Delpit

Delpit:

Before you read: I use generalizations when talking about subjects or groups that I am not familiar with. I do this because I dont want to use any specific terms that could be wrong. I also tend to generalize more when speaking about particular groups so not to offend anyone in the group.


Summary:  Delpit's essay "The Politics of Teaching Literate Discourse"  Is about teaching literate discourse in the class room. It really looks at how teachers try to take away minorities own discourse and replacing it with the mainstream discourse. She uses the store of Marge and Susan. and also the story of the football inner city kid who is told to get his grades up or lose football.  She looks at the issue of trying to main stream minorities as a form of oppression.

Synthesis: Lisa Delpit can compare to Gee, because she specifically uses Gee to compare her own thoughts to. She things Gee's argument has problems in which she adresses her reasons. First she thinks that Gee's notion that people not more into a dominate discourse will find it difficult to get in is problematic. She talks about Gees identity kit as well.  Delpit also connects to Bell hooks. Bell Hooks writes of the consequences to this teaching methodology. Bell hooks also talks about how teaches didnt recognize the need for african american students to have access to many voices and to maintain their own voice. Lastly Delpit connects to Vilanuevea because both authors touch on the importance of group of people knowing their heritage.

Response	Quotation
I think this is true to some extent. I take my home town area for instance and looks at the suburb schools versus Dayton public schools where most of the kids are from low income families, Dayton the city is not the nicest place to live. There are always news stories where teachers are trying to do what is best for the kids in school, but at times they feel it is hopeless because of the children's background.	" Instead of being locked into "your place" by your genes, you are now locked hopelessly into a lower-class status by your discourse. Clearly, such a stance can leave a teacher feeling powerless to effect change, and a student feeling hopeless that change can occur. "
I think this goes back to what we taked about with villanuevea, assimilation, if you try to teach mainstream discourse, its kind of like pushing their heritage out of their life.	" The sensitive teacher might well conclude that even to try to teach a dominant discourse to students who are members of a non dominant oppressed group would be to oppress them further. "
This is changing more in todays society I think. because more whites and african americans are on the same level of education	"you must do twice as well as white people to be considered half as good"
Its important for teachers to help students envision a future. if their discourse at home is what they see from their family, and if it isnt much they are going to need some vision, some goal to strive for so that they can reach potential.	" Trent recalls that growing up in the "inner city" he had no conception of life beyond high school, but his high school teachers helped him to envision one. "
If you put in the effort and work had you can achieve your goals.	"you can and you will do well"
The issue is whether secondary discourse should be taught in the class room. and I think it should to an extent. I think the secondary discourse should be taught to help students have a bright future. I dont think it should be used to oppress them though.	"But the issue is not only whether students can learn a dominant secondary discourse in the classroom, perhaps the more significant issue is, should they attempt to do so. "

AE4:  they should help students envision a future. strive to meet their full potential with grades. but teachers should let students use their own dialect of their culture and home discourse.

Thoughts: I thought this essay was good. I like that it was Delpit comparing to Gee and Bell Hooks because those were previous authors we had read. I tend to agree with Gee in the fact that if you are born or not born into a dominate group you will find it hard to get into it or out of it depending on the situation. with that said though, I dont think that minorities are locked into  "your place" so to speak because into todays society there are many many opportunities for everyone to achieve success.