Literacy in the Field a Survey: From Text to Context: Learning and Identifying Multiple Literacies

Connecting the word and the world is an integral first step in analysis. To be able to decode and articulate what is read is imperative to discourse. Digital, social and cultural literacies identify both written and visual codes and relate them to the larger world. Therefore, literacy is not limited to academia; it is the ability to understand instruction or symbols interconnected in the community as well as the classroom. Literacy enables us to listen, compute, create, speak, write, signal, view and understand. In one instance, literacy is questioning and or challenging an idea soundly; in another it is fertilizing and tilling soil. Most times, in my content area of English literature, literacy is, and can look like a multi-textual discussion identifying things in both literature and life; not only learning how words are used in text, but also how they mean and relate to the world. In Peter Barry’s, An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory, Swiss Linguist Ferdinand de Saussure posits, that “words are purely arbitrary” (41), meaning they are unrestrained and subjective. Essentially a words meaning depends on the reader or receiver; furthermore, a words category and context helps the reader determine its conceptual meaning, but the meaning can change depending on that category or even the reader’s interpretation of the entire framework; I believe that being literate allows one to read fluently text and automatically understand it, no matter the context in which it appears. Teaching students how to read multiple texts fluently is my chief concern in becoming a fulltime educator. I want my students to grasp the idea that words and language, like literacy, are multi-textual/contextual and encompass much more than what is found in a classroom setting. So, beyond the ability to read and understand multiple texts, they should be able to read the world.

Language and Literacy

For example, Barry uses the words mansion and house to illustrate how our concept of words influences how we identify them. We know that a mansion is a form of house, but we also know that it is not a regular house-it is much larger. It belongs to the same category as a cottage or tipi as they are all houses, but conceptually it represents something grander. Barry goes on to highlight Saussure’s view that language constitutes us, meaning, it makes up our world, how we live, and how we perceive things; essentially it influences our views. Words attribute identification to things so that we perceive them in a specific/intended fashion. Like the comparison of the house, and mansion, everything is connected nothing exists individually, but our conceptual image of a word (how we identify it) can easily have multiple meanings. A great example can be seen with the word record, depending on its context it can mean different things; for one, it can refer to an actual record as in a hard disk designed to be played on a phonograph, or an account written and conserved to recall important information. In other words every element (word) can possibly relate to something else- the relationship exists between the word (used in a specific context) and a person’s conception of that word.

As a result of this, I believe it is imperative that students develop into social critical thinkers or what Paulo Freire calls “critically literate thinkers,” so that in addition to becoming intellectually aware they are also socially aware. As an educator, I would expect that my students understood not only how their own worlds are shaped by words and signs, but also how words and signs shape the lives of those across the globe. For instance, words like intelligence, freedom and authority can mean and conjure up multiple concepts depending on when, where and how they are uttered. One way to put this into practice is to allow them to explore and question settings in and outside of the classroom. This could mean including multiple forms of text; researching education practices around the world and implementing some of those practices into my classroom or simply asking my students to explore the different cultures that make up their own communities to illustrate that literacy is not exclusive to an educational (as in institutional) setting.

Forms of literacy

While researching ideas on literacy for this paper; I found that English literature educators, are particularly interested in how literacy practices like reading words, writing words, speaking words, and using images to express visual words are related in how they shape and assist in individual learning and understanding of multiple literacies. Reading undoubtedly builds fluency and cognitive skills; when a child has a healthy reading diet they are able to build a greater vocabulary. More importantly, they are able to read multiple forms of text, comprehend and decode words effortlessly, and focus more on context rather than each individual word. When asked to define literacy; Misty Baker, Director of Everybody Wins (a national public-private partnership that provides structured one-on-one mentoring to low-income youth to increase literacy), offers,

Literacy means the ability to understand all forms of communication-body language, pictures, videos, and sound. Literacy helps individuals achieve goals; deepen knowledge and comprehension, and the opportunity to participate in their community and eventually society.


Like Misty, I too believe that being literate includes the ability to process visual text; it not only improves cognitive skills but increases articulacy. Fortunately, most children learn early on how to process images, as books targeted at young kids are chock full of pictures that coincide with whatever story is being told. A book on alphabets will include each alphabet and a words beginning with that alphabet; so each letter of the alphabet becomes a corresponding picture. Eventually children learn more complex words (and images that are assigned to those words) until eventually interpreting an image becomes fairly easy. However the same emphases and instruction placed on reading a written text is not always placed on reading visual text and it needs to be. During the interview phase of this paper I decided to ask 10 year old student, Joshua Taylor a few questions regarding the text below, to gain insight on how as student his age might process visual text:

Me: Joshua, can you describe to me what you see in the picture.
Joshua: It looks like kids are visiting a zoo that says they do not abuse animals.
Me: Animals or humans?
Joshua: both
Me: So, what makes you think they abuse animals and humans?
Joshua: They say they don’t abuse animals, but the kids are confused because they see animals with their ribs showing and they look bad. Plus he (pointing to the figure in the background) looks like a skeleton.

Joshua was able to process what he was seeing quite effectively. Certainly, I did not expect him to articulate the exact political implications behind the image, but based on the written and visual text represented in the image, he was able to draw the conclusion that there was some form of untruth going on. Now, in a classroom setting, a teacher could combine this image, a mini history lesson on social issues and injustices in Zimbabwe and a writing assignment to illicit more concrete-fleshed out responses, as these types of assignments develop reasoning skills. Reasoning skills are best acquired through reading and writing practices; reading (of all texts) shape ideas.

Similarly, good writing practices improve upon a student’s ability to think critically; mainly because they have to evaluate what it is they are writing. I’ve found in both my academic and teaching career that free writing assignments in a journal/diary illicit a great amount of participation from students. Allowing students to partake in assignments like these where they are free to express their emotional or personal ideas on any given topic allow them to really flesh out what it is they are writing. In addition it taps into natural and creative abilities that might be otherwise missing in purely academic assignments. Roger Hiemstra, in his article, “Promoting Journal Writing in Adult Education (New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education),” puts in neatly when he states,

Journaling in its various forms is a means for recording personal thoughts, daily experiences, and evolving insights. The process often evokes conversations with self, another person, or even an imagined other person. Add the advantage available in most journaling formats of being able to review or reread earlier reflections and a progressive clarification of insights is possible… There also is the potential for a journaling technique to promote critical self-reflection where dilemmas, contradictions, and evolving worldviews are questioned or challenged.


The critical aspect happens organically as free writing forces people in general to monitor and self-correct what it is they are writing. Also, good writing practices assist in individual growth, because they help you find your voice. And although you need to think about what you are writing, you are not restricted in how you write. The outcome is that individuals not only learn how to express themselves, but they can also express themselves and master writing assignments where they have to stick to guidelines.

Certainly the same advantages found in reading and writing can be found in public speaking. Developing your voice, writing and reading are all a part of developing and perfecting your public speaking skills. Public speaking teaches you how to communicate ideas clearly, concisely and confidently; to become a successful public speaker you have to focus your message; organize your thoughts and be knowledgeable on your topic. The same way you would read a text and analyze its meaning is the same way you read your audience, analyze their body language. Like writing public speaking requires you to evaluate and establish your thoughts fully. In public speaking classes you learn to focus, structure, listen, critically evaluate, discriminate, question and challenge. In speech class you also learn to look outside of yourself and access the world. To give a clear understanding of what literacy looks like in a speech class, I interviewed an expert in the field.

Expert Educator

In the following interview with my former public speaking Prof. Carlyon Jones, she shares her views on literacy, public speaking and how both are executed in her classroom. 1) What is literacy to you?
When I am evaluating students for their academic proficiencies, literacy encompasses a broad range of skill sets. As a communications educator, specifically public speaking, I manage traditional and online classroom environments. These are the skills I look for in their order of importance: 1. Emotional intelligence and communication apprehension 2. Reading and reading comprehension 3. Observation and writing skills 4. Global intelligence 5. Cultural Intelligence 6. Technology

2) What does it (literacy) look like to you, in your content area/classroom?

I evaluate literacy by encouraging students to read passages from the textbook aloud, post to Blackboard (Discussion Board forums) to acquire writing samples in order to identify counterproductive writing habits and styles (i.e. improper use of lower and upper case, punctuation, and sentence structure). It is also a strategy for bridging the Digital Divide. Students are required to give an impromptu speech of introduction to get used to freely speaking in a positive way about their selfhood. They are also expected to participate in evaluating media content so that I can observe their ability to perceive the nuances of complicated scenarios.

3)Differentiated learning is discussed a lot in education. In your experience, how easy is it to implement and sustain a differentiated lesson?

In my opinion, the word “easy” has no place in the real-life setting of today’s classroom. It is necessary to implement and sustain a balanced differentiated lesson plan so that the students who demonstrate an elevated ability to meet course requirements do not get bored or discouraged as other students are being coaxed to rise to curriculum expectations.

By designing lesson plans that speak to differently-abled learners (visual, auditory, kinesthetic), I am able to help students become partners in the learning process.

4) In your opinion, does technology hinder learning more than it encourages it?

That is a very interesting question. Students must be introduced to technology as a tool for learning enhancement, rather than a management tool for their social lives or a resource for the plagiarizing of ideas. I introduce my students to specific benefits (e.g. online library access) in order to change their views on the tedious aspects of the learning process.

5) How would you motivate a student who won't even try?

As long as the student is not hostile or disrupting the learning environment for the other students, I allow the student to remain in the company of his/her peers. I do not hesitate to involve administrators who specialize in addressing the consequences of failure and the need for behavior modification. However, one-on-one conferences are the first line of defense. Sometimes, the student needs/wants extra attention. That is not always possible, but honest attempts to encourage personal worth are desired. Sadly, there are those cases where the student chooses to fail. In many cases, parents have no idea how much their encouragement and acknowledgment can alter the attitudes of their children, because they have not had that type of support to emulate. Conversely, I have seen students who chose failure one semester and returned with renewed vigor and determination to succeed against all odds.

Over the past 27 years, I’ve learned that one can never be sure. But, the subject of consequences (positive and negative) must be visited because learning is an act of appreciation for self-knowledge and self-preparation for the greater good of mankind.

Reflection

Self-preparation and practice makes the master, especially when it comes to public speaking. While in undergrad I took public speaking with Professor. Jones and at the time, I was fairly new to public speaking. Of course, I delivered the daunting in class preparations where I would feel the floor quake beneath me (really just my legs shaking) and classic sweat drenched armpits. However, I learned how (and am still learning) to modify my language, inflect my words for emphasize, give eye contact (not stare) and work the room confidently. Having to speak frequently in front of the same group of people helped a great deal. And I continue to use what I learned in that course to guide me whenever I had to speak publicly. Speech communication employs a host of benefits; not only are students able to perfect their own speech, they are also able to establish and analyze spoken word. The connection between reading and language literacy has become prevalent. The more students partake in exercises where they have to communicate via speech, the more they are able to engage in complex conversations. Frequently, I hear of educators combining strategies that encompass reading writing and speech, which includes using overt grammar instruction by involving communicative activities in lessons and comparing informal dialect with the form and structure of formal English. Some other strategies include, applying instruction, where words, picture and pronunciation are combined to help students conceptualize the meaning of the word and sound. Some forms of this are choral and comparative reading (e.g. using a text written in Old English dialect and comparing it to a text that uses updated formal language). Most children learn to read and speak without issue, but because some students experience struggles, all of the aforementioned strategies are excellent approaches to teaching different learning levels.

It is important to implement all forms of literacy when teaching English literature. What this mean for both students and teachers Ultimately, the most desirable goal is to always include teaching strategies, like, Directed reading/thinking activities (A study strategy that helps students construct meaning while reading; Graphic organizers (A way of visually organizing information). This can take many forms, depending on the topic and purpose. Paraphrasing, surveying, questioning, reading, reciting and reviewing is a strategy that improves recall of main ideas and specific facts. Outside of this, real life events should be fit into class assignments and discussions so that students actively instruct knowledge instead of being fed knowledge. I definitely want to create a space where I can learn from my students too. So, by integrating social, moral and universal issues students become actively engaged in what they are learning. This can easily be achieved by incorporating reading of multiple texts to encourage discussions. Having students go out into their communities to identify multiple forms of literacy (this could mean visiting mechanic shops, community clinics, libraries, churches, parks and recreation office etc.) and returning to the classroom and sharing their findings with the class. These types of assignments could work successfully in any English literature course as it offers students multiple perspectives on familiar social institutions and how they gain a broader understanding of how they relate to literacy. I strongly believe, as I did at the start of this paper, that in addition to the curricular demands of a classroom, students need to learn all forms of literacy so that they can better process comprehend and make sense of their own environments. And part of this is evaluating, processing, questioning and possibly challenging ideas- even those of their educators.


Appendix

Works Cited

Baker, Misty. Phone interview. 16 Feb. 2012.

Barry, Peter. "Structuralism." Beginning theory: an introduction to literary and cultural theory. Manchester England: Manchester University Press;, 1995. 41. Print.

Freiere, Paulo. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. [S.l.]: Penguin Education, 1972. Print.

Hiemstra, Roger. "Uses and benefits of journal writing." Promoting Journal Writing in Adult Education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2001. 19-26. Print.

Jones, Carolyn. Email interview. 18 Feb. 2012.

Taylor, Joshua. Personal interview. 16 Feb. 2012.

Literacy Lesson Plan and Teaching Video Analysis

Literacy Lesson Plan Subject: Linguistics Grade: 12th Grade AP English Time: first day back after spring break Topic: From Text to Context: A Linguistic Approach to Understanding E. E. Cumming’s “Listen.” Content: Introduction lesson on how linguistic features not only contribute to the meaning of a poem, but also how when applied, assist in understanding a text.

Reflection on Literacy Lesson

In English, Linguistic analysis takes a more analytical approach to dissecting and understanding a text, than a literary analysis. Part of my goal was to illustrate the science behind examining a text using linguistic devices. In my content area of English, when students are instructed to analyze a text; most times the teacher is looking for specific literary devices, such as imagery, metaphor, personification etc. Rarely, if ever, will high school students and most college students be required to use linguistic tools to breakdown or illustrate their understanding of a text. Linguistic devices like cohesion, deviation and structure; however, are just as important when studying how and why a text is written in a specific way. Linguistic analysis is more concerned with how words mean rather than what they mean. For example, what words are used in a phrase to infer meaning; lexical features (i.e. how many adjectives are used compared to nouns) and words semantics (what words represent and their relationships to other words).

In my lesson, I wanted the students to understand cohesion, how it works and is used in a text to create uniformity, especially since cohesion directly deals with word semantics. I chose E. E. Cummings, poem “Listen,” because he breaks away from conventional methods of writing poetry. For example; he paid little attention to conventional structure, but managed to create fluidity in his poetry by using cohesive devices like repetition and hyponyms. The Do Now, which consisted of perusing the text and writing down thoughts, was used to get the students familiar with the text and also to draw them into the lesson. My hope was that they would get a general feel of the poem and the meaning (in their opinions), as the poem is fascinating and has multiple themes. I had students work independently at first because I wanted their initial thoughts to be organic without any outside influence from their peers. I figured that once they broke into groups they would have more ideas to work with, especially when rewriting the last eight lines of the poem. I moved them into groups to work collectively because pulling out examples of hyponyms would require brain power, and they would be able to exchange ideas and opinions about the text. I knew the repetition portion of the assignment would be easy, as it was self-explanatory, but the hyponyms would be a challenge. I wanted to challenge them because I feel like students should always be challenged. I did not want to teach a lesson and have the entire experience be a breeze. That being said I did not want to make things too difficult either where they could not grasp the concept.

After the second part of the activity; I asked the students to share their findings, but while they were working I made sure to monitor what it was they were discovering, so that I could gauge their level of understanding and provide support where needed. I found a few students struggling with the concept of hyponyms. They were confusing them with a similar nym called meronym. At this point, I felt it was important to give some background on meronyms to clear the confusion. When I transitioned into the last part of the lesson, where students had to rewrite the last eight lines of the poem using their own words; I gave the groups the option to split the task amongst them so that each student could rewrite two lines apiece. This way most of the work would not fall on one student.

After the last activity each group was again asked to volunteer their findings. For the most part the students got the concept, but failed to execute successfully, as they repeated the words that were already used in the text. Nevertheless, each group used some originality to construct their poems. Differentiation came in with the use of individual work, group work, and integration of technology, a mini lesson and a print out of the poem. The individual work was so that the students could form independent ideas about the poem. The group work was assigned because no two students learn in an identical way. Therefore, I wanted to provide some added support to those students who needed it, as well as providing an opportunity for peer teaching and cooperative learning. Both individual work and group work was forms of assessment. My use of visual aid was integrated to act as a supplemental source of information. The language in the visual aid was clear and concise and the graphs connected directly with what I was teaching I believe the forms of literacies used in my lesson goes hand in hand with the types of assessments I used. For example, I assigned reading, and two writing task, where the students had to use critical thinking skills. I varied the level of complexity in the lesson, the reading and jotting down notes and pulling out repetition was easier than identifying hyponyms. The pretest (identifying forms of repetition and hyponyms) was used to determine what they understood based solely on the mini lecture and instruction provided at the start of the lesson, then the practice (rewriting the last eight lines) was given to assess their understanding, but more importantly to provide them with a chance to rehearse the new skills they were taught. Other forms used were listening and speaking, I listened to them discuss (while in groups) ideas they had about the text and allowed them to explain (present orally) their findings at the end of each activity, again to assess their understanding of the lesson. I believe the group work helped them the most in achieving the aim because they were able to work together to gain a clear understanding of the text and the instruction they were provided. I was more interested in the learning process because it included the “read, think, discuss, and grow’ concept and I think they mastered this part well. This was extremely important to me as this involves creativity, students have to exercise their minds and they express original thoughts rather than having to regurgitate what the teacher teaches. Interestingly enough some of the students commented on my lesson the following week. One student, Greta, said that while in another class, a classmate mentioned hyponyms (in relation to the text they were reading) and she (Greta) was able to understand what was being discussed. So, even if she did not master identifying hyponymy in class, it is something she can grow to master, which is why I followed up with an email of the power point and some more detail concerning the lesson.

Objective Teaching Description

At the start of the lesson I gave the students some information on what the lesson would cover, I assigned a Do Now activity, where they had to read the text and jot down any ideas they had about the poem’s theme and overall meaning. Afterwards, I explained the type of tools used in literary analysis to compare and contrast it to what we would cover, which was devices used in linguistic analysis. I went on to explain that we would be looking at cohesion, specifically two forms, repetition and hyponyms. I showed examples of both using a visual aid. I also explained their functions in more detail. I made sure to ask students if I was clear before moving on. After getting confirmation that I was clear, I transitioned into the next phase of the lesson. The next phase of the lesson required that the students break into groups. In groups they rehearse what they have learned so far about repetition and hyponyms. While students are working I made my way from one group to the next to answer questions, assess their progress, and to listen to what they are discussing to gage their understanding of the task, but also to monitor them so they did not go off task. When groups complete the assignment, I ask them to share the examples they found within the text. After students were done sharing, I explained the difference between hyponyms and meronyms as some of the students have confused the two. Once I am done explaining, I ask if there are any questions, in case I am not clear and they still have doubts. When I feel like it is safe to move on, we transition as a class to the final phase of the lesson where they now have to put into practice what they have learned using some of what they wrote down in the Do Now, to help construct their rewrites. Students begin working as a group to put together the last eight lines, there is chatter; laughter and writing as the students talk about what they believe are instances of repetition and hyponyms. I observe, listen, and facilitate where necessary. Once the students have completed their rewrites, they are asked to volunteer what they rewrote and explain how they used repetition and hyponyms to recreate the last lines. A volunteer from each group reads their rewrite and we joke and laugh at some of the responses. When the students are done with the last task of sharing their rewrites, I close out the lesson with a summation of what was done, give another brief explanation of hyponyms and again explain why they differ from meronyms. I ask once more if there are any more questions; one student a question about the lesson and whether it will be on a test, I answer no, and then close. Some of the organizational strategies employed during my lesson included time and classroom arrangement; I made copies of needed materials before class, and asked as part of their homework that they bring in pocket dictionaries. I gave a specific amount of time for the first activity, but was more generous with the group activities as they called for more than just reading and jotting down thoughts. So, there were five minutes for the first task and about eight minutes for the last two activities. I broke the students into group to consolidate time; the exercise might have taken longer if they had to work separately. Breaking the students into groups also allowed me to address concerns with whole groups as oppose to spending too much time with just one individual. Before each transitional phase of the lesson, I gave instruction of what we would be doing next.

I also used a visual aid as back-up. During each activity I made sure to visit each group to assess where they were with the assignment, answer questions, listen and watch for what they are discussing. I also watched from a distance so that I was not hovering over them, but I was mindful of any quizzical looks, so that I could provide support if needed. At the end of each group assignment, I called on students to share what they did and how they arrived there.

Analysis of Teaching Demonstration

When I think about the things I wish I could go back and change, nervousness is at the top of that list. However, that is not something you can really control; besides I was only nervous at the start of my lesson. Perhaps it had more to do with having to teach a lesson rather than present a lesson or give a general presentation. The second thing I would definitely change was my fumble on meronyms. During my lesson, I say that sky is a meronym, when I meant to say, that stars, moon and sun are meronyms, as they are parts of the sky. My follow-up via email however, corrected this. When considering the feedback I received, I would consider changing my aim from analyzing a text to strictly identifying devices that help in analyzing a text. And perhaps adding more time at the end of the lesson to have the class talk about how the theme affected their rewrite and illustrating how it could aid them in analyzing a text. One way I could have done this is to ask why they think Cummings used hyponyms besides for reasons of unity- just to have them think about the theme in greater detail. I said during the feedback phase, I wanted to stick closely to my actual lesson, so I would not want to change too much. I did, however, make concessions when I discussed meronyms, but that was because I did not want to leave any loose ends, plus almost all the groups identified them in their work. I might also consider going slower and giving more examples.

For instance, I could have rewritten the last eight lines too. I feel like that might have provided the students with a clearer understanding of what I was asking of them. I thought I asked if I was clear frequently, but sometimes students will say they are clear, but they lose clarity when it comes to practicing what they think they understand. I was surprised at several things; first, how my nervousness faded as the class went on; I believe that being the authority in that setting forced it away. I had to provide detail and support and I could not do that effectively and be jittery at the same time; it was important to me that my lesson was student centered. Thinking about authority; I feel like it came naturally. When I looked at the video I am surprised at how I was able to switch frequently between instructor, observer and facilitator with ease. I believe this was because I wanted them to grasp the concept. If I had to choose something that worked really well, it would definitely be this. I have a lot of improving to do, but I was extremely pleased with how I worked the classroom.

I did not agree with allowing them to use part of the text in their rewrite. I feel like that would be giving them the easy way out, if I had let them rely on the text they would not have been practicing; they would simply be replacing. Paulo Freire puts it neatly when he states, “For apart from inquiry, apart from the praxis, individuals cannot be truly human. Knowledge emerges only through invention and re-invention” (71). So, the best strategy for them to understand the concept was to have them recreate the last eight lines using originality. During the class, some students had some difficulty because they thought too hard about what they were being asked to do. Some of them were reverting to literary devices, when they were bringing up tone, alliteration and metaphor, which is easy to do when examining a poem. One student challenged me a bit about hyponyms, which I especially enjoyed because it shows that she was really thinking about what she was working on. She was not correct, but she was not too far off base. I believe this is why I walked a fine line with teaching linguistic devices. I was careful not to make the lesson too broad. While, I am sure there is a balance, I have not mastered that. But, I could always do a two part lesson where the first part deals with literary devices and the second linguistic devices. Other areas I feel worked well were when I had to call attention back to the lesson when students started to go off topic. I did not feel awkward demanding attention. Another thing I thought worked well was I stood my ground. For example, I stuck to the lesson without going off course, except to explain meronyms, but that was closely related. I did not let the groups off the hook or allow them to substitute example of hyponyms from the text. They had to use their creativity and think critically, especially, while doing the rewrite. And the laughter, I liked that there was laughter, which means they were having fun with it. Even if they were laughing at me, I welcome a light atmosphere. I thought my persona during the lesson spoke to this. I was straightforward, but easy going. I smiled a great deal and my smile was authentic- I enjoyed myself. If I had to choose a persona, authentic would be it. I do not want to pretend. I want to be direct, but easy going, I want to act as a learner too and learn from my students. I know that every situation may not be a learning situation, but most interactions in a classroom are learning experiences, especially when there is dialogue.