| Title of Article + Proper MLA Citation for Works Cited page.
Andrea R. Fishman. “Literacy and Cultural Context: A Lesson from the Amish.” Vol. 64, 1987, pgs. 842-854. |
| Summarize the article — include your reaction, thoughts, anything to help you remember its claims. 100 to 150 words
Andrea Fishman wrote an article that makes the reader, or audience member, feel like they are experiencing the events told like they were there. This kind of writing really helps me understand concepts in a way that just reading facts can’t do. I have never researched or been exposed to the Amish lifestyle below the surface. Reading this journal piece, I felt like I was there on those nights of reading, singing, etc. I now understand the concepts of different versions and definitions of literacy. Each upbringing or culture can have its own, with small distinguishing marks or quirks. It takes a mature person to respect those differences and build upon them when they need to. |
| Define new terms and concepts by quoting or paraphrasing the original author.
I had heard the term discourse before, but the way it Gee defined it– “a socially accepted association among ways of using language, of thinking, and of acting that can be used to identify oneself as a member of a socially meaningful group or ‘social network’”– really stood out to me. |
| How does this reading connect to other articles from class and/or your own research?
After reading and reflecting, I can see similarities between “discourses”- like traditional older grandparents or family members and the Amish community. Tiny details such as the books in the house or the lack of technology or even the way of learning showed me that there are |
| Based on the reading, craft one question to act as a springboard for class discussion.
How and why do different discourses overlap? |