Farewell Address: Week One Ends at the Summer Institute

The afternoon began with a few comments from Andy Manning, whom rarely spoke all week. Draped in his Mickey Mouse t-shirt (uniform), he asked three really important questions to the astute panelists, consisting of Guy Merchant, Julia Davies, Michele Knobel and Colin Lankshear, and the student audience. 1. How are we being positioned by the Digital World and New Technologies? 2. Who has access? Who is being privileged, and who is being left out? and 3. How are kids voices being heard? How can or are these New Literacies being used as tools for Social Justice? I was waiting all week for someone to address these ideas. We had heard about the New Literacies and discussed student engagement, but very little was mentioned about the So What? aspect of Literacy. What can and should literacy be used for? How can literacy be used powerfully, to create change...to make our world a better place.

In response to this, Guy Merchant suggested bringing in the "dark" issues and inequalities (such as racism, sexism) found on the computer and in our world into our classrooms. Racist comments, for example, should be brought into the classroom circle to generate much-needed conversation. Instead of trying to filter computers, or block sites, kids should learn how to navigate through the computer channels thinking critically about the images and ideas they may come across. Kids, as Guy mentioned, will search for this stuff anyway...we might as well help them to understand it, and help them decide how to place or make it fit within their own Discourse. Julia added an interesting analogy: pools are dangerous, and we wouldn't take those away from kids. We, instead, teach them how to swim. Before we do that, however, we must learn to swim ourselves!

I was absolutely moved to tears by Colin's address of these important questions. He would want to question the questions themselves. Of course! He claimed that there are these utopian assumptions that we can build a better world. He's not sure. Rather, he suggests, we build the best world that we can with what we have. He sees language as a part of a social practice. It then doesn't really matter which approach is used in developing language (ie. Critical vs. Whole language vs. ??). He feels that it is more important to build situated practices that are healthy, and that has less to do with language or curriculum, and more to do with how we live as human beings. He feels that it is critical to bring together communities: listening to each other, understanding each other, learning from each other, talking with each other. Within this wonderful and supportive community then, trust is built and people (teachers and kids alike) are more free to take risks, and through risk-taking learning happens. Colin reminds us that the end goal is not about getting it "right", rather we should 'muck about'.

Colin explains that it is really important for kids to learn how to "be". He feels that as teachers we help our students "be", by being coherent persons who have world views that have lived and manifested themselves in language and action, and have built relationships with staff members, colleagues, family and friends with honesty, integrity, in a non-domineering, authentic, transparent, kind, generous way. It's about practicing our own values. Our goal, according to Colin, is to have an identity, to live well in the company of people who live well...not coming off as an 'expert'...rather, always having something more to learn. It's about molding personalities and recognizing a way of doing life for ourselves. From this, children can learn how to be themselves.

He reminded us that power is not a commodity, and that we must be extremely careful not to do damage to others. We need to learn to "be": well and happy with ourselves and others, and within that, our own literacy and those of others are developed. Going online or remaining offline, it's how we make our own way that matters...it's how we do life. Colin encouraged us to approach curriculum as ways of being, not as content: helping kids make informed decisions about who they are, their literacy...finding their own identity. There are no right or wrongs, only alternatives. Colin would love to see classrooms as places which allow kids to go on"adventures", and when being critical is necessary, it can be tapped into. Classrooms need to be democratic and free for children to discover and acquire their OWN literacy, identity and place in our world. Everyone must matter and count for this to happen.

Brilliant! I love this man, as well as the other academics from whom I have learned so much...not only about teaching and learning, but more importantly, I've learned about myself, my identity and my place. I left feeling like I mattered. That's power. Imagine kids walking away from classrooms feeling the same way. I will miss this inspiring and magical conversation as we embark on Week Two at the Summer Institute. Next week, we will be focusing on Art...my other nemesis. Although I am apprehensive, I have a feeling that I will, once again, be walking away with another piece of myself in hand and heart.