Dierde Glenn Paul

I agree with Paul that rap can and should be used to bridge the cultural gap in classrooms. However, I think it should be noted what we are expecting teachers to do here. Nowadays teachers have to be attuned culturally to students who vary in socioeconomic status, race, gender, and most importantly age. Paul does not put the proper emphasis on the age factor. I am a 26 year old white middle class male aspiring to be a teacher and I bump Lil Wayne in my car. The problem is that 30 years from now Lil Wayne might be considered "tired" and maybe even rap in general may lose its cultural appeal to the youth of the future. My stereo will still probably be living in the age I grew up in. What will I do then to identify with this new crop of youth and whatever kind of music they listen to? Maybe I don't have to enjoy it, but I would respect it and seek to understand it. I enjoyed youth culture in school and I feel that I have a unique stance on issues like using rap in the classroom since I am still fairly young. My ability to understand youth culture is not because I listen to the same type of music, or went to the same places, or enjoyed the same things, but also due to the fact that I understand youth culture is generalized and misunderstood by older generations. Does this mean I have to keep my ear to the ground about what kids enjoy? In short, Paul would say yes and I would agree. As teachers we are responsible for keeping up with an ever-changing and diverse youth culture. Whether it is rap or heavy metal or whatever it is kids nowadays are interested in teachers need to know this stuff and be able to connect it to the classroom. I feel Paul's exercises she gave to teachers were fascinating. They engaged teachers in dialogue about an aspect of youth culture they may or may not be familiar with. In this case it is of course rap, but I feel Paul's exercises could apply to much more. Teachers need exercises like this to help them understand youth culture.

Project Blog

My project seeks to identify the authorities on the literacy of golf and then analyze how and in what ways these authorities influence this particular literacy. After collecting data on what constitutes an authority on the literacy of golf, it will also compare and contrast these authorities to other authorities of academic and other literacies.
Research gathered from my initial interviews shows that the qualifications for being considered an authority on a given literacy vary from person to person. Essentially, authorities can be defined as a person or group that is recognized as such in some way by their respective literary communities. The people I interviewed have indicated that an expert on the literacy of golf is someone who, in some way, no matter how big or small, is seen by the golfing community as an authority. They also admit that the greater the acknowledgement is within the community that that this particular person or group is indeed an authority, then the greater the power they carry. Acceptance and acknowledgement are two key factors in that not only identify authorities, but also determines an authorities degree of influence. The compiled list of authorities on golf, according to the people interviewed are as follows: former and current pro and amateur golfers, club pros and teachers of golf, groundskeepers, caddies, anyone passionate about the sport, anyone that plays golf on a regular basis or played golf  for a long period of time regularly, people who play in tournaments frequently, sellers/manufactureres of golf equipment, people who exhibit skill in golf, people who simply enjoy playing golf, family, and friends. My research then turns to how and in what ways these authorites have influenced my interviewee directly. Almost all of the people I interviewed have immulated or still immulate a pro golfer in some way. Some have bought golf equipment because it was endorsed by particular golf pro, or at the recommendation of someone they percieved as an authority on golf.