POST #6: Cross-Text-Conversations

YDEV 501


WEEK 6: Cross-Text-Conversations
 

Introduction
 
This week's reading and video assignments enlightened me on what it takes to become (or be considered as) expert youth workers and the power/ ability they have in making an impact on the individuals they work with and support. In addition to this, I learned how language is a powerful medium for teaching and depending on how we use it, can be seen as effective/ helpful but also harmful. Another interesting refresher I got from this week's assignments is being aware on how language, race and power are all interconnected and can be seen, used and highlighted depending on what language you use and what the color of your skin is.
In this blog post, I've selected some key points and learnings I got from the different materials and how such selections and topics are aligned and related to each other.
 
What are the common points?
1. Personal Knowledge
 
This illustration shows how Laurie Ross' article about the importance of personal knowledge is utilized by Priya and Shirley on how they arrived at effectively communicating and teaching their students. Also, how Jamila Lyiscott used her personal knowledge in coming up with her 5 paradigm principles on liberation literacies. They are effective teacher and youth workers as they've made meaning of their own life story, have engaged in self-reflection to understand their own biases and preconceived notions about young people, and have synthesized social learning from accumulated life experiences with formal education.
 
 
2. Language
 
 
This illustration shows how language can be used as both a helpful/ effective tool for teaching and a harmful way of promoting racism and isolation of certain types of people. This shows how language is so universal and powerful and can connect people from different backgrounds if used appropriately. I also couldn't help but notice how hip-hop is widely used as a way of teaching and communicating to kids (particularly people of color). How Priya and Jessica uses it as a medium of teaching as well as Jamila Lyiscott in her 5 minute TED talk video -- how she used hip hop to convey her message to the audience. It really stuck out and made a huge impact on me mainly because she used hip-hop and music to find words to express her emotions as a form of lecture.

Comments

  1. CarinaSOctober 6, 2019 at 6:44 PM

    Very powerful. Thank you for sharing Jim, the way that you explained the readings and videos are effective, and clear. We as youth workers, we need to try to go back in time and see ourself in that teen (s) that struggle each day. We need to try to see and understand their own life story, engage with them, and apply our self-reflection so we can be capable to advocate, and to provide for the young people and community that we served.

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