Disciplinary Literacy- History and Art

Jetton Shanahan- Ch. 8

This chapter was about 2 students who read in their history class about the 1770 Boston Massacre.  Each student took a different approach to reading the multiple text presented to them by their teacher. The text presented  conflicted with each other and gave opposing views on the massacre.  Ayesha enjoyed the approach to reading different text which caused her to think critically.  Brad wasn't as fond of the idea of reading conflicting views over the subject.  He found it confusing and difficult.  None the less, I think a main point of this chapter was the idea of giving students different text and allowing them to challenge and discuss with each other.  As teachers, isn't that our goal to get students talking and thinking aloud with each other? Ms. White did a great job fostering a learning environment that allow for students to think independently.  They also challenged each others thoughts in a safe way.  Most teachers teach history in a aerial view approach.  Ms. White presented many different views and approaches.  This allowed for children to thinking independently.  The following quote, "contrary to common belief, understanding does not depend on first having comprehended the textbook."  This, to me, sums up a lot.  Just because student understand the history, doesn't mean they've digested it.  It takes more than just reading a passage to have true comprehension of history.

Jetton Shanahan- Ch. 9
The arts discipline remain largely ignored by literacy experts when talking about literacy in the disciplinary-specfic areas.  Literacy in the chapter is discussed as a discourse.  It's a way of using language and thinking.  Music literacy is described as how we negotiate text.  For example, vocal and musical instruments, conducting music, sounds, symbols, music theory,  are types of arts literacy  These are considered a type of literacy text.  No it may not mimic the traditional view of what literacy is, but when you broaden the definition of what literacy is, it does.  All disciplines, including the arts, teach a certain language that constructs meaning.  Students learn better when they have ability to make meaning of what they are learning. Students should be involve when making decisions and solving problems.  Music and art allow for this type of constructivist approach.  The arts discipline allows for higher level thinking.  Students are having to problem solve on their own and contrust their own meaning.  Different types of thinking skills are taught in the arts that aren't taught elsewhere.  The arts also use print and non print text effectively.

Hinchman, Sheridan-Thomas Ch. 13.
When historians read they source, contextualize, and corroborate the text.  By teaching students to approach history text with this mind set can help them build a deeper understanding.  Helping students become a participant in learning history, instead of a consumer or observer, will allow them to better comprehend what they've read.  This makes the text real.  Teachers tend to focus on the facts,  never building any substance  of the material.  This makes reading and learning about history very dull.  Which results in students boredom with the material.

Text-to-Text
Disciplinary text are not all written or read the same way.  This chapter, again, gives examples of why an umbrella approach to reading doesn't work.  Each area is unique and has specific strategies to teaching literacy within the content area.

Text-to-World
I'm an arts person.  I think the arts makes people more interesting and bridges our differences.  I love this idea of music and art as a literacy.  If teachers can incorporate the arts into literacy then I think it opens students eyes to another world.  It makes students more tolerant of each other.

Text-to-self
I wish I'd been taught to view history the way ch.13 introduces it.  I think I would have felt more connected to the material and learned more growing up.  I honestly can't remember learning history any other way then reading a text book.  I wish I'd had a Ms. White that fostered my abilities to thinking deeper about the text.  I would have been challenged, therefore I would have learned more.

Questions:
Do you have any ideas of how to incorporate music/art into the literacy classroom?  I'd love to hear some ideas.  I can imagine a person who views literacy the traditional way would panic if they saw a teacher using music and art in a tradition literacy class.