Sept112012 S2: Movement & Voice

I think this is definitely relevant to our conversations as we move forward. The most interesting part for me about movement as you describe is not that things must be moving at all times. More aptly, it is that we have been allowed to imagine the possibility of movement. It would be more problematic if you had suggested movement as the only possibility for voice, but you use it instead as a frame; a way to envision identity and voice as a changeable aspect. Not that identity must change, but that it can change. With this lens, I feel there is more freedom to explore the dimensions of voice and identity without the fear that one would “lose” some essential “me-ness” about them as their voice adapts and changes. As we move, we carry those identities and voices along. A word that really stuck out to me while reading Pratt was her usage of imagination. She describes language as a way of creating an “imagined community” where the language itself helps to forge the way people envision and identify themselves (Pratt 180). Certain language establishes the boundaries of people’s imagination; teaches people that their identities must remain within a set of definable terms. I think people often internalize this to mean that their identities should not involve movement, or at least movement that strays outside the limits of our collective imagination.  I really like the concept of movement as it applies to voice, silence and vision because I think it can allow us to think outside our own imagination; while simultaneously allowing us the freedom to move back inside as well. Thinking about the general education system, I think movement outside the standard curriculum is really important. Rigidity in coursework limits the possibilities for students to move outside what they are expected to learn. I’d like to imagine the classroom experience as one that fosters movement; whether that means a more interdisciplinary style of learning or a classroom that allows culture and passion to flourish. This reminded me of Ellsworth’s description of how her childhood classes fell short; in her words “…Nothing, not a thing that I remember in my public school experience, ever addressed the part of me that was passionate about learning” (Ellsworth 6). I think choosing movement as a lens can free up the imagination to envision a more inclusive school experience, one in which students can participate by bringing in their culture and passions.