Critiquing Whole Language and Classroom Inquiry. WLU Series. INSTITUTION National Council of Teachers of English, Urbana, IL

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Critiquing Whole Language and Classroom Inquiry. WLU Series. INSTITUTION National Council of Teachers of English, Urbana, IL DOCUMENT RESUME ED 454 520 CS 217 586 AUTHOR Boran, Sibel, Ed.; Comber, Barbara, Ed. TITLE Critiquing Whole Language and Classroom Inquiry. WLU Series. INSTITUTION National Council of Teachers of English, Urbana, IL. ISBN ISBN-0-8141-2342-2 PUB DATE 2001-00-00 NOTE 352p. AVAILABLE FROM National Council of Teachers of English, 1111 W. Kenyon Road, Urbana, IL 61801-1096 (Stock No. 23422-3050: $28.95 members; $38.95, nonmembers). Tel: 800-369-6283; Web site http://www.ncte.org. PUB TYPE Collected Works General (020) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC15 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Critical Reading; Elementary Education; *Inquiry; *Literacy; Multicultural Education; *Politics of Education; Reading Instruction; *Whole Language Approach; Writing Instruction; Writing Workshops IDENTIFIERS *Critical Inquiry; Social Justice ABSTRACT This book, part of the Whole Language Umbrella Series, offers a critical reexamination of "inquiry" and "whole language" as tools for rethinking literacy, schooling, and humanistic citizenship in the complexities of today's multicultural world. The essays in the book explore the political implications of literacy theories and practices by asking what kinds of inquiries promote or hinder the acquisition of literacies as tools for envisioning, critically exploring, and reconstructing knowledge and societies that are socially just. After an introduction ("The Inquirers and Their Questions" by the editors), essays in the book are:(1) "What Education as Inquiry Is and Isn't" (Jerome C. Harste); (2) "Curriculum as Inquiry" (Kathy G. Short and Carolyn L. Burke); (3)"The Journey from Pedagogy to Politics: Taking Whole Language Seriously" (Susan M. Church); (4) "What's It Going To Be?" (Patrick Shannon); (5) "Critical Inquiry or Safe Literacies: Who's Allowed To Ask Which Questions?" (Barbara Comber); (6) "Writing for Critical Democracy: Student Voice and Teacher Practice in the Writing Workshop" (Timothy J. Lensmire);(7) "Classrooms in the Community: From Curriculum to Pedagogy" (Timothy Shannon and Patrick Shannon); (8) "'I Knew That Already': How Children's Books Limit Inquiry" (Jennifer O'Brien); (9) "Examining Poverty and Literacy in Our Schools: Janice's Story" (Connie L. White);(10) "Classroom Inquiry into the Incidental Unfolding of Social Justice Issues: Seeking Out Possibilities in the Lives of Learners" (Vivian Vasquez); (11) "Our Kinds of Questions You Wouldn't Find in a Book" (Robyn Jenkin);(12) "Young Researchers in Action" (David Wray, Maureen Lewis, with Carolyn Cox);(13) "Different Cultural Views of Whole Language" (Lee Gunderson); and (14) "Inviting Reflective Global Inquiries: Politicizing Multicultural Literature, Mediated Student Voices, and English Literacies" (Sibel Boran). (RS) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. oCriV u;Fn Whoic2), Cana ane Cla E7D In 44 y Sibel PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS Boran BEEN GRANTED BY and M. Barbara TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES Comber INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) BEST COPY AVAILABLE 1 2 CRITIQUING WHOLE LANGUAGE AND CLASSROOM INQUIRY 0 U WLU Series Whole Language Umbrella The Whole Language Umbrella, an organization within the National Council of Teachers of English, is composed of language arts educators and others who view whole language as a dynamic philosophy of education. Through this series, WLU encourages discussion of critical issues within whole language, including promoting and disseminating research on whole language and facilitating collaboration among teachers, researchers, parents, administrators, and teacher educators. Series Co-editors: David E. Freeman, Fresno Pacific College, and Yvonne S. Freeman, Fresno Pacific College WLU Executive Board: Gerald R. Og lan, President, Wayne State University, Detroit; Stephen Hornstein, President-Elect, St. Cloud University, Minnesota; Kittye Copeland, Past-President, Vancouver, Washington; Judy Kelly, Secretary/Treasurer, Lincoln Elementary, Monroe, Michigan; Peggy Albers, Georgia State University, Atlanta; Amy Seely Flint, Language Education, Bloomington, Indiana; Barbara Bell, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, North Carolina; Gail Heald-Taylor, University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada; Bobbi Jentes Mason, Fresno Pacific College, California; Carol Myers, Ashford, South Australia; Linda M. Cameron, University of Toronto, Canada; Robert C. Wortman, Elizabeth Borton Magnet Elementary, Tucson, Arizona; Brian Cambourne, University of Wollongong, Australia Volumes in the Series Beyond Reading and Writing: Inquiry, Curriculum, and Multiple Ways of Knowing (2000), Beth Berghoff, Kathryn A. Egawa, Jerome C. Harste, and Barry T. Hoonan Parent to Parent: Our Children, Their Literacy (2001), Gerald R. Oglan and Averil Elcombe Critiquing Whole Language and Classroom Inquiry (2001), Sibel Boran and Barbara Comber 4 Critiquing Whole Language and Classroom Inquiry Edited by SIBEL BORAN University of Wisconsin Oshkosh BARBARA COMBER University of South Australia National Council of Teachers of English 1111 W. Kenyon Road, Urbana, Illinois 61801-1096 NCTE EDITORIAL BOARD: Pat Cordeiro, Bobbi Fisher, Xin Liu Gale, Sarah Hudelson, Bill McBride, Al leen Pace Nilsen, Helen Poole, Jerrie Cobb Scott, Karen Smith, Chair, ex officio, Peter Feely, ex officio Staff Editor: Bonny Graham Interior Design: Jenny Jensen Greenleaf Cover Design: Evelyn C. Shapiro NCTE Stock Number: 23422-3050 ©2001 by the National Council of Teachers of English. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or trans- mitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including pho- tocopy, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the copyright holder. Printed in the United States of America. It is the policy of NCTE in its journals and other publications to provide a forum for the open discussion of ideas concerning the content and the teach- ing of English and the language arts. Publicity accorded to any particular point of view does not imply endorsement by the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors, or the membership at large, except in announcements of policy, where such endorsement is clearly specified. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Critiquing whole language and classroom inquiry / edited by Sibel Boran, Barbara Comber. p. cm. (WLU series) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-8141-2342-2 (pbk.) 1. Language experience approach in education.I. Boran, Sibel. II. Comber, Barbara. III. Series LB1576 .C785 2001 372.6dc21 2001030580 "NO CONTENTS INTRODUCTION: THE INQUIRERS AND THEIR QUESTIONS yid Sibel Boran and Barbara Comber 1 What Education as Inquiry Is and Isn't Jerome C. Harste 1 2 Curriculum as Inquiry Kathy G. Short and Carolyn L. Burke 18 3 The Journey from Pedagogy to Politics: Taking Whole Language Seriously Susan M. Church 42 4 What's It Going to Be? Patrick Shannon 59 5 Critical Inquiry or Safe Literacies: Who's Allowed to Ask Which Questions? Barbara Comber 81 6 Writing for Critical Democracy: Student Voice and Teacher Practice in the Writing Workshop Timothy J. Lensmire 103 7 Classrooms in the Community: From Curriculum to Pedagogy Timothy Shannon and Patrick Shannon 123 8 "I Knew That Already": How Children's Books Limit Inquiry Jennifer O'Brien 142 9 Examining Poverty and Literacy in Our Schools: Janice's Story Connie L. White 169 10 Classroom Inquiry into the Incidental Unfolding of Social Justice Issues: Seeking Out Possibilities in the Lives of Learners Vivian Vasquez 200 7 Contents 11 Our Kinds of Questions You Wouldn't Find in a Book Robyn Jenkin 216 12 Young Researchers in Action David Wray, Maureen Lewis, with Carolyn Cox 229 13 Different Cultural Views of Whole Language Lee Gunderson 242 14 Inviting Reflective Global Inquiries: Politicizing Multicultural Literature, Mediated Student Voices, and English Literacies Sibel Boran 272 INDEX 315 EDITORS 327 CONTRIBUTORS 329 vi 8 INTRODUCTION The Inquirers and Their Questions SIBEL BORAN University of Wisconsin Oshkosh BARBARA COMBER University of South Australia progressive movements in education, including whole language and inquiry, have reached a point where they must interro- gate their own claims about and effects on the educational out- comes of diverse groups of students. It is no longer enough to assert a radical politics in comparison with proponents of trans- mission models of teaching. If these theories and associated forms of practice are to remain powerful and credible for educators, we must address their limitations and, where necessary, reinvent them in order to be able to demonstrate real learning improvements for socioeconomically and culturally diverse young people. This volume offers a critical reexamination of "inquiry" and "whole language" as tools for rethinking literacy, schooling, and human- istic citizenship in the complexities of today's multicultural world. We ask: What constitutes inquiry? What should young people inquire about in school? How can teachers assist young people to become critical inquirers? We examine the cultural politics of inquiry within global contexts of increasingly multicultural, En-
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