Original:
Sponsors are an unavoidable aspect of literacy, as one cannot simply learn anything by themselves, but rather has to follow in the footsteps of another. Further on in Brandt’s article on sponsorship, she explains that “most of the time… literacy takes its shape from the interests of its sponsors. And… obligations toward one’s sponsors run deep, affecting what, why, and how people write and read” (168). Student’s heroes, teachers, and other influences bleed through into their expressions of literacy, correlating to the fact that these same people also create the meaningful turning points that result in an identity shift. In another example literacy narrative, “Turn Around”, written by Kayla Farrell, this sponsor influence is highlighted. In the opening line of her story she describes that she was “always a good little reader and writer in elementary school and middle school. I always loved to read with my parents when I was little” (Farrell), emphasizing the child prodigy identity. Later, after being taught by a Mr Stritch she explained that “everything I did in that class was never good enough, I always got negative feedback, red x’s, and bad grades in his class. It just seemed to slowly eat away at any confidence in writing that I had leftover” (Farrell), illuminating her transition into a victim identity. Lastly, years after her experience, Kayla realized that “getting constructive criticism from other students has just helped my writing in more ways than I can explain” (Farrell), completing her transformation into a success identity. Kayla’s identity was her own until she was introduced to a sponsor, albeit not a great one, Mr Strich, whose influence triggered an identity shift. Her teacher acted as a “withholder”, limiting her academic growth, but eventually still causing a positive response. Even years after her class spent with Mr Strich, his significance still remains in her mind, and her teacher’s negative criticism paved the way for Kayla’s high value of positive criticism. As we already know however, a sponsor does not necessarily have to have a negative effect on those they sponsor.
Revised:
Sponsors are an unavoidable aspect of literacy, as one cannot simply learn anything by themselves, but rather has to follow in the footsteps of another. Furthermore, these sponsors have a huge impact on those they sponsor’s life as well as literacy narratives. Further on in Brandt’s article on sponsorship, she explains that “most of the time… literacy takes its shape from the interests of its sponsors. And… obligations toward one’s sponsors run deep, affecting what, why, and how people write and read” (168). Student’s heroes, teachers, and other influences bleed through into their expressions of literacy, correlating to the fact that these same people also create the meaningful turning points that result in an identity shift. In another example literacy narrative, “Turn Around”, written by Kayla Farrell, this sponsor influence is highlighted. In the opening line of her story she describes that she was “always a good little reader and writer in elementary school and middle school. I always loved to read with my parents when I was little” (Farrell), emphasizing the child prodigy identity. Later, after being taught by a Mr Stritch she explained that “everything I did in that class was never good enough, I always got negative feedback, red x’s, and bad grades in his class. It just seemed to slowly eat away at any confidence in writing that I had leftover” (Farrell), illuminating her transition into a victim identity. Lastly, years after her experience, Kayla realized that “getting constructive criticism from other students has just helped my writing in more ways than I can explain” (Farrell), completing her transformation into a success identity. Kayla’s identity was her own until she was introduced to a sponsor, albeit not a great one, Mr Strich, whose influence triggered an identity shift. Her teacher acted as a “withholder”, limiting her academic growth, but eventually still causing a positive response. Even years after her class spent with Mr Strich, his significance still remains in her mind, and her teacher’s negative criticism paved the way for Kayla’s high value of positive criticism. As we already know however, a sponsor does not necessarily have to have a negative effect on those they sponsor.
Original:
From the pages of a third literacy narrative written by Evan Dodge, titled “The Rollercoaster”, it is obvious that he had a vastly different but comparably alike experience to Kayla. Dodge described his early school years, beginning his journey with a victim identity: “I don’t remember any specifics of what books I did the reports on. For me all I remember is that they were painful” (Dodge). In his junior year of highschool, he shifted to a success identity, explaining that “…my teacher, Steve Dreher, coached me in writing…[and] my english support teacher, Matt McDonald, helped me make my essays more complex with thoughts and more intense. Those two together made me feel confident in my writing” (Dodge). Unfortunately, due to a rude and highly inadequate teacher, Mr Gallo, he slipped backwards into his previous victim identity. Dodge highlighted this experience when he explained that “…[Mr Gallo] told me that I was going to be a ditch digger when I grew up and amount to nothing. I was hurt. He took it too far. I then lost a lot of confidence in my academics as a whole” (Dodge). The appropriately titled narrative lends itself perfectly to the pattern previously mentioned. His positive transformation was only created because of the aid of two teachers acting as “facilitators”, boosting both his literacy skills and his confidence. Similarly, his negative downturn came about as a result of Mr Gallo’s unnecessarily harsh work as a “withholder”. Furthermore, the opposing good and bad landmarks throughout Dodge’s educational experience crafted his journey along the path of the acquisition of literacy, which without outside interference, would most likely have been inherently negative based on his starting point. His identity shifts shaped him into the reader, the writer, and the person he is today, and the specifics of said shifts are what left him in a distinctively different position from that of both Hannah and Kayla.
Revised:
The impact sponsors have on identity shifts is very similar with both positive and negative literacy narratives and English experiences. From the pages of a third literacy narrative written by Evan Dodge, titled “The Rollercoaster”, it is obvious that he had a vastly different but comparably alike experience to Kayla. Dodge described his early school years, beginning his journey with a victim identity: “I don’t remember any specifics of what books I did the reports on. For me all I remember is that they were painful” (Dodge). In his junior year of highschool, he shifted to a success identity, explaining that “…my teacher, Steve Dreher, coached me in writing…[and] my english support teacher, Matt McDonald, helped me make my essays more complex with thoughts and more intense. Those two together made me feel confident in my writing” (Dodge). Unfortunately, due to a rude and highly inadequate teacher, Mr Gallo, he slipped backwards into his previous victim identity. Dodge highlighted this experience when he explained that “…[Mr Gallo] told me that I was going to be a ditch digger when I grew up and amount to nothing. I was hurt. He took it too far. I then lost a lot of confidence in my academics as a whole” (Dodge). The appropriately titled narrative lends itself perfectly to the pattern previously mentioned. His positive transformation was only created because of the aid of two teachers acting as “facilitators”, boosting both his literacy skills and his confidence. Similarly, his negative downturn came about as a result of Mr Gallo’s unnecessarily harsh work as a “withholder”. Furthermore, the opposing good and bad landmarks throughout Dodge’s educational experience crafted his journey along the path of the acquisition of literacy, which without outside interference, would most likely have been inherently negative based on his starting point. His identity shifts shaped him into the reader, the writer, and the person he is today, and the specifics of said shifts are what left him in a distinctively different position from that of both Hannah and Kayla.
