Week 2: Ms. Kang MC

When one is illiterate, when it comes to reading out, he or she is generally too shy to say anything, esp. in front of many people, or to refuse to read a book. In addition, when he or she takes an order, he or she just says, “I’ll have the same.” like shifting responsibility to someone. In a movie, when Hannah was questioned in a court about what she did to the Jewish, she was in a trouble. That was about who was the writer of the document. 5 out of the guards pointed out that she was the representative among them and she did it. She said no, but when a judge ordered her to write her signature, she hesitated for a while, she admitted that it was hers. At last she was sentenced to life. At least, if she knew how to read and write, she didn’t get such a sentence. Since Michael watched the whole proceeding as a law school student, he realized that she was illiterate. While she was in the prison, he started to read books again, record them, and send them to her. At first, she seemed a little bit embarrassed, later she liked to listen to it. As time went by, she wanted to read alphabet, I think that she wanted to correspond with him. So she borrowed one book from the library, came back to her room, and started to listen to that story. When she listened to the title again and again, she counted the words; she came to know the word “the”. And she circled that word in the written text. In this way, she taught herself how to read and write, she began to write a letter to him. Plus, for her studying, she practiced to write many times. As a whole, the story was sad, but I was happy that she was not illiterate any more. But this movie reminded me of one of my students. Actually I’m not his homeroom teacher, but this year I taught him how to read and write for 2 months as a volunteer. When he visited me, I talked about how awful illiteracy was. Fortunately, he could read a little bit, but not fluency. At the time, I tried to give him compliments to encourage him. But my busy life made me stop seeing him any longer. I hope that he will gain good feeling from reading fluency. 

 

=> Ms. Kang

Thank you for the good work as always. I highlighted your understanding of illiteracy as I agree with you. How sad it would be to be unable to read ...

 

I am quite impressed that you shared your personal experience with a student that you helped to teach how to read. You are connecting what you have learned in this class with what you experienced in your real life. I respect your attitude. Thank you.