- would isolate a person, or indicate years of isolation in our current society.  This made me think of how we have developed so many other ways of communication and literacy other than just verbal.  In fact, electronic communication is now preferred.

I remember learning to dial and use a telephone as a kid.  When I made friends at school, I would write down my friends numbers and memorize them.  Back then, a phone number was an identity, as common as a last name.  Now, this is true of social media names (as I wrote about in an earlier blog).  I no longer have phone numbers memorized because there are too many of them to keep track of.  I also don’t call anyone as often. In fact, I’m often met with shock if I call rather than text.  In this sense, the ability to read and write is an absolute necessity.

I do not read or write for myself.  I read and write so I can communicate with others.  It is not an individual pursuit anymore.  As a kid I wanted to learn to read for the sake of books and literature.  If I had never learned to read, I’d be a social outcast now.  It’s key to fitting in because computers and electronic technology run communications and require this ability.  As Baron wrote, “the computer is simply the latest step in a long line of writing technologies.”  Literacy and communication is it’s primary function.

I interviewed my 12 year old sister, Chaya, for this assignment.  She started off answering my questions as seriously as she could, but got pretty bored with me after a while.  She started asking more questions toward the end and giving me shorter (more sarcastic) answers.  After reviewing her answers, I couldn’t help but notice that the ones I asked her about earlier years were answered with more juvenile language.  I think this is because she had to think about things from her 5/ 6 year old perspective, so she used her 5/6 year old vocabulary at times.

Q: When you were growing up, how much school reading and school writing was done with computers?  What kinds of things did you do?  What values did your teachers place on computer literacy?

Chaya: We use the computers all the time.  Mostly for articles and websites though.  We’re not allowed to type our papers.

Me: You’re not allowed to turn in typed papers?

Chaya: No.  They want it all hand written.

Me: Why do you think that is?

Chaya: I don’t know.  I think so we don’t cheat.  Probably just to make it harder.  Whatever, it’s stupid.

 

Q: In the next ten years, what will reading and writing become?  What skills and understandings about online literacy will people need to have?  Why?

Chaya: I don’t understand the question.

Me: Will people still be hand writing in ten years?

Chaya: I don’t think so.  We’ll probably all have iPads or something and write on those.

Me: Why do you think that?

Chaya: Because it’s easier and won’t use paper.  We could totally save the rainforest.  And everything is online or on phones or iPads already anyway.