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Voices and Values: A Reader for Writers, Instructor's Edition
New Softcover 04.26.17-SA
479 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2002
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July 6, 2020In preparation for my Net Inclusion 2017 panel discussion I did a lot of reading about educational philosophy and strategies to motivate and inspire learners to “reach beyond their capabilities”. None of this reading was immediately applicable to my own computer classroom, but I felt that it would better prepare me to speak on “Digital Literacy and Critical Thinking”—the title of our panel discussion.
Along the way, I ended up discussing the concept of critical thinking with one of our evening instructors, Diane. She teaches English language learners how to prepare for college-level class discussions and assignments in a “College Readiness Academy” prep class at night. When she suggested that I read “Voices and Values, a Reader for Writers” edited by Janet M. Goldstein and Beth Johnson, I wasn’t necessarily sure why she recommended the text to me. “Voices and Values” is a dense compilation of short essays written to “celebrate human values” and highlights themes such as adversity, conflict, and community growth. While I was originally skeptical, I later understood that many of the essays could be used in a class discussion and prompted higher order critical thinking in both my students and myself as the teacher.
While preparing for the Net Inclusion panel I was moderately consumed with defining critical thinking and what it meant to me as a computer instructor and facilitator of classroom discussions. In several of my computer classes I have begun teaching longer writing units—fiction writing, scholarship essays, and expository personal stories all typed on Microsoft Word. Sometimes students will sit in front of their laptop with a blank screen and a blank look. “I don’t know what to write” is usually the response when I ask a student about their progress. Reading essays from "Voices and Values" on smoking habits, bullying in school, mental illness, healthy eating, poverty, and technology has encouraged me to expand my own understanding of critical thinking and apply new tactics to my computer classes.
For example, when I read the essay “An Electronic Fog has Settled over America” with my advanced English learners, it encouraged a discussion about technology in schools. Many of my adult learners are parents and care takers of children, so when Saint Paul Public Schools rolled out the use of iPads in classrooms, my students encountered a new technology at home. In “An Electronic Fog” the author discusses his fears about his son's many hours spent glued to the television set; this lead into a conversation about control over electronic devices in the home. From the platform of a critical essay, my students have found more success in expressing their opinion, making comparisons, and—much to my delight—typing out their thoughts in Word or in a blog post.
It’s hard to create content from scratch—I know this and my students know this. When a person is offered some information to grow from their creativity expands and their ability to communicate flourishes. I was so excited to talk about creativity and digital literacy at the NDIA this past week. Critical Thinking looks different for each of my students. Having a common vocabulary and a shared experience (or shared text) to discuss makes discovery all the more meaningful.
I don’t need to look outside of my classroom for definitions and examples of critical thinking—I needed to adjust my perspective and recognize the contributions of my students. When we’re asking each other questions, relying on group members to solve problems, and using the computer as a tool, we’re all getting better together. Reading “Voices and Values” and applying some of the essays to my classes has encouraged me to make a shift in the way I teach. I don’t feel like the “purveyor of all knowledge” and I give more credit to the innate creativity and knowledge my learners have. So, I guess I’ve done a lot of critical thinking as well! Our discussions are less teacher-led and more learner-driven. I definitely recommend CTEP members who teach higher-English skilled learners to read this group of essays, or a similar compilation. It makes choosing a writing topic much more fun and provides each member of the class with an equitable starting point to develop their own ideas.
Along the way, I ended up discussing the concept of critical thinking with one of our evening instructors, Diane. She teaches English language learners how to prepare for college-level class discussions and assignments in a “College Readiness Academy” prep class at night. When she suggested that I read “Voices and Values, a Reader for Writers” edited by Janet M. Goldstein and Beth Johnson, I wasn’t necessarily sure why she recommended the text to me. “Voices and Values” is a dense compilation of short essays written to “celebrate human values” and highlights themes such as adversity, conflict, and community growth. While I was originally skeptical, I later understood that many of the essays could be used in a class discussion and prompted higher order critical thinking in both my students and myself as the teacher.
While preparing for the Net Inclusion panel I was moderately consumed with defining critical thinking and what it meant to me as a computer instructor and facilitator of classroom discussions. In several of my computer classes I have begun teaching longer writing units—fiction writing, scholarship essays, and expository personal stories all typed on Microsoft Word. Sometimes students will sit in front of their laptop with a blank screen and a blank look. “I don’t know what to write” is usually the response when I ask a student about their progress. Reading essays from "Voices and Values" on smoking habits, bullying in school, mental illness, healthy eating, poverty, and technology has encouraged me to expand my own understanding of critical thinking and apply new tactics to my computer classes.
For example, when I read the essay “An Electronic Fog has Settled over America” with my advanced English learners, it encouraged a discussion about technology in schools. Many of my adult learners are parents and care takers of children, so when Saint Paul Public Schools rolled out the use of iPads in classrooms, my students encountered a new technology at home. In “An Electronic Fog” the author discusses his fears about his son's many hours spent glued to the television set; this lead into a conversation about control over electronic devices in the home. From the platform of a critical essay, my students have found more success in expressing their opinion, making comparisons, and—much to my delight—typing out their thoughts in Word or in a blog post.
It’s hard to create content from scratch—I know this and my students know this. When a person is offered some information to grow from their creativity expands and their ability to communicate flourishes. I was so excited to talk about creativity and digital literacy at the NDIA this past week. Critical Thinking looks different for each of my students. Having a common vocabulary and a shared experience (or shared text) to discuss makes discovery all the more meaningful.
I don’t need to look outside of my classroom for definitions and examples of critical thinking—I needed to adjust my perspective and recognize the contributions of my students. When we’re asking each other questions, relying on group members to solve problems, and using the computer as a tool, we’re all getting better together. Reading “Voices and Values” and applying some of the essays to my classes has encouraged me to make a shift in the way I teach. I don’t feel like the “purveyor of all knowledge” and I give more credit to the innate creativity and knowledge my learners have. So, I guess I’ve done a lot of critical thinking as well! Our discussions are less teacher-led and more learner-driven. I definitely recommend CTEP members who teach higher-English skilled learners to read this group of essays, or a similar compilation. It makes choosing a writing topic much more fun and provides each member of the class with an equitable starting point to develop their own ideas.
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