Post 1 Culture and Literacy

     With respect to culture and its' affects on literacy, we can see that the many cultures and subcultures that an individual identifies with, directly influences that individual's literacy. It is also important to note that no two individuals will function at the same level of fluency, because their cultures vary widely. As future educators, when we look at our prospective student population, we have to begin to determine how we would "bridge the gap", so to speak, between cultures to achieve the common goal of increasing fluency in multiple literacies. One possible method would be to initially determine the various cultures present in the classroom, i.e. male, female, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, school clubs/ programs, etc. With this information the teacher can better understand the culture of his/ her own classroom, which in my opinion is a vital  first step in establishing a relationship with the students. Given the knowledge of the importance of cultures in influencing education and the understanding of your own classroom culture, we are again brought back to the question of how to make a connection between the two.
    
     Whether through printed, written text or through oral means, communication seems to be the link that creates and continues to develop fluency within a culture. For example, a child that is having difficulty in reading, will ultimately have issues in other disciplines that involve reading. Taken further still, if a student is not introduced to the method of communication associated with a specific culture than they will not be nearly as successful as if they had been given the prior knowledge. For example, a child that is unfamiliar with the rules of the Bakugan game culture would not likely win many matches against well versed players. The same idea applies when you consider students in math, science and technology classes. These courses require a different level of communication than what they may have been already exposed to. So, it becomes apparent that clarifications in communication between cultures is needed to achieve success. As students learn to function and move between cultures it is important for them to understand the differences between the cultures and have a solid foundation of there norms and methods of communication for the varying cultures.

    We would love for there to be a simple answer on how to reach across the divide and join cultures to create a level of understanding for all students in our classrooms. However, with each passing year, as our students change, a new set of cultures come with them. It will be a balancing act that teachers will practice throughout their careers.