"After all, it is a material world" - Literacy, the tools that children play around

Bomer's (2003) article reminded me of the catch phrase from the commercial of a search engine. As the catchphrase, we are living in the world made of or filled with materials. Whether we realize it or not, we are definitely influenced by the materials encompassing us. By using materials, we come up with new ideas about how we utilize the materials that we are using now in better or more effective ways in the future. We try to use the same materials for the different purposes. At times, we can also develop our ideas whie we use certain materials.

When I read the title of Bomer's article, I only expected how computer technology was used in primary classroom to help children develop their literacy. (I do not know exactly why, but I just mistook "tools" as "computer technology". Maybe, I guess this explains how much new technology is rooted in our life.) According to Bomer, the tools in the classroom do not refer to computer technology but the any tools that can be used in any classroom to support children's learning and growing. In addition, he extended the definition of tools in the classroom to the writing activities, to written textis and also to the reposnses surrounding writing activities in the classroom. This idea was itself very intriguing to me. As Bomer indicated, children cling to using certain tools according to "the objectness of the object (p. 236), not accepting those tools as a symbol; children also put more meaning to certain tools and "more connection with other contexts"; in addition, they used certain tools with different purposes from those that the teacher first intended.

If literacy and literacy activities can be considered tools just like other tools that children use in classroom, children will have ownership on literacy and learn to develop their ideas around literacy. As Bomer suggested, this will be possible through teacher's "careful and deliberate (efforts) to examine the tools they have made available in their classroom and concentrate instruction on making uses apparent and habitual" because "the tools and uses available in a particular classroom say everything about the teacher's conception of literacy" (p. 244).