Re: Multi-literacy (was [xmca] Summer reading)

From: E Duvall <duvalleg who-is-at comcast.net> Date: Tue Jul 17 2007 - 18:26:15 PDT · >of Knowing. Urbana, IL: Whole Language Umbrella.

--
He only earns his freedom and his life, who takes them every day by storm.
-- Johann Wolfgang Goethe
Emily Duvall
Doctoral Candidate (ABD) / Graduate Assistant-Instructor
Language and Literacy Education (LLED)
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
College of Education
Penn State University
256 Chambers Bldg.
University Park , PA  16802
814-861-3315 (home)
814-404-6175 (cell)
814-863-4511 (office)
FAX: 814-863-7602
edd130@psu.edu 
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Paul Dillon <phd_crit_think@yahoo.com>
> Hi Emily,
>    
>   The idea of literacy in multiple sign systems is very relevant to projects in 
> which I'm currently involved -- what has come to be known as "Intercultural 
> bilingual education" (educacion intercultural bilingue or EIB in Spanish).  Just 
> as you began to post  references about  multiple sign systems in education,  I 
> was reading about something very related in Luis Enrique Lopez' book, "De 
> Resquicios a Boquerones", 2006 La Paz PLURAL  which is a detailed history and 
> analysis of EIB in Bolivia and other Andean countries.  Contrary to the common 
> belief that the Andean civilizations possessed no writing systems there were two 
> forms of recording information -- one was a system of knotted cords, known as 
> quipu, and the other was a system of non-phonological graphemes that were woven 
> into various types of textiles,  etched into or painted onto ceramics, or carved 
> into wood.  These ancient systems survived in various ways.  In his discussion 
> of "Other Forms of Textuality", Lopez
>  indicates that although EIB has not heretofor explored the integration of these 
> autochthonous forms of textuality into the curriculum, it is an important 
> dimension for a number of reasons, not the least of which are:  the validation 
> of cultures of origin of the populations towards which EIB is directed; an 
> immunization of sorts against the implicit cultural hegemony of the alphabet 
> bearing culture into which the graphemically recorded native texts are converted 
> in the process of alphabet based literacy training; and, the preservation of 
> oral dimensions of cultural transmission which the  autochthonous graphemic 
> systems support, a cultural dimension which would be destroyed through the 
> process of textual conversion into phonological systems.  As you can see the 
> significance of any kind of work done on this would have great importance for 
> people involved in  EIB.  
>    
>   But I don't think the work you mentioned has percolated into the EIB field.  
> None of the authors you mention is cited in the recent EIB  literature I have 
> seen and EIB specialists with whom I have spoken are likewise unaware of it.  
>    
>   Would you be kind enough to provide a little more bibliography for the names 
> you mentioned: Tom Romano, Camille Allen, Simon (1992), and Eisner as well as 
> any others you consider important.  I will do internet searches but you might be 
> able to direct me to key references from whose bibliography I can move more 
> rapidly.  Your mention of Eisner in relation to the ideological significance of 
> different systems of textuality seems like it could be particularly relevant 
> insofar as one of EIB's central aims is cultural and linguistic revalidation and 
> revival.  
>    
>   Finally,  I checked the Wikipedia entry on "intermediation" and it could 
> benefit a lot from your input if you feel so inclined.
>    
>   Thanks for any help you might be able to provide.
>    
>   Paul Dillon 
>    
>   
> E Duvall <duvalleg@comcast.net> wrote:
>   Hi Martin,
> In the text "Beyond Reading and Writing: Inquiry, Curriculum, and Multiple Ways 
> of Knowing" (2000) Beth Berghoff emphasizes literacy as including multiple signs 
> systems (akin to Luke in some ways); according to Jerome Harste, transmediation 
> is a recasting from one sign system to another. Berghoff mentions Simon (1992) 
> in relating to using multiple sign systems, as creating education practice that 
> is a 'project of possibility"... 'whose fundamental purpose is to expand what it 
> means to be human and to contribute to the establishment of a just and 
> compassionate community' by giving learners 'control of their inquiries and more 
> choices'. That said the work does not focus on critical aspects. Berghoff does 
> address signs as mediations and connects the whole to Vygotsky and sign systems 
> as 'psychological tools that allow humans to think, communicate, and learn'. She 
> also mentions specialized knowledge communities.... which is what really 
> connected your work, I thought, with the
> ory, b
> ut also to this form of engaging people in different sign systems as perhaps 
> 'safe places', but also as ways of seeing the world differently. Eisner is 
> brought in for some critical thought on cultural ways of thinking and the 
> ideological character of sign systems. 
> 
> I use this as a foundation for an assignment I have my pre-service students 
> engage in: writing multigenre/multimodal l'Zines. 
> 
> Based on the work of Tom Romano, Camille Allen etc, the multigenre paper is a 
> way for students to write on a topic of personal passion/interest from different 
> genres that more aptly express what they wish to convey. I have added Beth 
> Berghoff and Jerome Harste's work to this by having my students engage in 
> writing Zines that include various other ways of expressing to the reader what 
> it is they wish to get across. In some cases this might mean sculpture, drawing, 
> painting or other classic art forms, music (I had one student compile a musical 
> autobiography - a cd of her accapella singing she had done or arranged over the 
> last 10 years), videos and i-movies, and performance. 
> 
> For example, one student will be presenting her Zine on swimming tomorrow. She 
> and her sister were competitive swimmers- including competing against each other 
> - and this student is presenting a powerpoint that will give both informative 
> and personal information, she is bringing in her sister and we hope to 
> understand how swimming became the only connection between these two women 
> through their discussions and q-a's, and then they are taking us to a pool where 
> we will not only see these swimmers in action, but will participate in learning 
> strokes, etc.
> 
> There is no limitation other than that one genre must have, literally, a print 
> component. I get stories - autobiographical or otherwise, children's books 
> authored by students, poems, interviews, brochures, you name it. 
> 
> I also incorporate lots of metaphorical ways of knowing and learning... 
> including a diorama piece that student partners in the Zine project do. This 
> involves finding a common underlying theme between two Zines and creating a 
> metaphorical representation - in a shoe box. There is A LOT of self-reflective 
> work. 
> 
> But enough about me. 
> Does this seem of interest?
> ~ Emily
> 
> --
> He only earns his freedom and his life, who takes them every day by storm.
> -- Johann Wolfgang Goethe
> 
> Emily Duvall
> Doctoral Candidate (ABD) / Graduate Assistant-Instructor
> Language and Literacy Education (LLED)
> Department of Curriculum and Instruction
> College of Education
> Penn State University
> 256 Chambers Bldg.
> University Park , PA 16802
> 814-861-3315 (home)
> 814-404-6175 (cell)
> 814-863-4511 (office)
> FAX: 814-863-7602
> edd130@psu.edu 
> 
> 
> 
> -------------- Original message ----------------------
> From: Martin Packer 
> 
> > Emily,
> > 
> > Can you give us a quick definition of transmediation, and say a bit more
> > about Berghoff's work?
> > 
> > Martin
> > 
> > 
> > On 7/17/07 7:22 AM, "Emily Duvall" wrote:
> > 
> > > Thanks Mary,
> > > I went up to http://www.witness.co.za/ and the article is called "Art of
> > > Darkness" by Sue Segar. It's bout the work of Eric Miller, but also
> > > connected to a book he helped with, "Reality Bites: An African Decade"
> > > by Gorrel Espelund, Jesper Strudsholm and Eric Miller, in which there is
> > > a story about a young woman abducted into the LRA as a child. Our
> > > subject, Summer Reading, is definitely striking a chord of interest for
> > > me. There seems to be much that brings together my research and
> > > humanitarian interests.
> > > I wanted to add, Martin, that transmediation, in general, might be a
> > > direction to take with the child soldiers you hope to work with. It fits
> > > nicely into Vygotskian based work - see Berghoff, for example.
> > > ~ Em
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > Mary van der Riet wrote:
> > >> Hi Martin
> > >> if you do an internet search for The Natal Witness (SA based
> > >> newspaper), and for the edition of July 14 2007, there is an article on
> > >> an art exhibition related to the LRA child soldiers (the exhibition is
> > >> either in Cape Town or Durban at the moment)
> > >> Mary
> > >> 
> > >> Mary van der Riet; School of Psychology; University of KwaZulu-Natal
> > >> Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209
> > >> 
> > >> email: vanderriet@ukzn.ac.za
> > >> tel: 033 260 6163; fax: 033 2605809
> > >> 
> > >> 
> > >> 
> > >>>>> Martin Packer 
> 2007/07/14 04:22 AM >>>
> > >>>>> 
> > >> 
> > >> Last year I had the opportunity to talk with staff at the Colombian
> > >> Ministry
> > >> of Education in Bogotá, and learned from them about the problems of
> > >> the
> > >> Œreinserted¹ children - former child soldiers who were recruited or
> > >> simply
> > >> kidnapped by guerilla or paramilitary groups there. As these children
> > >> are
> > >> escaping, or as the groups are disbanding, they are becoming the
> > >> responsibility of the Ministry. We started to think about a possible
> > >> research project that might benefit all concerned. One possibility we
> > >> discussed was that we might learn a great deal from these children
> > >> about the
> > >> rationality and motivation of the guerilla and paramilitary groups -
> > >> that
> > >> interviews with them could throw light on the sources of conflict and
> > >> possible pathways to peace for these groups, and also on the best way
> > >> to
> > >> facilitate the reintegration of the children into mainstream society.
> > >> 
> > >> If anyone would be interested in collaborating on such a project, or
> > >> has
> > >> suggestions on how best to carry it out, or improve it, please let me
> > >> know.
> > >> 
> > >> Martin
> > >> 
> > >> 
> > >> 
> > >> On 7/13/07 8:09 PM, "Cunningham, Donald James" 
> > >> wrote:
> > >> 
> > >> 
> > >>> Em, I first heard of the book here:
> > >>> 
> > >>> 
> > >>> 
> > >> http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the_daily_show/videos/celebrity_inter
> > >> 
> > >> 
> > >>> views/index.jhtml?playVideo=82274
> > >>> 
> > >>> An odd source, I know, but Jon Stewart may be our most astute
> > >>> 
> > >> journalist
> > >> 
> > >>> today.
> > >>> 
> > >>> Persevere!
> > >>> 
> > >>> Don Cunningham
> > >>> Indiana University
> > >>> 
> > >>> Ancora Imparo!
> > >>> 
> > >>> 
> > >>> -----Original Message-----
> > >>> From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu
> > >>> 
> > >> [mailto:xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu]
> > >> 
> > >>> On Behalf Of E Duvall
> > >>> Sent: Friday, July 13, 2007 4:58 PM
> > >>> To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
> > >>> Subject: Re: [xmca] Summer reading
> > >>> 
> > >>> Thank you for the recommendation Donald... I went up on line to
> > >>> http://www.alongwaygone.com/index.html
> > >>> and read about the book, read an excerpt and watched a video
> > >>> 
> > >> recording.
> > >> 
> > >>> This short visit was... that feeling you get when you don't know
> > >>> 
> > >> what's
> > >> 
> > >>> around the corner, but you need to look some truth in the eye but
> > >>> 
> > >> you're
> > >> 
> > >>> scared to look because you don't know what the looking will do to
> > >>> 
> > >> you.
> > >> 
> > >>> I'm a little scared to read the book; I hope to persevere.
> > >>> ~ Em
> > >>> 
> > >>> --
> > >>> He only earns his freedom and his life, who takes them every day by
> > >>> storm.
> > >>> -- Johann Wolfgang Goethe
> > >>> 
> > >>> Emily Duvall
> > >>> Doctoral Candidate (ABD) / Graduate Assistant-Instructor
> > >>> Language and Literacy Education (LLED)
> > >>> Department of Curriculum and Instruction
> > >>> College of Education
> > >>> Penn State University
> > >>> 256 Chambers Bldg.
> > >>> University Park , PA 16802
> > >>> 814-861-3315 (home)
> > >>> 814-404-6175 (cell)
> > >>> 814-863-4511 (office)
> > >>> FAX: 814-863-7602
> > >>> edd130@psu.edu 
> > >>> 
> > >>> 
> > >>> 
> > >>> -------------- Original message ----------------------
> > >>> From: "Cunningham, Donald James" 
> > >>> 
> > >>>> Tony,
> > >>>> 
> > >>>> Instead of the Garfinkle book you might read "A Long Way Gone" by
> > >>>> Ishmael Beah. It has nothing and everything to do with the issues
> > >>>> 
> > >> we
> > >> 
> > >>>> have been discussing...........djc
> > >>>> 
> > >>>> Don Cunningham
> > >>>> Indiana University
> > >>>> 
> > >>>> Ancora Imparo!
> > >>>> 
> > >>>> 
> > >>>> -----Original Message-----
> > >>>> From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu
> > >>>> 
> > >> [mailto:xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu]
> > >> 
> > >>>> On Behalf Of Tony Whitson
> > >>>> Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2007 9:26 AM
> > >>>> To: xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
> > >>>> Subject: [xmca] no Garfinkel book, after all
> > >>>> 
> > >>>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> > >>>> Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2007 06:13:55 -0700 (PDT)
> > >>>> From: "order-update@amazon.com" 
> > >>>> To: "twhitson@udel.edu" 
> > >>>> 
> > >>>> Hello from Amazon.com.
> > >>>> 
> > >>>> We are sorry to report that we will not be able to obtain the
> > >>>> following item(s) from your order:
> > >>>> 
> > >>>> Harold Garfinkel, Anne Rawls (Editor) "Sociology of Information"
> > >>>> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594512817
> > >>>> 
> > >>>> Though we had expected to be able to send this item to you, we've
> > >>>> since found that it is not available from any of our sources at
> > >>>> 
> > >> this
> > >> 
> > >>>> time. We realize this is disappointing news to hear, and we
> > >>>> 
> > >> apologize
> > >> 
> > >>>> for the inconvenience we have caused you.
> > >>>> 
> > >>>> We must also apologize for the length of time it has taken us to
> > >>>> 
> > >> reach
> > >> 
> > >>>> this conclusion. Until recently, we had still hoped to obtain this
> > >>>> item for you.
> > >>>> 
> > >>>> We have cancelled this item from your order.
> > >>>> _______________________________________________
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> > >> 
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