Unit 1:Literacies

&College Writing

September 12, 2011

WRA 150

What are literacies, and why are they important?

Are essential to successfully navigating the world around us

Enable us to interact with others Allow for critical reflection and self-

development

Semiotics

http://www.clker.com/clipart-men-women-bathroom.html

Journal

What was your favorite toy as a child?What messages about gender did that toy

convey?What did that toy say about the person

who gave it to you and what they expected of you?

Do you think that toy had an influence on your development or aspirations?

Pop quiz!

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/3372921/Words_Used_to_Advertise_Boys%27_Toys

Language used to advertise boys toys

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/3372936/Words_Used_in_Advertising_for_Girls%27_Toys

Language used to advertise girls toys

http://gizmodo.com/5790566/gender-stereotypes-revealed-anew-in-toy-commercials-word-cloud

http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2010/12/23/stereotypical-and-counter-stereotypical-advertising-for-kids-stuff/

What does non-gendered advertising look like?

http://girlslovesuperheroes.tumblr.com/

But don’t girls naturally prefer “girly” stuff?

And sometimes guys can prefer “girly” stuff too.

MyLittleBrony.com

http://www.smbc-comics.com/

Bio break

5 minutes

Reading discussion

“Reading Ourselves and the World Around Us” —Alberto Manuel

“Mother Tongue”—Amy Tan

Project 1: Literacy Narrative

A narrative that not only tells the story of the development of one of your literacies, but also explains the significance of that literacy. How is it situated in the context of your culture?

Project 1 Goals

(From the First Year Writing Outcomes)

Writing: Use writing for purposes of reflection,

action, and participation in academic inquiry (analytic thinking; communication)

Exercise a flexible repertoire of invention, arrangement, and revision strategies (integrated reasoning; communication)

Project 1 Goals

Reading Engage in reading for purposes of reflection,

critical analysis, decision-making, and inquiry (analytical thinking; integrated reasoning)

Read in ways that improve writing, especially by demonstrating an ability to analyze invention, arrangement, and revision strategies at work in a variety of texts (analytical thinking; integrated reasoning;)

Project 1 Goals

Inquiry/ResearchingApply methods of inquiry and

conventions to generate new understanding (analytical thinking; integrated reasoning)

Demonstrate an understanding of research as epistemic and recursive processes that arise from and respond back to various communities (integrated reasoning; cultural understanding)

Requirements

3 to 5 pages (MLA style: 12 point, double spaced, 1” margins, pages numbers with your last name, etc.)

A cover page with your heading and an image that leads the reader into your narrative. (Can be from anywhere, as long as you include an image credit below.)

Instructor draft due September 17 at 5 pm. Final draft due Monday, September 26 by the beginning of class.

Brainstorming

Take 5 minutes to come up with as many different literacies that you possess that you can think of.

Group activity

Move into small groups of 4 or 5 and share the literacies you came up with.

Pick the 3 literacies you find most important in your own life, and think about how you gained them, how you use them, and what your life would be like without them.

Homework

Draft 2 pages for peer review on Wednesday. Print 4 copies—1 for me and 3 for your peers.

Read “School vs. Education” and “From Silence to Words: Writing as Struggle” in Reading and Writing Literacies.