Field Notes_Ivory Moore_30-March-2010

Thanks to Sunchai, I watched the first twenty minutes of a second oral history interview with Ivory Moore. Below are the field notes I generated for this segment of the interview. I think this interview will be helpful in establishing a more historical background for my project. Moore discusses the influence of the Black Panthers, and two different racially charged incidents on campus...within the first twenty minutes of video!

The first part is here:

http://www.scribd.com/full/29179883?access_key=key-1ijtnhf76xxtmdy6qyk

The second part is here:

http://www.scribd.com/full/29179885?access_key=key-2fi7ker2xmvyp6qypqwp

Field Working Chapters 3-5

I don't have as many handouts or notes for these chapters as I do for the first few chapters. Admittedly, I don't use these chapters as much as the first few. One of the highlights for me in these chapters is the section on reading artifacts. It begins on page 143 and goes through 155. this section includes a short story by Alice Walker, Everyday Use. I think the most important information in this section is the statement that "Objects are readable texts." I think this concept is comparable to Mutnick's article and the idea that we can "read" built structures.

Conceptual Map

Introduction:

I went through and reviewed my older posts for this semester in an attempt to create a conceptual map of my readings and my theoretical / methodology. Overall I think I tend to focus on the articles that deal with composition and research as a social act. I thought it would be effective to do a sort of highlight reel, so below I will feature quotes or concepts that really stood out from my posts. Along with the highlights I will add commentary relating the concept / idea with my overall theory of research and my project for the semesters.

From the Original Post:

Deborah Mutnick “Inscribing the World: An Oral History Project in Brooklyn”

“Pedagogy of the public sphere” (627).

I liked this terminology as a way to describe the ways we can learn and be taught from the everyday elements of our life.

Comments:

As I said above, I do like this terminology and I do see learning as a reciprocal process…I think this concept is directly related to my project. I think there is a lot that we can learn from Moore’s newspaper column about the way in which literacy is used as a tool for activism. I think we can also learn from the rhetorical strategies that Moore employees throughout the column. I think Mutnick is also making a statement that carries a broader implication. A “pedagogy of the public sphere” seems to imply a change in the focus of our teaching, one that uses the everyday, the public as a way to inspire and involve students, participants and teachers in a symbiotic learning environment.

From the Original Post:

The Literacy of “Argumentative Discourse”

On page 34, Street comments that in order to understand the approaches and consequences of literacy we can use three categories: Literacy Acquisition, Consequences of Literacy and Literacy as Social Practice. These categories illuminate what I see as the give and take of literacy. Literacy is approached or given in different ways dependent on the contextual situation and following the way in which literacy is practiced or approached there are consequences.

Comments:

Street has become very well known for his ideas on literacy as social practice. I really like the majority of his work and picked this section of my post because of the way in which he divides the approaches and consequences of literacy. I think his focus on the contextual and situational aspects of literacy are important as well. I am hoping to see evidence of situation in Moore’s column. My hunch is that the column was used as a means of promoting the political agenda of the Norris Community Club and by extension, the Norris Community.

From the Original Post:

Brain V. Street “Literacy in Theory and Practice”

Literacy as a whole is a social event, but because of the social nature, literacy or more specifically the analysis of literacy, is problematic because of the multiple influences. Influences like ideology or cultures that are difficult to pin down.

Comments:

I think Street articulates the difficulty in examining literacy practices. Literacy and by extension the practices associated with it are legion. It is difficult to differentiate and explore the multitude of ideologies and influences that make up literacy, but at the same time it is this very difficulty that also makes this type of research so interesting and rich.

From the Original Post:

David Gold / Rhetoric at the Margins

1. Strong Service EthicNon-existent in modern colleges (at least to my knowledge and excluding the few clubs that promote service oriented learning). But Service across the curriculum required by all students in one form or another is non-existent, but I think it should be a requirement. Service is at the center of well-being and commitment. I think a service oriented program would also help students become more attached to the subject and the school at large.

Comments:

I liked this idea not just for use in the university as a whole but also in the individual classroom. I think part of researching in the community is service and service is an essential quality of humanity. I think the idea of service oriented research relates back to Mutnick’s concept of “Pedagogy of the Public Sphere.” If we are researching and in a sense using the public for our research it seems ethical to give back to the community, hence the idea of service. I don’t think it would hurt to have in our minds a way that our research could benefit the community we study. In terms of Mr. Moore’s column I am hoping to lay down a foundation for further research as well as help the community gain a greater sense of history and the struggle involved with the rights they enjoy today.

From the Original Post:

“All play and no work make Jack a numbskull and a parasite”: William Mayo’s East Texas Normal School

“Mayo geared his curriculum toward his student’s interests and needs, paying particular attention to how the school fit into the surrounding community” (115).

Reciprocity: page 129-130, Mayo made the effort to connect the school with the community.

Comments:

I was especially interested in William Mayo and his pedagogy. His desire to interact with the community seems to echo what we are trying to accomplish in class and with our projects. I selected two quotes from this post because they are both focused on Mayo’s emphasis on reciprocity. As with the other posts I see research and service to the community as a central part of what I want to do with my project and my career on a more broad scale.

Conclusion:

The list above is not comprehensive but it does represent the highlights of my posts. I also want to make use of Deborah Brandt’s Literacy in American Lives, Shirley Brice Heath’s Ways With Words, and Heath and Street’s Ethnography. Overall I see my interest focusing on the social aspects of literacy and the implications that this has for both research and pedagogy.

Field Notes_Ivory Moore_25-March-2010

Today I watched a brief (about 5 minute Interview) with Ivory Moore and other memebers of the Norris Community. The interview can be found in the NCOW archives

I used this opportunity to create some field notes. Unfortunaltley, I have to post a link to the notes instead of directly into the post becasue of formatting issues. Below is a link to my fieldnotes.



http://www.scribd.com/full/28925372?access_key=key-2gy002meibvrd8dredd1





I wanted to use the space here to add a few refelcetions on the filed notes...



1). I've been toying around with the idea of using triple entry field notes. I haven't perfected the process yet but the basci idea is to have a space to collect concrete data, a place to ask questions, and a section to speculate or ask additional questions. Granted this takes a lot of space but I think it forces (maybe bad word choice) the observer to not only collect data but to ask questions and make speculations on site. I think this will allow for greater recall and flexibility when it comes time to turn raw field notes into extended field notes.



2). I didn't spend alot of time with the concrete details of the interview like the clothing Mr. Moore was wearing or the surroundings ofhis home. I plan on re-watching the video and I may spend more time on these details.



3). One concern that I have is that I went into "the site" with a a view of what I wanted to find. This seems to relate to why I choose not to focus on the appearence of the room or Mr. Moore. I was looking for specific background on Moore himself and because of this I paid more attention to the dialogue between Mr. Moore and Dr. Carter.

24/25-March-2010

24-March-2010

I called the library yesterday before I tried to stop by and Cheryl was out sick. My plan is to try and go tommorow barring any unseen distractions.

25-March-2010

I decided this morning to wait about the library for this week and make sure that Cheryl has time to get better. My goal this afternoon is to watch one or two of the Ivory Moore interviews and to take field notes as a way to get to know the writer of the "Town and Gown" columns. I think thgis background would be useful in situating the stories in his column.

Research = delays, sidetracks, etc.

24-March-2010

Yesterday I met with Dr. Carter to go over my research proposal. For my class project, I am focusing on Ivory Moore’s “Town and Gown” column in the local Commerce newspaper, for more details see my previous post titled research proposal and follow the link. A few days ago I began my research by e-mailing Cheryl Westhafer (the libraries local historian). Here is the e-mail:

Cheryl,
I was hoping to come by Wed. morning and do some research on Ivory Moore's "Town and Gown" column from the local paper. Does the library have those? Best JP Sloop

Now Before I give her reply I want to share something I’ve learned about research….Gordon B. Hinckley, one of the past presidents of the Mormon church, gave the following quotation in a conference, he said, "Life is just like an old time rail journey ... delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride." I’m not trying to advocate a religious experience here, but I find this analogy to work well for research as well. It will all become clearer after you read Cheryl’s response to my previous e-mail, here it is:

Hi,
Yes, we have some-but not all- of the newspaper columns. I'm out today with a virus (or the plague, I'm not sure which). I'm feeling a little better, but you might want to call first tomorrow to make sure I'm there.
I have a little info for you regarding Lebanon Cemetery as well.
Cheryl

“Yes, we have some but not all…” My original plan was to do a comprehensive coding of all of the articles that Moore had written. Setback number one…now I have to re-formulate my approach as well as the parameters of the study. This is not completely disastrous however because I can still address why the library doesn’t have them all and I may be able to find the others in another location. Oh and did I mention Cheryl was sick yesterday and the first time I went by this morning she wasn’t there? Delays, sidetracks and smoke…more later, I am going to call before I make a second trip.

Research Proposal

For some reason I was having a difficult time coping and pasting into Blooger today so here is a link to my research proposal:

http://www.scribd.com/full/28811443?access_key=key-26w68qcccjzrm4c8epql

Field Working Chapters 1 & 2

For this week's reading / posting assigment, I went through some of my old notes, handouts and powerpoints that I used when I taught 102. I made pdf files out of the materials and tryed to link them to the blog...first time using scribd. If for some reason the links don't allow enough access and you would like a copy of any of the notes etc. just let me know and I can e-mail them to you. Looking forward to class...more to come project wise.

Interview Plannning WorkSheet

http://www.scribd.com/full/28745051?access_key=key-21slnecqnhjpqdgojl5r

FW Handout for Pages 93-115

http://www.scribd.com/full/28745050?access_key=key-2jcqv50jflmxuk9cis7p

Power Point Field Working Chapter 2

http://www.scribd.com/full/28745048?access_key=key-alf5t06rp92dvv86t01

Subculture Worksheet

http://www.scribd.com/full/28745046?access_key=key-2j4xizr35ziegsg5d888

P0wer Point for Fw pages 93-115

http://www.scribd.com/full/28745045?access_key=key-1vwkca71hd9oqbtbx2k9

Field Notes Handout

http://www.scribd.com/full/28745043?access_key=key-2oa4xyssmr1pzg1nkao9

Site Proposal Handout

http://www.scribd.com/full/28745042?access_key=key-oi72pfs36ndojvyueut

“All play and no work make Jack a numbskull and a parasite”: William Mayo’s East Texas Normal School

The following selections are taken from David Gold’s book Rhetoric at the Margins, specifically the chapter titled “Challenging Orthodoxies.” Since I am attending Texas A&M-Commerce the most current incarnation of East Texas Normal College I was really interested in the pedagogical values that were being taught by Mayo and his colleagues. Below are some of the highlights for me from this chapter.

Normal schools defined: “Normal schools or teachers training colleges” (115).

Mayo’s Motto: : “Ceasless industry, fearless investigation, unfettered thought” (114).

“Mayo geared his curriculum toward his student’s interests and needs, paying particular attention to how the school fit into the surrounding community” (115).

Four Key Features of Mayo’s Teaching:

1. “his attention to local community needs” (116).
2. “his emphasis on oral production in the training of future teachers” (116).
3. “his insistence on “learning by doing”” (116).
4. “his almost obsessive focus on prescriptive grammar” (116).

Mayo’s catalogue quote on page 121.

“The more texts investigated by a class, on a subject, the more interesting and profitable is its discussion” (123).

“The use of language is learned by using it, the rules of grammar by their applications, composition by the expression of thought, and elocution by reading and speaking. Thus the student becomes a master of himself and can use his knowledge” (125).

“Normal Methods…do not make “the student a mere passive recipient for the learning of others, but [put] him to thinking and telling his thought for himself” (128).

“Education does not consist in the mere accumulation of facts” (125).

Reciprocity: page 129-130, Mayo made the effort to connect the school with the community.

On the basics like arithmetic, algebra, geography: “Every person, whatever his vocation in life, ought to posses s this amount of knowledge in order that he may perform intelligently his part as an active American citizen” (131).

“Under Mayo’s direction, students at east Texas participated in a rich rhetorical environment, in which literature, drama, oratory, debate, and writing were woven into the daily fabric of campus life” (133).

Mayo on public performance for Teachers: “The ability to speak well in public was critical not only to their future professional lives but their professional development” (135).