When Pollyanna Whittier finds herself orphaned after her father passes away, she goes to live with her aunt, Miss Polly Harrington, a lonely and bitter middle-aged spinster. Miss Polly's maid, Nancy, befriends Pollyanna, who teaches Nancy her late father's "Glad Game," where there is always "something in everything to be glad about." This positive message begins to take over the town, including Mrs. Snow, an elderly hypochondriac; Reverend Ford, a discouraged minister; and Mr. Pendleton, a wealthy, lonely bachelor. Pollyanna changes Mr. Pendleton's life for the better forever when she convinces him to take in Jimmy, a young orphan boy looking for a home. Pollyanna's inquisitive nature begins to uncover the story behind Miss Polly's unhappiness when she befriends Dr. Chilton, Miss Polly's suitor from the past who still loves her, despite the quarrel that broke off their engagement many years ago. Pollyanna is trying to bring the couple back together when an automobile accident threatens her life and ability to walk. Everyone in the town then realizes the impact Pollyanna has had on their lives, and even Miss Polly agrees to play the "Glad Game" to cheer her up. Pollyanna's struggle to remain "glad" despite her injuries brings together the whole town in an effort to help the young orphan girl who brought so much light into their lives. The timeless story of Pollyanna reminds us to be grateful for what we have and to always cherish those around us despite the challenges life brings.
Part critique of existing policy and practice, part call-to-action, Technology and Literacy in the Twenty-First Century explores the complex linkage between technology and literacy that has come to characterize American culture and its public educational system at the end of the twentieth century. To provide a specific case study of this complex cultural formation, award-winning educator Cynthia L. Selfe discusses the Technology Literacy Challenge, an official, federally sponsored literacy project begun in 1996 that has changed—at fundamentally important levels—the definition of literacy and the practices recognized as constituting literate behavior in America. Selfe tries to identify the effects of this new literacy agenda, focusing specifically on what she calls "serious and shameful" inequities it fosters in our culture and in the public education system: among them, the continuing presence of racism, poverty, and illiteracy. She describes how the national project to expand technological literacy came about, what effects it has yielded, why the American public has supported this project, and how teachers of English, language arts, and composition have contributed to this project, despite their best intentions. A primary goal of this study is to make teachers of English and composition increasingly aware of the new literacy agenda and to suggest how they might positively influence its shape and future direction, both in the classroom and in the community. This awareness is an integral part of educators' larger professional responsibility to understand the way in which our culture thinks about and values literacy. Perhaps even more important, argues Selfe, this awareness is part of teachers' ethical responsibility to understand how literacy and literacy instruction directly and continually affect the lived experiences of the individuals and families with whom teachers interact.
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.