Repositioning Literacy Pedagogy in a Whole-School Read

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Repositioning Literacy Pedagogy in a Whole-School
Read

• Pamela Jewett
• University of South Carolina, Columbia
• jewett_at_mailbox.sc.edu
• Jennifer Wilson
• University of South Carolina, Columbia
• jlwilson_at_mailbox.sc.edu
• Michelle Vanderburg
• University of South Carolina, Columbia
• vanderba_at_mailbox.sc.edu

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Inspiration City-Wide Reads

• Chicago, IL In the Time of the Butterflies
  (Alvarez, 1995)
• Columbia, MO Enders Game (Card, 1985)
• Seattle, WA Persepolis The Story of a Childhood
  (Satrapi, 2004)
• Vermont Seedfolks (Fleischman, 1999)

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Inspiration Whole-School Reads

• Syracuse University The Kite Runner (Hosseini,
  2004)
• University of South Carolina When the Emperor
  Was Divine (Otsuka, 2004)
• Stephenson High School in Stone Mountain,
  Georgia The Giver (Lowry, 1993)
• Waterloo Middle School in Waterloo, Wisconsin
  Hidden Talents (Lubar, 2003).
• Summerland Middle School in British Columbia
  Run (Walters, 2005).

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• It would be nice to have something to pull us
  together at the beginning of the year. Something
  that would be common ground.
• -Maura Wilson

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A Common Ground

• Library Media Connection
• Book Selection
• Teacher created guide
• University Research Role

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Theoretical Frameworks that Guided Us

• Socio-Cultural
• (Larson Marsh, 2005 Lewis, Encisco, Moje,
  2007)
• Visible and Invisible Pedagogy (Berstein, 1974
  1977)

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Methodology

• Data collection
• Data analysis

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Findings

• Served as a relational idea that created spaces
  for visible invisible pedagogy
• Interrupted the schools reproduction of
  traditional academic learning spaces which led to
  more integrated curricula

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Served as a relational idea that created spaces
for visible invisible pedagogy

• Teachers moved between visible and invisible
• Teachers entertained uncertainty toward learning
  outcomes
• Even though we finished with Seedfolks, we can
  see that different characters bring to the
  novel,.,, and I havent done this yet so I dont
  know what patterns were going to see. I am not
  sure what thats going to yield.
• Intentional selection of text supported critical
  dialogue
• You could relate it to what they ware
  already feeling, some of the emotions they
  already have, some misconceptions they already
  have, some of the doubts they have

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Interrupted the schools reproduction of
traditional academic learning spaces which led to
more integrated curricula

• Students and teachers expanded social communities
  and classrooms
• Teachers collaborated with other teachers across
  grade levels
• Previously segregated subject areas were blurred
• Students moved toward greater visibility within
  the school community.

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Students and teachers expanded social communities
and classrooms
James like, it was done with everyday things.
And so it means in essence about how
you should respect other people. And
how, like, theres sic very
different kinds of people in the
world and everything. Maurice And how one person
can start a good thing. Mark How
it shows no matter what your race or nationality
is, you can still work together and live in a
peaceful community. I got a lot of
information, in terms of getting to know my
students as thinkers and just learn more about
their history, which is something so critical. I
do appreciate how much I learned about them
because Im going to be able to now recall
stories about their past and bring it into future
discussions in the classroom. -7th grade ELA
teacher
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Teachers collaborated with other teachers across
grade levels

• Were kind of separated when it comes to grade
  levels and schedules and teachers dont get to
  meet. And its just kind of nice that we started
  the year with Seedfolks and I didnt get to
  talk to a whole lot of people unless I saw them
  in the hallway. But, at least, when I did, we had
  something that we could commonly talk about. And
  I appreciate the fact, you know.
• -8th grade ELA teacher

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Previously segregated subject areas were blurred

• Ms. Sawyer Its not just the literature, the
  reading literature part. Were also supposed to
  bring out the cultural differences and the
  differences like that, and Carol also teaches
  social studies.
• Ms. Taylor I want as the year progresses and
  everything as we study different cultures is to
  talk about and bring up the book how they work
  together and stuff like that. And then, we have
  the 6th grade level plan with Carol, and then
  well be able to collaborate and together and
  talk about how we can bring up certain issues and
  certain instances that stand out to the students.

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Students moved toward greater visibility within
the school community.

• Shavawn I think its cool that everybody in the
  whole-school is going to read it and, like, that
  everybodys doing projects on it and they are
  analyzing the story.
• Keisha Because when everybody talks about it,
  each other can, like, relate to it.
• Marisa And understand.
• Shavawn And it doesnt have like a grade level.
  Its just like everybody, just like, yah.

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Producing Something Beautiful and Worthwhile

• Alternative Views
• The Golden Rule (Cooper, 2007)
• Implications for further research

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