8/14/2019 What I Learned in Literacy Class

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-i-learned-in-literacy-class 1/24

What I Learned In Literacy Class

A peek into the notebook of 

Kate Rogers

Literacy Seminar 

Union Graduate College

Profs.Carol Reynolds & Bill Wojcik 

Winter, 2006

8/14/2019 What I Learned in Literacy Class

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-i-learned-in-literacy-class 2/24

The Importance of Strong Literacy Skills

Even struggling students

can achieve mastery

There are many ways you

can help students learn

Expect great things even

from students who find

reading difficult

8/14/2019 What I Learned in Literacy Class

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-i-learned-in-literacy-class 3/24

Literacy Education is More

Important Than Ever  National literacy rates

have been declining

 Nearly half of all

Americans exhibit

limited literacy skills

that are considered“basic” or “below

 basic”

8/14/2019 What I Learned in Literacy Class

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-i-learned-in-literacy-class 4/24

Critical Language Skills Are

Acquired Young

Literacy education

 begins before school

Highly literate parents provide richer 

language experiences

for their children

These childrengenerally have greater 

academic success

8/14/2019 What I Learned in Literacy Class

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-i-learned-in-literacy-class 5/24

Students Enjoy Being Read To

The novelty never 

fades even for older 

students & adults

It’s a great technique

for capturing interest

Facilitates content

understanding,especially for 

struggling readers

8/14/2019 What I Learned in Literacy Class

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-i-learned-in-literacy-class 6/24

Disposition and Attitude are

Important Aspects of Literacy

Reading is more than

decoding

Individualcharacteristics can

either impede or 

support academic

success and learningoutcomes

8/14/2019 What I Learned in Literacy Class

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-i-learned-in-literacy-class 7/24

Vocabulary and Domain Knowledge

are Critical Components of ReadingComprehensionMother Superior calls all the

nuns together and says, "I 

must tell you something. Wehave a case of gonorrhea.”

 A nun in the back of the room

 says, "Thank, God. I am so

tired of the Zinfandel." 

8/14/2019 What I Learned in Literacy Class

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-i-learned-in-literacy-class 8/24

Reading Needs to be Relevant

Teachers should try to

reach students in familiar 

territory

Provide material thatconnects with students’

experiences

This deepens

comprehension byconnecting content to

 prior knowledge

8/14/2019 What I Learned in Literacy Class

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-i-learned-in-literacy-class 9/24

Literacy Across the Curriculum

Literacy instruction

should be

comprehensive across

the curriculum.

 Not limited to English

Language Arts

All academic subjectsshould be concerned

with literacy

8/14/2019 What I Learned in Literacy Class

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-i-learned-in-literacy-class 10/24

Expressive Writing

Exploratory

Tool for discovery

Relaxed & intimateWritten for self 

Personalizes

knowledge

Assists learning

8/14/2019 What I Learned in Literacy Class

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-i-learned-in-literacy-class 11/24

Transactional Writing

Explanatory

Formal & impersonal

For an audience Instrument for reporting

content mastery

Is easiest when

supported by expressivewriting

8/14/2019 What I Learned in Literacy Class

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-i-learned-in-literacy-class 12/24

Television and Modern Culture

Children today watch

more TV than ever 

It’s influence is pervasive

Watching lots of TV

doesn’t necessarily

mean that theyunderstand everything

they see

8/14/2019 What I Learned in Literacy Class

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-i-learned-in-literacy-class 13/24

Modern Times

Call for Modern ReadersWe need to develop

different reading

strategies

Reading and writing is

now a multimedia

experience

 New skills are neededto process information

in new formats

8/14/2019 What I Learned in Literacy Class

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-i-learned-in-literacy-class 14/24

Computers Have Changed the

Way We Communicate

E-Mail

Instant Messages

Chat rooms

Blogs

Personal websites

Online journalsMySpace.com

Strong, swift readingfluency is required to

keep up with it all.

8/14/2019 What I Learned in Literacy Class

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-i-learned-in-literacy-class 15/24

We Use Text in New Ways

How to Describe an Arse in a

Chat Room:(_!_) A Regular Arse

(__!__) A Fat Arse(!) A Tight Arse

(_._) A Flat Arse

{_!_} A Swishy Arse

(_$_) This Arse Will Cost You

(X) Kiss My Arse(O^^O) A Wise Arse

Reading Fluency Now Involves Learning to

Read in New Ways

8/14/2019 What I Learned in Literacy Class

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-i-learned-in-literacy-class 16/24

Reading Images

Teaching students to read

images involves

developing the same

critical thinking skillsneeded to interpret text

Stress Test: Here is a picture of two

dolphins. If you can see both dolphins,your stress level is within the acceptable

range. If you see anything other than two

dolphins, your stress level is too high and

you need to go home and rest.

8/14/2019 What I Learned in Literacy Class

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-i-learned-in-literacy-class 17/24

The New Multi-Media Literacy

Key skills:

Reading

ListeningViewing

Interacting

Interpreting

Evaluating

8/14/2019 What I Learned in Literacy Class

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-i-learned-in-literacy-class 18/24

Media Literacy

Teaching students to be intelligent media

consumers has broad implications for their 

future success and happiness

8/14/2019 What I Learned in Literacy Class

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-i-learned-in-literacy-class 19/24

Media Fluency

Students are

immersed in the

consumer culture

Media Literacyeducation develops

the critical thinking

skills needed to

make sense of media

8/14/2019 What I Learned in Literacy Class

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-i-learned-in-literacy-class 20/24

Internet Plagiarism

The internet makes it

easy to find information

Research is easier than

ever to plagiarize

A great option for a

transactional assignment

is to have students

narrate the research process

8/14/2019 What I Learned in Literacy Class

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-i-learned-in-literacy-class 21/24

Schools Ask More of Students

Than Ever Before

Higher standards

Fewer ResourcesHigh-Stakes

Testing

Good thing they still 

have us, eh?

8/14/2019 What I Learned in Literacy Class

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-i-learned-in-literacy-class 22/24

Standardized Testing

 NCLB has increased

the scope of testing

significantly

Controversy over the

value of the results

Fears of weakening

curriculum by“teaching to the test”

It’s here to stay

8/14/2019 What I Learned in Literacy Class

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-i-learned-in-literacy-class 23/24

Testing Pressures

Schools are under more

 pressure than ever to

show annual

improvement based onstandardized test scores

“Just Relax and Do Your 

Best...” I learned that

kids don’t really fall for 

this line.

8/14/2019 What I Learned in Literacy Class

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/what-i-learned-in-literacy-class 24/24

Literacy Education Develops

Thinking Skills

And Thinking is Good