Draper Chapter 2

Jo Draper, R. (2010). (Re)imagining content area literacy instruction. New York, NY:       Teachers College Press.

Summary: The second chapter of the books is about redefining text and literacy. In order for content area and literacy teachers to be able to collaborate, they must have the same meaning of literacy and text. Originally, texts meant sentences, words and printed material, but teachers have now redefined it to mean any object or resource that one goes to for meaning that is for a particular purpose. Literacy on the other had started off meaning being able to read and write texts and printed text but now refers to being able to negotiate and create texts for a particular discipline that is recognizable as true to others in that area.

 Reading this chapter at first was boring, and I had to make sure to turn off my reciting voice and try and get into the book. To keep my interest as I read, I would make text to self connection because of the examples of the mathematics teacher. At the beginning of the chapter it gave situations as to how literacy and content area teachers were not really collaborating. It made think that I would probably do the same things that these teachers had done to incorporate literacy. But now that literacy and texts have been redefined it gives a better understanding why literacy is so important in each discipline. It is easy to incorporate literacy with the knowledge of the redefined text and literacy because it is already things that are being taught. Nothing needs to be changed except teaching the students how to use these traditional texts and non-traditional texts. As I thought about how I will incorporate literacy into my classes, I figured that I would teach a lesson on non-tradition texts such as how to use calculators so that the students can become literate and be able to navigate properly through mathematical problems. Most students only know the basics such as adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing, but calculators can be used for so much more and especially for upper division math classes, calculators can be very important and useful in quickly navigating through difficult problems. Another literacy that I could incorporate into my lessons that is a traditional text would be word problems. It is the most difficult to read and understand and in order for students to do well in life outside of school, they need to be literate in word problems.