A Discussion of Weaving Threads of Change
Revisioning Writing in Rural Landscapes
by Dixie Linn-Norberg, White River
In the closing session of the Rural Sites Conference, one of the questions Joyce Sheehey (High Plains WP) asked us to write about was how the conference had broadened our thinking about teaching and learning in rural schools.
I wrote, “Rural Sites has already provided me with a tremendous opportunity for professional growth that reflects in my classroom.” I was referring, in part, to the project that DWP Board member Lil Manthei and I had coordinated and carried out with White River freshmen and Takini freshmen and sophomores.
Using Nicenet, our students, who live about 125 miles apart and on different reservations, exchanged ideas about regional literature. We began the unit with an exercise in metaphor:
Who Am I?
“I am the skyhawk,” wrote a Takini student
“I am the medicine pole,” wrote another.
“I am the great-grandson of a pioneer,” wrote a White River student.
“I am all the colors of the rainbow,” wrote another.
The positive student response and excitement generated by this project impacted my notions about rural teaching and learning before the conference began. By the time we presented our project, “Using Technology to Expand the Rural Classroom,” those presumptions were already being revised, and I was eager to learn about other classroom projects and practices. I was only disappointed by the impossibility of attending all sessions.
Yet, a part of the growth I was referring to in response to Sheehey’s question during that closing session dealt with the reshaping of my perceptions by speakers such as keynote speaker Scott Richard Lyons. Lyons provided a statistical portrait of Native Americans in the US: 65% complete high school and only 9% graduate from college. Lyons spoke about life and his family on a northern Minnesota reservation. He spoke about poverty and other lasting effects of colonization before he challenged teachers to be “witnesses” to history regarding Native people and culture. As “public intellectuals,” Lyons says teachers can provide evidence and can “speak the truth” about what has happened and is happening in our world. He mentioned the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump and the patenting of wild rice. Lyons suggested several books throughout his address. They included, on the topic of white privilege, White Like Me and What’s the Matter with Kansas.
Later that day, Laurie Smith-Small Waisted Bear (Montana WP) provided teachers with several critical thinking activities designed to increase teacher awareness and sensitivity to the numbers and cultural history of indigenous students who pass through our classrooms. “Reframing the American Historical Narrative Through Indigenous Ways of Seeing” offered participants the “The Other Side of the (Indian Education) Story.” We were given a syllabus for this very full session.
Following a traditional Lakota introduction, Ms. Smith-Small Waisted Bear led us through an “Introductory Text-based Discussion” of the article, “Willing to be Disturbed.” We used a double-entry organizer to “take a line for a walk”; then we shared our responses with others at our table. This was followed by a nine-minute “Writing Marathon.” We wrote to these questions: What is an American? How does this country tell its story, i.e., “the American narrative?” and “What is an American Indian?” We finished our marathon with a read-around.
The next activity was a “Gallery Walk.” We were given a rather limited amount of time to peruse a display of visual and written text. The items were displayed in groups; for instance, an Edward Curtis photo might be hung next to a collage of Indian mascot names. We selected one visual and one text from the display, then chose our format. We were encouraged to use a double-entry organizer or the “Say, Mean, Matters” handout to record our observations. Again, we ended the activity by sharing at our tables.
The final activity was “Critical Literacy: Taking a Closer Look.” We were asked to consider “the what,” “the how,” and “the why” when selecting examples of Native American literature.
Another session I attended within the Classroom Practice strand was “Can Writing Improve Reading? Yes!” by Sue Fischer of High Desert WP and Theresa Sweeney of South Coast WP. I was so impressed by both presenters and their success at teaching kindergarteners to write that I have copied the materials and sought out local primary teachers to share them with. Can kindergarteners write four sentence pieces about literature? Can they write persuasively?
Sue Fischer’s presentation, “Which Comes First—Writing or Reading? How Daily Journaling in a Kindergarten Classroom Enhanced Reading Skills” includes a section called “How We Did It (Reached Our Goal).” Here are three items pulled from a list of about twenty:
*We wrote in journals every day, from the first day of school.
*We modeled writing and reading every day, using a morning message.
*We helped children who needed help by writing their dictation for them until they were ready to write on their own.
Theresa Sweeney, South Coast WP, followed with “Good Writers Make Good Readers.” Her kindergarteners use organizers to summarize stories and then write from those organizers. Besides summarizing, students use other comprehension strategies such as drawing conclusions and inferring, predicting, and making connections. According to Ms. Sweeney, these strategies help good readers develop into good writers. Ms. Sweeney provided us with examples of student work, from kindergarten to third grade.
Reflecting on the conference and Sheehey’s question, I have concluded that the entire experience has transformed my perception of teaching and learning in rural schools. I am very appreciative of the opportunities I have been given through DWP. When I consider the progress that I have made as a teacher of writing since DWP 2005, I feel very humble and grateful. My students, of course, are the real winners.
