Saturday, January 31, 2009
Continually Confusing
What good points you make- particularly when you refer to the Leland (Critical Literacy) and Cambourne pieces- - - It was interesting that each of you found a way to bring PURPOSEFUL literature into your ideal vision of a classroom. I wonder if you have considered what we might have to "give up" in order to make time for such critical literature--- or would we have to give anything up? I like that you mentioned the elements of literacy (consume, produce, respond) as "working together." Maybe we should plan for our students to engage in each of these actions every day--- or maybe we could hit all of these things with one activity such as a read aloud with discussion and reader response or even a literature circle. It also reminds me a bit of what we saw when we watched the video of the kindergarten teacher and her students engaging in "literacy" independently, purposefully, and in varying ways. I also agree that our definitions of literacy are continually confusing. Good teachers are continually confused in that they are always considering the students in their room and the ways to engage them in activities that push them beyond their current understanding--- Good teachers do literacy in more than one way, and different all the time. Continually confusing, maybe. Effective, yes.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
What is your definition of literacy? How has it changed after the readings and today's discussion? What would your ideal literacy learning environment look like and why?
My Original Definition: Literacy is the ability to read and write, and to be able to comprehend ideas, and put your own ideas logically into writing.
What I forgot: Literacy has much to do with communication! Literacy also requires students to be able to function in a changing world.
My New Definition: Literacy is the ability to read, write, and communicate, so that one can comprehend ideas, put ideas into writing, and finally be able to function in an ever-changing, technological world.
My ideas about literacy changed quite a bit after reading and then discussing the readings. I definitely think Cambourne's 8 Steps are imperative when learning literacy in the classroom. While not all 8 steps may be going on at once, the teacher needs to be sure to know that students are using these steps (i.e. Responsibility), or that these steps are being taught to them (i.e. Demonstration).
I also truly enjoyed learning more about Cultural Literature. I thought the Leland article did a great job of showing how Cultural Literature is necessary in the classroom, as we as educators are responsible for our students learning about the diverse world around them, thus creating mutual acceptance.
When I have the opportunity to start implementing literacy to my students, I will make sure to follow what I have learned from the readings. Students and teachers/guardians/parents will be required to work together, literature of all backgrounds will be available, students will be required to work together, and finally students will need to work toward greater understanding (i.e. reading more texts, writing papers, etc).
My Original Definition: Literacy is the ability to read and write, and to be able to comprehend ideas, and put your own ideas logically into writing.
What I forgot: Literacy has much to do with communication! Literacy also requires students to be able to function in a changing world.
My New Definition: Literacy is the ability to read, write, and communicate, so that one can comprehend ideas, put ideas into writing, and finally be able to function in an ever-changing, technological world.
My ideas about literacy changed quite a bit after reading and then discussing the readings. I definitely think Cambourne's 8 Steps are imperative when learning literacy in the classroom. While not all 8 steps may be going on at once, the teacher needs to be sure to know that students are using these steps (i.e. Responsibility), or that these steps are being taught to them (i.e. Demonstration).
I also truly enjoyed learning more about Cultural Literature. I thought the Leland article did a great job of showing how Cultural Literature is necessary in the classroom, as we as educators are responsible for our students learning about the diverse world around them, thus creating mutual acceptance.
When I have the opportunity to start implementing literacy to my students, I will make sure to follow what I have learned from the readings. Students and teachers/guardians/parents will be required to work together, literature of all backgrounds will be available, students will be required to work together, and finally students will need to work toward greater understanding (i.e. reading more texts, writing papers, etc).
Post 2- Ashleigh
What is your definition of literacy? How has it changed after the readings and today's discussion? What would your ideal literacy learning environment look like and why?
My current definition of literacy, similar to most of those discussed in class, includes the ability to consume, produce, and respond to written and spoken language. Our class discussion definitely made me consider the ways in which we see literacy as essential to one's intellectual development, and it often seems difficult to separate the two. As we discussed, it's not enough to be able to read the words off a page if you don't understand what you're reading...similarly, it may not be enough to simply understand what you are reading if you are unable or unwilling to question and challenge what you read or hear. As teachers, I think we always aim to help our students accomplish these complex literacy tasks, but a strong foundation in basic literacy skills (such as decoding) is necessary to build anything beyond that basic level. The readings and class discussion brought to my attention further complications to this definition, including students with disabilities, although there do seem to be ready-made alternatives to the standard definition. While there wasn't anything in the day's readings that shocked me or was especially new, it is always helpful to see arguments about literacy instruction laid out in an organized way. I was especially intrigued with the Leland piece that discussed critical literacy, which leads into my ideal literacy learning environment...
As a part of my ideal literacy learning environment in my classroom, I would like to include many of the aspects that we observe in many classrooms and often discuss in class--a comfortable area devoted to reading, a wide variety of books that appeal to students of all interests and abilities, and depending upon the age level that I will teach, easy-to-access resources such as a word wall, phonics resources, or other materials. I plan to read aloud to my students and also include individual reading for fun, for projects, and for group sharing/book clubs. I especially like the idea of critical literacy to build students' awareness of conflicts and issues in their own lives and in the lives of others. Ultimately, we, as teachers, are trying to prepare our students to become effective citizens that work to create positive change, and I think that the types of books highlighted in this article help students to become more empathetic toward others and aware of the consequences of their own and others' actions. Leland described the ways in which one classroom dynamic changed to become more cohesive and supportive, likely due (at least in part) to the choice of literature, and hopefully this change would reach beyond that year and later into the students' lives. While this would definitely have to remain only one part of a balanced approach to literacy, I think it can definitely motivate students and create more meaningful learning experiences.
My current definition of literacy, similar to most of those discussed in class, includes the ability to consume, produce, and respond to written and spoken language. Our class discussion definitely made me consider the ways in which we see literacy as essential to one's intellectual development, and it often seems difficult to separate the two. As we discussed, it's not enough to be able to read the words off a page if you don't understand what you're reading...similarly, it may not be enough to simply understand what you are reading if you are unable or unwilling to question and challenge what you read or hear. As teachers, I think we always aim to help our students accomplish these complex literacy tasks, but a strong foundation in basic literacy skills (such as decoding) is necessary to build anything beyond that basic level. The readings and class discussion brought to my attention further complications to this definition, including students with disabilities, although there do seem to be ready-made alternatives to the standard definition. While there wasn't anything in the day's readings that shocked me or was especially new, it is always helpful to see arguments about literacy instruction laid out in an organized way. I was especially intrigued with the Leland piece that discussed critical literacy, which leads into my ideal literacy learning environment...
As a part of my ideal literacy learning environment in my classroom, I would like to include many of the aspects that we observe in many classrooms and often discuss in class--a comfortable area devoted to reading, a wide variety of books that appeal to students of all interests and abilities, and depending upon the age level that I will teach, easy-to-access resources such as a word wall, phonics resources, or other materials. I plan to read aloud to my students and also include individual reading for fun, for projects, and for group sharing/book clubs. I especially like the idea of critical literacy to build students' awareness of conflicts and issues in their own lives and in the lives of others. Ultimately, we, as teachers, are trying to prepare our students to become effective citizens that work to create positive change, and I think that the types of books highlighted in this article help students to become more empathetic toward others and aware of the consequences of their own and others' actions. Leland described the ways in which one classroom dynamic changed to become more cohesive and supportive, likely due (at least in part) to the choice of literature, and hopefully this change would reach beyond that year and later into the students' lives. While this would definitely have to remain only one part of a balanced approach to literacy, I think it can definitely motivate students and create more meaningful learning experiences.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Week 2 Blog, Literacy Definition and Ideal Literacy Environment
The deeper that we delved into talks about the possible definitions of literacy, the more I realized that my own definition would probably continue to shift and change as the semester goes on. For now, however, I would say that literacy is the ability to adequately use, produce, communicate, and interpret the written word in all of its forms. A true test of literacy is to give someone text they've never seen before, say a newspaper article, and see if they can read it, communicate its main points orally, and then write a letter to the editor. Obviously, this isn't the only test, but it could be a basic one. The more I think about types of literacy, the more I think about types of literacy that people with disabilities have. For example, a visually impaired student needs to learn how to read Braille, an audio impaired student needs to learn to read and communicate with signs, and a dyslexic student needs to learn to interpret and write symbols that probably look much different to him then they do to us.
To continually confuse myself, I started to think about societies that do not have written words. In fact, a majority of languages in this world do not have an alphabet and cannot be found in any written forms. Are these societies illiterate? Is that even politically correct or culturally sensitive to say that? If we have students that come to us from a society that does not have a written language do we call them illiterate in their society even if they can fully communicate and function with numbers and symbols? I know this is a rare case for us living in a western culture, but it does make one wonder about the purposes of literacy and its full definition.
I therefore feel that my definition of literacy has definitely broadened since this week's class period. Before I did the reading for this week, I thought literacy was just reading and writing. Now I know that it involves many different skills including developing the kinesthetic abilities to produce communicable written word, such as typing, or signs, such as sign language.
As far as my ideal literacy learning environment would look like, I'd cater it to the level of a fourth grade classroom, because I would like to work with this age level. I think I'd want to have an area just for reading like a small library in the classroom. I'd make sure to have word walls, dictionaries, thesauruses, and rhyming books. I'd encourage poetry writing, maybe by having a poetry corner with some student work displayed. This would encourage playing with words and rhyming. There would be journal time and planners. Finally, I'd want to highlight an author or issue each two weeks and offer literature for students to read about this topic in the classroom. Obviously these are a lot of goals/dreams about my ideal environment, but I really want to make sure that my students love reading and writing and that they learn the skills necessary to succeed.
To continually confuse myself, I started to think about societies that do not have written words. In fact, a majority of languages in this world do not have an alphabet and cannot be found in any written forms. Are these societies illiterate? Is that even politically correct or culturally sensitive to say that? If we have students that come to us from a society that does not have a written language do we call them illiterate in their society even if they can fully communicate and function with numbers and symbols? I know this is a rare case for us living in a western culture, but it does make one wonder about the purposes of literacy and its full definition.
I therefore feel that my definition of literacy has definitely broadened since this week's class period. Before I did the reading for this week, I thought literacy was just reading and writing. Now I know that it involves many different skills including developing the kinesthetic abilities to produce communicable written word, such as typing, or signs, such as sign language.
As far as my ideal literacy learning environment would look like, I'd cater it to the level of a fourth grade classroom, because I would like to work with this age level. I think I'd want to have an area just for reading like a small library in the classroom. I'd make sure to have word walls, dictionaries, thesauruses, and rhyming books. I'd encourage poetry writing, maybe by having a poetry corner with some student work displayed. This would encourage playing with words and rhyming. There would be journal time and planners. Finally, I'd want to highlight an author or issue each two weeks and offer literature for students to read about this topic in the classroom. Obviously these are a lot of goals/dreams about my ideal environment, but I really want to make sure that my students love reading and writing and that they learn the skills necessary to succeed.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
I'm a bit nervous about this upcoming semester. I know I will learn a lot, but I feel that I have a lot on my plate--especially small assignments like blogging, reading responses, etc--that I may forget, and it will greatly affect my grade. I realize now more than ever, making sure I plan everything out accordingly will be my best route...because I cannot put things off until last minute.
I feel that this semester will teach me a lot about teaching literacy. In my 301, I definitely learned a lot about literacy, but I don't think we went over methods as much as we will in 402. I'm excited to learn about a variety of methods, as I will be interning in Chicago for my internship year. The schools that we are assigned to are high-risk, and therefore I need to give my students the best teaching possible (especially in literacy).
My goals for the course are to learn more about literacy, and how to implement literacy into the classroom, so that all my students will enjoy learning. I also feel it will be very important for me to pick up on how to accommodate for all learners, as I will have a placement in both general education, as well as, special education.
Finally, I would really like to thank Erin for bringing Thank You, Mr. Falker into the classroom. I also was very touched by the book, and I was again reminded of how important we as teachers can be to even one student. And even if I can make one student feel that much better about themselves, I will feel I have done a good job.
I feel that this semester will teach me a lot about teaching literacy. In my 301, I definitely learned a lot about literacy, but I don't think we went over methods as much as we will in 402. I'm excited to learn about a variety of methods, as I will be interning in Chicago for my internship year. The schools that we are assigned to are high-risk, and therefore I need to give my students the best teaching possible (especially in literacy).
My goals for the course are to learn more about literacy, and how to implement literacy into the classroom, so that all my students will enjoy learning. I also feel it will be very important for me to pick up on how to accommodate for all learners, as I will have a placement in both general education, as well as, special education.
Finally, I would really like to thank Erin for bringing Thank You, Mr. Falker into the classroom. I also was very touched by the book, and I was again reminded of how important we as teachers can be to even one student. And even if I can make one student feel that much better about themselves, I will feel I have done a good job.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Week 1 Blog
Well to start with, I do have some definite goals during my participation in this course. I feel that in the past we have learned about literacy instruction and how to encourage students to read and to love reading. I do not, however, feel like we've learned how to cater language arts lessons to struggling learners or how to specifically teach a student how to read. So far, it seems like students should instantly learn to read or they struggle. Therefore, I'd like to know specifically how to teach students how to read, how I can identify literacy problems early, and how to help these students with problems. I think that ensuring that these struggling students have successful experiences is important, but not the complete answer.
Because I went to school in a suburban setting and have really had only one experience in a low-income school, Mt. Hope Elementary, I don't think that I am adequately prepared to teach in an urban setting or a low income rural setting. I would like to learn more about the effects of poverty on literacy and how, as a teacher, I can counteract this negative aspect. I know that many times students in urban schools do not have parental involvement at home, which would help support their literacy attainment, and this can also be detrimental. Another goal for this semester then would be for me to discover ways to support students who do not have academic support at home, because either their parents are unavailable to help or apathetic.
As far as language arts instruction in general, I would like to learn more about the GLCEs for different age levels. I'd also like to learn about how to create engaging lessons for students of all ages and literacy achievement levels. When I was in elementary school, I really enjoyed reading time and discussion within class, so I would like to ensure my own classroom had solid language arts activities as well.
Moreover, a goal for my teaching in general is to be a teacher like Mr. Falker. I've had the story read to me before, and I thought it was very touching then, and I still do now. It's amazing that a teacher can touch a child so deeply by just treating them like a valuable human being and giving them love that they don't usually get which can change their lives. It reminds me why I want to be a teacher, because I want to treat each of my students with love and respect, and infuse in them a love of learning and a path to academic success.
Because I went to school in a suburban setting and have really had only one experience in a low-income school, Mt. Hope Elementary, I don't think that I am adequately prepared to teach in an urban setting or a low income rural setting. I would like to learn more about the effects of poverty on literacy and how, as a teacher, I can counteract this negative aspect. I know that many times students in urban schools do not have parental involvement at home, which would help support their literacy attainment, and this can also be detrimental. Another goal for this semester then would be for me to discover ways to support students who do not have academic support at home, because either their parents are unavailable to help or apathetic.
As far as language arts instruction in general, I would like to learn more about the GLCEs for different age levels. I'd also like to learn about how to create engaging lessons for students of all ages and literacy achievement levels. When I was in elementary school, I really enjoyed reading time and discussion within class, so I would like to ensure my own classroom had solid language arts activities as well.
Moreover, a goal for my teaching in general is to be a teacher like Mr. Falker. I've had the story read to me before, and I thought it was very touching then, and I still do now. It's amazing that a teacher can touch a child so deeply by just treating them like a valuable human being and giving them love that they don't usually get which can change their lives. It reminds me why I want to be a teacher, because I want to treat each of my students with love and respect, and infuse in them a love of learning and a path to academic success.
Post 1-Ashleigh
Read the syllabus and write about your goals for the course. Write specifically about your thoughts about your preparation for placement in an urban setting and with literacy instruction. How do you want to use this course to help aid you in that preparation? What do you want to learn about teaching and language arts instruction? Responses to Thank You, Mr. Falker are most welcome!
I hope that this course will help to provide me with a more concrete understanding of what I need to include and how I need to think about Language Arts instruction. I believe it was Cindy who was talking the other day about "visualizing" our classrooms, and I have been somewhat frustrated to this point by my inability to picture the actual types of lessons and activities I should be using with my future students. We have learned the importance of differentiated instruction, teaching to diverse learning styles, creating engaging and meaningful lessons and so on...but have had little experience actually hearing/reading about or constructing these types of lessons. I'm hoping that through our course readings and hearing about Erin's (and other students') experiences, I'll be able to make more informed decisions about the way I will eventually set up my language arts instruction. More specifically, I'm looking forward to spending time discussing how to handle classrooms with wide ranges of ability, English language learners, and students with disabilities. I'd like to get a better idea too of how to teach emergent readers, especially since I don't have any memory of learning to read, read chapter books starting in kindergarten, and loved reading ever since...which is likely a very different experience than that of many of my future students.
With regard to Thank You Mr. Falker, I thought the book was extremely inspiring and embodied what most of us hope to experience in our teaching careers. I'm always concerned that I'll become too caught up in the curriculum/standards/testing/bureaucracy etc. since that's often what we hear about, rather than being able to really focus entirely on my students' needs...but stories such as that one really try to keep things in perspective. (And, hopefully, this semester and next year will prepare us to avoid those pitfalls...) I thought the book could also be a great tool to use in the classroom to sensitize students to others' struggles, and recognize their own potential if they are struggling academically. I loved it and plan to buy myself a copy :)
I hope that this course will help to provide me with a more concrete understanding of what I need to include and how I need to think about Language Arts instruction. I believe it was Cindy who was talking the other day about "visualizing" our classrooms, and I have been somewhat frustrated to this point by my inability to picture the actual types of lessons and activities I should be using with my future students. We have learned the importance of differentiated instruction, teaching to diverse learning styles, creating engaging and meaningful lessons and so on...but have had little experience actually hearing/reading about or constructing these types of lessons. I'm hoping that through our course readings and hearing about Erin's (and other students') experiences, I'll be able to make more informed decisions about the way I will eventually set up my language arts instruction. More specifically, I'm looking forward to spending time discussing how to handle classrooms with wide ranges of ability, English language learners, and students with disabilities. I'd like to get a better idea too of how to teach emergent readers, especially since I don't have any memory of learning to read, read chapter books starting in kindergarten, and loved reading ever since...which is likely a very different experience than that of many of my future students.
With regard to Thank You Mr. Falker, I thought the book was extremely inspiring and embodied what most of us hope to experience in our teaching careers. I'm always concerned that I'll become too caught up in the curriculum/standards/testing/bureaucracy etc. since that's often what we hear about, rather than being able to really focus entirely on my students' needs...but stories such as that one really try to keep things in perspective. (And, hopefully, this semester and next year will prepare us to avoid those pitfalls...) I thought the book could also be a great tool to use in the classroom to sensitize students to others' struggles, and recognize their own potential if they are struggling academically. I loved it and plan to buy myself a copy :)
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