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A Literacy Narrative tells a story.  It should be interesting, in that it appeals to a person(s) in a specific way.  It should use one ore more types of literacy’s.  It should include a person or people who have influenced a person’s literacy. Or even an event that had a profound impact on a person’s literacy development.  It can include how it had influenced a person’s literacy today as a literate person and how it will continue in the future.

==LAngUaGe==

“Language, Culture, Material Reality, Identity” (excerpt)
Hobbs, Catherine L.  The Elements of Autobiography and Life Narratives.  New York: Pearson Longman, 2005.

Language is a huge part of a person’s literacy development. Language can be very complex and has been studied for a very long time. Language in many ways influences how we communicate with people and how we perceive our world. Our community, culture and life dialog influence our language. Also, our generation, race, age, gender, geographic location, class, and even what technologies we use, influence how we use language and ultimately how we communicate. This is greatly connected to my own literacy development. If you think about it most children’s first words are words that they have heard numerous times. For mine it was mom, which tells me my mom spent countless hours saying “Say mommy, mom, mama…” If you think about it we learn by watching others, which includes language.

..Autobiography Narrative..

“Writing Autobiography: Autobiography as Rhetoric”
From:
Hobbs, Catherine L.  The Elements of Autobiography and Life Narratives.  New York: Pearson Longman, 2005.

I like how the article stated that when writing you intend to be the reader and you become the audience. I do this many times when writing. I think how an outsider would respond to my writing: would it bore them, confuse them, excite them, make them upset, etc. And then I refer to my purpose to writing: inform, persuade, entertain, etc. My ideal reader for my topics could be a range of people from college students to professors, parents, students, etc. I think whatever topic I choose; it will inform people of a different perspective of literacy. Most people also can relate to the literacy developments I have chosen, which is important also. Ethos, pathos and logos are also important because of my audience’s attitudes and beliefs. It is important that I am a credible writer (i.e. I have experience with the literacy-ethos), I can appeal and relate with my reader (pathos), and there is reason (i.e. To inform-logos).

.-My 5 Topics-.

In 5^th grade through Jr. high I wrote short stories and went to “Young Authors” conferences, where I got to meet famous children’s authors and share my stories with others. My teachers at the time encouraged me to continue writing. It helped me become a better writer today. Today I do not write short stories, but I still use the skills I developed as a child.

As a child, one of my highlights was going to the local library with my mom. We were allowed to get whatever, and as many books as we wanted. It allowed me to explore different genres and enhance my skills as a literate person. The library is still something important to me as a college student and someone who enjoys a good read.

I worked as a Head-start teacher for two years. During this time I got to teach literacy’s and explore my own literacy development. My parents and school sponsored my literacy development the most. So, I carried this over when I was teaching others literacy. When teaching literacy today, I learned there are different forms of access to literacy that I did not have/use as a child. I got to see how those made a difference. It is interesting to explore the changing uses of literacy.

In high school I participated in a program called “Ohio Reads.” As a child I struggled with reading, I just wasn’t good at it. I didn’t like to read, and I was not all that interested in writing either. Teachers and my parents struggled to find something that would help me. I am a firm believer in the fact that all children learn differently, and it is imperative to meet those needs to enhance development. I didn’t have Ohio Reads a child, but I did see the effect first hand.

I was in 4-H for 7 years. One of the first projects I took on was poetry. It was clear, that I did not like to read or write stories that much, so my mom introduced me to poetry. I became obsessed with poetry books. I read Shel Silverstein poems like it was my job. I entered many contest and got several poems published. When you find something your good at, that sponsors your literacy. It allowed me to explore other literacy’s as I became more literate.

–What is a visual narrative–

A narrative is a story.  Narratives are entertaining and organized  and creative.  This particular project was a very interesting one to display everyone’s individual literacy’s.  The project is very open-ended and allows a range of possibilities to demonstrate different literacy’s.  It allowed me to think about all the different types of literacy’s I use, how I use them, and then got me thinking why; why do I use some types of literacy’s more than others, the difference in how my parents use literacy’s, and how I developed these literacy’s.  I use to work in a daycare, so I taught literacy daily.  I was going to do a timeline of my literacy development, but then decided to do one that sounded more fun to me and allowed me to explore my own range of literacy’s today.  When you first think of literacy you think of reading and writing, which are important aspects of literacy, but not the only ones. 

My Visual Narrative Overview!!

From the feedback, I received today, I feel pretty good about moving forward with my project. I got some good ideas to incorporate in my visual narrative. The literacy’s I am going to use are my daily literacy’s from when I wake up, until I go to bed. Some ideas that the group and I brain-stormed about, include: When I wake up in the morning, I look at my clock, hoping that it is wrong. Then I check my Facebook and e-mail. Then I eat breakfast and read the newspaper. At school I take notes and update my blog. Then at lunch I read the menu of whatever restaurant I am at. Then I go to work and file student transcripts in the Creative Writing Department. At home I type up homework and study/read school books. At dinner I use my cookbook to make and entrée. After dinner, I get on the computer to talk on Yahoo! Messenger, to my sister. Then I read a magazine and go to bed. Other ideas that may be included are texting on my cell phone and reading signs on the road, or the speedometer in my car. I plan to do this by taking pictures that depict my literacy and decorate it to show my daily “time line” of literacy’s. My group liked the idea, and said it was a creative way to incorporate all my literacy’s. My group proposed the idea of music in the background, but I objected to the idea because I do not think it would work with my presentation.

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My visual narrative will be the visual literacy’s I use daily.  From when I wake up in the morning, go to class, eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, work, down time, etc.  I am going to be using a poster board to display my “time line” with pictures and other  crafts to illustrate my narrative.  I am excited and think it will be fun to bust out the scissors and glue!

*Good ViSuAl Narrative*

A good visual narrative is precise, clear and too the point.  It is not very abstract and can be understood without words.  It is creative in portraying a story about literacy.  A bad visual narrative is not neatly put together, and lacks a story line, plot and purpose.  If it is unorganized and kind of all over the place, it is not purposeful in doing the job of a visual narrative.  Also, if using a video or other technology, sound and organization and quality are also important.

((Memory))

From the article
Hobbs, Catherine L.  The Elements of Autobiography and Life Narratives.  New York: Pearson Longman, 2005.

The article discuses the idea that memory is temporary, and we rely on preexisting categories for memory.  It says that memory does not “set” until you learn/use language, which is around age 2.  So, any memory you have before that age comes from family discussions and so on.  It’s funny then when people say, “Oh, when I was one year old, I climbed out of my crib.”  This article concludes that it is not possible that you would remember that.  Our brain can easily forget something, only when we re-visit memories does it strengthin them, making them more permanent.

As far as literacy goes, does it make our memory weaker, since we can record everything that happens, by pictures, journals, scarpbooks, videos etc.?  For example, my best friend got married a couple months back, and can barley recall much of her wedding; and thats fine with her, beacuse she has it all on video.

1/23 Blog

We use visuals in our everyday lives in everything we do to communicate, from reading, drawing, interpreting, with books, websites, videos, print, electronic, fiction, nonfiction, Tv, books, street signs, clothes, etc.  Visuals play a vital role in communication.    They can persuade and inform.  Like street signs tell us the speed limit, county, city, etc.  Also, they can persuade by the type of dress we wear.  For example, the Guerrilla Girls, (a feminist Group).  When you see them in the Guerrilla outfits you automatically know their intentions.  Visuals are very important to education and we use them everyday.  Like graphs, charts, drawings, books, images, colors, symbols, numbers, etc.  In daily life we use them when we get dressed in the morning, when we drive, when we are in school, when we cook.  In my future career it will play a very important role, because I am a communication major; and visuals are a very important part of communication.  They can be used to emphasize words, or speak alone.