Table Of ContentPERSPECTIVES ON URBAN EDUCATION FALL 2010 | PAGE 49
“Supreme Efforts of Care and Honest Utterance”: Grasping the Singular
Power of the Spoken Word in School Spaces
By Kelly Wissman, University at Albany, State University of New York
I knew Joe Cytrynbaum as a fellow context. Across the many hours I spent come along
graduate student, a friend, an organiz- with the young women reading, writ- and listen to what they have tried to
er, and a neighbor. I knew him as the ing, and sharing poetry, I was con- say.
student asking penetrating questions tinually moved by the electric force in
of the educational anthropologies we the quiet moments of writing and the They believe that when someone
read in our doctoral courses. I knew hushed silence that overcame us as we comes along
him as a neighbor within our West listened to words carefully chosen and and hears what they, the poets,
Philadelphia surroundings, waving dynamically read. As the spoken words think
hello on beautiful autumn mornings (cid:2)(cid:7)(cid:4)(cid:10)(cid:20)(cid:4)(cid:12)(cid:9)(cid:18)(cid:5)(cid:10)(cid:7)(cid:5)(cid:21)(cid:7)(cid:6)(cid:22)(cid:5)(cid:9)(cid:23)(cid:9)(cid:4)(cid:10)(cid:12)(cid:3)(cid:15)(cid:15)(cid:24)(cid:5)(cid:10)(cid:25)(cid:9)(cid:5)(cid:26)(cid:12)(cid:20)(cid:9)(cid:10)(cid:5) desire, or despise, a trustworthy
and appearing at weekend get-togeth- would become punctuated by sighs of conversation will become possible
ers, instantly transforming them by his recognition, laughter, applause, and
energy, laughter, and warmth. I knew sometimes tears. Joe, who coached They believe that important, truth-
him as the voice at the other end of my a spoken word team, “Louder than ful conversation
apartment building’s intercom system a Bomb,” in Chicago’s Manley High between people fosters and defends
wanting to talk about graduate student School, also knew the power of engag- the values of democratic equality
organizing, knowing intuitively and ing students with poetry. One of Joe’s
clearly that electronic organizing is only students, Vasawa Thekingofvrworld They believe that other people de-
enhanced by face-to-face interactions. Robinson, posted a note to Joe on Joe’s serve
I think he must have known, too, that Facebook page, writing of his time par- supreme efforts of care and honest
the sincerity and humanity in which ticipating in the “Louder than a Bomb”: utterance (p. 208)
he approached this work profoundly (cid:14)(cid:20)(cid:10)(cid:10)(cid:20)(cid:4)(cid:27)(cid:5)(cid:20)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:3)(cid:5)(cid:13)(cid:7)(cid:7)(cid:8)(cid:5)(cid:10)(cid:25)(cid:3)(cid:10)(cid:5)(cid:19)(cid:10)(cid:5)(cid:3)(cid:28)(cid:7)(cid:12)(cid:10)(cid:5)(cid:14)(cid:9)(cid:23)-
shaped the emerging movement and enty people. where our pads became In light of Joe’s spirit and life’s
perhaps, too, that his own enthusiasm skin, our pens became needles. in- work, I would like to explore here some
was both infectious and irresistible. I jecting ink. it became an addiction. emerging insights related to poetry
shared with Joe only a small number of it became a habit. the word of the within public school spaces. These in-
those charged and beautiful moments. day you’ll say. then we’ll proceed to sights are drawn from work I am pursu-
In the context of his passing, I am write about a topic. you’ll grab your ing with an inquiry group of middle and
deeply grateful for those moments, for journal, freestyle your writings. secondary teachers who are exploring
Joe, and for the opportunity to spend while you took a bite of some snack the complexities and possibilities of in-
time in the presence of such light. that was organic. seeds, you plant- corporating multimodalities into their
I also shared with Joe an interest ed. life, you didn’t take for granted. English and Reading support classes.
in pursuing scholarship that explored I have been drawn to consideration
youth work, poetry, and activism, while In my experience, poetry and spo- of the poetry and experiences of two
also sharing a continued and sober ken word are the generative and con- boys who conveyed to me and others in
consideration of research relation- tagious forces for illumination, inspi- the inquiry group compelling insights
ships, responsibilities, and subjectivi- (cid:13)(cid:3)(cid:10)(cid:20)(cid:7)(cid:4)(cid:22)(cid:5)(cid:10)(cid:13)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:14)(cid:16)(cid:7)(cid:13)(cid:8)(cid:3)(cid:10)(cid:20)(cid:7)(cid:4)(cid:22)(cid:5)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:18)(cid:5)(cid:13)(cid:9)(cid:21)(cid:9)(cid:2)(cid:10)(cid:20)(cid:7)(cid:4)(cid:5) about the synergy between “old” and
ties (Gustavson & Cytrynbaum, 2003) that Joe’s student suggests. It is this “new” literacies, between spoken words
within work that crossed differences singular and simple power of words and written words, between individual
and that was situated in struggles for written, words spoken, and words creative processes and public perfor-
educational equity and social justice. (cid:25)(cid:9)(cid:3)(cid:13)(cid:18)(cid:5)(cid:10)(cid:25)(cid:3)(cid:10)(cid:5)(cid:29)(cid:5)(cid:13)(cid:9)(cid:21)(cid:9)(cid:2)(cid:10)(cid:5)(cid:7)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:6)(cid:25)(cid:9)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:29)(cid:5)(cid:10)(cid:25)(cid:20)(cid:4)(cid:30)(cid:5)(cid:7)(cid:16)(cid:5) mances. Like the student poets Jordan
At the time I was coming to know Joe, the students Joe and I have been privi- writes of, their work suggests this faith
I was beginning to teach and research a leged to work with and come to know. in the power of poetry and this yearn-
poetry and photography course with a June Jordan (1998), another poet and ing toward the kinds of communities
group of adolescent girls. My research teacher who left us too soon, wrote that can be created by, for, and in sup-
explored how the young women in that the U.C. Berkeley student poets port of words spoken and words heard.
the course drew upon the literacy and with whom she worked approached
artistic traditions of African Ameri- the creative and social practice of po- Exploring Multimodal Literacies in an
(cid:2)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:5) (cid:6)(cid:7)(cid:8)(cid:9)(cid:4)(cid:5) (cid:10)(cid:7)(cid:5) (cid:11)(cid:12)(cid:13)(cid:14)(cid:12)(cid:9)(cid:5) (cid:14)(cid:9)(cid:15)(cid:16)(cid:17)(cid:18)(cid:9)(cid:19)(cid:4)(cid:20)(cid:10)(cid:20)(cid:7)(cid:4)(cid:5) etry as an act of faith, a compact, a trust
Inquiry Community
(Wissman, 2009) and social critique between poets and listeners, writing:
(Wissman, 2007) within an in-school They believe that someone will (cid:5) (cid:31)(cid:25)(cid:9)(cid:5) (cid:14)(cid:10)(cid:12)(cid:18)(cid:24)(cid:5) (cid:20)(cid:4)(cid:23)(cid:7)(cid:15)(cid:23)(cid:9)(cid:14)(cid:5) (cid:19)(cid:23)(cid:9)(cid:5) (cid:10)(cid:9)(cid:3)(cid:2)(cid:25)-
PERSPECTIVES ON URBAN EDUCATION FALL 2010 | PAGE 50
ers from a range of rural, urban, and multimodalities, and out-of-school ment re-shaped the social interactions
suburban districts. Over the course literacies. In interviews and through (cid:6)(cid:20)(cid:10)(cid:25)(cid:20)(cid:4)(cid:5)%(cid:20)(cid:13)(cid:3)’(cid:14)(cid:5)(cid:2)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:14)(cid:14)(cid:13)(cid:7)(cid:7)(cid:8)"(cid:5)(cid:5)(cid:29)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:3)(cid:5)(cid:19)(cid:4)(cid:18)(cid:20)(cid:4)(cid:27)(cid:5)
of the 2007-2008 academic year and writing she has described her goals that initially surprised us, both boys
summer, the teachers, three graduate to provide students choice, agency, embraced the opportunity within this
student research assistants, and I met and ownership and to respond to her work for reasons that were not tied only
monthly in an inquiry community to students’ facility and comfort with to the novelty of using new technolo-
explore adolescent literacies and to de- music, images, and nonprint media. gies and new literacies in school spaces.
velop teacher research projects. These While a participant in the inquiry In presenting these mini-cases, I am
teachers, all of whom were members group, Mira was also serendipitously interested in how the boys embraced
of my graduate level adolescent litera- working with another faculty mem- opportunities to pursue poetry in the
cies course the previous year, devel- ber interested in exploring poetry and service of furthering their own self-
oped data collection tools to learn from new media. To begin, Mira and her understanding; of combining words
their students about their literacies; university-based co-teacher worked and images to reach their audience;
analyzed this data; developed curricula together to create a poetry workshop and in shaping an in-school space as
and projects to build on their students in her classroom. The students were one embracing of social interactions
out-of-school literacies and lives; and invited to read poems by Emily Dick- typically not found in school spaces.
utilized digital cameras, digital video, inson, William Carlos Williams, and
and movie-making software purchased others to explore imagery, tone, and *(cid:9)(cid:13)(cid:9)(cid:22)(cid:5)(cid:19)(cid:13)(cid:14)(cid:10)(cid:22)(cid:5)(cid:20)(cid:14)(cid:5)(cid:3)(cid:5)(cid:15)(cid:20)(cid:4)(cid:30)(cid:5)(cid:10)(cid:7)(cid:5)%(cid:20)(cid:2)(cid:25)(cid:3)(cid:9)(cid:15)’(cid:14)(cid:5)(cid:18)(cid:20)(cid:27)-
with money from a research grant to word choice. Students then wrote ital poem:
engage their students in multimodal original poems that were workshopped
learning. Three teachers worked with in the classroom. In order to create a http://www.urbanedjournal.org/vid-
their students to create digital poetry. “poem movie,” or a digital poem, the eos/digitalpoemMichael.wmv
One ELA teacher worked with stu- students were invited to choose images
dents after school to put on a spoken and music to accompany their selected In interviews, Michael recounted
word and music event that they called poem and to record their voices narrat- that he “loves writing poems and song
Java Jive; this teacher also worked ing their poem. Using Windows Mov- and stuff” and that he frequently writes
with her students to create a liter- iemaker, the students then stitched outside of school. This project was his
(cid:3)(cid:13)(cid:24)(cid:5)(cid:3)(cid:13)(cid:10)(cid:5)(cid:8)(cid:3)(cid:27)(cid:3)!(cid:20)(cid:4)(cid:9)"(cid:5)(cid:31)(cid:25)(cid:9)(cid:5)(cid:19)(cid:16)(cid:10)(cid:25)(cid:5)(cid:10)(cid:9)(cid:3)(cid:2)(cid:25)(cid:9)(cid:13)(cid:22)(cid:5)(cid:3)(cid:5) together images, music, and spoken (cid:19)(cid:13)(cid:14)(cid:10)(cid:5)(cid:7)(cid:11)(cid:11)(cid:7)(cid:13)(cid:10)(cid:12)(cid:4)(cid:20)(cid:10)(cid:24)(cid:5)(cid:10)(cid:7)(cid:5)(cid:2)(cid:7)(cid:4)(cid:2)(cid:9)(cid:11)(cid:10)(cid:12)(cid:3)(cid:15)(cid:20)!(cid:9)(cid:5)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:18)(cid:5)
social studies teacher, worked after word, working both individually and pursue this kind of digital poetry in
school with a group of boys to create collaboratively to orchestrate these school. He said, “It was awesome just
a digital video exploring the Roman multimodalities (Kress & Jewitt, 2003) to make something like that! I always
empire. Here, I would like to explore toward the completion of their digi- wanted to do something like that, so
the experiences of just one member of tal poems. These poems were shared it awesome.” Asked about the inspi-
the inquiry group, Mira. (All student with the entire class at the end of the ration for the poem, Michael told us,
and teacher names are pseudonyms.) (cid:11)(cid:13)(cid:7)#(cid:9)(cid:2)(cid:10)"(cid:5) (cid:5) $(cid:16)(cid:10)(cid:9)(cid:13)(cid:5) (cid:10)(cid:25)(cid:9)(cid:5) (cid:19)(cid:13)(cid:14)(cid:10)(cid:5) (cid:20)(cid:8)(cid:11)(cid:15)(cid:9)(cid:8)(cid:9)(cid:4)(cid:10)(cid:3)- “My house burned down and my poem
tion of this project, Mira also incor- was about homeless people...’cause
Mira and Her Classroom porated digital poetry into her Aca- not a lot of people realize the as-
demic Intervention Support classes on pect of people and not having homes
After a lengthy career teaching Eng-
her own the following academic year. and stuff.” Michael discussed not
lish in India, Mira Singh is currently in
only the process of writing and shar-
her third year teaching in a rural dis-
Michael and Jared ing his own poem, but also what he
trict in upstate New York. Mira teaches
learned about other students, saying,
Academic Intervention Services (AIS) The digital poems of two boys, Mi-
It really showed off peoples’ cre-
classes for students who have scored chael and Jared, provided compelling
ative abilities and like their per-
below expectations on the state’s Eng- windows into their literacies and lives
sonalities in what they did in their
lish Language Arts exam. She is also for both Mira and other members of our
work…Just that like you never re-
enrolled in a local doctoral program in inquiry community. Both boys were 8th
ally know how people think or feel
literacy. She has described her previ- graders at the time of the study. Mi-
on the inside. Just the way they
(cid:7)(cid:12)(cid:14)(cid:5)(cid:10)(cid:9)(cid:3)(cid:2)(cid:25)(cid:20)(cid:4)(cid:27)(cid:5)(cid:11)(cid:25)(cid:20)(cid:15)(cid:7)(cid:14)(cid:7)(cid:11)(cid:25)(cid:24)(cid:5)(cid:3)(cid:14)(cid:5)(cid:13)(cid:9)(cid:21)(cid:9)(cid:2)(cid:10)(cid:20)(cid:4)(cid:27)(cid:5) chael, who is White, was part of the
look and act on the outside is to-
a “New Critical” stance wherein au- (cid:19)(cid:13)(cid:14)(cid:10)(cid:5)(cid:2)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:14)(cid:14)(cid:5)(cid:6)(cid:25)(cid:9)(cid:13)(cid:9)(cid:5)(cid:18)(cid:20)(cid:27)(cid:20)(cid:10)(cid:3)(cid:15)(cid:5)(cid:11)(cid:7)(cid:9)(cid:10)(cid:13)(cid:24)(cid:5)(cid:6)(cid:3)(cid:14)(cid:5)(cid:20)(cid:4)-
tally different from the person
thority and knowledge rested within troduced. Jared, who is African Ameri-
inside them, basically.
the text and the teacher. As a result can, participated in this project the fol-
In discussing the rhythm and intona-
of her doctoral work, participation in lowing academic year. Conversations
tions of the poem, Michael talked about
this inquiry group, and her own pro- with both students, classroom observa-
(cid:10)(cid:25)(cid:9)(cid:5)(cid:20)(cid:4)(cid:21)(cid:12)(cid:9)(cid:4)(cid:2)(cid:9)(cid:5)(cid:7)(cid:16)(cid:5)(cid:25)(cid:20)(cid:11)(cid:5)(cid:25)(cid:7)(cid:11)(cid:5)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:18)(cid:5)(cid:13)(cid:3)(cid:11)"(cid:5)(cid:5)4(cid:3)(cid:10)(cid:9)(cid:13)(cid:5)
fessional development pursuits, she tions, and interviews with Mira provide
in the interview, he provided even more
now describes herself as “moving with further insight into the ways in which
insight into his writing process, a pro-
the times” and her pedagogy as being the students took up invitations to do
cess Mira explores with great curiosity:
informed by inquiry-based learning, this kind of work and how their engage-
Mira: And when you write, do you
PERSPECTIVES ON URBAN EDUCATION FALL 2010 | PAGE 51
see images, visuals? and of receiving response to his work
Here is Jared’s digital poem: (cid:19)(cid:23)(cid:9)(cid:5)(cid:10)(cid:20)(cid:8)(cid:9)(cid:14)(cid:5)(cid:20)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:7)(cid:12)(cid:13)(cid:5)(cid:20)(cid:4)(cid:10)(cid:9)(cid:13)(cid:23)(cid:20)(cid:9)(cid:6)"(cid:5)(cid:5)=(cid:7)(cid:13)(cid:5)>(cid:3)(cid:13)(cid:9)(cid:18)(cid:22)(cid:5)
Michael: Yeah. Yeah. much like Michael, poetry opened up
http://www.urbanedjournal.org/vid- opportunities for social interaction,
Mira: You do? That’s part of it? eos/digitalpoemJared.wmv for the enrichment of knowledge about
other people and their experiences, and
Michael: Yeah. Like you see it in Unlike Michael, Jared did not con- for the exploration of his own identity
your head and you keep going. sider himself a writer before this proj- within a broader classroom communi-
ect. In his predominantly white rural (cid:10)(cid:24)"(cid:5)(cid:5)@(cid:25)(cid:20)(cid:15)(cid:9)(cid:5)(cid:4)(cid:9)(cid:20)(cid:10)(cid:25)(cid:9)(cid:13)(cid:5)(cid:28)(cid:7)(cid:24)(cid:5)(cid:14)(cid:11)(cid:7)(cid:30)(cid:9)(cid:5)(cid:14)(cid:11)(cid:9)(cid:2)(cid:20)(cid:19)(cid:2)(cid:3)(cid:15)(cid:15)(cid:24)(cid:5)
Mira: Okay. And does rhythm school, and as a talented basketball about his racial and gender identity, the
come in, too? Or does it come player, Jared told us that most people kind of identity work that their poems
(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:10)(cid:9)(cid:13)5(cid:5)*(cid:7)(cid:6)(cid:5)(cid:18)(cid:7)(cid:9)(cid:14)(cid:5)(cid:20)(cid:10)(cid:5)(cid:21)(cid:7)(cid:6)(cid:5)(cid:6)(cid:25)(cid:9)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:24)(cid:7)(cid:12)(cid:5) saw him only as a “jock,” an identity (cid:13)(cid:9)(cid:21)(cid:9)(cid:2)(cid:10)(cid:5)(cid:20)(cid:14)(cid:5)(cid:2)(cid:7)(cid:8)(cid:11)(cid:9)(cid:15)(cid:15)(cid:20)(cid:4)(cid:27)"(cid:5)(cid:5)>(cid:3)(cid:13)(cid:9)(cid:18)(cid:5)(cid:11)(cid:13)(cid:7)(cid:23)(cid:20)(cid:18)(cid:9)(cid:14)(cid:5)
are writing? that he also seemed to embrace. After an image of himself where being a poet
the project he remarked, “I didn’t think and a basketball player are not in con-
%(cid:20)(cid:2)(cid:25)(cid:3)(cid:9)(cid:15)6(cid:5)(cid:31)(cid:25)(cid:9)(cid:5)(cid:21)(cid:7)(cid:6)(cid:5)(cid:20)(cid:14)(cid:5)(cid:10)(cid:25)(cid:9)(cid:13)(cid:9)"(cid:5)(cid:5)(cid:29)(cid:10)(cid:5)(cid:14)(cid:10)(cid:3)(cid:13)(cid:10)(cid:14)(cid:5) I had it in me to write the poem, so af- (cid:21)(cid:20)(cid:2)(cid:10)(cid:5)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:18)(cid:5)(cid:10)(cid:25)(cid:9)(cid:5)(cid:20)(cid:4)(cid:10)(cid:7)(cid:4)(cid:3)(cid:10)(cid:20)(cid:7)(cid:4)(cid:14)(cid:5)(cid:20)(cid:4)(cid:5)%(cid:20)(cid:2)(cid:25)(cid:3)(cid:9)(cid:15)’(cid:14)(cid:5)
(cid:7)(cid:16)(cid:16)(cid:5)(cid:6)(cid:20)(cid:10)(cid:25)(cid:5)(cid:3)(cid:5)(cid:21)(cid:7)(cid:6)(cid:5)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:18)(cid:5)(cid:10)(cid:25)(cid:9)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:20)(cid:10)(cid:5)(cid:14)(cid:10)(cid:7)(cid:11)(cid:14)(cid:5)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:18)(cid:5) ter I wrote I was like, ‘did I really write poem reveal how his work is profound-
then at the end you bring it all into that’?” He noted that he had written (cid:15)(cid:24)(cid:5)(cid:20)(cid:4)(cid:21)(cid:12)(cid:9)(cid:4)(cid:2)(cid:9)(cid:18)(cid:5)(cid:28)(cid:24)(cid:5)(cid:10)(cid:25)(cid:9)(cid:5)(cid:13)(cid:25)(cid:24)(cid:10)(cid:25)(cid:8)(cid:14)(cid:5)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:18)(cid:5)(cid:14)(cid:7)(cid:2)(cid:20)(cid:3)(cid:15)(cid:5)
(cid:7)(cid:4)(cid:9)(cid:5)(cid:21)(cid:7)(cid:6)"(cid:5)(cid:5)4(cid:20)(cid:30)(cid:9)(cid:5)(cid:16)(cid:13)(cid:7)(cid:8)(cid:5)(cid:10)(cid:25)(cid:9)(cid:5)(cid:18)(cid:20)(cid:16)(cid:16)(cid:9)(cid:13)(cid:9)(cid:4)(cid:10)(cid:5) poems before, but only “if [teachers] consciousness of hip hop, a tradition
(cid:21)(cid:7)(cid:6)(cid:14)(cid:22)(cid:5)(cid:28)(cid:9)(cid:2)(cid:3)(cid:12)(cid:14)(cid:9)(cid:5)(cid:29)(cid:5)(cid:18)(cid:7)(cid:4)’(cid:10)(cid:5)(cid:6)(cid:13)(cid:20)(cid:10)(cid:9)(cid:5)(cid:3)(cid:15)(cid:15)(cid:5)(cid:3)(cid:10)(cid:5) made me, but not in my free time.” He that might not be noticeable with-
one time. I write a little bit and said that he came to the realization that (cid:7)(cid:12)(cid:10)(cid:5)(cid:10)(cid:25)(cid:20)(cid:14)(cid:5)(cid:11)(cid:13)(cid:7)#(cid:9)(cid:2)(cid:10)(cid:5)(cid:3)(cid:14)(cid:5)(cid:3)(cid:5)(cid:14)(cid:25)(cid:3)(cid:11)(cid:20)(cid:4)(cid:27)(cid:5)(cid:20)(cid:4)(cid:21)(cid:12)(cid:9)(cid:4)(cid:2)(cid:9)(cid:5)
when I get more I keep on writing. “poetry is actually kind of fun. That for a young man in this rural school.
Whatever comes out, I don’t try to writing poems is, I don’t know, I guess it
rush it. I just write whatever comes could be a hobby or something like that. “New” Literacies and “Old” Purposes:
to my head and if I don’t have noth- Something I could do in my free time.”
Reclaiming the Spoken
ing else I’ll just stop and try again. To Jared, the opportunity to write
But whatever I write, I write to like a poem and receive feedback was the In discussing new literacies, Knobel
rhythms and beats. most appealing aspects of the project, and Lankshear (2007) note that they
involve a different kind of “ethos stuff”
not the movie-making component. He
Through this project, Michael was said, “I didn’t know I could write po- in that they invite more participatory,
able to craft a place for his writing in ems that good, but I guess I can a little. collaborative, and collective ways of
school, a practice he pursued outside I don’t know. It was just fun to write a working and more distribution of ex-
of school, but had never brought into poem and to get feedback on it.” Jared pertise and authority. Within Mira’s
school. In doing so, many additional noted that in other English classes stu- class, digital poetry set the stage for a
opportunities for movements across dents rarely hear poems read out loud. classroom where participation norms
boundaries arose. His exchange with For Jared, reading his poem and hear- and traditional ways of knowledge pro-
Mira is striking in that they shift tra- (cid:20)(cid:4)(cid:27)(cid:5)(cid:7)(cid:10)(cid:25)(cid:9)(cid:13)(cid:14)(cid:5)(cid:6)(cid:3)(cid:14)(cid:5)(cid:14)(cid:20)(cid:27)(cid:4)(cid:20)(cid:19)(cid:2)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:10)(cid:5)(cid:10)(cid:7)(cid:5)(cid:25)(cid:20)(cid:8)(cid:5)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:18)(cid:5)(cid:6)(cid:9)(cid:5) duction were upset. Here, students’
ditional roles of teacher and student; noted in classroom observations that he in and out-of-school literacies were a
Mira takes a stance as a learner from played a very active role in comment- bit less dichotomized, multimodalities
Michael and he teaches his teacher ing on other student’s drafts, discuss- were encouraged, and collaborative
about his writing process. There is also ing the choice of images, and working and public sharing were encouraged
movement here in terms of knowledge with other students to construct their in marked contrast to the individual
production: a life-changing experience poems. Jared noted, “I always read my and private writing that characterized
was able to travel into school through poems out loud. I’m not a stage fright much of the students’ previous expe-
this poem and Michael’s use of po- type of person. I’ll read other people’s riences of in-school learning. It could
etry, images, and spoken word com- poems out loud if they want me to. I just also be argued that there was space
municated to his fellow students how do that because I like getting feedback here not only for a more generative
poetry can make social commentary. on what people think about the poem.” recognition of adolescents’ literacies in
<(cid:20)(cid:27)(cid:4)(cid:20)(cid:19)(cid:2)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:10)(cid:15)(cid:24)(cid:22)(cid:5) %(cid:20)(cid:2)(cid:25)(cid:3)(cid:9)(cid:15)’(cid:14)(cid:5) (cid:7)(cid:12)(cid:10)(cid:17)(cid:7)(cid:16)(cid:17)(cid:14)(cid:2)(cid:25)(cid:7)(cid:7)(cid:15)(cid:5) Asked why he did so, he commented, school, but also an enrichment of those
literacy practice was enriched by the “‘cause then you’ll know what they’re literacies, from Michael’s newfound
multimodal component that Mira in- thinking and you can make a poem ability to incorporate multimodalities
troduced and that he had never pur- that would suit what they’re thinking.” into his composing process to Jared’s
sued before. In fact, after the project In this sense, Jared’s experience in embrace of an identity as a poet and
ended, Michael put this poem and oth- the class is valuable to him in terms of public commentator and supporter of
ers up on Youtube. Digital poetry here how it opened up a social experience other people’s poems. Given the con-
becomes an essential part of Michael’s centered around writing and discussion text of this class – given its purpose to
rich palette of literacy practices, one in the classroom he had not experienced work with students who did not do well
both welcomed and enriched by school. before. Jared mentioned the impor- on the state’s standardized test – these
attributes seem all the more strik-
tance of hearing poetry read out loud
PERSPECTIVES ON URBAN EDUCATION FALL 2010 | PAGE 52
ing. Rather than crafting the class in the book. The thing we did in Ms. lar importance to our students and to
the image of a traditional “remedial” Singh’s class was more open discus- our democracy. They require the com-
course focused on skill-building, Mira sions and more creative, instead of mitment that inspires the best com-
instead invited engagement with po- like pen to the paper work, more munity organizers and the boldness
etry, images, and spoken word. This philosophical, if I can use that word? that is at the heart of all poets. Carole
decision correspondingly shifted focus Maso (2000), an eloquent and poetic
(cid:3)(cid:6)(cid:3)(cid:24)(cid:5)(cid:16)(cid:13)(cid:7)(cid:8)(cid:5)(cid:18)(cid:9)(cid:19)(cid:2)(cid:20)(cid:10)(cid:14)(cid:5)(cid:10)(cid:7)(cid:5)(cid:14)(cid:10)(cid:13)(cid:9)(cid:4)(cid:27)(cid:10)(cid:25)(cid:14)(cid:22)(cid:5)(cid:16)(cid:13)(cid:7)(cid:8)(cid:5) Michael’s work and the responses to voice on writing, love, and loss writes:
isolated skills to embodied knowledge. it remind me that at the heart of Eng- As we dare to utter something, to
In many ways, though, what oc- lish education should be the drive to commit ourselves, to make a mark
curred here was not only due to “new” communicate and to wrestle with large (cid:7)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:3)(cid:5)(cid:11)(cid:3)(cid:27)(cid:9)(cid:5)(cid:7)(cid:13)(cid:5)(cid:3)(cid:5)(cid:19)(cid:9)(cid:15)(cid:18)(cid:5)(cid:7)(cid:16)(cid:5)(cid:15)(cid:20)(cid:27)(cid:25)(cid:10)"(cid:5)(cid:5)
or multimodal literacies, but also due ideas. Along with Michael, I continue to
to the invitation to engage with the think we could be a bit more “philosoph- To incorporate this dangerous and
most traditional mode of communica- ical” in our teaching and research of ad- fragile world. All its beauty. All its
tion: orality. Both Michael and Jared olescent literacies as well as a bit more pain. (p. 179)
spent little time with us talking about participatory, if I could use that word.
the technology or the software or the To Joe, in humble recogni-
process of choosing images for their “Yeah, Yeah, I Hear That” tion of all this beauty of your
digital poems; rather, both were much life, of all this pain at your loss.
My time in this inquiry community
more expansive when talking about
has reinforced my sense of the impor-
the composing process of their own Dr. Kelly Wissman received her
tance of contexts for both students and
poems and about coming to know oth- Ph.D. in Reading/Writing/Literacy
for teachers to be a part of participa-
ers in the class through listening to from the University of Pennsylvania in
tory communities, to write, to speak,
(cid:10)(cid:25)(cid:9)(cid:20)(cid:13)(cid:5)(cid:11)(cid:7)(cid:9)(cid:10)(cid:13)(cid:24)"(cid:5)(cid:5)$(cid:14)(cid:5)(cid:13)(cid:9)(cid:21)(cid:9)(cid:2)(cid:10)(cid:20)(cid:23)(cid:9)(cid:5)(cid:24)(cid:7)(cid:12)(cid:4)(cid:27)(cid:5)(cid:8)(cid:9)(cid:4)(cid:22)(cid:5) 2005. Prior to completing her doctor-
and to be heard. Within words written,
both Michael and Jared expressed de- ate, she held various and often overlap-
words spoken, and words heard possi-
(cid:14)(cid:20)(cid:13)(cid:9)(cid:14)(cid:5)(cid:16)(cid:7)(cid:13)(cid:5)(cid:14)(cid:7)(cid:2)(cid:20)(cid:3)(cid:15)(cid:15)(cid:24)(cid:5)(cid:14)(cid:20)(cid:27)(cid:4)(cid:20)(cid:19)(cid:2)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:10)(cid:5)(cid:6)(cid:7)(cid:13)(cid:30)(cid:5)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:18)(cid:5) ping roles as an educator, qualitative
bilities can emerge for understanding,
spoke frequently to how the project researcher, and after school program
for change, for compassion. In con-
enabled a different kind of knowledge facilitator. Dr. Wissman’s research
sidering Joe’s life and legacy, I con-
about themselves and other students. interests include literacies and litera-
tinually return to June Jordan’s (1998)
(cid:29)(cid:10)(cid:5)(cid:14)(cid:9)(cid:9)(cid:8)(cid:14)(cid:5)(cid:14)(cid:20)(cid:27)(cid:4)(cid:20)(cid:19)(cid:2)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:10)(cid:5)(cid:10)(cid:25)(cid:3)(cid:10)(cid:5)(cid:28)(cid:24)(cid:5)(cid:28)(cid:13)(cid:20)(cid:4)(cid:27)(cid:20)(cid:4)(cid:27)(cid:5) ture in the lives of urban youth, gen-
description of her student poets, her
in “new” literacies to one of the oldest der and education, photography and
proclamation that they believed every-
art forms, the students were not taken literacy, and out-of-school literacies.
one deserved “supreme efforts of care
in by the new tools or technology for She shares a complementary interest
and honest utterance” (p. 208). Joe’s
their own sake, but by how those tools in feminist approaches to the teach-
sister, Pamela Cytrynbaum, recounts
could be used in the service of mean- ing and theorizing of children’s and
(cid:25)(cid:9)(cid:13)(cid:5) (cid:28)(cid:13)(cid:7)(cid:10)(cid:25)(cid:9)(cid:13)’(cid:14)(cid:5) (cid:7)(cid:6)(cid:4)(cid:5) (cid:19)(cid:9)(cid:13)(cid:2)(cid:9)(cid:5) (cid:28)(cid:9)(cid:15)(cid:20)(cid:9)(cid:16)(cid:5) (cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:18)(cid:5)
ing making and community building. young adult literature. Her research
compassionate listening to her, saying:
To me, Mira, Jared, and Michael has been supported by the National
I would bring him the most toxic
suggest that to study adolescent lit- Council of Teachers of English Re-
feelings, my most unproud mo-
eracies requires an openness, a col- search Foundation and two grants
ments, my ugliest pain, and he
laborative commitment, a dedication from the Faculty Research Awards
would be just like with his students:
to learning with and from students Program at the University at Albany.
“Yeah, yeah, I hear that.” Some-
and other teachers. In discussing her
how with this incredible alchemy
experience, Mira noted, “I was a stu-
(cid:7)(cid:16)(cid:5)(cid:9)(cid:8)(cid:11)(cid:3)(cid:10)(cid:25)(cid:24)(cid:5)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:18)(cid:5)(cid:14)(cid:24)(cid:8)(cid:11)(cid:3)(cid:10)(cid:25)(cid:24)(cid:5)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:18)(cid:5)(cid:19)(cid:9)(cid:13)(cid:24)(cid:5)
dent, teacher, researcher, all in one.
brain sharpness he would just turn
That really, really helps and we should
me all around. (Schmich, 2009)
be open to this as teachers.” The in-
sights we learned from Jared and Mi-
From students seeking out po-
chael emerged not only from Mira’s
etry slams in urban centers to ru-
classroom, but also from a community
ral students pursuing work of depth
of other teachers supporting Mira in
and complexity in their marginalized
her work, and from Michael and Jared
and sometimes stigmatized “reme-
themselves. Michael, for example, re-
dial” courses, Joe is an inspiration
sponded to our question about what
to work with deep integrity to create
he would suggest to other English
contexts for young people where their
teachers based on his experience with
words are nurtured, brought forth,
the digital poetry project in this way:
and heard. However ephemeral and
The typical English class is tak-
however fragile those moments and
ing a few notes, reading the book,
spaces are, I believe they are of singu-
(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:18)(cid:5)(cid:10)(cid:25)(cid:9)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:3)(cid:5)(cid:13)(cid:9)(cid:21)(cid:9)(cid:2)(cid:10)(cid:20)(cid:7)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:9)(cid:14)(cid:14)(cid:3)(cid:24)(cid:5)(cid:3)(cid:28)(cid:7)(cid:12)(cid:10)(cid:5)
PERSPECTIVES ON URBAN EDUCATION FALL 2010 | PAGE 53
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Knobel , M. & Lankshear, C. (2007). (Eds.). A new literacies sampler. New York: Peter Lang.
Kress, G. & Jewitt, C. (2003). Multimodal literacy. New York: Peter Lang.
Jordan, J. (1998). (cid:2)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:6)(cid:7)(cid:8)(cid:9)(cid:10)(cid:11) acts. New York: Doubleday.
Maso, C. (2000). Break every rule: Essays on language, longing, and moments of desire. Washington, D.C.: Counter-
point.
Robinson, V. T. (2009, July 14). A teacher. A mentor. A legend. Facebook posting.
Schmich, M. (2009, July 15). Brother’s death hits harder than most. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 20, 2009:
http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2009/jul/15/news/chi-schmich-15-jul15
Wissman, K. (2007). “Making a way”: Young women using literacy and language to resist the politics of silencing. Jour-
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@(cid:20)(cid:14)(cid:14)(cid:8)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:22)(cid:5)Z"(cid:5)\^__‘{"(cid:5)|(cid:9)(cid:3)(cid:18)(cid:20)(cid:4)(cid:27)(cid:5)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:18)(cid:5)(cid:28)(cid:9)(cid:2)(cid:7)(cid:8)(cid:20)(cid:4)(cid:27)(cid:5)(cid:15)(cid:20)(cid:23)(cid:20)(cid:4)(cid:27)(cid:5)(cid:3)(cid:12)(cid:10)(cid:25)(cid:7)(cid:13)(cid:14)6(cid:5)(cid:5)}(cid:13)(cid:28)(cid:3)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:27)(cid:20)(cid:13)(cid:15)(cid:14)(cid:5)(cid:11)(cid:12)(cid:13)(cid:14)(cid:12)(cid:20)(cid:4)(cid:27)(cid:5)(cid:3)(cid:5)(cid:11)(cid:7)(cid:9)(cid:10)(cid:13)(cid:24)(cid:5)(cid:7)(cid:16)(cid:5)(cid:14)(cid:9)(cid:15)(cid:16)(cid:17)(cid:18)(cid:9)(cid:19)(cid:4)(cid:20)(cid:10)(cid:20)(cid:7)(cid:4)"(cid:5)(cid:5)English
Journal, 98 (3), 39-45.
