- Learning in college is not just about reading information and remembering it. It is about understanding the entire concept. As Haas states it “‘scientific literacy’ as not only the mastery of scientific facts and concepts but an understanding the ‘evolving contributions of individual scientists and group of scientists,.. the social communities and historical settings in which scientists work”(Haas 45). To understand a subject is to fully be engaged with the text, knowing the facts and history around a subject. In college we do not just read the text, we have to fully understand the concept.
- The “myth” Haas is talking about is the view that “ written academic texts as discrete, highly explicit, even ‘timeless’ functioning without contextual support from author, reader, or culture”(Haas 45). This myth does not inherently make sense to me, I feel that it is asking too much from a textbook. We don’t need contextual support from an author, it is a textbook we just need well worded and organized information.
- Haas’s study of Eliza is probably a common occurrence, the longer we spend working on a subject the more prolific we become to it. Progress is hard for us to see because we make change subconsciously sometimes. “ She( Eliza) exhibited a growing cognizance of texts”(Haas 69). As Eliza continued her studies, she grew a deeper understanding of the material that she could use in other work. By studying Eliza’s growing study pattern, it could share inside into how college students develop compared to high school students.
- A rhetorical frame is used to help readers better understand underlying themes within the text. “ A Rhetorical Frame helps the reader account for the motives underlying textual acts and their outcomes”(Haas 47-8). Rhetorical frames use participates, relationships, context, and motives to help bring certain aspects out of the text for the reader.
- I see a connection between Gee and Haas through their definition of “Discourses” and “scientific literacy”. Both authors state that there needs to be a deeper level of understanding and appreciation in order to truly understand each subject or Discourse. “Discourses are ways in the world; they are forms of life which integrate words, acts, values, beliefs, attitudes, and social identities”(Gee 7). To Gee, Discourses are not just one level of understanding. You need to be completely surrounded by everything a Discourse stands for to be a part of one. This is reminiscent of Haas’s view on scientific literacy, ‘scientific literacy’ as not only the mastery of scientific facts and concepts but an understanding to the ‘evolving contributions of individual scientists and group of scientists,.. the social communities and historical settings in which scientists work”(Haas 45). In order to understand scientific literacy, you have to understand it on multiple levels, just like a Discourse.
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