Note from: Ms. C.
As time has progressed and technology has forced us to utilize other forms of language to express our thoughts and ideas, many new concepts encompass the value and merit of text. What is text? Text is an author’s whimsical idea transposed into words. Text are the ingredients that are included in my mother’s extremely spicy Chile- Rellenos. Text is the unbreakable patriotic piece of artistic history that binds us through freedom, called the Constitution. Text is an ambiguous term and holds no true definition. This concept presented a halt in my research, for the numerous definitions of text. So, which definition of text is applicable to my area of study?

Literate Culture
My area of study deals with educating and shaping the young minds of tomorrow. Therefore, text, to me, is knowledge on paper. Text provides knowledge and understanding. There are times when people have a difficult time expressing their emotions. Then, to them, text can be used as a source of relief. Obviously, this concept, we call text, can be used in a variety of ways. According to the dictionary, text is defined as, the original words and form of a written or printed work. In my opinion, “original words” is the key phrase here because you are expressing your own “original” thoughts. Here, text is expression. As a teacher, I will use text when I am writing information on the blackboard, making lesson plans, and grading papers. Text will, therefore, be a part of my daily routine. Students will come ask me for assistance on their assignments, and I will have to be able to provide them with substantial text in order to help them. I can use text to discipline my students, or I can use text to complement my students.

Text can convey a message to a thousand readers and be interpreted a thousand different ways. The multitude of definitions surrounding the denotations and connotations of text present a vicious cycle when trying to weigh the differences. An area that’s seems problematic is trying promote text as a necessary tool for survival to students who struggle with text.

The Oral Culture, historically, came before written text was utilized to communicate. Many of the under-privileged and lower income students that I will inevitably teach have learned to communicate through the oral culture alone. Communicating on the streets or in the “barrio” not just thoroughly, but with a sense of style, is easy. Students today learn to speak “slang” and “Ebonics” and bring an unofficial language into the classroom. How do I present text in a formable method of understanding? Communicating text to English speaking students, who evolved their language into a new type of English and not to exclude those who do not speak English as their native tongue, makes my job as an English teacher challenging.

The beauty of text is it ability to take on an array of forms. Text is written and then digested by the reader. My plan to manipulate text relies on the digestive section of the process. Text can be transformed back into the Oral Culture when it is read aloud. This method of approach targets auditory learners. More specifically, I could teach or re-teach students the correct sounds of the alphabet. Text can be seen as pictures and aesthetic learners would benefit. I could have student reconstruct text in a variety of creative forms and reach kinesthetic learners. Text is art.

Many say that art is a universal language. Art speaks to and conveys a message unique to each individual. Text is a form of life and I plan to use text as art in my classroom. One word can have a thousand meanings, much like a hanging piece of art work. I plan to convey a thousand meanings to my students with the power of one word.