‘Talking literacy: living literacies’

I use this title - a working title - to explore the tension between how we talk about literacy & what we experience as literacy. 


An earlier title and one that I think gets to it more clearly: 


Sculpting a literacy practice from Folk, Policy and Ethnographic constructions of literacy


I like the idea of this as achieving aspiration I have had for some time - not least of all being able to actively include learners in the research process. 


Talking Literacy: Living Literacies

1. digital cameras - please offer a pictorial account of how I approach writing an essay. Please frame the essay as you will - you decide the starting point and the finishing point. Think about who might be involved.  What resources do you draw upon and what experience is included in the text. What are the technical requirements. What does the process feel like. The task is to offer a graphic account of what is involved in writing as essay. 
2. The next stage is to record an interview in which you discuss wit me the pictures. I ask you questions abut them. Can you put them in order. Can you tell me why this is included. What did you want to include that you were unable to. I notice these pictures don't include etc - is this deliberate. You may photo post-its if something happens that you are unable to record.
3. There is one session in the scheme of work that includes - if I were to walk in your class while you were teaching literacy, what would I see; what would be going on that I would not see? 
4. I will record a tutorial before the work is submitted. The tutorial will be normal. I will ask a few questions before and after the tutorial. What do you understand this assignment to require. How does this relate to you practice as a teacher. What preparation have you done for this? After the tutorial - has your understanding of the task changed? What will you do next? 
5. I will mark the work and may include aspects of the work as data. I am most interested in the assignment and the reflective commentary on-teaching and my observation schedule. 
6. I want to offer a talk back session. That is I want to offer my feedback - but I want it to be an exchange. When I do that feedback, I want to be able to record your response to it. 

The kinds of issues I will want to explore in the text: 

• different perceptions of what the task requires; 
• aspects of the task that are implicit -that are not directly stated but presumed to be understood
• ambiguity in what is required ie what does 'depth'? 
• the different meanings implied by 'be explicit' Lillis pg 57
• that famous quote in my head - how can I discuss with myself? 
• I also like Wolfe's 4 discursive lenses: the master, the university, the hysteric and the analyst
• research as a 3 way conversation between empirical data, self and theory
• I am interested in desire - educational desire