Reading the Sand

I took this picture in Barcelona last spring break. Here a man is using sand to express himself. When talking about literacy, I am constantly returning to the four major categories:reading, writing, speaking, and listening. I like this picture because it tells me that I can "read" anything, even sand.

Mind the Gap

One of my biggest worries prior to leaving for London last year was how I would be able to navigate through the city. I knew that I would be using London's public transportation system, mainly the "Tube" as well as walking everywhere. The picture above is a Tube Map that I carried with me at all times. The first time I looked at the map I had no idea how to read it. I did not know what all the colors meant or the names of the stations. In order to go anywhere I needed to learn how to read the map. It took me about a week to figure out that each colored line represents a tube line- Picadilly Line is royal blue, Jubilee Line is silver, District Line is green, etc. Where the lines intersect with an unfilled circle is an interchange station to change from one tube line to another. It was not long before I was able to navigate London via the London Underground. All I needed to know was the Tube Stop and I would be able to arrive at my destination. Being able to read the Tube Map was vital to my being able to live in London

My Border Collie puppy is 4 months old now and everyday I am amazed at her literacy skills.  I know, a dog and literacy, yeah right, but you would be surprised.  According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, "'Literacy' is the ability to identify, understand, interpret ... communicate, [and] compute ..."  Lucky Lu does all of these and more; she is already able to identify all of her toys by name, understand and compute commands, interpret tones and communicate back to me her wants and needs.  I have learned that literacy is even broader than I can imagine and the ability to use language and communication can apply to anyone (or thing).  

I went home to my parents house last night for the weekend and we saw two of these baby eagles. My parents live on the lake and every spring and fall these gorgeous birds follow the migration of the other birds like geese, ducks, and coots. I was reminded that this was a for of literacy for two reasons. It is a kind of literacy for people who live out here because it is a regular occurrence out here that I do not see out in St. Paul. Also, the way that all animals live is a form of literacy a code or instinct that they follow to live. The smaller birds travel together from open water to open water on their way south and then back up north and the bigger "hunter" birds travel with them to ensure survival. As I look out of my parents window at these eagles soaring with such an air that you just cannot help but stop and watch. It is no mystery that they are out Nations bird and I am so lucky that I get to witness them with the change of the seasons.

The Celtic Cross

This past January I went on a J-term study abroad trip to Ireland. I took a Celtic Theology class and studied certain Celtic Spiritual symbols like this Celtic Cross. The Celtic Cross appears all over the whole country of Ireland and date back to as early as 900 B.C. This particular cross is carved from stone and has several Biblical images carved into it. The viewer of the cross is required to read the symbolic images on the cross and then figure out what Biblical story they represent. This relates to literacy because the viewer must read the images and make their own opinion about the image. This particular cross contains very detailed images about Christ's death and resurrection (which is very appropriate for the coming Easter holiday). The crosses are so beautiful and breathtaking that the viewer just gets an overwhelming spiritual feeling when touching them. I feel that symbolism is a great form of literacy because one is constantly finding a meaning behind the image. The cross itself and the ring around it also is a certain image appropriate to celtic spirituality. In my classroom, I might use this image as a segway way into a unit about Irish plays and playwrights.

This is a picture of a pair of tap shoes with Savion Glover's signature on the bottom. This picture represents two kinds of literacy, one would be knowledge about who Savion Glover is and why it would be special to have his signature on a pair of tap shoes. (One might remember Savion from his appearances on Sesame Street, or his show Bring in da Noise, Bring in da Funk that came to Minneapolis a few years ago). Or, tap dancing can also involve literacy in that there is a language associated with tap dancing. For example, if I were to write down a small combination such as, "shuffle ball change, shuffle hop step, slurpie" a person who had never taken a tap class before may read it and think of it as gibberish, but on the other hand, a person who had taken a few years of tap may be able to read the combination and perform the steps perfectly without a demonstration. Furthermore, as a dance instructor, I have had to become skilled in writing out choreography for my students in a clear and effective manner.