Community Dig

On Saturday, September 7, 2010, I and 4 of my class mates attended a well known and loved community event in a far off town. The event boasts activities for both the young and the young at heart. Items were to be created and items were to be admired and even purchased. In our community dig I played the roll of the verbal recorder. I observed and recorded bits of talk.

We arrived at the event at about 1 o'clock in the afternoon. The first area that I observed was the one that had art attivities for children to do. Four different styles of conversation were witnessed:

1. Volunteers were giving directions and encouragement to children artists.
• "That's very nice, I like those colors together"
• "Isn't that awsome? Do you want to do another spot?"
• "You use Sharpies, any colors that you want. Make dots or any pattern that you want."
2. Parents were talking with other parents around the perimeters of the art activities.
• "There is big money in horses"
• "She's 2 and a half."
• "Hi, I saw the announcement."
3. Conversations of the crowds moving around outside the perimeter of the art activities. 
• "I'll wander around and circle back."
• "You really wan to, I'll do it."
4. Conversations between parents and children.
• "Are you gonna put some paint on it like this?"
• "Momma, can I go see what the other station is?"

After standing still for while I moved around within the crowd to experience what conversations could be witnessed while participating in this manner. Two modes were represented. The first mor formal and the second more informal.

1. Vendors and shoppers were discussing wares.
• "I have a store."
• "Look at that, is it broken glass? Mirror?"
2. People were relaxing in chairs talking and listening to music, being helpful with each other, and socializing with their friends.
• "The last one needs paper."
• "There is no paper in the last one."

After talking with my dig group I was very surprised at how event people reacted to the idea of snindividual being illerate I believe that one person said that people who could not read would be too emberassed to ask fo r help and another implied that there were no people who could not read. As an implications for teaching we could work towards makinf our students aware of this ever prevelant problem and how to assist individauls whild maintaining their dignity! I was also surprised that even as students we only "dug" for artifacts in one language (English). The only evidence of any other language that I witnessed were among the attendees I heard a woman talking on her phone in a foriegn language and I saw a Mom and her daughter speaking in Spanish.
I really felt that considering the diversity of the community that this event was held in that organizers should have done more (much more) to make this event accessible to all. Signs were monolingual, small print, and not easily seen. Signs for children were not at child eye level. The information booth was in the middle of the event.

• "I hate her, she's one of those girls. She is definately hot and cold."
1.