Stuart Dent

Literacy Inquiry
TE 802 (12)
September 14, 2007

My Students as Readers, Writers, & Learners of English Language Arts:

Using “Lived Curriculum” to Develop “Delivered Curriculum”

Introduction

As anyone who has taken years of teaching classes knows, assessment plays an enormous part in the
day to day activity of effective educators. We must be able to assess our students on many different
levels in order to make sure information is sinking in, standards and benchmarks are being met, and
to ensure that students will be able to perform on standardized tests. We assess our students
formatively by asking them questions during class, observing them as they work, and grading short-
term assignments. We assess our students summatively by addressing big questions, and giving final
tests and projects. While these forms of assessment are extremely important, there is another form
of assessment that is especially critical to the experience of students in a learning environment. This
form of assessment involves looking at the literacy practices of students in order to learn what
teaching practices, methods, and activities will work best in the classroom for each particular group
of kids. While one group of students may benefit from a certain classroom environment and from a
certain set of activities, another set of students may benefit from something different. Comment [1]: Clear rationale for the project!

Many teachers perform the assessment of their students’ literacy practices subconsciously. We often
look at the outside lives of our students in order to develop ways in which to reach them. Common
teaching practices include talking to students about their home lives or attending activities such as
school dances and athletic events in order to see students in an out-of-classroom setting. These
strategies are often used in order to gain information about students, helping to develop actives that
will appeal to them in the classroom. If we can find out what students really like and put what we
find to work in our classrooms, students may be able to connect more to the material we present. Comment [2]: This gets at what students Value—
how might one learn about what they need in order
to Expect to succeed?
While chatting with students and attending outside events is very helpful, a more structured
approach can also be beneficial in order to learn about our students’ literacy practices and interests.
In an English Language Arts class it is helpful to understand who our students are as readers,
writers, and learners of English Language Arts. Once we understand these things, we can get to
know our students better and teach in such a way that appeals to what they already know and uses
effective methods to challenge them to learn more. Like most teachers, English Language Arts
educators attempt to teach with an end in mind. We plan our lessons and units to meet major goals,
whether set by our personal values, by the government, or by school districts. Only when we start
to understand our students’ “lived curriculum”1 (literacy practices inside and outside of school) can
we develop a “delivered curriculum”2 that is effective and meets our goals. Using simple surveys,
making observations in class, and having conversations with students and other teachers can often
help us with this task.
1
Yancey. Literacy and the Curriculum, 172.
2
Ibid, 172.
Part I – “The Lived Curriculum”: My Students’ Literacy Practices

Before discussing the literacy practices of my students, it will be helpful to describe the focus class in
which my study took place. The class, which is made up of 31 sixteen and seventeen year old
eleventh grade students, is centered on British Literature and some aspects of the writing process.
My students come from a variety of different backgrounds and the class itself is extremely diverse.
It is made up of Caucasians, African Americans, Cambodians, Koreans, Bosnians, Latinos and
Latinas. Students come from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds and most of them knew
each other from previous years at the high school.

In order to find out about the literacy practices of my students, I:

 Observed my students during beginning of the year activities and first lessons
 Talked with my mentor teacher, Rita Buch
 Had conversations with teachers who had some of my students previously, and
 Conducted a survey study of my students’ literacy practices at school and at home

Observations of Students

During the first few days of school, my mentor teacher and I decided that we would orchestrate a
number of community-building activities instead of jumping right into the curriculum. We asked
students to write an “I am From…” poem modeled after “Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyons.
Students were given a number of different helping questions in order to brainstorm (see Appendix
A), and ended up writing some excellent poems. During the “I am From” activity, I was able to
make my first observations about the literacy practices of students. Students in my class seemed to
be very competent in unstructured writing. Tracey and I told students that they could write the Comment [3]: What did you see and hear that let
you know this?
poem any way they wanted, and that they did not have to worry about correct spelling or
punctuation in the poems. We wanted them to have fun, and I could immediately tell that this Comment [4]: See previous comment
helped relieve tension that would normally be felt during a more structured assignment.

While I was not sure if students would use our list of brainstorming ideas, most ended up doing so.
While observing, I could tell that this also really helped students focus their thinking on the aspects Comment [5]: See previous
of their lives that they found especially important. In their poems, they were able to integrate
quotations, common phrases heard around their household, street names, and even genealogy.
Students also wrote about real issues from their lives, such as gang involvement, the temptations
faced by teens, broken home, divorce, single-parenthood, violence, love, and loss. I was even more
impressed when several students from my class offered to read their poems aloud, which led to an
impromptu poetry session. Comment [6]: Specific, concrete, and telling
details that speak to the comfort level produced by
this assignment, topic, and classroom interaction!
After the first week of community building activities, I was able to observe my students as I started
the unit on Sophocles’ Oedipus the King. During the opening lessons of this unit, students displayed
critical thinking as they completed journals regarding violence in the media, and completed an Comment [7]: What did you see and hear that let
you know this?
exercise made up of several entertainment clips that depicted positive and negative aspects of
American culture and values.

Discussions with My Mentor Teacher

2
In order to find out about my students’ literacy practices, I also spoke with my mentor teacher, Rita
Buch. When I told her about the literacy inquiry I was working on, Rita told me about her
experience with similar eleventh grade classes and with some students that she had already taught in
previous years. Rita said that many students detest reading, and do not read or write at home. Many Comment [8]: Did she suggest why this might be
the case?
students have trouble with both tasks, and are well below the reading level for their age and grade.
However, Rita also told me that of her students participated in extracurricular activities, such as
sports, theatre, improvisational theatre, cheerleading, and band. Comment [9]: So perhaps there are many
students with high levels of Musical and
Bodily/Kinesthetic Intelligence?
Conversations with Teachers Who Had My Students Previously

On the first few days of school, I also spoke to several teachers who had some of my students in
years past. Several teachers came into the classroom and gave us advice about certain students.
They spoke of behavioral problems but also of disabilities that certain students had. They gave Comment [10]: Any examples?
advice about how to help these students, and tried to help us know what to expect. For example,
another teacher informed Tracey and I that a boy in our class “had a lot of trouble with writing.”
She said, “He will start of strong, but his work will slowly decline in quality.” I was surprised to hear Comment [11]: Strange comment—did she say
why?
this, since this particular boy had created an absolutely amazing “I am From” poem. I was glad to
get the advice to help me learn about he and other students, but I also made sure not to pre-judge
this student. Comment [12]: Good thinking—did you apply
the same qualification to your other sources?

Survey Study of My Students’ Literacy Practices at Home & at School

I also conducted a survey in order to learn about my students’ literacy practices and who they are as
readers, writers, and learners. While my observations and conversations were helpful, I predicted
that this survey would be the most straightforward method of study. The survey I gave the students
in my focus class consisted of two different parts, some aspects of which were modeled after the
survey used in the sample Literacy Inquiry we studied in TE 802. The first part of my survey lists a
number of different literacy events in order to learn about the literacy practices of my students. One
example of a literacy event on my survey is “Read a book”. Students were to place a check mark
next to an event that they participated in, and then indicate whether they practiced this event at
home, at school, or both at home and at school. The second part of my survey asked students more
detailed questions about their practices, such as “How much do you read or write?”, “Do you like
reading?”, Does anyone in your household read or write?”, “What is your favorite thing to read?”,
and “In your own words, what does it mean to be ‘literate’?”. The following pages include a sample
completed survey. A synthesis of what I learned about my students’ literacy practices through
observations, conversations, and this survey follows. Also included are different representations of
who my students are as readers, writers, and learners.

3
4
5
My Students Are as Readers, Writers, & Learners: A Synthesis Comment [13]: Awesome to see this sample—
I’m impressed with your use of technology in
including this!
Through conversation, observation, and my survey, I learned a lot about the literacy practices of my
students, or who they are as readers, writers, and learners. Through these methods of study, I
noticed some major patterns:

 Most of my students do NOT read at home. If they read, most of this reading takes place at
school.
 Students who DO read at home, almost always answered YES to the question that asked, “Does
anyone in your household read or write?”
 Students who DO NOT read at home, almost always answered NO to the question, “Does
anyone in your household read or write?” Comment [14]: This is a fascinating point! What
(if anything) can one do about this? Portfolio
 Every single student said that they listen to music at home. conferences are one way I’ve found to try to connect
 30 out of 31 students said that they watch TV regularly at home. home with more academic literacy practices. What
do you think?
 Every single student said that they hang out with friends at home.
 Most writing takes place in a school setting.
 A greater number of students watch TV at home than the number of students who read books.
 The number of students who read a book at home (18 out of 31) is equivalent to the number of
students who play video games at home. Comment [15]: Are these the same students?
Many video games include a lot of text, and there’s a
 Student who said that they do not read at home usually said that they do not read because it is book by James Gee http://www.amazon.com/Video-
boring. Students who read in school usually said they do so because they have to. Games-Teach-Learning-Literacy/dp/1403961697
that argues we ought to make better use of this
 Of students who said they like to read at home, most said cited the fact that it is relaxing and connection….
enjoyable. Many students like to read magazines.
 The majority of students play sports.

The literacy practices of my students are very mixed, but the above are some major patterns I
noticed. While some students do enjoy reading and writing, most students in my class participate in
literacy events that do not involve these two mediums. While reading and writing are traditionally
what we think of when we think of the term literacy, other activities that my students participate in
can be considered literacy practices. Thus, my students are very literate in a great number of
different things. As stated above, the majority of my students participate in sports. They are literate
in the world of sports, they know about sports teams, sports terms, and they are literate in the
norms of participation in sports and observation of sports. They are literate in team dynamics,
working together, cooperation, competition, and strategy.

As stated above, every single student in my focus group reported that they listen to music at home.
Listening to music is a literacy practice that involves much of the same thinking that is involved in
reading. Because they listen to music, students in my focus class have analysis skills, they realize
how songs can appeal to their emotions, they have knowledge about music, and they are quite
literate in poetry, since songs are a form of this expression.

Major literacy practices of my students also include watching television and playing video games.
While these are not traditionally thought of as literacy events, my students form literacy in these
activities. Those who play video games understand the norms of the video game world, and possess
certain knowledge that a non-gamer would not have. Like those who are literate in sports, gamers
are extremely literate in strategy and team playing, as many video games involve real or virtual team Comment [16]: I love how you’ve addressed
members. these areas as “funds of knowledge” (Gonzalez,
Moll, & Amanti 2005)—skills to capitalize

6
Through observations, I can see that my students greatly benefit from structure and brainstorming
ideas, and are especially good at assignments during which they feel little pressure to spell correctly
or use correct grammar. While these things are important, they often fill students with anxiety and
cause their writing to suffer. Students in my class are also very literate in terms of analysis and
critical thinking about the world. From the “I am From” introductory exercise, I discovered that my Comment [17]: Still trying to understand what
this means and looks like…
students were willing to bring aspects of their lives into our activities. I also discovered through the
previously mentioned culture activity and the journal on violence in the media that my students are
more than capable of examining aspects of the world that they found important and could relate to. Comment [18]: Can you elaborate on this? What
was it that they did in that journal exercise that
impressed you with their critical thinking?
Many students in my focus class do not take part in traditional literacy events outside of school.
Most traditional literacy events, such as reading and writing, take place in a school setting because
students are “forced” to participate in them. However, students in my focus class are very literate in
many different ways, most of which stem from activities they enjoy taking part in, such as playing
sports, hanging out with friends, playing board games, watching television, listening to music, or
talking on the phone. Many of the literacy events my students participate in, and the practices they
develop as a result, can be applied to classroom curriculum in order to reach major curriculum goals.

7
 Number of Students

0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35

18
Read a book
Survey Results: Tables & Graphs

28

25
Read a magazine

6
9
Write a story

12
16
Read a newspaper

1
31

Listen to music

1
Play board games
16

0
18

Play video games

0
30

Watch TV
8
26

Chat on the internet

2
15

Write a speech

2
4
Write in a journal
13

Literacy Event
23

Do internet research
29
Students' Literacy at Home & School

11

Draw or paint
13
22

Write emails
4
27

Talk on phone
4

Hang out with friends

31

24

17

Follow recipes
1
21

Play sports
12
27

Go shopping
2

8
Home
School
 Literacy Events at Home

Go shopping
Read a book
7% Read a magazine
5% Read a book
6%
Play sports
Write a story Read a magazine
5%
2% Write a story
Follow recipes
Read a newspaper Read a newspaper
4%
4% Listen to music
Play board games
Hang out with friends Play video games
Listen to music
8% Watch TV
8%
Chat on the internet
Write a speech
Play board games Write in a journal
Talk on phone
4% Do internet research
7%
Draw or paint
Play video games Write emails
5% Talk on phone
Write emails
6% Hang out with friends
Watch TV Follow recipes
Draw or paint
3% 8% Play sports
Chat on the internet Go shopping
Do internet research
6% 7%

Write in a journal
1%
Write a speech
4%

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 Literacy Events at School

Play sports Go shopping

7% 1%
Read a book Read a book
Follow recipes 17% Read a magazine
1%
Write a story
Read a newspaper
Hang out with friends
Listen to music
15%
Read a magazine Play board games
4% Play video games
Watch TV
Chat on the internet
Write a story
Talk on phone Write a speech
7%
2% Write in a journal
Write emails Read a newspaper Do internet research
Listen to music
2% Play video
board
1%games
games
1% Draw or paint
0%
0%
Watch TV Write emails
Draw or paint 5%
8% Talk on phone
Chat on the internet
Write a speech Hang out with friends
1%
1% Follow recipes
Write in a journal Play sports
Do internet research 8% Go shopping
18%

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 Home School
Read a book 18 28
Read a magazine 25 6
Write a story 9 12
Read a newspaper 16 1
Listen to music 31 1
Play board games 16 0
Play video games 18 0
Watch TV 30 8
Chat on the 26 2
internet
Write a speech 15 2
Write in a journal 4 13
Do internet 23 29
research
Draw or paint 11 13
Write emails 22 4
Talk on phone 27 4
Hang out with 31 24
friends
Follow recipes 17 1
Play sports 21 12
Go shopping 27 2

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Representational Drawing of Students’ Literacy Practices

Comment [19]: Interesting that the teacher

doesn’t appear (directly) in this picture, or in most of
the literacy practices that students seem to pursue out
of school. I wonder how we might remove ourselves
as teachers, or create a structure in which students
could work independently on developing their own
literacy practices….

12
Representational Diagram of “Traditional” vs. “Nontraditional” Literacy Events

Comment [20]: Is this taken from your seating

chart? Makes me wonder what would happen if you
matched students using this data?

It’d be nice to have a little more commentary on

these representations—they’re so evocative! Of
course you’ve already written 17 pages….

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Part II – “The Delivered Curriculum”: Beginning With the End in Mind

Through observation and careful conversation, my mentor and I were able to come up with some
overarching English Language Arts goals for my focus class. There are some major disciplinary
ideas that we want to address, in addition to some important skills that we would like to help our
students develop. Following is a summary of our major goals and the factors that shaped them:

1. Help students learn to approach difficult literature – Tracey and I would like to give our students
the confidence to approach difficult literature, or literature that they view as difficult. One of
our main goals in this vein is to relate the literature that students are reading to their lives.
Relevance is extremely important in effective teaching and learning, and we want our students to
be able to see why they are studying and reading certain pieces. Our goal is not for our students
to love what we read in class, or even for them to understand every minute detail, but rather to
help them become more confident with their literature study, find connections in their reading,
gain something from their reading, and interpret their reading in a number of different and valid
ways. Comment [21]: This is such an important
sentence in the way it navigates pitfalls about
“student-centered” and “teacher-centered”—
This goal was mostly shaped by observations of our current students and previous students. We congratulations on this mature understanding of your
teaching!
are aware of the fact that many kids are nervous to approach literature and we want to make the
task less daunting for them. This goal was also shaped from our memories as high school
students.

2. Preparation for Standardized Tests – One of our main goals is to help students prepare for the
standardized tests they must take. My focus class is made up of juniors, who often feel immense
pressure to perform well on these state tests. While we will try our hardest to prepare our
students to do well on these tests, much of our focus will be on mental preparation. We want to
help students know that they can succeed, to feel confident in themselves, and to help them
realize that the test is just a test and to have perspective about the matter. Our number one goal
in our classroom (and not just in dealing with standardized tests) is to help our students to feel
safe and accepted. Comment [22]: How might you help students
gain confidence about the tests through attention to
“Expectancy of Success” and Hillocks “task
Again, this goal was developed as a result of observation, and our personal experiences with analysis”?
standardized tests. Also, state, federal, and district regulations encouraged us to form the goal of
helping students do well on standardized tests.

3. GLCE’s – Grade Level Content Expectations are a big part of the goals Tracey and I have
formed. Writing is one of the main expectations, so many of our goals fall in this category. One
goal is to help our students prepare for the demands of 12th grade writing, and especially help
them gain skills in research writing and the writing of personal narratives. We want to help our
students to not be afraid of writing.

This goal was formed mainly as a result of expectations set forth by the state and the school
district.

4. Participation – As already mentioned, one of the main goals in our focus class is to help students
to feel safe. Along the same vein, we also have the main goal of helping our students to feel

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 comfortable taking risks in learning and to feel comfortable enough to participate in class to
further their learning.

This goal was formed by our observations of students who are reluctant to participate and our
speculation on how much students would gain from taking an active part in their own learning.

5. Critical Literacy – One of our main goals is to help our students learn about the world and their
place in it. Through literature and other areas of study, Tracey and I would like to help our
students get to know themselves, examine structures in our world, and see the connections
between literature we read, activities we do, and the world at large.

This goal was formed by the recognition that students need to see the relevance in what they are
learning. Another factor that shaped this goal is the fact that Tracey and I realize the value of
teaching students to look at the world critically and we want to help our students learn to make
smart choices and to be contributing citizens.

Part III– Comparing Lived and Delivered: Conclusions

Based on my findings regarding the literacy practices of my students and the goals that my mentor
and I wish to achieve, there are many important things that need to be done in order to effectively
teach my the students in my focus class. Integrating the literacy practices of my students is top
priority, because doing so will enable me to reach them and promote learning that they are familiar
with and, in most cases, find enjoyable. In order to illustrate how my findings relate to my goals and
to draw conclusions regarding my teaching, I will focus on the first unit of study in my focus class,
which I am currently teaching. When planning this Oedipus the King unit in the summer, I tried to
take literacy practices of typical students into account. I already knew that many of my students
would not be “at home readers” and because of all my student teaching, I had pretty good ideas
about the types of activities that my students would enjoy outside of school. I integrated many of
these aspects into my unit, but after completing this study, I can integrate so much more to cater to
the literacy practices of my students.

One of Tracey and my major goals for this focus class is to help our students to approach difficult
literature with confidence. By taking into account the literacy practices of my students, I can use
types of learning and literacies that they are already familiar with, to reduce the stress of approaching
a potentially difficult text. Through observation and my survey, I found that every single student in
my focus class reported that he or she listens to music at home. My students are obviously very
literate in music, and use it not only for entertainment, but as a help in getting through tough times.
Part of my unit will focus on Sophocles as a playwright. In order to introduce this potentially
challenging material, one good idea may be to ask my students to first find out a little bit about
singers that they like. Having students study the lives of famous musicians and discover the
inspiration of these artists will no doubt aid them to do the same with Sophocles. Comment [23]: A kind of gateway activity to
seeing how the life of the artist can inform his/her
work! How else might you relate their knowledge of
I can also use my students’ literacy practices to boost their confidence when taking standardized music to elements of Greek tragedy (e.g., the
Chorus)?
tests, which is another major goal for my focus class. Throughout the Oedipus the King unit, and
during test preparation, I can employ activities that use different literacies that I know my students
will excel at, thus boosting their confidence. Tracey and I also want our students to do well on these Comment [24]: These are noble sentiments, but
it feels to me like here you’re writing about what
you could do, rather than what you could do.

15
tests, so we will constantly use literacy skills our students have in order to teach preparation material
and skills.

When it comes to writing, which is one of the major Grade Level Content Expectations for juniors,
I can definitely employ what I discovered about my students’ literacy practices. My students are
eager to share life experiences in their writings. They also do well with less structure and excel when
given the chance to be creative, as I observed as they wrote their “I am From” poems at the
beginning of the school year. During my teaching of the Oedipus the King unit, I will use what I know
about my students’ literacy practices in order to create writing assignments that will give them
practice for 12th grade, but that will also encourage them to be creative and share personal
experiences and feelings. Comment [25]: Such as?

One of the main goals for my focus class this school year is to help the students in it engage in
critical literacy. I can use almost every aspect of what I learned about my students’ literacy practices
in order to accomplish this goal. Because so many of my students watch television, surf the
Internet, and play video games, these aspects of society can be introduced into units in order to
encourage my students to use what they already know (the literacies they already possess) to think
about the world. For example, a large portion of my Oedipus the King unit deals with catharsis and the
controversy over whether or not violent events purge violent urges or encourage violent urges.
Video games, movies, and television can be related to this issue, and represent an especially effective
way of drawing students into critical thought by asking them to examine texts that they are all
extremely familiar with. Comment [26]: Wow! A great example of how
to draw on students’ interests to create engagement
and make connections to a disciplinary
Conclusions understanding!

It is extremely important that we, as teachers, learn how to use what we know about students in our
classrooms. While reading and writing are important, and we do need to encourage our students to
learn how to do these tasks effectively, students participate in so many other forms of literacy that
can be utilized in the classroom. Because so many of my students listen to music, I can bring music
into my classroom, because it is a literacy that students are already comfortable with. Almost every
student in my focus class also reported that he or she hangs out with friends at home most of the
time. This means that we may need to let students be with friends in order to learn more effectively.
Students work well with peers and this is something that is very important to them. The fact that so Comment [27]: Another way of thinking about
this is to consider not just giving students more
many students do not read, write, or participate in other “traditional” literacy events at home is not opportunity to do this, but how to capitalize on it?
something to ignore, but teachers need to learn to pay attention to the myriad of other literacy For example, you may not need to spend time
teaching these students how to work in groups or
events that take place in the lives of our students, many of which take place outside of an academic teams given their experience with socializing and
setting. sports, and they may do well with activities that
require them to learn from each other (such as book
talks, jigsaw tests, etc.).
Anyone who has recently taken years of teaching courses knows that forging a connection with
students is of utmost importance. Looking at the variety of literacy events in which students
participate both out of and inside of school can lead us to the obvious conclusion that in order to
forge this connection, we need to bring students’ lives into our classrooms, and work with the
literacies they do possess, no matter what it takes. Comment [28]: Excellent work, Stu!

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Appendix A

WHERE I’M FROM

• Read aloud: George Ella Lyon’s “Where I’m
From” poem
• Re-looking: what do you see in Lyon’s piece?
• Stems and branches: what are the stems
(ideas) and branches (specifics?)
• Ms. Kooy’s WHERE I’M FROM poem
• Write your own specifics – use the ideas
below.

Items found around your home…

Bobby pins, or stacks of newspapers, grandma’s teeth, discount coupons for a
Mercedes
Items found in your yard…
Broken rakes, dog bones, hoses coiled like green snakes
Items found in your neighborhood…
The corner grocery store, Mr. Tatem’s old Ford Fairlane, an electric box/cable
box, “home plate” or “the safe place”
Names of relatives, particularly ones that link
you to the past…
Uncle Einar and Aunt Eva, Claude, Oma and Opa, the Christensen family
Sayings from family
“If I’ve told you once…,” “Who owns the problem?” “As long as you’re living in
my house…”
Names of foods or dishes that recall family
gatherings
Ludefisk, tamales, black-eyed peas, oliboelen, homemade apple sauce
Names of places that you keep your childhood
memories
Diaries, boxes, underwear drawer, family Bible

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