{"id":13522,"date":"2019-05-06T13:33:33","date_gmt":"2019-05-06T20:33:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/educatorinnovator.org\/?p=13522"},"modified":"2019-05-08T13:43:35","modified_gmt":"2019-05-08T20:43:35","slug":"learn-with-marginal-syllabus-may-we-are-not-dirt-freirean-counternarratives-and-rhetorical-literacies-for-student-voice-in-schooling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/educatorinnovator.org\/learn-with-marginal-syllabus-may-we-are-not-dirt-freirean-counternarratives-and-rhetorical-literacies-for-student-voice-in-schooling\/","title":{"rendered":"LEARN with Marginal Syllabus (May)\u2014\u201cWe Are Not Dirt\u201d: Freirean Counternarratives and Rhetorical Literacies for Student Voice in Schooling"},"content":{"rendered":"

Our May, 2019 reading for Literacy, Equity + Remarkable Notes = LEARN looks at activism in a high school English classroom where students challenge a school policy as a \u201cproblematic text.\u201d In a piece written for the English Journal, authors Everardo Pedraza and R. Joseph Rodriguez spotlight the youth participatory action research of Pedraza\u2019s students, and the way their writing of Freirean counternarratives became a vehicle for them to speak truth to power and enact policy change.<\/em><\/p>\n

This is the seventh month of LEARN, a Marginal Syllabus co-developed with the National Writing Project (NWP) and the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). Each month during the 2018-19 academic year, we\u2019ll collaboratively read and discuss an article, published by NCTE, that investigates the intersection of literacy and equity. Refer to the syllabus for information on all the annotatable readings, which will go \u201clive\u201d on the first Monday of each month, along with related events hosted by CLTV and others.<\/span><\/p>\n

May Topic: Composing counternarratives through youth participatory action research.<\/h4>\n

\u201cThere are many negative connotations associated with the word \u201csweep\u201d in the media. For example, there are immigration, drug, gang, and homeless sweeps.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cWe Are Not Dirt\u201d: Freirean Counternarratives and Rhetorical Literacies for Student Voice in Schooling<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

In May, we read about \u00a0a literacy project from Everardo Pedraza\u2019s class that began with a list of problems the students identified during their class discussions. Students winnowed their list down to a focal issue: The school\u2019s \u201ctardy sweeps\u201d policy, the name of which offended them and stirred them to action. Students felt that the term \u201csweep\u201d evoked the criminal justice system\u2019s efforts to round up criminals and contraband in sweeps, and metaphorically, situated them\u2014when they were running late to class\u2014as dirt to be cleaned. Through youth participatory action research (YPAR), the students\u2019 literacy learning resulted in the writing of a book featuring letters and counternarratives, as well as contributions from community members who supported their cause. To author their YPAR book, the class followed a five step process of critical praxis that ultimately resulted in the school policy being renamed. While the steps the class followed could be seen as prescriptive, the authors of this powerful piece describe graceful teaching, dynamic student voice, and an English class\u2019 effort in pursuit of justice that was anything but formulaic.<\/p>\n

Join the Annotated Conversation<\/h4>\n

We invite you to read “‘We Are Not Dirt\u2019: Freirean Counternarratives and Rhetorical Literacies for Student Voice in Schooling\u201d<\/a> and annotate the text with your own thoughts and reactions. Annotations may be added using the web annotation tool Hypothesis<\/a>. To add your own annotations, as well as to respond to others, sign up for your free account<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Share your annotations as you read or any time throughout the month. We also encourage you to use these readings and the opportunity to annotate however it best works for you\u2014organize a study group, bring a class you are teaching, engage as an individual, or connect it to a meeting.<\/p>\n

Discussion with the Authors<\/h4>\n