Coming into this class I looked at the title and was like “What the heck is Literacy Studies?” I didn’t know what to expect from this class at all. All I knew was that it was a required class that happened to fit into my schedule for this semester. I didn’t know how my workload was going to be as well as the expectations for the class (which honestly varies so much, that it’s hard to try to predict anymore). I was honestly a bit scared for this semester. I had no idea what these classes were going to be like — especially this one — and I had just gotten a job that required me to be on call pretty much 24/7, sans class time. Despite knowing absolutely nothing about this class, it’s one of my favorites now that we’ve reached the end of the semester. Now whether that’s because all my other classes were dull or this is a genuinely engaging class will be determined at the end of the semester… probably. But to be quite honest, I still don’t really know what this class is about. I know that when my other English Ed friends ask me what this class was about, I’ll say, “Uhm… I don’t really know… But it was really cool! Take it with Kim!”

I learned so much more than I probably could have ever expected walking into the classroom in August. Like many others in the class, I came in thinking that literacy was the ability to read and write. I never would have expected that there were so many different parts to literacy. I had an idea of sponsors of literacy, but I didn’t know exactly what it was called. I think I originally heard about it either late in high school or in my 130 class. Either way, my views were taken, ripped apart, reconstructed, and filled with so many other things that while I write this, I imagine a Frankenstein or Sally (from The Nightmare Before Christmas) type creature. I never would have expected that there was so much more to literacy than what I had originally thought. My eyes were really opened up, even though I still have so much more to learn about the topic.

I like how this class challenged me to take everything I thought I knew about literacy (and many other things, at that) and completely turned it upside down. I was looking at so many different sides of one thing. I was reading articles and listening to opinions I never knew were out there. Of course, it could get discouraging at times looking at long some of the articles were (and believe me, some of them were loooong). However, those articles and what I’ve learned in this class will definitely be a resource that I look back to when I’m in later classes or in my classroom with my students. In my own little world of English classes and understanding (in every single English class I had taken before college, I would be the mos interested in the subject), I never had the chance to explore all the different sides of the subject that I had always loved.

The article groups and Ignite talk groups were such a unique experience that I don’t think I could really get into any other class. It was definitely something else that really challenged me, considering that I really really don’t like group work. Having to depend on other people so much was frustrating, but the product that came together at the end was so cool. Having people that were also really interested in the topic helped a lot. It’s definitely a nice change from the GE classes that I’m also taking (since I’m still a sophomore). Overall, it’s an experience that I’d probably want to do again. Thank you for the awesome class Kim! I really hope to see you in a another one again.

Choose one of the films (Spellbound or Hobart Shakespeareans) and write about it (or both if you want) through a literacy studies framework. What literacy practices are valued in these films? What would some of our authors say about these practices?

I had never heard of Spellbound before, but I’m so glad that I had an opportunity to watch it. Spelling bees hold a special place in my life, considering that I myself participated in several spelling bees in elementary and middle school.

Most children in the spelling bee were considered “advanced” in their classes because they were amazing spellers. Of course, there were always those that got to the national spelling bee by luck, as may be defined by some of the other spellers that work hours upon hours every day. That idea is pretty much spread though the nation; If you can spell really well, you must be very smart.

 

What did you learn from your article group readings? What videos or other links would be interesting to share with us on our course site? OR What have you learned from the presentations? What are some of the take away ideas for you from other groups’ workshops?

I was in one of the Adolescent Literacy groups, and I actually did learn quite a bit from my group readings. I didn’t realize how much education and reading affected the adolescent development. I knew that creativity was good for the growing tween, but I never realized that it could make so much of a difference. I was one of the only people I knew that turned to writing or drawing things as a means to express myself. A lot of other people at my school would play sports or party. I felt like the odd one out using literature, but now I see how much it can actually work. It makes me feel good because even though I was struggling to figure out stuff in middle school and high school, I still found a good way to express myself. I wish my expression through writing still stuck with me though. Now, I mostly just blog about my feelings and experiences if I don’t talk to a super close friend.

I learned a lot from the other group presentations. I think the video game taught me the most as a new viewpoint. I do consider myself to be a gamer, but I never thought about learning about literacy with it. I would usually just use video games to pass the time. It’s interesting to see how many different ways we can be exposed to literacy with different means. I think it’s interesting that the ones most out of the box are the ones that I think might actually help encourage literacy the best.