Since the end of the semester is nearing and several people have mentioned this book being less practioner or teaching oriented and super theoretical, I was wondering if we might talk about what every things (if anything) that they might take from Gee's work in this book. If you don't like this topic that I'm starting, please feel free to post a new topic (it's in the upper right hand corner of this main page of the blog- "new post").
For me personally, I take from Gee's work a critical perspective on how 'we' define literacy- teachers, policy makers, colleges of ed, the GACE::), etc. While I actually have read several chapters/articles by Gee that I would consider to be more connected to classroom practices, this is definitely a theory heavy book. It's the kind of reading that I have appreciated engaging in at this point in my studies, because, as we've discussed in this class, you start to realize how everyone writes from a theoretical perspective...even if they are not clear about it. I know that some people have written that he sounds kind of 'arrogant' in what he says, but I take it as his passion for what he believes and I personally appreciate that....we need more passion in what we do if you ask me! I am also going to take away a deeper understanding of Critical Discourse Analysis, which I hope to use in research in the future.
The New London Group has been a major voice in critical literacy and the multiliteracies movement. I think I said this before, but Gee has really influenced a lot of educators to re-think the literacy practices they offer to students. Again, I feel that these are still supposed to be rigorous, high quality learning, but they incorporate students' own experiences, cultures, and knowledge.
If you are interested in reading more by Gee:) especially something more teaching- oriented, check out this book about using video games - What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy. I've only read part of it, but it's very interesting and timely for this generation of students and steps into the multiliteracies realm, which I am becoming more and more interested in.
So, what will you take from this book?
3 comments:
I got the very first reference of the literature review for my residency research: "While some in the field of literacy contend that there is no literacy crisis in the United States (Gee, 2008), the statistics point to stagnation and should at least be cause for serious concern."
In all seriousness, I am glad I read this book. Even if I found it to be fundamentally flawed, I believe it's important to read a variety of perspectives. And Gee is very influential in the field of language and literacy, although I see his work more as an example of the shortcomings in the field, rather than its strengths. But the main point is that to truly come to an understanding of a complex topic such as literacy, it's important to be familiar with a wide range of theories, and this book has added to my repertoire.
Wow, the many shortcomings in the field of literacy! So, does that mean I am allowed to talk about the many shortcomings in the field of ed. psych?:)
Well, this will be my last post for the semester. I am trying to finish grading my students' final projects and then taking a much-needed mental and emotional break from school (for about 3 days). Best to you all!
I, too, am glad that I read this book. Gee uses lots of sensorial examples to bring his thoughts to life. If you do not understand critical literacy, I would recommend reading this book. He does explain Discourses and how they relate to literacy. I feel I learned a lot more about looking at literacy and language in a different lens.
Chapter Two was my favorite because he does a historical overview on critical theory. (Going from the ancient philosopher Plato to Freire) He shows all the connections among everyone in between those two philosophers and shows how the theory evolves into how it works today. Like I said earlier, this book is good for the anyone interested in critical pedagogy. After our group discussions, I thought a lot more about why certain groups in our society are geared toward school success, and was able to discuss educational issues from a more informed and less superstitious perspective. Plus, I think it is equally important for us to think about the way our schools are set up and how they support our many Discourses. Gee has done extensive research in the area of literacy and language...yes, we have a long way to go, but he has added one more perspective for us to discuss! I would recommend it as a book study for a PhD student.
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