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Today I went on another school visit with my supervisor. This time we visited a high school that has a Student Success Center, therefore, instead of meeting with a guidance counselor we met with the director of the center. Only a small portion of Philadelphia Public Schools have student success centers, which is determined by the funding that they receive. These centers are involved in many college access programs, mentoring, etc, but they vary between schools.
When I arrived at the school I was first struck by how huge it was. It had several floors, big hallways and big rooms. The murals on the wall made it seem welcoming but the size made me feel small. I wonder what the impact of architecture and space has on students. That is something that I hadn't thought about as thoroughly before, but the difference in size between this school and the last one I visited made it noticeable.

As I start to formulate a definition of what literacy is, I’m finding that it is far easier to say what it is not.  For instance, literacy is not just knowing how to read and write. It is not just being proficient in a language.  Literacy can not be constrained to only the dominant discourse. Literacy is not an individual event. Being literate is not the same as being educated.  Literacy is not inclusive. I could go on forever describing all the things that are not literacy and still feel no closer to defining what literacy truly is.  I’m pushed to question the ramifications of putting so much emphasis on a concept, literacy, without having a clear definition of what it is.  Literacy is something that is deemed essential in the school setting yet how can a curriculum promote literacy if there is no working definition that is accepted?  Completing the exercise of defining literacy has shown me that more critical thinking must be done in this area to reach a more inclusive and succinct definition that is easily understood and applicable by its’ audience.  Furthermore, defining literacy more successfully should illuminate better methods of promoting literacy in classrooms and communities.

I drew a picture for part of my journal this week. I depicted a river, starting from its source and flowing out and changing. My idea is a way to visualize literacy, to give it form. So, I am started to  think of literacy like a river, it changes its path, breaks off, and will sometimes meet again. In terms of literacy we start with our mains source, or discourse and as we grow this changes and adapts yet all the while we still are aware of the first discourse that we learned. At times we lose some of out discourse and may be halted by a "boulder." Literacy is like a river, it is not stagnant but moving. 

For the Literacy definition paper, I had no idea what to write about. I remember last week, when I was contemplating on what to write about, all I did was compile a bunch of defintions of the word literacy. I read and re-read the prompt, but still couldn't figure out what I wanted to write about. I kept nibbling on the prompt and writing down different strategies that could help me answer the prompt. But, nothing was speaking to me. I was thinking, "how the hell am I going to fill eight pages?" I was very flustered, but not about this upcoming paper. It was about something that happened to me earlier that day when I went to my placement for the first time. Being a student a Bryn Mawr, I have had the privilage of interacting with my professors as my comrades. Part of the reason to why I felt this strong friendship with them was the fact that I call most of them by their first names. When I was at my placement, I had this strange feeling when the students HAD to call me by my surname. It was a strange feeling. It was as though whenever they needed help from me, they were calling someone else. After venting about this new found persona with a friend, I now have a better idea of what my paper of literacy will be about. I hope to focus on the power dynamics created in the classroom based on the language used.  I am not sure if I specifically want to stick titles and what they imply about the education system...but, that's where I see my mind wandering.

I will post my fieldnotes tomorrow night since I havent had a second visit due to development day in the Philly schools last week. I hope this isn't too inconvenient

This past week I read Noa’s Ark which, in my opinion was truly interesting. The author explains in his book how he and his wife decided to teach their daughter Hebrew, English and Spanish. What caught my attention was the fact that they wanted to teach their child three different languages. I thought to myself, can that be hard for a child to do as they grow up? For instance, based off of my experiences, I had a rough time learning English in elementary school as a second language and being able to flow between that and Spanish which, I spoke at home. But to learn three languages at a young age? I remember I decided to learn French in middle school and took it all throughout high school as well but that was because I wanted to do that. Meanwhile, Noa didn't decide to learn three languages she was just taught. Although throughout the text he mentions how well she has managed to make use of all three languages it makes me wonder what was Noa's "aha!" moment when she realize that she could speak three different languages?

Date: Feb. 12, 2013

Time: 9:30am-3:30pm (6 hours)

First Day;

My first visit to my placement was a simple meet and greet with the teacher that I could have possibly been doing it with. Before arriving, I knew that I would be placed in a special education classroom with high school aged students. The school, Charming High, is a school that I had heard a lot about precious to my visit. Many of my peers had worked at it before and I knew that Bryn Mawr has a strong connection with it.

To get to Charming High, I rode the el into the city and got off in a brand new area. Not knowing what the school looked like, I followed directions given to me. As I walked through the neighborhood, the first thing I noticed was a huge vacant building, with a chain link fence filled with dead shrubbery, and boarded up windows. It was really a sight to see. On the walk to the school, I noticed a number of schools o n the way, and multiple housing complexes. Once I turned the corner toward Charming High, the first thing I noticed was a large stone building, a factory looking smoke stack and a small wall filled with colorful murals. I couldn’t help but notice the contrast between the two. Unfortunately, the school’s architecture reminded me of a prison. Grey walls, generic windows and stone walls.

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