EML110

Literacy as a social practice.

Deeanne Sparkes, Narelle Lethlean and Kerri

Briese
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO
YOU?
I heard about a person who had a broken
heart with nothing to drive him on, no hope
no spark no flame he couldnt see at all tears
they were blinding him he kept it all inside,
the guilt and all the pain you know I say I
tried to warn him they had him backed up
against the wall I hope I'm not too late no
one can tell you exactly what you have gotta
be you've got to stand your ground and fight
to save your life it may be hard but oh oh it's
the only way always remembering there ain't
no second prize. 1
DOES TEXT STRUCTURE
CHANGE THE MEANING?
I heard about a person who had a broken heart
With nothing to drive him on, no hope no spark no flame
He couldn't see at all tears they were blinding him
He kept it all inside, the guilt and all the pain
You know I say I tried to warn him
They had him backed up against the wall
I hope I'm not too late

No one can tell you exactly what you have gotta be

You've got to stand your ground and fight to save your life
It may be hard but ooh ooh it's the only way
Always remembering there ain't no second prize
There aint no second prize

You know I say I tried to warn him

They had him backed up against the wall
Why can't I stand up and try to tell him
They've got me backed up against the wall
I hope I'm not too late
VISUAL CLUES HELP US
UNDERSTAND CONTEXT.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkFXbmELw6c&
feature=fvwrel
DO YOU
RECOGNISE THIS
TEXT?
So raise your glass if you are wrong in all the
right ways all my underdogs we will never be
never be anything but loud and nitty gritty
dirty little freaks won't you come on and
come on and raise your glass just come on
and come on and raise your glass. 2
LITERACY IN SOCIETY
Pop culture.

Recognised without
structure.

Known song and lyrics.

OUR LITERACY EVENT
Playstation game Singstar.

Duncan & Bianca no exposure, unknown

song.

Helena & Claudia experienced , familiar

with song.

Took place in Helena and Claudias home.

Purpose: to detail the links between music

symbols, social construct and literacy.
WHAT ARE LITERACY
PRACTICES?
PAHL & ROWSELL :
Literacy should be seen not as a neutral skill,

but as a socially situated practice (p. 14).

Childrens literacy comes from home, and the

home is where children learn much of their
literacy skills (p. 53).

School is just one space where literacy practices

occur(p. 19).
Pahl, K. & Rowsell, J. (2005). Literacy and Education: Understanding the New
Literacy Studies in the Classroom. London: Sage Publications.
SINGSTAR
Biancas definition
of Singstar.

Duncan is asked:
What is a
Playstation?

Duncan and
Biancas literacy
experience.

Interested in playing
at first, then
disengaged.
CLAUDIA AND HELENA
Withholding advice.

Prior
knowledge leads
to greater confidence,
capability and
engagement.

Familiarity
of gaming
console and song
meant less cognitive
load.
SOCIAL LITERACY
Bianca closely observed Helena and Claudia.

Mimicked behaviours singing and actions.

Demonstrates Vygotskys socio-cultural

learning theory.
THEREFORE...
Console games can become sources of
narrative, often drawing on a number of
different levels in which to make new forms
of meaning, layered and dependent on an
understanding of how the games work (Pahl
et al., 2005, pp.67).