  First day of class! What an extraordinary group of individuals! Each person, expressing so many interesting viewpoints from diverse contexts, contributed to a look at the fascinating paradoxes in education. Can we connect some of the themes? Go to the urlLink on-line textbook to view the first link called “Context.” You can surf the four topics, gender, age, multicultural, language, to uncover what language theorists are saying about literacy. Here is what I wonder. If spoken word is such a vital part of our linguistic heritage and given that we are such social beings (Vygotsky), why does our teaching in the 21st Century continue to be so didactic – so 19th Century? According to statistics, the ratio between teacher and pupil talk shows that teachers are relentless in doing most of the talking! That does not sound very sociable (would we expect a party host to do all the talking? ) neither does it seem opportune since communication appears to be unidirectional! How droll is that? A few of the following themes that arose from our introductions may lead us to unraveling the paradoxes: (1) cultural attitudes and values (including parental, teen, administrative, teacher, government), (2) the teacher identity and sense of belonging crisis that ensues from questions like, “Why am I not taken seriously or valued?” – “What am I/they doing here?” – “What am I doing this for?” – “Do I make any difference?” – “Why is the system so slow to change?” – "What is the meaning of life?
" Okay…so that last question is a bit too unwieldy. Still it holds a peculiar significance in the world of literacy insofar as what we value and the language we use are inexorably linked.
You most likely empathized, as I did, with a number of concerns that were voiced – and found some to be even more personally relevant than others. Yet, despite the numerous subject areas, patterns were evident. And there was an interesting undercurrent – a “ground” as it were – that may recede from our immediate view but that somehow connects all of these issues (i.e., “figures”). What are your thoughts? 
