1. GRDG626 LITERACY, LANGUAGE, & DIVERSITY IN AMERICAN EDUCATION
Week 3 – The power of words/The power of teachers
Dr. Gloria E. Jacobs
St. John Fisher College

2. Agenda Sharing Minilecture/Review Video: Schools & Creativity
Small Group Discussion
Break
Focused Discussion
Community Analysis
Designing Instruction
Next week

3. Sharing
Share one thing that you’ve noticed this week in your teaching or life that connects to this course content. Or
Share one thing in your teaching life that you’re thinking about.

4. Minilecture/Review from last week
If culture is that which disables and creates disabilities (McDermott & Varenne)
And culture is lived
And language and literacy is part of how we live culturally
Then how we use language and literacy can deconstruct disability and difference
Thus, if we are aware of our belief systems and how they are reflected in our language and literacy use
Then we can change that language and literacy use in order to mitigate the construction of difference.

5. VIDEO Sir Kenneth Robinson: Schools Kill Creativity Response
On the whiteboard, write down words that come to your mind in response to Sir Kenneth’s talk
As a class, organize your words on the wall.
Create and label categories
Study the wall, then quickwrite what you’re thinking in response to the video.

6. Small Group Discussion
Michelle Witz
Kristina Reeb
Shannon O'Mealia
Cristin Barnard
Group 2:
Jacqueline Willoughby
Alysse Ouimet
Stacy Lee
Meghan Baggott
Group 3:
Sarah Stoutz
Angela Seiner
Karyl Milly
Danielle Fingar
Brandon Angelo
Group 4:
Robyn Steinhilber
Jeannie Richardson
Cynthia Merrifield
Jessica Klee
Lucia Adams

7. Debrief
How can paying attention to how we use language in the classroom serve to resist the construction of disability as described by McDermott & Varenne or the labeling experienced by the children in the “Girl Like Me” video?

8. Break
Reconvene in 10 minutes

9. A Framing Point The Stereotype Threat and the Obama Effect
"stereotype threat"—the threat of being viewed through the lens of a negative stereotype, or the fear of doing something that would inadvertently confirm that stereotype.
The Obama Effect – change in language changes the outcome

10. Focused Discussion
Select a real classroom event or conversation and reframe it using Rex & Schiller. Ask
Who were the actors? How might we change the frame? (1)
What assumptions were being made within this event/conversation? Was there a frame clash, and if so, what might it reveal? (2)
What identities were being enacted in the moment, and how were the actors being positioned? (3)
What worlds were being invoked? How were those worlds honored? (4)
How did these worlds intersect and perhaps clash? (5)
How did power circulate during this event? How did or might the actors have agency? (6)
What genuine questions might have been asked? (7)

11. COMMUNITY ANALYSIS Look at the syllabus.
What do you need to know to be successful with this assignment?

12. Next Week Reading Writing Compton-Lilly Chapter 3 Yosso (2005) on wiki
Chapters 1 & 2 optional if you want an introduction to or review of literacy theory
Yosso (2005) on wiki
Sleeter (in Au, 2009)
Writing
Community Analysis
No Wiki Post (unless you want to)