Reading Response for Class on 1/31

Article 1: "Failing Still to Address Poverty Directly: Growth Mindset as Deficit Ideology"
https://radicalscholarship.wordpress.com/2016/08/08/failing-still-to-address-poverty-directly-growth-mindset-as-deficit-ideology/

I really enjoyed this article because we are currently discussing growth and fixed mindsets in my ELED 400 class. This article brought up some new ideas, things we haven't discussed: the connections between mindset and socio-economic status. I appreciate that this is another side of the discussion, one that takes the idea of "growth mindset" with a grain of salt. I liked the statement, "if we relieve children of food insecurity, home transience, etc., we are likely to find that those students in poverty who appeared to lack “grit” and growth mindset would then demonstrate those treasured qualities." This made me think of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and the importance that students feel safe and have basic necessities like food and shelter before they can be successful in the classroom. My mother is a seventh grade math teacher in a school where many students are impoverish. More than 50% of the students have free or reduced lunch. She tells me about students that fall asleep in class because they can't get a good night's sleep or students that don't get breakfast before they come to school. This breaks my heart- and worries me greatly. The article also states, "the media, the public, and educators often fail to acknowledge two significant flaws with growth mindset: (1) the essential deficit ideology that focuses all of the blame (and thus the need for a cure) in the individual child, and (2) the larger failure to see the need to address poverty directly instead of indirectly through formal education," which I think is a very interesting perspective. These flaws were never addressed in my other classes, growth mindsets were simply praised. I'm glad this article could give me a little more information, so that I can further my own interpretations that I hope to bring into the classroom one day.

Article 2: "Professional Knowledge for the Teaching of Writing"
http://www.ncte.org/positions/statements/teaching-writing

This article is a great resource for anyone looking to learn more about teaching writing. I like that it talked about the "web of relationships" or the many people that affect the writing process. It isn't simply the writer and the reader- it is friends, family, the community, and the greater world that influences a piece of literary work. Writing becomes more universal when all parties in this "web" are considered. The article continued, talking about how everyone has the capacity to write. This connects to the growth mindset theory brought up in Article 1. It isn't that students can either write well or can't write well- there is a process that, when taught, can increase any student's writing ability. This process is important for teachers to understand. I really agreed with the section "writing and reading are related." I've always believed that the more you read, the better you write. The more you read, the more you learn, actually. Reading literary techniques means you're more likely to use them later, more likely to identify them when they're presented in a different form. Overall, I found this article incredibly informative and plan to use it as a resource in the future.

Chapter 1: Cadeiro-Kaplan

This chapter talked about different types of literacy: functional literacy, cultural literacy, progressive literacy, and critical literacy. It seems to me, that the best kind of writing curriculum would include all of these literacies. In my opinion, functional literacy, or strictly curriculum based work, is most common. Cultural literacy, or writing on cultural beliefs and values, is incredibly important but can often be avoided because there are so many sensitive subjects in our world. Teachers must be careful when sharing certain content with students. I believe that progressive literacy is the most enjoyable because it includes the student's voice and personal experiences. I enjoy this writing the most because I connect more with the work than if I'm basing it off something I've only read about or heard about. The chapter mentioned the connection between intellectual and emotional involvement and retention, which I think is critical to consider. Finally, critical literacy, or writing that puts the student in a real world, historic context. It focusses on the everyday world and how that goes hand in hand with their curriculum. This writing is very important for students as citizens of our country and as citizens of the world. It also helps expand critical thinking. I did not have much experience with this writing when I was in school. We may have had class discussions, but the majority of the writing I did was functional. I believe if a balance can be established in the classroom, then more students can be reached and writing can become less of a "chore." I found that many of the ideas in article 2 connected with these four literacies. There are so many parts to writing, and writing well, that teachers must give specific attention to how it is being presented in the classroom. This chapter discusses that knowing these literacies is more of a first step in building policies and practices. One must engage these ideologies in "forms of literacy" to expand the effect in the classroom.