Reductive literacies : ethnographic vignettes of content area classes for middle school Latino/a students

Abstract

Este texto se presentó como comunicación al II Congreso Internacional de Etnografía y Educación: Migraciones y Ciudadanías. Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, 5-8 Septiembre 2008.

The statistics on the educational outcomes of Latino/s students at the secondary level tell a dreary tale or underachievement and attrition. Even if "accurate," the tale conjured lacks specificity and provides no counter-narratives. Several studies have already pointed out the misgivings in the educational experiences of Latino/a students' across schools in the United States, but few draw on long-term, ethnographic data that include systematic observations of middle school classrooms. Drawing on a theoretical framework that combines a Freirian perspective, adolescente literacy and new literacy studies, this article reports on ethnographic findings across 7th and 8th grade classroom during an entire academic year, shadowing two immigrant students from the Dominican Republic. Ethnographic vignettes across content classes provide illustrative glimpses into the missed opportunities for content literacy and second language development across such classes. The findings convey a chilling picture of the growing failure of our educational system to meet the complex educational needs of Latino/a students-the fastest-growing segment of our population. The author provides alternative possibilities based on what has been suggested in the practice-oriented research literature. Implications for educational policy, teacher-preparation programs, and future research are addressed.