reflection of workshop 1 & 2

Response to Workshops 1 and 2


Allan Luke’s question about what literacies give our students political knowledge, cultural knowledge and power has created a real shift in my thinking as an educator. I used to believe that literacy was a meaning making activity and that meaningful literacy learning instruction rooted in authenticity would be sufficient. I am coming to realize that although meaningful instruction is necessary for learning, it is not sufficient for the real end goal of active participation in a democratic society. Our students need a set of literacies that will provide opportunities of power as members of a larger community.
In addition to effective literacy instruction giving power to individuals of a society, it should also give them a sense of identity as they use language to deal with uncertainties, engage in collaborative problem solving and explore social justice.

If good educational practice means all students, across all social strata, are taught how to think and write as citizens participating in a democratic society, then our current professional development for teachers needs to change. How do teachers come to adopt a theoretical stance about learning that serves the well being of all students, regardless of socio-economic status? It could be said that student needs are just a representation of teacher training needs. As teachers, our own professional collaboration should be built on the same language of uncertainty that needs to be prevalent in classrooms. We should learn to disagree, articulate our own thinking and have opportunities to build on the ideas of others before we take the necessary action to improve our own instructional practice. We keep teaching the same way we did 50 years ago because I’m not sure we have the information or the knowledge or the power to make the necessary shift in thinking. Maybe that shift in thinking needs to begin with becoming aware of the gross inequities across different schools and school districts. Are we aware that we have different theories of learning and teaching with different students? Are we aware that we keep defending the status quo or looking for quick fixes instead of moving towards continuous improvement and collaboration?
If we are going to set high expectations for all students and believe that all students should be educated like people rather that training for a predetermined station in life, then we need to adjust our professional development of teachers.