Literacy is a Social Phenomenon

What does writing mean to people? Yesterday I was watching Jerry Maguire. It has been a while since I've seen the movie so while I remembered the premise and the details seemed new to me. I was watching the part when the father of Frank Cushman (Jerry's biggest client) tells him that he doesn't want to sign a contract which would guarantee Jerry as their agent. He tells him (paraphrased) that he doesn't like them, but that his word is solid. Jerry, not wanting to offend his most important client accepts this explanation--until he realizes that it is too late, after Cushman has signed with another agent. This whole scene made me think about what putting pen to paper actually means to people.

Zemelman and Daniels explain:

Just as with small children, the writing of teenagers inevitably puts them in relation to others in a community, a family, or a social group--registering a complaint, taking a stance on an issue, asking for help, sharing a piece of one's autobiography, or even revealing a vulnerability. Writing does this in a different way than speech, for it is not evanescent but permanent and forms a record, something with legal standing. (49)

For students, writing is something that has real consequences. It is their writing that represents who they are in our classrooms--it is what we judge as teachers. We expect students to be eager to write on their own, but instead we are the ones pushing students to write (aren't we the one's assigning the tasks?) Students don't determine the importance of writing in the classroom--we do. We want student to be creative, but if they are too creative or challenge social norms that we think are inappropriate we punish students. If they write in a vernacular that deviates from standard English we penalize students. This means that we are giving students contradictory methods. Does this mean we give students total freedom, let them write in whatever dialect they choose? No. Instead it means that context must take center stage in the classroom. Our classrooms act as a "social context for literary learning" (50). It is our classroom that determines what writing is appropriate--not dictionaries or grammar books, because writing is a social activity and it is the classroom that will shape how our students write.

What is the teacher's role in teaching writing?

I'd like to close out this post with a chart from Zeleman and Daniels--one that I want to continue to think about. This outlines the tasks of the teacher during writing instruction (when groups are being used). The idea here is that the authoritarian teacher role will not work, instead they outline the following tasks:

1. Stating or clarifying the problem or task: Proposing goals and deciditing what needs to be accomplished
2. Establishing Procedures: Asking for and offering suggestions about hte best way to proceed
3. Asking for and giving information: Requesting and giving facts, opinions, feelings and feedback, searching for ideas and alternatives
4. Summarizing: Listing the various things that have been done or said
5. Keeping the group on topic: Helping the group remain focused on a particular topic or task
6. Integrating: Pulling together different pieces of information (idea, opinions, suggestions) to form meaningful wholes.
7. Evaluating: Helping the group critique its process

The follow up these roles with 7 steps to maintain these roles:

1. Gatekeeping: Bringing silent members into group action, aiding in keeping communication channels open
2. Checking for Understanding: Helping people communicate more clearly, particularly when not understanding each other. 
3. Giving support and encouragement to others: Accepting or not accepting other people's opinions in a manner that causes them to think about disagreement and not in terms of personal rejection.
4. Helping others to test their assumptions: Checking to see if decisions are made on the basis of irrelevant data.
5. Participating-Observing: Observing one's own behavior while participating actively in the group and observing the behaviors of others to provide feedback 
6. Checking for Feelings: Facilitating the expression of feelings; asking others how they feel when appropriate and volunteering one's own feelings
7. Mediating: Attempting to settle disagreements or differences in a constructive way; trying to bring about a compromise if actual differences can not be resolved.