Response to Workshop 3

Data Production exercise:
I came to the conclusion that most of those whom I interviewed (including myself) shared a similar view of literacy (including my layperson)- the primary goal of literacy being, to possess effective communication skills that would lay down the foundation for future employment. I saw the underlying notion of this perspective (as Finn mentioned) of education being used/seen as a ticket to higher education which in turn would lead to higher paying jobs. I also noted that there was a lot of talk about parents abdicating their responsibility with respect to their child's education.

Inspiration Map:
Although I am pretty proficient with using standard computer applications, I found that the Inspiration software was very challenging to use at first. In particular, when you are switching the function of a button, it seemed to be very touchy- and not user-friendly. I would have prefered to have used a Microsoft Product, since that is what I have been accustomed to- both at home and at school. That being said, I eventually figured it out, and feel more comfortable now that I have played with it a bit. Within my primary class, we often make maps or graphic organizers, but we usually just do these on the blackboard and/or on chart paper. My goal next year is to try and display these graphic organizers on a Smartboard.
As for the actual maps, we discussed them at great length at our table. We came to the conclusion that when we thought about it, as educators we generally take a little bit from each of these perspectives. Each perspective brings with it some benefits- one needs to be able to decode, however one also needs to be able to comprehend what one is reading. Technology is an important component in my classroom- when we have computer lab, I try and sit with a few students individually to serve as a guide to introducing them to new programs on the computer in all disciplines (math, language, word processing, etc...). After reading the article, I found it very interesting and disturbing to note how the hegemonic discourse was infused into almost all of the mindsets (not something I thought about previously)...how its influence is somewhat naked to the eye since it is so woven into what we consider the norm. I concur with the assertion that was discussed in class that this notion of what is "right" is something that evolves with time, and it is truly interesting to note how this will change in the future. Observing that book from thirty years ago, "I'm a Boy, I'm a Girl", made that painfully obvious when reading the now blatantly sexist comments on how each gender is to "operate".
The most challenging mindset to implement in my opinion, is the "New Literacy", as it requires more support and time than the traditional methods or mindsets. I think that being aware of these mindsets, assists me in being more reflexive of my teaching practices. It makes me think.....am I comfortable with they way I am teaching this? Can I do this in another way that may promote higher level thinking?....etc....
Food for thought.

The Jesus Freezer:
I enjoyed reading the "Jesus Freezer". The language was very rich- I think it would have been more fun if we were able to read it out loud though, to truly hear and feel the warmth of the sounds and tones of the language.
I am used to being surrounded with like-minded others when it comes to matters of faith--I am used to it being a very implicit thing, however this was the first time that I was in a position that I had to defend it.....As a result, I found it very difficult to convey my precise thoughts to others in the group that did not share my "faith" perspective. This reminded me of Finn's book (not sure of chapter off-hand) where he attended the political rally that his wife endorsed- where everyone was in a room and not everyone agreed (all speaking their explicit opinions where not everyone agreed)--yet he was used to being at rallies where it was understood that everyone had the same perspective and point of view (there was an implicit understanding).