Tiffany comments

Good: a branch on a primary source and one on the common core. Patterns are good, but they would benefit from more details

Needs improvement: level of detail in data collation, encounters as a means of connection

Mega So What

Common Core

Literacy seems to be about how the effects of economics determines accessibility to varied works of literature. But what it's really about is how the influence of politics decides what and how literacy is valued.

Northanger Abbey

• Literacy standards highlight the growing complexity of texts students must read to be ready for the demands of college, life, career
• they intentionally do not include a required reading list, deferring majority of decisions about what/how to teach to states, districts/schools and teachers.
• research shows that while complexity of reading demands for college and career have steadily risen, the complexity of texts students are exposed to has steadily decreased
• standards emphasize to become college ready students must grapple with works of exceptional craft and thought whose ranges extends across genres, cultures and centuries.

Research has shown that the need for increased complexity of text in grades 6-12 is imperative for students to be ready for the demands of college, career and life. Common Core claims that their standards intentionally do not include required reading lists and that these decisions about how/what will be taught will be deferred to states, districts/schools and teachers. This reveals an interesting anomaly in that while Common Core is suggesting that "deferring" the majority of decisions to state and local leadership (politics), those entities will determine what and how literacy in valued.

• Catherine states "new books do not fall on us
• Isabella introduces Catherine to Udolpho

Brewer

• How does the growing complexity of texts modify what exactly students will be exposed to?
• To what extent will deferring the majority of decisions (to state/local authorities) replace/change what decision making processes are currently in place? It seems that this will be "return of autonomy", which has been absent from the current processes.
• To what extent across genres, cultures and centuries will replace/change what students will grapple in?

The theme of social class in Northanger Abbey reveals that those with money not only have access to varied works of literature but value literature/literacy differently versus those in lesser economic and social standings. Brewer reinforces the point about accessibility to varied works in his claim about intensive vs. extensive reading. Austen illustrates the issue of accessibility when Isabella chides Catherine on her opinion of what she considered to be worthwhile literature, thus introducing her to Udolpho. This pattern is not only part of an economic system, but a political system as well. The politics of society is what shaped Catherine's idea of what was worthwhile, valued literature.

• claims that intensive reading takes place in societies where there are few books, while extensive reading is the consequence of varied available works.

• Who and what determines how literacy is valued?
• Who determines what literacy is?

Metacommentary

metacommentary