Week 1: Digging for Multiple Literacies

 Week of Jan 9: Digging for Multiple Content Literacies:

One of the big ideas of this course is that literacy is now a plural concept--there are multiple literacies active in any learning environment, even within what may seem like traditional content classrooms. Students and teachers are not just writing and reading, but communicating in many symbolic, meaningful ways, using both print, visual, digital, performative and other sign systems. Although content reading theorists continue to debate whether to embrace, or ignore the New Literacies of pop culture and younger generations, their tools and modes are relevant to aspects of contemporary meaning-making. In order to help youth develop multiple literacies for communicating in the 21st Century, and extend our own instructional approaches to content literacy, we need to recognize how they operate and are valued in different contexts, learning events, and disciplinary discourses. 

To prepare for our first class, you will be undertaking your own literacy dig (go to our Blackboard Discussion Tool, Jan 9 LITERACY DIG forum for instructions), and then sharing some of your findings in class. Coleen and I have provided our own models below, and the following glossary of terms will help you make sense of the reading. 

Glossary of Terms for Jan 9: (Alvermann et al, pp 1-15) 

NOTE: It is posted in a double-entry, two-column format. Relevant terms from textbook and article readings will be starred*. Additional terms used by instructors that will support our vocabulary for this course may also appear without a star*. You are responsible for learning these terms and using them in journals, class discussions.

Intro VOCABULARY	Questions, Implications:
*Content-Area Literacy is the ability to use reading, writing, speaking, listening, representing, viewing and other sign systems to construct meaning with print and non-print texts (p 4)	How does this definition influence our notion of what a text is? Who defines texts in each content area?
*Content Inquiry-integrated processes of reading, writing and representing to develop independent learners and learning (p 6)	Can we use similar inquiry processes in different disciplines? This is where the idea of content reading methods developed.
*Four Processes (Freebody, 1999): Code breaker, meaning-maker, text user, text critic	These processes support the theory that reading is an active transaction between reader and text, and that readers have shared authority in the reading experience.
*Disciplinary Languages/ Discourses: language is situated in context and purpose (hard sciences vs social studies), including the beliefs, values and practices of that discipline.	What do these discourses share, or in what ways are they distinguished? How do they use different print genres or modes of communication?
New Literacy and Transactional Reading Theories confirm that literacy is *multimodal:  that we learn through various modes of communication, using a variety of tools and media for different purposes and audiences.	Modes are the paths of communication-how many modes did you find in your literacy dig?
*Motivation in Content reading, 6 C’s (14) Intrinsic motivation plays a large factor in the life of an active reader, that wanting to know” and connect with the world	We will discuss the 6 C’s in class.
Both or informal and formal learning processes at home, in school, and contexts in between support our  *schema  (webs of info and understanding) and *prior knowledge of any content subject.	Prior knowledge is a key component to developing comprehension and a major factor in assessing student readiness for new knowledge.
Strategy vs Skill-Based Learning: Strategies are flexible methods readers and writers use to become more aware of how, not just what, they learn. Both strategies and skills are relevant to content learning.	A focus of this class is guiding students to take on their own toolkit of content strategies that allow them to use skills and practices more fluidly between subject areas.
*Social Constructionism (Vygotsky, 1978; Bruner, 1986) p 7-9: the idea that language-based learning is socially constructed and influenced by many contexts in which children are exposed.	The implications are immense—independent growth becomes tied to classroom culture and group progress.

Stephanie's Dig: 

The following dig is one I pursued last Winter in my daughter's room--I chose this context because my 8 year-old 3rd grader was beginning to immerse herself both in her personal / home environment, as well as new print and visual literacy interests that seemed relevant to Alvermann et al's introductory discussion of the intersection between home and school literacies. 

We learn from Alvermann and her co-authors that language is situated; here Claire invites with a written welcome into her room and book corner, fit with beanbag and curtains. 

Claire's genre interests are growing--her explosion into books came with the fantasy series Warriors, a great introduction to studying clan behaviors of feline species as well as herbs, rituals, spiritual questions, and spurred her interest in looking at informational texts about medicinal herbs and social behaviors of animals.  She also enjoys realistic fiction. 

At an early age, Claire's modes of communication began to bridge the visual and the verbal--publishing personal mags through Blurb, an online photo site, is an elaborate and satisfying process, a way to reveal her world of home as well as imaginary landscapes. 

Claire is drawn to comics-Garfield and beyond-her sense of humor is quirky and often defies understanding. This lady is a comic depiction inspired by Toulouse Lautrec that she'd been studying in art class, and her drawing has begun to mimic the comic effects of these models, even as she delves into Monster High cartoons and Manga.

Coleen's Dig: 
The kitchen is the heart of our tiny home. As my family prepares for a move in just a few weeks (and Christmas items have yet to be packed away), I was surprised to see so many examples of the "home" literacies that I could apply in a school setting around the room.

This is a box of German Christmas Carousel candles. I imagine that if I  taught German, World History, or studied holiday cultures with my students, this box (and accompanying carousel) would help bring something to life that a textbook could not. I love that whether you know German (or not), children and adults can approach a box like this and tell what is inside, how to use the objects, when (seasonally) this box should be used. I even love the snowman and what he represents to people. Imagine you are a child in the world who does not sing about Frosty the Snowman vs. a child who does: how do they "read" the image differently? 

My son Charlie (age 4) has always loved to talk about animals. From a young age, he loved to study illustrations and photos in books about living things--most especially, dinosaurs and animals. He loves to come to my classroom to play with whatever resources I have out. For the past few weeks, all the books, posters, puppets, artwork, etc. around my classroom were to do with owls. At his own school, he was given paint and this is his own Snowy owl painting-- a cherished gift for his mother. He can't do what my 3rd graders are doing, but he finds his own way to identify with what he hears we are doing. I love when he "reads" to me! 

A blast from the past! I had intended to transfer this VHS to a DVD as a gift for my mother. I  know that this video is from a family reunion we had in Yellowstone when I was about 10. I think this is a significant example for a few reasons. 1) This was once "the latest technology!" Now it is a dinosaur, but I'm reminded that students need to see things like this. We live in an age where every year new computers, gaming systems, phones, and the like replace the last year's model, and devices fade away so fast. I think it's important for students to have a balanced exposure to a variety of texts: traditional and popular; we're going to need them to reflect on what's come/gone/stayed and have a voice in the mediums that should be carried on.
2) This ties in well to what was described in the "Reflection" section at the bottom of page 8/top of page 9. " You might have been a child of the 80s living in Southwest VA, but when you and I watch this video,  each of us would feel totally different emotions watching the images presented.

More evidence of a 4 year old. My husband coached the HS Cross Country team and enjoyed writing workouts for them to do. This is Charlie's version of what the team should do. Early writing. And the photos--using great images, not necessarily cute baby photos, of course, can be such a powerful medium in the classroom.