Task 2 Post - Michelle Smith

When asking my kindergarteners where they like to go on the weekends, and what they do after school, they did not really know the names of places they visit. They said things like “going out to eat” but did not know the name of the restaurant, or “going to the park” but did not know which specific park. I suggested to the other Bret Harte interns that we go to the YMCA since three of my students attend the after school program. We have also decided to go to Jackson Park (right across the street from our school), the Museum of Science & Industry, which is about a block or two away from our school, and Mellow Yellow, a restaurant nearby. I am going to be visiting the Museum of Science & Industry and Mellow Yellow on Saturday, two of the interns visited the YMCA yesterday afternoon, and another intern will be visiting Jackson Park tomorrow afternoon. We chose these places because they are all within walking distance of our school, and we feel that many people within our community visit these places.

I believe that the Museum of Science & Industry will be very diverse, racially and socioeconomically. I think that people who live in our school community will visit, as well as people from other parts of the country who are visiting Chicago. I expect to see mostly families at the museum with both parents in attendance since I will be going there over the weekend. I will also be recording the people, building designs, plant life, stores, and music I hear while walking to the museum. I expect to see mathematics in action while purchasing my ticket, at the vending machines, while looking at the map of the museum, and the layout of the building.

While visiting Mellow Yellow, I expect to see mostly African Americans since our school consists of mostly African American students. I expect to see families at the restaurant, couples, and friends of all ages. I will also be recording the music I hear in the restaurant, the building design, the people I see, and the surrounding stores. I expect to see mathematics taking place while people are paying for their meals. People will be counting their money, calculating the tip, dividing the check up among a number of people, etc…

I think an outsider may be considered with the number of people, and the demographic of the area if they are unfamiliar with this. I have been living in Hyde Park for over a month now, and do not feel as much of an outsider anymore. Moving here for the first time was a little different for me, but I actually grew up in a very diverse area so I became accustomed to the area and the diversity pretty quickly. One thing I noticed on the bus though, one of my first days in Hyde Park, was that I felt like I was the minority. I think that an outsider, if they are a young Caucasian female like myself, may be uncomfortable being the minority if they are used to “blending in” with everyone else.

At the museum, I believe that I will see literacy taking place in the form of all three types. People will be communicating with one another on the exhibits they see, some may be writing down what they see if they are participating in a school project, and most people will be reading the information posted under each artifact, the museum map, signs to various locations in the museum, and the shows that will be taking place. At Mellow Yellow, I will see waiters/waitresses jotting down customers’ orders, and we will see customers writing on the check if they are paying with a credit/debit card. We will also see people communicating, and reading the menu. In addition to people at both the museum and restaurant communicating with other people they are with, we’ll be seeing people talking on their cell phones, and text messaging.

There will definitely be connections made between the two places I am visiting, as well as the places the other interns are visiting. Literacy is such a big part of our every day lives. We communicate with one another, whether it be orally, or through a cell phone or computer. Reading is important wherever you go because you need to be aware of street signs, so you can find your way, signs in the museum so you know where the exhibits are, and of course the menu at a restaurant so you know what you can order. Written language may not seem as common as reading and communication, but when you are text messaging on your cell phone, that is considered a form of writing, and even simple tasks such as paying a bill and signing your name.

TASK 4: After Community Experience

I actually ended up visiting a local church (St. Thomas the Apostle) and on my way home, walked through the 24th Annual Children's Book Fair on 57th Street & Kimbark. My initial prediction on how the population at Mellow Yellow would be was accurate at the book fair, but not at the church. At St. Thomas the Apostle, it was very diverse! This is a catholic church, and on Long Island, although I live in a diverse area, our church has mostly Caucasian parishioners. This was not the case at St. Thomas, there was an even mix of Caucasians, Asians, and African Americans. I also noticed a larger number of elderly people, and young couples than families. The Children's Book Fair was also very diverse with mostly Caucasian and African Americans. This was surprising to me since the book fair was only a few blocks from Bret Harte. I thought that the book fair would consist of mostly African American families who have children that attend Bret Harte. Seeing how diverse the book fair and church were made me realize that the students in my class have grown up in a diverse area, and some of them commute from other areas. Some students take the city bus to school everyday with a sibling or parent, while others walk a few blocks to school.

While walking through the book fair, I immediately noticed all of the literacy around me. There were books at every booth, and these books were alphabetized by author, and categorized by genre. There were a few authors at the fair doing book signings, such as Blue Balliett, Beverly Patt & Janet Nolan, Marianne Malone, James Kennedy & Sallie Wolf, and Cynthea Liu & Patricia J. Murphy. These authors were using literacy in the form of writing by signing their names. There was also literacy present in the form of writing when people would sign up to volunteer at an event by writing their name. Literacy was present in the form of reading in numerous ways. People in the community were reading summaries of books, reading the brochure that was handed out, and reading signs at each booth. Visual literacy was present in book murals that were displayed all around the fair. On these murals, the names of the illustrators, painters, and designers were displayed for participants to read. There was also visual literacy in the form of entertainment, such as a storyteller reading a story, and the participants following along and viewing the book. Communication was another form of literacy present throughout the fair. People were communicating with one another, discussing the different books and entertainment, as well as communicating with the vendors about their products. Entertainers were also communicating while presenting their books, or expressing themselves through dance, and music.

It was wonderful to see the resources these students have available to them since the book fair had almost one hundred vendors from the area. In the Compton-Lilly article, she said "They found that despite economic challenges, parents found ways to support their children with reading and writing (page 450)." This book fair provided an opportunity for low-income students to purchase books for as low as ten cents a piece. Many of the booths at the book fair were selling gently used books for under a dollar. I even saw one booth where you could spin a wheel and have an opportunity to win a free book!

When visiting St. Thomas the Apostle Church, literacy was found in many different forms throughout the mass. People were reading along in the bible, as well as reading the words to songs while singing them. Communication was present while saying prayers aloud. Visual literacy was all over the church, such as the Stations of the Cross, and the saints that were on each stained glass window. At the end of mass, a bulletin was given, which was full of parish information, and upcoming events. In the bulletin, there was also a section for children where they could fill out a crossword puzzle. Literacy was also present as people were leaving the church because they were communicating with one another. People were also reading street signs, checking their cell phones, and reading church fliers as they were leaving.

Through my exploration of the community, it became evident that although students may be coming from a low-income home, they have access to books, and literacy in general in their everyday lives.