I am a reader who…
- gets distracted easily.
- loves discussing what I’ve read in a group, sometimes more than I enjoy actually reading it.
- sometimes finds it difficult to enter the frame of mind necessary to read a text for a class assignment.
- Googles unfamiliar concepts or phrases.
- rarely reads in a linear fashion, even with “linear” texts.
- loves experimental/non-traditional storytelling methods or textual styles.
- seeks connections to a story and its characters.
- sympathizes with authors and characters.
- expects a high level of linguistic fluency (spelling, grammar, syntax, etc).
- enjoys hearing about others’ reading and learning styles—they often help me better understand my own.
As I write these, I can’t help but think that I fit squarely into the “community-based literacies” camp, also described as “engaged learning” by Alexander and Fox. Even in my earliest education, my learning process has always been defined clearly by my environment—by my context as a student. As I alluded to in the above list, I absorb more from in-class discussions than I do from the actual reading process. I’m eager to hear what other people have to say about a text, and I’m also eager (perhaps too eager, at times) to share my thoughts as well and place them in the context of the class and ultimately, the overall community.
It’s also worth noting that my reading style has been heavily influenced by new technology—more specifically, the web. Hypertext has caused me to expect almost all reading to be easily cross-referenced, interactive, and my mind tends to wander when it’s not (in the case of a printed article or a book, for example). This proliferation of and transformation by technology is one of the guiding principles of the “Era of Engaged Learning” according to Alexander and Fox.
As a sidenote: It might be a bit premature, but I’d be willing to bet that the majority of this class will also claim “allegiance” to the community-based literacies camp, simply because it is the educational style that we’ve been subjected to for most of our student careers.
