"...students' mastery of traditional literacy skills is weak not because they lack the basic cognitive abilities to become literate but because the literacy instruction they experienced throughout their schooling failed to ignite any significant degree of identity investment in school-based literacy" (Pahl, 142).
I think this is the challenge of teaching. To effectively teach anything and have the information stick with your students, some degree of identity investment is essential. Looking back on my own school experience I realize that the information I remember is the information that mattered to me. The purpose of education is not just to give students information, but to give them the tools and desire to use that information and remember it. To help them recognize the importance and opportunity that information holds. This understanding certainly will change how I will teach.
How can teachers make the information matter to their students?
This is such a tough question! I totally agree though, I hardly remember anything (sadly) but the stuff I did remember was interesting or important to me. We've been talking a lot in psychology of making meaning to move information into long term memory. So we need to some how make connections for our students to draw from. If they can create meaning, it should start to matter to them because they are able to take ownership over it. I think if we can make authentic assignments they will also realize what they are learning is important. And if we can't do this, at least set a purpose for students so they are motivated.
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