Reading the World

"The purpose of education in this society is to bring the kids up to be conversant with the most important ideas and the representation systems that are used to express them. " Alan Kay

In the first pages of Burke’s Illuminating Texts, speaks of validity, truth, and facts written in popular texts such magazines papers, advertisements, etc.   He hints at the growing goal of first coverage as opposed to truth/validity/fact or what he calls “right”.

Caveat emptor (buyer beware) caveat lector (reader beware).

Burke asks us to be different kinds of readers when dealing with texts.  Living in an accelerated society Burke visits the notion of being able to read well on the run given the faster living and greater distraction surrounded by our lifestyles.  Burke uses a table of words to remind us of all the things that happen within any given text.   We find in so many previous textbooks (1999 or earlier) so many included factual errors and ideological bias.  However not only is this apparent in writing we find more and more films being based on novels and historical events.  These examples tempt many students into mistakenly draw what is fiction over what is fact.    Arming our students with what Burke call “the readers tool belt” will enable a student to discern what is real versus what is true.

Within reason to arming a student s with what he should expect to happen within most if not all texts Burke advocates to draw attention to the types of text.  Alluding to the context in which each piece of literature is put in.  Given the number of times a student is given a text in a class day I find this to be vital, especially knowing that most students go through multiple classrooms a day seeing multiple teachers and therefore reading multiple texts.  Students must understand that there are many possible ways to think about texts.

Now where do we (the teachers) stand during this?  In Burkes opinion, and mine as well,  we as teachers must remember to return everything back to the classroom after the event is over. Engage with the students; teach them about how to read what has just occurred even if what has just occurred has taught you something.  How can we help to make sense or comprehend what we hear or read as we move along?  Burke makes it clear as to what standards across the nation overlap and highlights what is expected to be accomplished as a teacher and student.  However in and to “beating the odds” all teachers and students collectively must delve deeper and find ways to draw meaning and understanding within the context of the students lives.  

Now with all this being said one cannot help but think of how important it is to be able to read well in the minefield of truths that make up the Information Age.   With most learning taking place online and students finding themselves more often being required to draw reasonable inferences from such texts without guidance or facilitation.  We (teachers/mentors) have to equip every learner as best as we can with every passing year.

The purpose of the first chapter is to go beyond just reading words.  Burke illustrates what this course has been repeating through the previous readings (Rosenblatt, Gee, Emig, and Marvit), that being able to change our role and perception of ourselves is key to discovering the text as a larger context of history.  Meaning, to think and operate as practitioners of the domains you are studying.  These shifts in perspectives promotes more active roles in both reading and writing, and to me, more importantly provides an added benefit to developing imagination and comfort.