The five elements of literacy according to Szwed are text, context, function, participation, and motivation. Context is critically important in reading as it is the circumstances which form the setting for an event, statement, or idea in terms for which it can be understood. A text can have all of these elements so it’s important that a reader know this so they can understand what they are reading. One example is reading in a relatively quiet or less distracting place like a library (traditionally), their room, or even the park. I know I prefer to read with some instrumental music or to have nothing going on around me so I can immerse myself in the book or text in front of me to get a better understanding of it.
Szwed recommends using ethnography methods while studying literacy because it’s the only way to find out what literacy really is and what can actually be measured.
What Szwed means by this is we shouldn’t force learning on people who do not wish to learn. Forcing education isn’t the best way to educate anyone. Inspiring people to continue learning and keeping them motivated provides the best results for learning because the person simply wants to.
I’d first teach them what ethnography means because I think it’s an important method for anyone to learn so they can either get better at something or understand the topic of study better. In my experience when I’ve immersed myself in a topic of study I get a better grasp of it. Not only that but I become more motivated to learn because I start to love it and I think that would be my approach. Helping my possible students learn to love literacy so they can further their own learning and not continue the unfortunate cycle of illiteracy.
What, according to Elizabeth Baker, is the sociocultural perspective of literacy? What are the four characteristics of literacy that Baker suggests we use and why? According to Elizabeth Baker the sociocultural perspective of literacy is the examination of literacy in different cultures and how literacy changes as culture changes or develops. The four characteristics of literacy according to Elizabeth Baker are semiotic (symbols and signs), public (anyone can see your work), transitory (not permintant), and product oriented (reading to learn specific concepts). Elizabeth Baker suggests we use these four characteristics because it allows us to read and write freely.
What I learned by researching “orality vs literacy” is that some cultures primarily use speaking as a way to exchange information such as storytelling. While other cultures use literacy to exchange information such as teaching children their ABC’s so they can learn to read and write.
In my experience I was taught the importance of reading and that it will further develop my skill set. However, it wasn’t until the age of 11 or 12 where I started to stress the importance of writing and speaking.
Literacy standards are created by what is important during the time so take social media as an example it sets the tone for what we should know or should be working towards.
Hello Justin,
Great idea in adding more information for each of the four characteristics of literacy from Elizabeth Baker through the use of brackets. I was thinking of doing the same, but didn’t know the best way to simplify it. Aside from this, I believe what Szwed meant when he wrote, in reference to the article, “The Ethnography of Literacy”, that “we must come to terms with the lives of people without patronizing them” was not just to not force learning unto others, but how we are not suited to enforce any ideals unto others regarding literacy because it does not follow a single set of standards. Instead, literacy follows multiple standards with different standards of reading and writing we have yet to fully considered. Apart from this, thank you for sharing this post and allowing me to really think about the advice of Szwed and the four characteristics of literacy.
– Deleny Leon
Hi Justin,
I agree with your thoughts on the importance of context. I always have had a hard time focusing at home, which is why I eventually started doing most of my homework at school and in libraries. I didn’t have the opportunity to do work by myself and outside of home when I was younger, so I would struggle a lot in focusing and it was really frustrating. Over quarantine, I noticed that a lot of people were struggling to do work at home after being at home all day, so there were a lot of study methods circulating the internet, which was super interesting to try out. I think that the context in which one studies in is becoming a much more well-known struggle.
I also agree that forcing people to study isn’t the correct way to approach things. When one lacks motivation, it becomes a million times harder to learn something. I think that it’s so difficult today though because there are so many courses that are required in grades K-12 that not everybody will like, but everybody is expected to pass and do well in.
I agree with your writing. Especially when it comes to learning with passion and without being forced. When you are forced to learn, you will never understand its meaning 100%. If you learn, you will be able to learn many generations after you.
Keep up the good work!!
3 thoughts on “DB #2 Justin Rivera”
Hello Justin,
Great idea in adding more information for each of the four characteristics of literacy from Elizabeth Baker through the use of brackets. I was thinking of doing the same, but didn’t know the best way to simplify it. Aside from this, I believe what Szwed meant when he wrote, in reference to the article, “The Ethnography of Literacy”, that “we must come to terms with the lives of people without patronizing them” was not just to not force learning unto others, but how we are not suited to enforce any ideals unto others regarding literacy because it does not follow a single set of standards. Instead, literacy follows multiple standards with different standards of reading and writing we have yet to fully considered. Apart from this, thank you for sharing this post and allowing me to really think about the advice of Szwed and the four characteristics of literacy.
– Deleny Leon
Hi Justin,
I agree with your thoughts on the importance of context. I always have had a hard time focusing at home, which is why I eventually started doing most of my homework at school and in libraries. I didn’t have the opportunity to do work by myself and outside of home when I was younger, so I would struggle a lot in focusing and it was really frustrating. Over quarantine, I noticed that a lot of people were struggling to do work at home after being at home all day, so there were a lot of study methods circulating the internet, which was super interesting to try out. I think that the context in which one studies in is becoming a much more well-known struggle.
I also agree that forcing people to study isn’t the correct way to approach things. When one lacks motivation, it becomes a million times harder to learn something. I think that it’s so difficult today though because there are so many courses that are required in grades K-12 that not everybody will like, but everybody is expected to pass and do well in.
I agree with your writing. Especially when it comes to learning with passion and without being forced. When you are forced to learn, you will never understand its meaning 100%. If you learn, you will be able to learn many generations after you.
Keep up the good work!!