Literature for Education: People in Jail - Assignment Example

INTRODUCTION We have learned to appreciate literature in the sense that it represents our different personalities. Our stories are told in every literary works with which each of us is able to relate. Literature expresses the deepest feelings that even we cannot put into words. We can tell everyone our deepest secrets without uttering even a word. We get in touch with our deepest personal emotions through literature. These characteristics of literature are maybe the reasons why even the people without formal education appreciate it as much as any one of us. Unlike any other subjects taught in a formal school, literature need not extra effort in understanding each piece. However, a better understanding of each literary piece could be achieved such that you have a whole lot of experiences that you can share with each character in every story that you read. But how does literature gets in touch with our own individualities How does each literary piece creates a connection even to the people with the lowest level of education What makes it an effective tool for education people in jail Essence of Literature Looking at a concrete definition of literature, one site says that "Literature is literally "an acquaintance with letters" as in the first sense given in the Oxford English Dictionary (from the Latin littera meaning "an individual written character (letter)"). The term has generally come to identify a collection of texts. The word "literature" as a common noun can refer to any form of writing, such as essays or poetry; "Literature" as a proper noun refers to a whole body of literary work, world-wide or relating to a specific culture" (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literature, 2006). This definition then, enables us to realize that literature is a combination of two tasks - serve as a source of entertainment for those who loves to write and read, and act as a material for educating people particularly about cultures, traditions, and even people of some areas or countries. Anybody can enjoy literature and everybody can be benefited from the kind of education offered by literature. EDUCATION IN JAIL Most prisoners in state correctional institutions should be able to take college courses. Education is one way to keep them from lapsing back into the criminal life after they've been released. Connecticut has spent nearly $1 billion on its prisons in the past 20 years, in large part because the same people keep getting sent back. A legislative study two years ago found that 70 percent of released inmates were arrested for at least one new crime within three years. State Rep. Robert Farr of West Hartford, who has studied the problem, estimates that the state's criminal justice system mostly exists for one percent of the state's population - 30,000 to 35,000 people who keep rotating through the courts and prisons. He and others conclude that the way to reduce this social and financial burden is to attack recidivism - the tendency to relapse into a previous undesirable type of behavior, especially crime (www.encarta.com). One way to do that is with education. A 2001 study by the nonprofit Correctional Education Association of 3,200 inmates in three states found significantly lower rates of recidivism among those who had taken part in prison education programs. In Maryland, one of the three states, recidivism dropped 20 percent. This saved $24 million, twice the state's investment in prison education. (http://www.hartfordinfo.org/issues/documents/ prisonerre-entry/htfd_courant_030605.asp) Providing them the right education that they need will not only help the government minimize its expenses, but it will at the same time help these people become better persons who trust in themselves to become somebody else but "criminals." But education in jail should not alone focus on allowing these people learn about any other college or university lessons. They should as well be educated about the things that they need more than just any college education - that is inspiring them to become a different person when they get out of jail. The education that they need must go beyond what anyone of us "outside" used to have. What they need is a realization that they deserve to live better than just within the four walls of their jail quarters. On the other hand, the teaching profession is not an easy task. Dedication and love of the profession are important. But you'll need to gather enough courage and strength to handle any unexpected situations to the profession to be able to taste its sweet reward. Moreover, the idea of teaching in jail may be even more discouraging for basically almost every educator. The reasons for such are not mainly because your students may not be able to learn, or that you may find it hard teaching these people in jail. It is the fear of being rejected by these people that might even lead you to rejecting yourself as an effective educator as well. We fear that we might not be able to establish a connection between these people whom other people do trust. But, what is it really that we can do to make them feel that you do care for them, as an educator, that you understand them and that you are willing to help them become educated people LITERATURE IN JAIL EDUCATION Literature's capability of enhancing creative imagination and imparting knowledge on its readers make it probably the best teaching instrument for jail education. Because of its wide variety of topics and issues being talked about, its readers get a good grasp of the essence of life. The study of literature does not only focus on the reading aspect of education, but its interpretative nature as well. On this note, one cannot fully understand what a particular literary piece means unless he had a better understanding of himself and the world around him. In addition, literature also assumes the different nature of men and its environment. This nature of literature allows us to become one with the person who has a responsibility to his society, to nature, as well as to himself. The different interpretations that we create out of any literary pieces are a mirror of how we interpret life. It also mirrors how we look at the world we live in. However we interpret the values of a literary piece transcended to us affect both directly and indirectly our emotions that contributes to our own individuality. Christina Boufis' essay entitled "Teaching Literature at the County Jail," tells us a story of the connection between her and her students in the county jail. It was uncomfortable for her at first although she was excited about the experience. But what amazes Boufis more was the students' eagerness to learn with the use of literary pieces. Her students' interest in literary pieces was exceptional such that they find it easy interpreting the prose. It could have been for the reason that the characters that they read are reflections of their own characters. They share the same experiences, the same passion, and the same pain as the characters in every story that they read. They picture themselves from the situations that the characters go through in the story. These people find comfort in the literary pieces that they read everyday for their lessons. Each of Boufis' students do not just learn how to read, but at the same time, they learn their lessons from the characters of the stories they read. She find it even more amusing that her university students found it hard to interpret some of the lines in the literature articles than those of her students who were in jail. She thought therefore, that her jail students had richer experiences in life, thus interpreting literary pieces is easy for them. (http://talk.greatbooks.org/tcr/boufis11) Boufis felt fulfillment teaching literature in jail than in a university. According to her, "Teaching at the jail, I feel more connected to some of the material I studied in graduate school, and more like I am living the knowledge I have gained. At this point, I'm not sure if I would feel similarly as an assistant professor teaching Victorian literature, and I'm not even certain anymore that I want to find out." (http://www.mla.org/ade/bulletin/N119/119062.htm) The same strategy was used by the university students who were enrolled in the Project Community LSA class to their students at Western Wayne Prison led by Mary Wright. The classroom experience for some prisoners goes beyond learning - in ways, it transcended them to the outside world. Wright does not only allow their students to read and interpret the literary pieces that they bring in prison, they also let the inmates write their own literary piece. Through their compositions, they at the same time feel somehow relieved from their situation because of accomplishing something that they do not know how to do even before they came in jail. The students were also able to express their deepest thoughts and feelings through the literary piece that they make. (http://www.pub.umich.edu/ daily/1997/nov/11-11-97/news/news5.html) A sense of pride within them that nobody else gives but themselves. Since each of us posses different personalities, had different cultures, different backgrounds; we therefore have different interpretations of any literary article. This unlimited room for interpretations and understandings creates a good area of discussion among literature students. This also encourages discussions among the students, thus making each of them express their thoughts and ideas, capturing every bit of knowledge acquired from other students. The discussion may then lead to the best interpretation where everyone could relate to wherein every one of them could be proud of for coming up an interpretation that is good. Literature also allows us to experience something we have not felt before. It may be something that we fear or it could also be a situation we have always wanted to be in. It lets us explore different situations that we might face in the future. If asked about the different situations, students in jail may find it easy for them to be in these varying situations. It is because most of them have been through the same situations and they use their emotions more than they use their minds. Discussions from literature do not only enhance our own imagination and interpretation, but it also develops our analytical ability as we associate every prose to our own personal experiences. There is no right or wrong interpretation of a literary piece. Anybody's interpretation is as good as the other person's since our interpretations are based on our own knowledge and understanding of the literature. This concept allows us to explore our own ideas thus rewarding us an in depth thought of our roles as individuals in the society. The insight that each student might get from other students may help build up their knowledge contributing to a better understanding of himself that leads him to become a better and an educated person. CONCLUSION Most of us might think that teaching in jail is a difficult task. To some people, this statement may be true. But we know for a fact that teaching is not like any other jobs wherein after the supposed "working hours", everything else ends right there. Teaching is beyond theories and rules. It has a deeper responsibility of connecting with the students. Teachers become the role models of their students that they look up to. A bond is created between the teacher and the students, and there is no better way of strengthening this bond but through literature. Using literature as a tool for teaching in jail is considerably one of the best strategy such that it does not only encourage the students to improve on their reading and comprehension skills but it also keeps them in touch with their inner self that might even prevent them from recidivism. Literature provides them a venue for self-discovery and self-discipline where they would keep them from getting back to jail once they have the chance to be out of it. It also provides an open discussion among the students such that they will learn how to best interpret the literary pieces based on the other students. One of the best characteristic of Literature is its ability to relate to every individual who reads it. We see ourselves from the stories that we read from any literary works. We see ourselves from the characters that play different roles in the stories that we read. We see ourselves either as protagonists or as antagonists. Literature at the same time allows us to see the world we live in on a different perspective. We see the world as a whole, thus we can point out our faults that lead us to the situation that we have now. Literature shows us reality though it sometimes hurt. If the people who live "outside" deserve to be educated people, so do the people who are in jail. We might think that we are more knowledgeable and intelligent than them, but in reality they are far more better at interpreting literature than us. They have the best armor when it comes to dealing with the stories because they share the same stories as the characters in the literary piece. At the same time, these people in jail find comfort and security from the characters of the stories they read. Because these students need not be told of what they should do, instead they need to learn along the learning process their roles in the society. The people in jail have their own concerns going on in their minds. And asking them to undergo a formal education that involves memorization, serious discussions and quizzes and exams will only make things worse for them. They may not only be able to digest every word that you tell them, but they will only become more confused and irate with the situation that may lead to personal rejection. They deserve a moment to be drawn away from the worries that they have even before they went into the jail. If we thought that life is not an easy journey, what more do you think the people in jail thought about it Only through literature, they can disclose themselves to their own identity. ANNOTATED Bibliography Bruner, J. (1996). The Culture of Education, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. This resource material is a significant material for the real value of education - in whatever area or circumstances - is given. Also, people who would want to be educated -in any form such as formal or informal learning environment - will also be benefited by this material. Constructivist Theory: J. Bruner. April 20, 2004. This source gives the constructivist theory of development. This is important in this research paper because this will give reasons on why people in jails should deserve the right to education. It also stated what kind of developmental approach is best fitted to people with very limited time, resources and limited space for studying, such as those people who are behind bars. "Literature". April 1, 2006. This paper aims to prove that leaching literature to the people who are incarcerated; hence a clearer and concrete definition of literature must be given. This is where the importance of this resource material comes in. with this, I personally believe that this resource material is 99% needed in this research study. "Math And Literature In Jail." http://www.hartfordinfo.org/issues/documents/prisonerre- entry/htfd_courant_030605.asp. March 29, 2006. This paper is needed because this serve as the first journal evaluated and analyzed in this study. The results and the very analyses in this paper serve as a tool for me to review my own generalization of my own research paper. "On the Market: Surviving the Academic Job Search." http://www.mla.org/ade/bulletin/N119/ 119062.htm. March 29, 2006. Like the other journals reviewed, this paper is needed because this serve as a journal evaluated and analyzed in this study. The results and the very analyses in this paper serve as a tool for me to review my own generalization of my own research paper. Moreover, this resource material serves as a starting point why there should be enough access to information and education in jails. "Recidivism." www.encarta.com. March 29, 2006. This resource material provides information regarding the people behind bars. This is important in a way that it offers a clearer picture of how it is to live inside the prison cells, the circumstances they are into, and the needs that they usually have inside. Robert Glaser: Contribution to Instructional Design. April 20, 2004. This resource material provides information on how people should be taught. This offers tips about the best instructional designs and devices that apt for teaching a certain group of learners. This is very important in this paper for it allows the researcher to know how exactly a group of aspiring learners, such as those people in jails, should best be approached particularly if teaching them is the main goal. "Teaching Literature at the County Jail". http://talk.greatbooks.org/tcr/boufis11. March 29, 2006. This paper is needed because this serve as a journal evaluated and analyzed in this study. The results and the very analyses in this paper serve as a tool for me to review my own generalization of my own research paper. Like the other research materials reviewed, results of this study is analyzed and compared to the other journals used. "The CEA Forum." http://www2.widener.edu/cea/341hacke.htm. March 29, 2006. This resource material shows different forums conducted which main issue being answered is whether to provide benefits to the people inside the cell. And the benefit that they are mainly talking about it whether people who have committed crime still deserve to be taught and educated. This alone is an important aspect of this study for it offers enough background information regarding the importance of educating the people inside the prison cells. "'U' Students Teach Literature to Prisoners." http://www.pub.umich.edu/daily/1997/nov/11-11- 97/news/news5.html. March 29, 2006. This is another journal that is reviewed and analyzed for the purpose of coming up with the conclusion. Again, the results of this study are analyzed and compared to the results of the other journals. WORKS CITED: Bruner, J. (1996). The Culture of Education, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. (p. 32-43) Constructivist Theory: J. Bruner. Psychology database. Retrieved April 20, 2004. "Literature". Wikipedia Database. Retrieved April 1, 2006. "Math And Literature In Jail." http://www.hartfordinfo.org/issues/documents/prisonerre- entry/htfd_courant_030605.asp. Retrieved March 29, 2006. "On the Market: Surviving the Academic Job Search." http://www.mla.org/ade/bulletin/N119/ 119062.htm. MLA Database. Retrieved March 29, 2006. "Recidivism." www.encarta.com. Retrieved March 29, 2006. Robert Glaser: Contribution to Instructional Design. ITEC Database. Retrieved April 20, 2004. "Teaching Literature at the County Jail". http://talk.greatbooks.org/tcr/boufis11. Great books Database. Retrieved March 29, 2006. "The CEA Forum." http://www2.widener.edu/cea/341hacke.htm. CEA Forum. Retrieved March 29, 2006. "'U' Students Teach Literature to Prisoners." PUB Database. Retrieved March 29, 2006. Read More