During the reading of this book, I could not help but be reminded of when we went to the website showing the high school graduation rates per school. If I remember correctly, Johnston had a 36% graduation rate. I find it ironic that the "remedy" for Johnston's high attrition rate is more structured schooling practices which continue to produce the same results. High stakes testing and the standards movement continue to detach the learner from the learning. Isn't this what we have been reading this entire semester?
Taking an inquiry stance in the classroom provides students the opportunity to become active seekers of knowledge. I liked Fecho's extension of Rosenblatt's transactional theory from reading books to "reading" people. We transact with one another, shaping and being shaped by the experience. In classrooms where teachers are willing to take risks and ask challenging questions where no absolute answer exists students become meaning makers and identity shapers.
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"Taking an inquiry stance in the classroom provides students the opportunity to become active seekers of knowledge. I liked Fecho's extension of Rosenblatt's transactional theory from reading books to "reading" people. We transact with one another, shaping and being shaped by the experience."
I, too, liked his extension of "transaction" to the more Friere-ian "reading the world" -- I venture that Rosenblatt would approve. This mutual shaping acknowledges how is really is for people -- that we live "beyond the skin". Caring is at the heart of these transactions. I'm reading Nodding, who talks about "receiving" the Other -- the Cared-for....and (a boost to conferences here) that one of the things that happens in those transactions is that the Cared-for really feels received -- held -- honored -- listened to -- heard - seen. Noddings goes back over and over to Buber's expression....for those few seconds or minutes there is no one else in the world -- that person "fills the firmament" for us, and he or she feels it.
Dude-- No one should be posting on a blog at 5:22 in the morning. Should I pick up some caffeine for you before class?
Yeah man, start breaking out the Red Bull. :)
I liked the part where Fecho talks about how students can either comply with, resist, or transform classroom expectations and learning. Reminds of me of another book by Sarah McCarthey where the author presents a series of case studies of students who do just that, and heavily ties in the element of identity. It's the third type of response, the transforming, that brings about real, meaningful, learning. And it's hard spark much transformation with worksheets, decoding/analysis, standardized test-crazy system of "learning."
Sadly, the standardized-test crazy system is winning out: there is money in making those tests and remediation textbooks/workbooks. One of the Bush brothers has a program the Saudi's have already put an order in for, and the thing isn't even beyond the business proposal phase. There is not a lot of money in teaching kids to read and write about themselves and the world. Too much thinking.
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