I am a
Secondary Mathematics Education major. I am not the best reader; nor the best
writer; I do not remember dates like a historian, nor could I tell you chemical
structure of caffeine. But you’d probably bet your “bottom dollar” that I would
be fairly decent at mathematics, right? Is this because of the identity associated with being a math
education major? It’s the identity I
have chosen to undertake.
The readings put great emphasis on the need for
disciplinary literacy because “students’ text comprehension benefits when
students learn to approach different texts with different lenses” (Shanahan,
2008) and builds an understanding on how knowledge is produced rather than
shaped. While I agree, whole-heartedly, with the notion of incorporating
disciplinary literacy techniques and strategies in the classroom, I find myself
asking the same question. How do we as pre-service and in-service teachers
engage students in WANTING to undertake a new identity and “Think like a
________”? Its probably a good
assumption in saying that all of us in this class WANT to think like our
discipline.
Assuming the identity role is
crucial in developing advanced literary skills in the desired discipline. In
both Habits of Practice: Expanding
Disciplinary Literacy Frameworks Through a Physical Education Lens and Foregrounding the Disciplines in Secondary
Literacy Teaching and Learning: A Call for Change we see the quote:
“All
deep learning-that is, active, critical learning- is inextricably caught up
with identity in a variety of ways…. People cannot learn in a deep way within a
semiotic domain if they are not willing to commit themselves fully to the
learning in terms of time, effort, and active engagement. Such a commitment
require that they are willing to see themselves in terms of a new identity,
that is, to see themselves as the kind of person who can learn, use, and value
the new semiotic domain” (Gee, 2007)
We have all heard of students resisting in
classroom because they either simply do not care about the material or chose to
accept mediocrity because they are “not good at (some subject).” Indeed students’ self-efficacy may impede in
successfully incorporating disciplinary literacy techniques in the classroom
(Wickens, 2015). Here the application to the “real-world” becomes even more
vital in effectively motivating students to willingly participate. If we, as
teachers, force disciplinary literacy works onto students unwilling to assume
the required identity, “we may reinforce young people as disciplinary
outsiders” (Wickens, 2015). The goal is
not to push students to think as any particular discipline, but rather for them
to be able to reason in multiple different ways!
Matt,
ReplyDeleteI think that you have really brought something to our attention that is crucial—I think that our goal as teachers and future teachers should be to develop in students the identity of dynamic learners and to give them the tools in order to make that happen. And while the quote from Gee is absolutely an idea that I agree with, in terms of students committing themselves as individuals capable of learning and navigating the various domains of learning, I can’t help but point out what Elizabeth wrote in her post below about students being expected to embrace and reflect these different identities, but they lack the skills to become properly engaged.
It resonates with me when Moje describes specialized literacy learning as entering a new culture—just as it takes time and dedication to learn the language and customs of a new culture, knowledge is inherently different in different disciplines. Specialized literacy learning is like entering a new culture in the sense that it takes time to learn the language and rules, cultural insiders help to navigate the world and it becomes easier to understand through apprenticeship (Moje, 99).
I definitely agree that our interests in certain subjects stems from the identity we choose to undertake whether we excel in the subject or not. As a Secondary History and English Education major I love reading and I do well with writing papers. I was good with math some years and other years, my teachers had certain effects on me that made me believe I couldn't understand some concepts. I chose to undertake the identity as a reader and a writer and although I am good with some math areas, I would rather write a paper than take a math test. Quoting Buehl, "Our role as teachers and mentors is especially critical for developing students as readers, writers, and thinkers in the different academic disciplines studied in middle and high school classrooms." (Buehl, 2011). As teachers, we must encourage and guide our students to not see themselves as unable to excel in certain subjects, but be able to use their identity as excelling in parts of one subject and using that to help them do better in parts of another subject. By doing this, we can help students somewhat break away from the idea that they can't master a subject or have a certain career just because that isn't their best subject.
ReplyDeleteMatt, it is pretty interesting how you describe your identity as perhaps strengthening your chosen field of study and weakening others. I never thought about it, but it works like that for me too except in a different manner. I am also a Math Ed major, though I by no means identify as a mathematician nor as someone who is inherently very good at math. So while I think of myself as a very hard worker for my mathematics classes, I think of myself as understanding literature more naturally. However, I also find it less interesting. I wonder about the different ways our identities can impact our interest in different disciplines. I know that part of the reason I enjoy math is because it is difficult and I like the state it puts my mind into. I like feeling like I am following someone yet-unknown path until I solve a problem and arrive at my destination. Do you think that you were inherently very good at math, and for that reason you are interested in it? Or is there an aspect of the challenge and objectives in mathematics that encourage you to become more literate and efficient in math?
ReplyDeleteAs the same major as yours, I often hear someone says we do not need too much disciplinary literacy and admire us. Well, it seems like we, with math major, often act with symbols, numbers, calculations, and equations, but when I take MATH 313, Understanding Analysis I, this semester, I begin to realize that math still needs reading comprehension. The class is relevant to dozens of proofs, and we need to understand the logic of the proof, which requires our reading and learning comprehension abilities. As you think, we need to mentor our students as a certain identity, maybe mathematics, but it seems better that "mentor students so that they can access communications effectively in all disciplines" (Buehl, 2011), which you mentioned as the goal, also.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you Matt! Being able to teach students how to "reason in multiple ways" is a vital key to success in not just our own classrooms but in education in general. Which is why i feel it is important that if we can we include bits in pieces of all subjects into a classroom, or at least the skills you would see in a particular class. In math there is meaning that students need to understand a word problem, i know i had trouble with those because i did not know how to read/what to takeaway from them. By including literacy in math students can do better in it and not feel like pulling their hair out. Also by explaining to students, and they will question, what is the purpose of including one subject with another they get a better understanding that what they are doing is not just to get a good grade in the class but also to improve how they learn and understand. Including the students in this way should help things a bit when it come to any subject.
ReplyDeleteYou really made some excellent points Matt. I think that as students we are trained to in a sense "switch gears" when we go from class to class. For us to change identities and "think like a ..." is almost second nature. From grade school we go from one class to the next. I never really fully thought about it but it must be difficult for children to be new to school and to make sense of looking through different lenses yet they are in the same classroom with the same teacher and same peers. It almost seems that as we grow older the educational system makes it easier for us to switch identities by making us switch classrooms, teachers, and peers. Much like yourself, as a Teaching of Math major it is especially common to hear students simply dismiss math and say that they are just "not good at it". Yet much like other core courses such as literature and history, math is versatile. Students go into math thinking that you are either math inclined or not. Yet we don't see that in literature courses. By encouraging students to "reason in different ways" we can definitely push them to excel in all academic disciplines.
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