Interpretations of Literacy Epistemologies

Short thoughts on the Interpretations of Literacy Epistemologies

Gee

Author's understanding of literacy--literacy is more than reading and writing...literacy is discourse, which is an identity kit. Primary discourse is unconsciously acquired/used to interact with family and the secondary discourse of school/job is consciously learned. You can't be truly literate unless you can function/use this secondary discourse. Literacy is the control of secondary use of language (i.e. uses of language in secondary discourses).
Give framework for literacy a label--literacy involves both learning and acquisition (a mixture). Need to put all skills to use.
Give an example of how this framework might be applied to some other type of data process/example--Instead of just reading a textbook and being quizzed on the material via exercises. Students can be given alternative sources such as stories, poems, plays, letters, newspapers, magazines, posters, menus to learn how to read. Read TESOL books have to use a lot of analysis to analyze what the article means by that author. You use both acquired and learned skills.

Freire and Macedo

Author's understanding of literacy---literacy is everything around you (a tool for reading the world)...the trees, the birds, etc. It's the relationship between text and context. Learning is done through relationships.
Give framework for literacy a label--reading the world (Vygotsky) through interaction/experiencing life.
Give an example of how this framework might be applied to some other type of data process/example---taught first year of high school...did not use diagrams and rules. Instead he taught them the significance of what they were reading. Instead they learned how language functioned by reading the text. Let them discover those rules by how they constructed what was being said.

Street

Author's understanding of literacy--Literacy is not just as set of uniform "technical skills" to be imparted by those who were lacking them--these groups have their own multiple literacies that are socially embedded. Literacy exists in every society/community. It is about knowledge--the ways that people address reading and writing are rooted in the conceptions of knowledge, identity, being. Communicative ways of thinking of reading and writing in cultural contexts.
Give framework for literacy a label--Respecting all literacies. In every community literacy does exist.
Give an example of how this framework might be applied to some other type of data process/example--recognizing local literacy practices. Research with instead of research on groups. Heath (1983) talks about different literacy practices in Black and White communities. Example--Black children using a cereal box to learn how to read when there were no books available in the home. Read to learn rather than learn to read.