ValerieM Blog #2

ValerieM

If I were to ask a person what is literacy, I believe they would say its reading and writing. I use to think of literacy was reading and writing also, because that’s how it was viewed. I believe literacy to go beyond the reading and writing. I would define literacy as a lifelong learning process of being able to comprehend in order to achieve our goals in life.

Literacy and Education has definitely changed since the writings of Gere and Rodriguez. I think Gere’s article saw literacy and educations as professionalism. Throughout her article she mentions workshops and speaking in communities centers, churches, shelters for homeless, around kitchen tables and rented rooms because  she believe that writing development occurs outside formal education. Rodriguez on the other hand believed that literacy and education was through the classroom. Since technology have arrived and many classrooms have computers, overheads and other visual aids to assist with preparing students to advance in education and to become literate  I think has also become problematic, because many students won’t pick up the book to read like Rodriguez, instead they’re goggling everything. This should be a concern to not just the parents but also to the teachers. It’s just like a person who knows the beat of a drum but can’t read music. Just knowing the beat will not get a person very far because sooner or later that beat will have to be put into action and that is reading the music sheet.

Rodriguez believes that the classroom is where his education and literacy come from, but he had no outside experience, instead of teaching his family what he learned he distanced himself from them. I believe when one mix education with experience the results is achieving goals. Even though Rodriguez achieved his goals I believe he hid behind the books because he wanted to have the appearance of being educated.  I guess I can understand why Gere stated, “ Reaching out into the community with prose performances develops in participants the perception that writing can effect changes in their lives” (p.77).