ERIC Number: EJ792016
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008-May
Pages: 10
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0360-9170
EISSN: N/A
Community Collaboration Using a Unique Gallery as a Literacy Resource
Voelker, Anita N.
Language Arts, v85 n5 p366-375 May 2008
According to van der Pluijm (2006), an ecological community occurs when interacting groups, living in the same area, are joined together by the set of connections. This definition implies a symbiotic relationship and the acknowledgment that what affects one member or part of the community also affects the others. When the interconnections are overlooked, resources are under-utilized or become tainted. In much the same way, literacy communities are bound together, but often unaware of the connection. Unfortunately, when this occurs, literacy resources within the community often go unnoticed and untapped. For example, local colleges and universities have rich and distinctive resources, such as galleries, extensive library collections, and regional museums. In this article, I discuss how three literacy groups in our community (i.e., a classroom of fourth grade students along with their teacher and school librarian, a college library, and a group of pre-service elementary education majors) became an ecological community. In the process, we joined together and learned new literacy practices (i.e., viewing art as literacy and literacy as art) through a previously untapped community resource: Wynken, Blynken, and Nod along with a few other literary childhood friends who were "hanging" out in a unique local gallery. (Contains 6 figures.)
Descriptors: Museums, Grade 4, Shared Resources and Services, Educational Resources, Exhibits, Art Appreciation, Visual Literacy, Partnerships in Education, Collegiality, Outdoor Education, Phenomenology, Teaching Experience
National Council of Teachers of English. 1111 West Kenyon Road, Urbana, IL 61801-1096. Tel: 877-369-6283; Tel: 217-328-3870; Web site: http://www.ncte.org/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Education; Grade 4
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A