Preh Cee # 3

A.J. Pallante
Prof. Boland
English 329
5 March 4, 2009

Precis #3

Haas, Christina. “Learning to Read Biology: One Student’s Rhetorical Development in
College.” Literacy: A Critical Sourcebook. Cushman, Ellen et al, eds. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s. 2001.

Of the many ways to study\draw conclusions about the acquisition of literacy, the most successful consists of observation and interpretation. Christina Haas, in “Learning to Read Biology: One Student’s Rhetorical Development in College,” presents her conclusions and insights gained from monitoring “Eliza,” through four consecutive collegiate years. Before introducing the reader to Eliza, Haas begins “at the college level, to become literate is in many ways to learn patterns of knowing about, and behaving toward, texts within a disciplinary field (Haas 358). This is important to recognize, as it serves as a reminder that pursuit of literacy is never finished, it is constant and unending. Though it may seem that once a student enters college he or she does not need to strive to maintain literacy, as if he or she has arrived at an ultimate understanding. However, this could not be further from the truth. In an institution where education is held to a higher standard, the requirements for literacy are also held to the same standards, requiring more practice. To measure this endeavor, Hass “focused primarily on her [Eliza’s] reading processes and practices (Haas 360).
As Haas followed Eliza through freshman, sophomore, junior and senior year, Haas made some interesting observations concerning how Eliza processed and understood text. Haas found that during Eliza’s freshmen year “her [Eliza’s] processes consisted of mostly linear reading […] if she had trouble comprehending, her strategy was usually to reread, and she made extensive use of a highlighter, sometimes marking whole paragraphs […]” (Haas 363). Throughout the observation Haas was permitted to observe Eliza’s growth as a student, concluding with senior year where “Eliza […] now spent a great deal of time and effort going over figures and tables in texts as she read […] she also exhibited a greater awareness of the intertextual nature of discourse” (Haas 368). Though the study was conducted over a series of years, one can see Eliza’s growth when her freshmen and senior year are held in comparison. From this Haas concludes that “indeed, it is interesting to contemplate how different our views of students might be, and how our teaching might differ as well, if we were able to learn about our students over a period of years rather than weeks” (Haas 375).
Though teaching is an important endeavor, equally important is the capability to remain realistic. When examined in terms of time, the given hours we have with students pale in comparison to the hours students spend on their own, developing their own theories. This said, it is important to understand that, though we as teachers can teach our students some concepts, it is impossible to teach them all the concepts expected of them to learn. By recognizing this, in accordance with the short amount of time allotted in the classroom, it becomes necessary to then focus on growth and accomplishment, rather than amount, quality over quantity.