Blog 13

 I wanted to talk about Bastian's piece about bringing the funk back into the classroom because she brought up another important classroom issue. While I had talked about how code-meshing will help students get past their language insecurities, there was something I had also never thought of, the conventions of a writing classroom. She talks about the importance of teaching students to take risks in the classroom because it can enhance their ability to think critically and authentically. Like what I said, code-meshing will do for students whose first language is not Dominant American English. She talks about how students are way too accustomed to making safe choices and sticking to what is appropriate for a classroom environment- that the standard has been so rigidly set, it hinders creativity. when she mentioned some of the activities she did, like having the students draw or having them do a multimodal project where they have the freedom to choose their medium, they were all perplexed. While some did take risks, most did what they had known could not go wrong. I could identify with that because I would have been the student to look around before I started drawing to make sure I hear the instruction right. I would have been afraid to take risks because I am so hell-bent on getting things right, I would feel like my risk is wrong. That goes beyond my language barrier, and this time, I am trying to please my teacher by looking like what an academic is supposed to look like or putting out what I think academics put out. And that is not ok because how much more groundbreaking could I have been if I took risks? If I was not worried about my language or being a "good student." Classroom conventions are just as hindering as language difference if you ask me, and I think her idea of changing conventions and for the teacher to be the first one to take the risks in retaliating against the boring stasis of a writing class and taking risks herself first to inspire creativity in her students in NECESSARY! I liked this a lot! There is a lot we need to do to make school a place that breeds thinkers and innovators, not gears being oiled to be parts of machines.