Month: March 2019

 

Worksheet I – Build a Barclay’s paragraph that puts you in the conversation by establishing a key idea/concept in the scholarship.

 

TLS = The Little Seagull; TSIS = They Say, I Say

 

CLAIM (main idea) – What’s the paragraph going to be focused on?

I believe that some students are too sensitive when they have interactions with a teacher

INTRODUCE QUOTE – Establish a little context for the quote, through a full sentence introduction, a signal phrase, or a clause that works to set up an embedded quote. (Resources: TLS E4; TSIS, CH3)

“When I finally got my paper back, all I felt was disappointment. I couldn’t believe what I saw, I looked at my paper and saw a B- minus circled in the top right corner.”

 

QUOTE 1 – This is a quote from one of the scholarly sources we’re putting into conversation. If you use a signal phrase or seek an embedded quote, you’ll need to be sure the quote “flows” smoothly from the INTRODUCE QUOTE material above.

Kara Poe Alexander defines a victim by arguing “They also might see victim narratives as constituting a critique more in line with the assignment expectations than other moves might be.”(Alexander 618)

 

EXPLAIN QUOTE 1 – Elaborate/explain/rephrase Quote 1 above in a way that helps move the reader along towards the next quote. By doing this well, you’re establishing HOW this existing conversation works. Additionally, you’re positioning yourself in it through your effort to NAME the issue as one that’s important in the field of study.

The point of this quote is to show how an actual victim is supposed to be portrayed. Instead of showing an example right away it is important to define a victim for the reader.

Worksheet II – Build a Barclay’s paragraph that relates a concept in the scholarship to the data (evidence in the archive)

 

TLS = The Little Seagull; TSIS = They Say, I Say

 

CLAIM (main idea) – What’s the paragraph going to be focused on? What does the data show us about the concept?

The sponsors are just trying to make the students better students

 

INTRODUCE QUOTE – Establish a little context for the quote, through a full sentence introduction, a signal phrase, or a clause that works to set up an embedded quote. (Resources: TLS E4; TSIS, CH3)

 

Sometimes, it’s good to begin with the concept quote, especially if the application is straightforward: LN a shows us that Alexander’s view on how victim narratives work is a solid one. Other times, the data complicates or challenges the concept, and it might be good to reverse the order: Show the part of the LN that reveals something complicated about the victim idea in Alexander, then in Quote 2 show the part of Alexander that you’re complicating or challenging.

“She started to cause a scene in front of the whole class about how she thought that book was out of my reading level, and I wasn’t old enough”

 

QUOTE 1 – This is a quote from either a scholarly source OR a literacy narrative. If you use a signal phrase or seek an embedded quote, you’ll need to be sure the quote “flows” smoothly from the INTRODUCE QUOTE material above.

“Usually richer, more knowledgeable, and more entrenched than the sponsored, sponsors nevertheless enter a reciprocal relationship with those they underwrite.”

 

EXPLAIN QUOTE 1 – Elaborate/explain/rephrase Quote 1 above in a way that helps move the reader along towards the next quote. By doing this well, you’re establishing a stronger sense of the ways the evidence shows what you’re claiming in the topic sentence. This helps the reader stay focused on YOUR idea.

This quote explains what a sponsors job and how the sponsors are just trying to improve the students skill sets because that’s what they’re supposed to do

When reading victim narratives we often try to sympathize with the author and take their side since they’re the one telling the story. In my experience, I’ve come to realize that the sponsors who withhold from the victims, which are mainly teachers, never get a chance to state their opinion in the story being told. Therefore, I believe that the students are too sensitive and over exaggerate the situation as well remember the situation different than it actually was. For example in one of the literacy narratives I read titled “Expect the Unexpected” by Hannah D there is a clear case of over exaggeration. She boasts about a paper she felt she did really well on and the topic of the paper was the death of her own brother so she put a lot of work into this paper. When she received it back she wasn’t so happy “When I finally got my paper back, all I felt was disappointment. I couldn’t believe what I saw, I looked at my paper and saw a B- minus circled in the top right corner.” She believed she deserved much more because of her emotional attachment to the paper. She didn’t even go to see the teacher and ask why she got the grade she did like I’ve read in past narratives as well. And I also believe that the sponsor was just trying to get more out of her than she had already put on the paper. But instead she decides to play the victim. Kara Poe Alexander defines a victim by arguing “They also might see victim narratives as constituting a critique more in line with the assignment expectations than other moves might be”(Alexander 618). But this doesn’t sound like our author. This sounds like someone who’s skills were generally suppressed or overlooked by a sponsor or anyone else who could’ve helped but hurt them. In all honesty I think that students when writing literacy narratives like to play the victim so that way they can emerge as a hero in the end. Bronwyn argues this best when she quotes Carpenter and Falbo. “Carpenter and Falbo, for example, noted how their first year writing students, when writing literacy narratives, often portray themselves as the hero of their stories, overcoming all obstacles to succeed at reading and writing” (Bronwyn 343). Now it is clear that everyone wants to be a hero but not every story is written that way. Same as how not every story tells the truth. And I believe that this is a perfect example of a story where someone tries to play hero because they stuck to their guns and took the constructive criticism to heart when the teacher was just doing their job and trying to make them a better writer.

Another thing that I want to prove is that the sponsors are just trying to make the students better at their reading and writing. One student wrote a narrative about a teacher who took the book twilight away from her when she was in elementary school. “She started to cause a scene in front of the whole class about how she thought that book was out of my reading level, and I wasn’t old enough” I think that the sponsor for one thought twilight was too much of an inappropriate book to be reading in elementary school. I also believe that yes the student might be able to read the book but while she be able to grasp all the concepts within it. Just because you can read a word doesn’t mean you know what that word means. This teacher was a sponsor that was doing her job. Brandt defines a sponsor as “Usually richer, more knowledgeable, and more entrenched than the sponsored, sponsors nevertheless enter a reciprocal relationship with those they underwrite.” She would have been a bad sponsor if she didn’t walk around the classroom and look at everything that everyone was reading. I think the students because they are so young at the time remember the situation much worse or how they want to remember it. Bronwyn expands on this concept by arguing “It is obvious that imagining a scenario doesn’t make it happen. Yet many students who do not feel successful as readers and writers think that these identities are the results of external judgements handed down by the literacy “authorities” in their lives” (Bronwyn 345). Between students trying to be a hero and not taking constructive criticism they are able to paint the sponsor as a bad person when in reality most of the time I feel that they are just trying to help out.

I’ve decided that I want to work with narratives that have to deal with victims and sponsors that with hold knowledge. I feel like I can defend the teachers in some of these narratives and show that not only are these faulty narratives but maybe some of these students were being to sensitive. Maybe there was a lesson to be learned and they missed it or they are just over-exaggerating.

List of Narratives

• Expect the Unexpected by Hannah D.
• Literacy Narrative by Olivia Cram
• Learning not to Hate English Austin Scaglione
• I don’t read by Brandon Cass
• The Roller Coaster by Evan Dodge
• Acceptance of Change by Katherine Parker
• Road to Failure by Madison Derosa
• The Mean Teacher by Noah Luccini

Q4. For each SPONSOR, imagine how he/she might view the central literacy moment in the story. Williams suggests the value of this thinking in suggesting that students “rewrite the key moment (or moments) of the narrative from the position of a different identity” (345). WRITE ABOUT the SPONSOR’s perspective. Briefly note relevant detail/evidence from the LN that suggests that perspective.

The sponsor in Ben’s story is his mother. The reason why this is so is because she is the one that not only brings him to the library but also suggests the book that makes him want to get into reading. While his mother may not have realized it at the time by doing this she improved Ben’s interest as well as his knowledge and that day Ben became a better student because of it.

 

Q5. What strikes you as INTERESTING, COMPLICATED, or otherwise worth NOTING? (Use shorthand or fragments, but attempt to say WHY it’s interesting/complicated.) Here YOU start to decide what’s important FOR YOU.

Ben states that he read books like Huckleberry Finn and the Three Musketeers going into 4th grade. I remember reading this book in high school and having trouble with it. For someone who picked up reading not too long before then his reading level must have been advanced to read a book that was so complicated and had so many themes. I wonder if he was able to pick all that up at that young an age.

 

Q4. For each SPONSOR, imagine how he/she might view the central literacy moment in the story. Williams suggests the value of this thinking in suggesting that students “rewrite the key moment (or moments) of the narrative from the position of a different identity” (345). WRITE ABOUT the SPONSOR’s perspective. Briefly note relevant detail/evidence from the LN that suggests that perspective.

There isn’t a clear specific sponsor so I would say the sponsor was the school as a whole. They guided her from not being able to read at all to liking it so much that she would write her own stories in her free time. From the sponsor point of view this must feel amazing because they were able to help a girl who was struggling with something to love and embrace it

 

Q5. What strikes you as INTERESTING, COMPLICATED, or otherwise worth NOTING? (Use shorthand or fragments, but attempt to say WHY it’s interesting/complicated.) Here YOU start to decide what’s important FOR YOU.

I found it interesting that she found a passion for reading and that it made her want to write her own stories. I feel like she would be able to write a whole literacy narrative on her book club alone.

 

Q4. For each SPONSOR, imagine how he/she might view the central literacy moment in the story. Williams suggests the value of this thinking in suggesting that students “rewrite the key moment (or moments) of the narrative from the position of a different identity” (345). WRITE ABOUT the SPONSOR’s perspective. Briefly note relevant detail/evidence from the LN that suggests that perspective.

The Sponsor who is his grandfather wasn’t able to see his effect on his grandson because he was sick in the hospital when he goes from a mentee to a mentor. A lot of responsibility was given to David and he believes that he was able to deal with it because his grandfather taught him so well.

 

Q5. What strikes you as INTERESTING, COMPLICATED, or otherwise worth NOTING? (Use shorthand or fragments, but attempt to say WHY it’s interesting/complicated.) Here YOU start to decide what’s important FOR YOU.

I found that there was very little in this narrative to do with literacy. Instead this seems more like a tribute to his grandfather than anything else. I think there should have been a stronger focus on what his grandfather taught him in reading and writing and how that turned him into the reader/writer he is today.

 

Q4. For each SPONSOR, imagine how he/she might view the central literacy moment in the story. Williams suggests the value of this thinking in suggesting that students “rewrite the key moment (or moments) of the narrative from the position of a different identity” (345). WRITE ABOUT the SPONSOR’s perspective. Briefly note relevant detail/evidence from the LN that suggests that perspective.

The sponsor in Haileys narrative was very helpful to her even though she was originally believed to be mean and hard grader. The sponsor was willing to help and was happy that Hailey reached out because she wanted to see her do better and knew she had the capability to do so.

 

Q5. What strikes you as INTERESTING, COMPLICATED, or otherwise worth NOTING? (Use shorthand or fragments, but attempt to say WHY it’s interesting/complicated.) Here YOU start to decide what’s important FOR YOU.

I really like how this originally feels like a victim narrative and has some aspects of that in the beginning because once she transitions it into a success narrative there is more of a happy ending and a bit of the unexpected feeling is given to the reader.

 

Q4. For each SPONSOR, imagine how he/she might view the central literacy moment in the story. Williams suggests the value of this thinking in suggesting that students “rewrite the key moment (or moments) of the narrative from the position of a different identity” (345). WRITE ABOUT the SPONSOR’s perspective. Briefly note relevant detail/evidence from the LN that suggests that perspective.

The sponsor may believe that she shouldn’t have been reading twilight due to the fact that she read it herself. If you know the twilight plot you know that there are some inappropriate moments throughout the series for someone so young. I feel as though the teacher was just trying to look out for the student but she never realized that she went about it the wrong way.

 

Q5. What strikes you as INTERESTING, COMPLICATED, or otherwise worth NOTING? (Use shorthand or fragments, but attempt to say WHY it’s interesting/complicated.) Here YOU start to decide what’s important FOR YOU.

This story really didn’t have anything special to it. In fact I found it quite boring and short. I feel like she must have another literacy narrative that is closer to her. All she says is that she got a book taken away and that inspired her to finish the series. I wish there was more for her to tell.

 

Q4. For each SPONSOR, imagine how he/she might view the central literacy moment in the story. Williams suggests the value of this thinking in suggesting that students “rewrite the key moment (or moments) of the narrative from the position of a different identity” (345). WRITE ABOUT the SPONSOR’s perspective. Briefly note relevant detail/evidence from the LN that suggests that perspective.

The sponsor was willing to sit down with her and work with her in order for her to get the work. But she also took another step that she didn’t necessarily needed to do. She understood that Reegan was struggling to make friends with the other students and went out of her way to make sure that she wasn’t alone in the classroom.

 

Q5. What strikes you as INTERESTING, COMPLICATED, or otherwise worth NOTING? (Use shorthand or fragments, but attempt to say WHY it’s interesting/complicated.) Here YOU start to decide what’s important FOR YOU.

What I found interesting about this narrative was the fact that she was in a room with a bunch of kids from South Africa. Hearing this made me want to read more and see how she would react to being put in this environment. I’m glad she was able to succeed in not only improving in the classroom but also when making friends.

 

Kayla

Victim Narrative

“The popularity of the victim narrative in student texts indicates that student associate school based literacy practices with oppression and even cruelty.” -Alexander

“All I would see was”bad use of language” or “explain more,” but explain what!”

This student is clearly playing the victim narrative in their literacy narrative. They introduce a teacher who doesn’t care about the students or their work and made everyone’s life “miserable”. The student is pleading their case for the reason they believe they dislike English and the teacher is that source.

Sam

Hero Narrative

“The hero cultural narrative was incorporated at least once by 85% of the students and emphasized the individual and his or her specific literacy achievements and accomplishments.” – Alexander

“Miss Foster showed me, writing was more of a creative way to express one’s thoughts and feelings”

This shows Miss Foster as the Hero in the narrative as well as a good sponsor. Without her Sam wouldn’t be successful and actually like reading. These qualities make her the hero because she establishes the building blocks for Sam’s English career and paves the way for his success.

Hannah

Victim Narrative

“The popularity of the victim narrative in student texts indicates that student associate school based literacy practices with oppression and even cruelty.” -Alexander

“I was told I needed to make my paper stand out more. I was told I needed to make it more meaningful than it already was.”

Hannah is expressing a victim narrative but a different one from Kayla. In Hannah’s case it’s not the fact that the teacher doesn’t care. In fact I think the teacher does care and is in fact a good sponsor by telling her all of this. The reason why Hannah is the victim is because this narrative was so close to her that she felt as though no one would criticize it but in all honesty I think she needs to take the constructive criticism.

Blake

Sponsor

“In whatever form, Sponsors deliver ideological freight that must be borne for access to what they have. Of course sponsors can be oblivious to or innovative with this ideological burden.”

“At the time I didn’t really like her, although now looking back on it I realize how awesome she was.”

Blake is describing a sponsor. Someone who influences your opinion on something because of the position of power the are in. In Blakes case this is a positive sponsor because she teaches him to take his time with English and that by doing so he is more productive and the quality of his work is better. This is a good sponsor because Blake describes the positive effects she had on his life.

Literacy is valued highly by many and it makes us wonder why certain individuals have dislike it and have issues with it when it is being taught to them. I personally believe that the reason why this is such an issue is because in certain instances people are forced to read something that they don’t like or can’t relate to. I have seen examples of this personally because as a young child I enjoyed picture books and as I grew older I realized that I would have to stop reading these and move on to chapter books. While I knew I was capable of the work I didn’t want to let go of the picture books like diary of a wimpy kid because I found a sense of enjoyment in books like these. Many people write in their narratives that they found a way to get around not liking reading but in all honesty I think we choose that in order to be “successful” we must move on from what we like and are comfortable with and accept what is being thrown at us if we want to progress. I do sometimes find enjoyment in reading but at the same time I don’t think of it as something that I always want to do. It feels as something that is forced at times and that’s why these is such a conflict with it.

 

Alexander discusses the contrast between Master narratives and little narratives and the effect of this. Master narratives are about success and are the most commonly told narratives. Little narratives are “more specific, narratives of literacy that contrast with and challenge the master narratives” (Alexander 611). The contrast between is that while most tend to use the master narrative the little narrative seems to be more original and have more personal content behind it. Due to this it is a more interesting story to tell then the common success story of prospering through a time where one didn’t like reading or writing regardless of cause. What Alexander does point out is that while some use the less common little narratives there is still a sense of that master narrative in there. On certain occasions one may tell a whole story about how painful reading and/or writing was for them. But the success narrative is still found in the conclusion of the narrative when a sentence is worded “In the end I was still able to get by this and find a love for reading.” Alexander shows an example of this when talking about the outsider narrative. The outsider narrative is someone who feels like they don’t have a place or they haven’t found their place yet. But when Alexander points out the example for the outsider narrative we can see that there is clear use of the Master narrative.

 

Two of the “little” narratives that I found quite interesting were the outsider narrative and the hero narrative. The outsider narrative is someone who feels as though they don’t have a place or have not found their place yet. Therefore they are an outsider to everything because they don’t feel as though they are a part of anything. Alexander points this out as a “third space” (622). He still sees this narrative as one that uses parts of the master narrative and believes though there is a negative experience “an outsider is framed through the lens of success” (622). I found this interesting because I feel as though these people will at some point move into another narrative once they find their place and I want to know if this is possible. The other narrative I found interesting was the hero narrative. This one was interesting because it almost correlates directly with the Master narrative except there is a sense of accountability and ownership one take as a “hero” would. The reason I found this so interesting was because I feel like everyone has dreams and aspirations to be a hero. But most heros end up up getting the title by just being themselves. A fireman is a hero as well as a doctor. I really enjoy the potential of this narrative and think it has more to offer than the typical master narrative.