Responses from 02.02.09 Class

Models of Literacy
1 Discuss Brian Street’s argument regarding two models of literacy that have been prevalent in educative contexts: the autonomous model and the ideological model. Come up with some traditional examples of ways in which the autonomous model has been applied in different contexts and for different groups attaining literacy. What are the consequences of the autonomous model? How would an ideological model describe these same contexts?

By different pathways, we all came to the idea of Dewey's school house and experiential learning. Another point we all expressed made it clear we knew that Street's ideological model does not run parallel, or as an alternative, to the autonomous model. In fact, in the same way that literacy can be divorced from the other factors of society, an autonomous or skills-based model cannot be instructed in a vacuum. It almost is as if the ideology of a society (its taboos and totems, what is given privilege or held in a lower regard) can not be stripped from the language and the power entrenched within it. It is clear then that these ideals cannot be taken from the instruction and use of literacy and related skills either.

Literacy is experiential, and experiences are shaped in many way the structures and ideologies of society. The style of speaking, the types of text read, the mannerisms that demonstrate listening, and the ways and reasons to write. These skills can only be taught if they are matched to the student's readiness, which is often a product of their life and educational experiences. Additionally, experiences and ideologies shape the opportunities for transference of literacy skills, which reinforce the rightness or wrongness of the literary act. The ideological model speaks to access to literacy events to learning, practicing and engaging skills.

2 Baron does not raise issues of power/control (i.e., an important factor within an ideological model of literacy) in describing different forms (genres) of online communication. Can you predict some issues of power underlying these forms that may arise later in the book?

The issues of affordance and access for me go beyond the material means of participating in dialogue. It is as if the issue is black or white: does the child have access to a form of technology. There are shades of grey in between having and not having that are crucial, and when ignored, paint a picture that those that have have equally.

The expectations of what should be had by whom are influenced by the ideologies of society. The use of the same tools can be seen differently when used by different people, or different models of similar devices can be viewed with bias as well. The student in school using video editing software may be seen as a model to his peers, while a twentysomething editing videos for YouTube may be seen as a less than admirable. Three colleagues checking their work email on a Treo, Blackberry or iPhone may face quite different responses based solely on the expected use of their devices. Even the quality of the same tools can be unequal: it is common for an urban public school in a low socioeconomic neighborhood to have second-hand or previous generation tools.

Are these no less issues of affordances because there is access? There are socioeconomic and sociopolitical ideologies at the heart of issues of what is afforded to society's members. Access must be weighed by more than a dividing line.

Features of online communication: a start
3 I suggest that another way of comparing different forms (or different genres) of online communication is through the lenses of interactivity (more engaging and dynamic) and retrievability (ability to re-visit what has already been communicated in order to reflect and respond). We could apply these aspects of language to the examination of these genres and then consider the educational consequences of their use.

Teachers enjoy making marks and maintaining content for second and third glances, which would highlight the merits of retrievability when using technology for educational purposes. There is a sense that fleeting moments are not quite as educational, which may be understood as not as easily graded, stored in a binder, or revisted at parent-teacher conferences. One topic discussed in our group specifically was the benefit to record-keeping through technology, both in keeping grades and tracking email. However, these are not the educational acts, but rather means of interpreting, reflecting upon, revisiting or assessing these acts.

Perhaps moving towards options that are less retrievable may be part of the shift towards assessment and learning that can be deeper than traditional projects and assignments. While the first incorporation of online communication had come in the form of using the internet as a means of transporting traditionally read and written content, as in emailing assignments, recorded voices, and discussion boards, there is room for integration of more. Interactivity will follow first with availability, and then, if the expectations of online commmunication and its educational uses can shift, beyond retrievability.