Literacy SHowcase
Here you will find samples of the work I completed during my time in the MAED program. As you can see from my Annotated Transcript, my area of concentration was literacy. During my coursework, I have learned a tremendous amount of information about teaching the process of reading, writing, word study, and other language related concepts. The coursework also helped me to solidify my beliefs as a literacy teacher. Feel free to click on the images and check out my work!
What roles does literature play in a classroom? In our individual lives? What role should literature play?
Literature can serve many different purposes. Whether it is for teaching information, developing imagination, learning about others, or simply for the pure enjoyment of the experience, reading is important! It is my goal as an educator to have my students realize the opportunities and experiences that literature can offer them. Every day, I strive to teach my students that reading is more than just opening a book and reading the words on the page. It is about the experience and journey the reader takes while reading those words on paper. It is the responsibility of the teacher to help encourage students to seek out new genres and take risks in their reading journeys. Literature is also meant to be discussed. I have had several opportunities to discuss various pieces of literature during my masters program and still believe that if students are not able to talk about what they read, they are missing out on opportunities to deepen their critical thinking skills. Throughout my discussions, I have realized that sometimes assigned roles may hinder where conversations may go. Understanding when to use assigned discussion roles and when to open up the boundaries has resulted in more dynamic book discussions! You can read more about my thoughts on literature in my What Literature Can Do and Literature Position essays by clicking on the images. |
What is Multicultural Literature?
How does one define Multicultural Literature? Is it all books about every different culture? Is it only books written by those who are members of the culture they write about? Does it even matter who the author is? How can we, as readers, be sure that what we are reading is an authentic representation of this particular group of people? A three week study on various aspects of multicultural literature helped to shape my view of what authentic multicultural literature is. We read several novels and held discussions about the Native American culture, both written by Native Americans and those who were not. These books were historical fiction, realistic fiction, as well as autobiographical in nature. Ultimately, I realized that while a formal definition might never be reached, it is up to the teacher to provide opportunities for their students to look critically at different types of text. We need to talk about the possible stereotypes that we might have and allow our students to discuss these issues. I have been inspired to be more intentional when choosing books for my read alouds as well as empowering my students to challenge social norms that still exist today. |
Differentiated Literacy Instruction
During my coursework, I learned about various assessments and literacy tools that can be used to provide focused and target specific instruction to struggling readers. This allowed me to practice what elementary teachers do on a daily basis, provide differentiated instruction based on individual student's literacy needs. Each student brings a different set of skills and it is up to the teacher to find out how to instruct that child so they improve that skill set. Two assignments helped me develop my ability to differentiate instruction. Each assignment began with an assessment of what the areas of deficit are and then lead into well planned differentiated lessons. Both were authentic in the sense that they were used on actual students of mine. The Struggling Learner Case Study and the 5-day lesson plan to address reading fluency can be read by clicking on the images. |
Informative Assessments Matter
Any teacher knows the importance of having useful assessments that not only relay what a student has learned, but also help to inform future instruction. I had the opportunity to use several different assessment tools as well as develop some of my own, including an evaluation for 4th grade writing. The purpose of this assessment is to allow teachers to be able to measure yearly progress in several areas of the writing process. The assessment measures the student's developmental progress in terms of writing. By doing this three times a year (beginning, middle, and at the end), a teacher can have evidence of how the child is progressing. The document is also helpful in highlighting areas of concern that may need to be further addressed. This document can be viewed by clicking on the image on the left. |
Vocabulary Instruction Doesn't Have to be Boring!
Vocabulary instruction is a critical piece of a balanced literacy program and one that is often overlooked. This is especially important for my current position, as we have a large population of English Language Learners at our school. Vocabulary is what helps students understand the key concepts behind any subject. The good news: there is no one right way to teach vocabulary. The most important thing to remember is to expose students to different words and talk about them! Teachers can also use games as a way to make learning new words fun. It is critical that students are able to construct their own definitions of words they are learning. It needs to be memorable. The use of graphic organizers along with discussions are great ways to get students talking about words. The Prezi to the right was created during my study on vocabulary instruction. It gives examples about some best practices in this area of instruction through the use of guidelines. |
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Please note: Images were taken from flickr.com and the Microsoft Office Image Library