My literate life

When I think began thinking literacy I had to take a step back and think, “What is MY definition of literacy?” Like the students Dr. Bomer talked to in chapter two of Building Adolescent Literacy in Today’s English Classroom, I was surprised about the things he classified as literacy. After some thought I realized that things I have taken for granted as everyday life, like responding to text messages and checking my Facebook are actually parts of my literary life.

A common link I’ve noticed in the readings of all three of our classes this semester is the acknowledgment of disconnect between what is traditionally taught in a classroom and what many students are interested in and motivated to learn. I think I need to reevaluate what I view as literacy if I want to be inclusive of the literacies of my students. As a result, I can potentially improve my student’s motivation and their appreciation of literature. When I first read Steinekuehler, I’ll admit, I was skeptical about the concept of video games as literacy but as I read I started to understand her position. The students’ propensity to spend a lot of their time focusing on playing games can lead to reading fan fiction, gaming websites and entire online community where they interact with other players. I finished the article thinking seriously about: “How can I engage a student like Julio?” I think that it is possible to incorporate this love of video games into the classroom. By having students do creative writing that gives them freedom to write about things that interest them they can be more engaged in the classroom. Also if I seek out books that are thematically similar to the games they love to play they could show more interest in reading them and avoid using Spark notes and Cliff notes. A Farewell to Arms, for example, is a book that centers on World War I, where there is something of interest for students who love a good, torrid romance as well as those interested in action. The group discussion can bring about a new understanding and appreciation for the students.

I went to an all-girl school so I never really gave much thought to how boys feel about English Language Arts. I can see how boys could feel excluded from English class; “the canon” includes a lot of romance and, to a teenage boy in 2012, not a lot of intrigue.  If the student cannot relate or find something of interest in the novel they are reading, it is possible that they will not read it at all. I really liked how Dr. Bomer talked about finding out what a student’s interests are and trying to show them how to link this interest to what we read in class. The key is to show them the connection between their literate lives both in and outside of school. I really think the idea of the literacy log will resonate with students who may feel disengaged in English class. Keeping track of my use of literacy and expanding upon my idea of what literacy is has helped me appreciate my literate life and how it is a major part of my everyday interactions. I think I can now apply what I’ve learned about my literate life into making my class more interactive and personal for my students.