Writing Assignment 3 (15%)
Making use of Deborah Brandt’s concept “Sponsors of Literacy” (Chapter 2, Literacies in Context) and Barton and Hamilton’s “Literacy Practices,” (Chapter 3, Literacies in Context) explore these concepts in relation to your research site. Identify the agents sponsoring literacies for you and others at your site and describe the way literacy has (or does or will) “pursue[d]” you within your field of study. This assignment must be 6-7 pages in length.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Wikispace!
I want to connect our two class pages, so here is a link to our Wikispace. Check it out--especially if you want to access, download and/or print out class handouts.
http://1024u.wikispaces.com/
http://1024u.wikispaces.com/
Monday, September 14, 2009
WA-2 Literacy Practices at a Particular Site
Writing Assignment 2
This essay calls upon you to describe literacy practices as they function in a particular place (in your church, in your workplace, in your home, in a store you frequent, or someplace else).
In developing this essay, you should consider questions like these: What texts are involved? At church, this may include the church bulletin, Bibles resting on the church pews, and hymnals, but they might also include notices posted in the church entrance, signage indicating where members should go, and so on. At home, relevant texts might include any and all reading materials found on the shelves, on the coffee table, in your room, in the rooms of the people living in the home in which you grew up.
Name these items. Tell us where in the home these materials are located. Discuss where the reading typically takes place (and who is typically involved). Don’t forget to discuss the reading of magazines and newspapers (even if it is just to locate coupons or information about the latest game) and any reading/ writing that takes place online (gaming, blogging, research). How are these texts put to use by the people involved in this context? Who develops these texts? Where do the people making use of these texts typically procure them?
Requirements: You must make use of Barton and Hamilton’s article and either Moss or Mirabelli (or all three), especially as they describe the theoretical framework you will be using. Take some time to unpack the Barton and Hamilton’s key arguments, then those made by Moss and/or Mirabelli and your position in relation to them; next consider how they are (or are not) true of your own experiences with literacy acquisition in the particular place you are describing. You might also find Brandt’s key arguments helpful here, especially the metaphor of “sponsorship.”
This essay calls upon you to describe literacy practices as they function in a particular place (in your church, in your workplace, in your home, in a store you frequent, or someplace else).
In developing this essay, you should consider questions like these: What texts are involved? At church, this may include the church bulletin, Bibles resting on the church pews, and hymnals, but they might also include notices posted in the church entrance, signage indicating where members should go, and so on. At home, relevant texts might include any and all reading materials found on the shelves, on the coffee table, in your room, in the rooms of the people living in the home in which you grew up.
Name these items. Tell us where in the home these materials are located. Discuss where the reading typically takes place (and who is typically involved). Don’t forget to discuss the reading of magazines and newspapers (even if it is just to locate coupons or information about the latest game) and any reading/ writing that takes place online (gaming, blogging, research). How are these texts put to use by the people involved in this context? Who develops these texts? Where do the people making use of these texts typically procure them?
Requirements: You must make use of Barton and Hamilton’s article and either Moss or Mirabelli (or all three), especially as they describe the theoretical framework you will be using. Take some time to unpack the Barton and Hamilton’s key arguments, then those made by Moss and/or Mirabelli and your position in relation to them; next consider how they are (or are not) true of your own experiences with literacy acquisition in the particular place you are describing. You might also find Brandt’s key arguments helpful here, especially the metaphor of “sponsorship.”
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
WA 1 - Your Literacy History
Writing Assignment 1 (5%) “This essay calls upon you to reconstruct key moments in your literacy history by identifying the agents sponsoring this literacy and narrating the way literacy has ‘pursued’ you in a variety of concepts (consider literacies those around you expect you to have).
According to Brandt, ‘[s]ponsors…are any agents, local or distant, concrete or abstract, who enable, support, teach, model, as well as regulate, suppress, or withhold literacy—and gain advantage by it in some way’ (166, emphasis mine).
How does this definition match up with your understanding of what a sponsor does? How might a sponsor ‘gain advantage’ from sponsoring someone else? What ideas, conversations, and past experiences does Brandt’s exploration of ‘sponsorship’ call up in you? What can you learn by accepting this definition? What can we learn by resisting this definition of sponsorship?
Be sure to more than merely describe your experiences with literacy and literacy education. Instead, analyze your findings using—among other things—the relevant arguments from Brandt’s ‘Sponsors of Literacy.’ Take some time to unpack Brandt’s key arguments and your position in relation to them; then, consider how they are (or are not) true of your own experiences with literacy acquisition” (LC 39). This paper should be in the MLA format and 3-4 pages in length.
According to Brandt, ‘[s]ponsors…are any agents, local or distant, concrete or abstract, who enable, support, teach, model, as well as regulate, suppress, or withhold literacy—and gain advantage by it in some way’ (166, emphasis mine).
How does this definition match up with your understanding of what a sponsor does? How might a sponsor ‘gain advantage’ from sponsoring someone else? What ideas, conversations, and past experiences does Brandt’s exploration of ‘sponsorship’ call up in you? What can you learn by accepting this definition? What can we learn by resisting this definition of sponsorship?
Be sure to more than merely describe your experiences with literacy and literacy education. Instead, analyze your findings using—among other things—the relevant arguments from Brandt’s ‘Sponsors of Literacy.’ Take some time to unpack Brandt’s key arguments and your position in relation to them; then, consider how they are (or are not) true of your own experiences with literacy acquisition” (LC 39). This paper should be in the MLA format and 3-4 pages in length.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Thursday, October 1 - Field Site Practice
Remember we are meeting at the Sam Rayburn Student Center on Thursday, October 1, instead of our regular classroom. We will meet at our normal time in the lounge area in front of the campus bookstore. We will then break up into smaller groups to explore various parts of the student center (the bookstore, gameroom, pool table area, etc.). You will have 30 minutes to make observations of the literacies, texts and sponsors in your area. Then we will all regroup in front of the bookstore to discuss our observations.
I am emailing you a pre-observation sheet for you to print out and bring on Monday.
I am emailing you a pre-observation sheet for you to print out and bring on Monday.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Celebration of Student Writing
The date for our celebration is now set: December 11. It will most likely take place between 3 - 5 pm. Make arrangements if necessary so you can celebrate with us!
Take a sneak peek to see why it is worth celebrating...
Please let me know right away if you have a conflict. Remember--this represents 10% of your final grade.
Take a sneak peek to see why it is worth celebrating...
Please let me know right away if you have a conflict. Remember--this represents 10% of your final grade.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
MLA Format Links
The Online Writing Center at Purdue has a very useful site that explains the MLA format. All assignments for our class must use this MLA format.
Also, our Online Writing Center at Texas A&M University in Commerce provides an MLA Quick Guide which can be printed out.
When citing essays in our textbook use the Works Cited entry for "A Work in an Anthology, Reference, or Collection."
Also, our Online Writing Center at Texas A&M University in Commerce provides an MLA Quick Guide which can be printed out.
When citing essays in our textbook use the Works Cited entry for "A Work in an Anthology, Reference, or Collection."
Literacies in Context Online
Our textbook, Literacies in Context, can be found online.
Our first writing assignment is spelled out clearly in our syllabus, but it can also be found on page 39. It must be at least 3-4 pages and is due Wednesday, January 28.
Our first writing assignment is spelled out clearly in our syllabus, but it can also be found on page 39. It must be at least 3-4 pages and is due Wednesday, January 28.
Monday, January 19, 2009
A Bit of Virtual Earth
I thought we needed a bit of virtual earth--a place to claim our own. I plan to post handouts here if possible so that we all have free access to them 24/7. Maybe we will think of other things to brighten our spot. Let me know your suggestions!
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