Session 1: 3/22/21

Reading: Introduction Chapter 8 and Chapter 9 (pg. 94-117)

Topics: Are you part of the conversation? –  Re-imagining the Classroom with Code-meshing – Code-meshing and Educational Reform

Report: Chapter 8 gave us the chance to see how one instructor incorporated a code-meshing approach in an eighth grade and a fourth/fifth grade classroom. After reading many chapters dedicated to motivating a code-meshing approach, it was nice to see a practical example of how it can work. We discussed how we might incorporate code-meshing into our classrooms. None of us in attendance teach dedicated writing classes (we are not language Arts teachers), but we still thought of ways we could incorporate the approach nonetheless. We agreed that we needed to act intentionally in the language we use, the rubrics wee use, in what we teach and in what books/texts/ readings we choose in order to empower our students. We also circled back to the discussion of Cassar’s incorporation of code-switching pedagogy that resurfaced, noting that while code-switching did improve test scores, it also affected students self-esteem quite negatively.

Finally, we discussed how we might still be able to incorporate code-meshing in this era of high-stakes testing, and finished by noting the nice discussion of “ain’t” on Chapter 9 that provides a nice example of why what counts as “standard” language often does not follow from any logical principles. We look forward to a discussion of more examples of code-meshing in action in the readings for next time.

 

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Session 2: 4/12/21

Reading: Chapter 10 and Chapter 11 (pg.121-140)

Topics: Code-meshing and Culturally Relevant Pedagogy for College Writing, Code meshing as a pedagogical approach

Report: We started by discussing the pushback that Lovejoy got from his cooperating teachers in the learning community, and were impressed by how prepared he was to provide answers to their concerns. We talked about how introducing new pedagogy and content for the classroom often disrupts norms for students and other teachers. Code-meshing goes against the widely held “Standard Language Ideology,” so we have to be prepared to defend and advocate for our position. We discussed the importance of building community not only in the code-meshing classroom, but also among our teaching colleagues, most of whom may be resistant to these kids of pedagogical changes. This also came up when we discussed some of the sample texts in chapter 11, which may be jarring to those trained to uphold the “standard.” So, we reemphasized The importance of building community to create active, engaged teachers, learners and writers.

We also discussed some ways we can begin experimenting with adding elements of code-meshing to our classes, including changing rubrics for writing assignments so they do not penalize dialectal differences, and providing opportunities for code-meshed writing. We will continue to explore and experiment with code-meshing pedagogies.

In addition, we discussed the importance of bringing overt critical discussion of the sociolinguistics and politics of language to the classroom. We think is crucial to provide awareness of the context and motivation for code-meshing, which could easily be misconstrued if presented in  a vacuum.

Finally, we discussed this article from The Guardian, which touches a lot of what we’ve been discussing this semester and last.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/apr/02/deion-broxton-bison-montana-journalist-accent

Overall, excellent conversations!

 

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Session 3: 5/3/21

Reading: Chapter 12, the Coda and the Afterward (pg.141-160)

Topics: Code-switching vs. Code-meshing review, Composing Code-meshing: Thoughts on what to do and how to do it.

Report: We finished with Young et al. today. We spent most of the session reviewing and summarizing what we’ve read over the last two semesters. We reflected on the code-switching vs. code meshing debate, and the strong arguments in favor of the latter presented in the book. We also talked again about how to implement these ideas in the classroom, and how to spread the word and lay the groundwork for this by spreading the word and getting colleagues on board with code-meshing pedagogy. We look forward to our final meeting this semester om May 24th, when we will discuss the following talk by April Baker-Bell:

We Been Knowin’: Toward an Antiracist Language & Literacy Education – April Baker-Bell (see link below).

 

 

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Session 4: 5/24/21

YouTube Video Lecture: “We Been Knowin’: Toward an Antiracist Language & Literacy Education” by April Baker-Bell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGKyzewX6mY

Topic: Antiracist Language & Literacy Education

Report: