In my MGE I want to convey the idea that educating people about AAVE will help to make it more acceptable in more situations in life. To do this I plan to make a packet that is directed towards high school students to help them understand the differences in dialects but also embrace them. Also, I want to show that composition studies acknowledges AAVE but that people involved in composition studies cannot change the status quo in schools when it comes to language and AAVE. It needs to be the students who understand that different dialects are not lazy or bad English.
In order to show that AAVE should be accepted more by public policy I want to use genres that get the attention of high school students. Using things like music and sports I think that students would be more likely to understand the meanings of the genres. My packet will not be meant for teachers to teach, but for students to look at and learn in the classroom on their own. Incorporating music and sports can help students relate the messages about AAVE to experiences they have already had in their lifetime.
Bruch, Patrick, and Richard Marback. "Race, Literacy and the Value of Rights Rhetoric in Composition Studies." College Composition and Communication 53(2002): 651-674.
Canagarajah, Suresh . "Safe Houses in the Contact Zone: Coping Strategies of African-American Students in the Academy." College Composition and Communication 48(1997): 173-196. Print.
Zuidema, Leah. “Myth Education: Rationale and Strategies for Teaching against Linguistic Prejudice.” Journal of Adolescent Literacy 48.8 (May 2005): 668-675. Rpt. in A Reader for Writers. Eds. Craig, Perryman-Clark, and DeJoy: Boston: McGraw- Hill, 2008. 351-366.
Along with these resources I will use others when I can determine exactly the genres I will use. With these though I will show students the things that aren’t true about AAVE, why AAVE might not be visible in all environments (safe zone), and the fact that composition studies scholars cannot change the public policy on AAVE alone.
A couple things:
ReplyDelete1) While I'm glad you identified a specific audience, I'm not sure it matches the project's purpose. Although I do believe high school students can benefit from the topic, framing it in relationship with Composition Studies, poses a challenge. You might include high school teachers as the audience and how they can educate high school students and themselves on AAVE.
2) While you've identified the sources you'll use, I'd like you to think more specifically about how the quotes/ideas/passages from them resonated with you, as you compose your reflective essay. I'd also like you to think more specifically about how you incorporated ideas from them into the actual MGE.