Literacy in the 21st Century

What does it mean to be literate? If you said the ability to read and write, you are correct! (OK, generally correct, I could go on for hours about this definition...) 

But WAKE UP! It's the twenty-first century! We must now include technology use in our definition of literacy, also known as digital literacies. And what better way to immerse our students in this new literacy than by engaging with technology in our classrooms!

Letting students play games on the computers during recess or in the computer lab is NOT enough. Having them type a research paper in Microsoft Word will not count as sufficient. We must embrace technology, particularly the internet, to provide us, the teachers, with resources that will engage our students and model for them the unlimited benefits offered by the World Wide Web. 

The Common Core Standards call for Language Arts integration into all subject areas. What better way to do this than using digital literacies? In an effort to be a 21st century educator, I have revamped a standard Earth Day lesson plan to include resources from the internet. Short videos, podcasts and interactive slide shows provide students with more motivation and information than ANY handout could. Different sources also provide different perspectives. In a 20-minute period, your students can watch two videos, a slideshow, and listen to a podcast. This is in comparison to the same 20-minute period that it would take to read one article and take notes. Do the math, using technology makes sense.

Students also use social media in this lesson! Be honest, you know students are going to be more interested in writing a blog on the computer than a report based on their notes. You know that students who are hesitant to write or use technology will love creating podcasts, where their voices, not their writing, will be heard. 

Here you will find a link to this updated lesson plan. Don't be afraid! All of the web addresses are provided to you. Critique it, adapt is, USE IT in your class next year. Your students will thank you not just because it's fun and engaging, but because you are taking an active role in preparing them for the digitally-rich world which awaits them. 

Enjoy!

Word Wall Chant!

Don't let your Word Wall go to waste! Engage your class in this Word Wall Chant to familiarize them with the words. It's also great practice for spelling, syllabication, and phonemic awareness!

Word Wall Chant 

Find the word, 

It is near. 

Where's the word?

It's right here!

Say the word. 

Clap the parts.

Tap the sounds.

What a start!

Time to spell, 

Close each eye.

Do it now--

Don't be shy!

One more time!

Say the word,

Loud and clear!

Now let's cheer!

Hip hip hooray!

Hip hip hooray!

Hip hip hooray!

Quotes & Questions About Writing Instruction and Assessment

I hate state-mandated assessments. I do and I am not afraid to say it. What I am afraid to say, however, is that they do hold some value. What is wrong is the way they are used to create high-stake situations. A student's performance on a third-grade ELA exam should not determine a teacher's salary for the following year, or her job stability. A fourth-grader's score on the NYS Science Assessment should not determine if he moves on to the next grade. These assessments can show us, teachers, where our instructions needs improvement for the following year and how we can best serve our incoming students. 

Writing instruction and assessments are tricky. We want to teach writing in authentic ways. Why not? It is effective. It shows students that writing has meaning. But standardized tests do not provide authentic writing prompts. So how do we teach? To "the test" or in the way students learn best? 

I prefer to think of it like this: Teach writing in an authentic manner. Occasionally, introduce students to a new genre. The "testing" genre. Just like narratives and persuasive pieces have different characteristics and requirements, so do writing prompts on standardized tests. There is a value in this (sometimes hated) genre, and we must show students how to tackle it. It should not, however, be the sole means of instruction in a writing classroom. 

I have attached a list of quotations from Higgins' article, Teaching to the test…not! Balancing best practice and testing requirements in writing (Higgins, Miller and Wegmann, 2006). I evaluate and question these quotations based on my aforementioned beliefs:

Quotes and Questions About Writing/Testing

How do you feel about writing and standardized testing? How should it be taught? Or, should it be taught at all? 

Are You Chicken or the Egg?

This week I was inspired by Peter Elbow's (2004) article, First! Putting writing before reading in an effective approach to teaching and learning. I very much agree with his "writing and reading" philosophy. There are so many benefits to providing writing instruction before (or alongside) reading instruction. The text did, however, have me begin to question students' experiences with reading and writing. Which do they encounter first? How much does one truly affect the other?

In response to my own inquiries, I wrote a fiction-based short story that truly questions which comes first: reading or writing? The horse or the wagon? The chicken or the egg?

Are You "Chicken" or the Egg?

Enjoy!

Phonics Philosophy Survey

How do you teach phonics in your elementary classroom? Which methods and approaches do your practices align with?

FIND OUT by taking this quick survey, What is Your Phonics Philosophy?

After you take the survey, reflect on your results. Were you surprised by how your beliefs were classified? How might these results affect your classroom practices?

As I created the quiz, I discovered that my teaching style is a combination of synthetic and analytical practices. In addition, I value systematic phonetic instruction while also believing in meaning-driven approaches. I definitely think that these results are positive. Our discussion in class last Thursday about top-down, bottom-up and constructivist perspectives on teaching taught me that teaching is never a one-size-fits-all experience. How we teach is almost always a mash-up of different theories and perspectives that we mold to align with the students we are teaching.

This is also a situation where I can see the value in research-based approaches. Strickland's discussion about Finnish schools really showed me that we simply cannot rely on one method of instruction, particularly with phonics. Even though first grade students in Finland mastered letter-sound correspondence, they were severely lacking in comprehension skills and abilities. As pedagogues, we must use studies like this to reinforce the notion that most instructional ideals have their benefits, and it is our job to extract those to create a system that works for our students.

References: Strickland, D. (2011). Teaching phonics today. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

How teachers can become the downfall of our schools—and how to fix this frightening phenomenon

Our country has been in a recession since 2007. Workers of all types have been struggling to find and keep hold of steady jobs for the past five years. I’m concerned that one of last month’s articles, Teacher Knowledge Maters in Supporting Young Readers (Fitzharris, et. al), is merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to keeping under-qualified teachers in their classrooms. The revealing of the inconsistencies in skills and knowledge amongst teachers in the same school is appalling. Even more so, the fact that teacher training left some teachers still unable to accurately assess the needs of struggling readers horrifies me. Children are sent to school to receive services that will aid them in becoming literate beings. Why, then, are they placed under the care of teachers who cannot adequately help them? What are schools looking at when they hire these teachers? If they are not taking into account candidates’ experiences with practical classroom practices, I am afraid to ask what they are looking at.

In comparison to our educational system, running records are, arguably, a rather new means of assessment. That does not, however, excuse the fact that many teachers lack the knowledge and skill that it takes to successfully complete this oral reading assessment on beginning readers. Fitzharris documented that “Kathy”, a third-grade teacher with six years of teaching experience, “recorded an incorrect accuracy rate and self-correction rate. That in turn led Kathy to choose the wrong level of instruction—Instructional level rather than Easy level” (pg. 390). We can all be thankful that Kathy was merely practicing her newfound knowledge (or lack thereof) on this poor student and was not going to use her findings to actually determine the child’s reading level. What if this had not been a case study? What if Kathy had received training in running records and was sent back to her classroom to put this new skill to work? What would that one student’s future in literacy learning look like?

I applaud Fitzharris for her solid conclusions and suggestions on how to improve teachers’ knowledge within our nation’s schools. Teachers should be hired based not only on their credentials and certifications, but also on previous teaching and coaching experiences. Certainly someone who seeks out professional development is going to be more willing and able to accept the new tasks that a job requires. Additionally, suggesting that differentiated staff development is implemented is a simple solution to this big problem. We have been calling out for differentiated instruction for students for years- aren’t teachers the students, too? Finally, requiring teachers to regularly self-evaluate themselves can go a long way in identifying which teachers need more training in particular areas.  

If teaching is going to continue to be one of the most competitive job markets in America, then those vying for jobs better come prepared with the skills and knowledge needed to compete. They will need more than a Masters Degree. Time in a classroom will not be enough. Candidates must be well rounded in terms of schooling and experience. They must be aware of how they learn best so that, when asked to harness a new skill, they can do so effectively. If these changes do not occur, the futures of our students, particularly struggling readers, look very dark.

References:

Fitzharris, L., Jones, M., & Crawford, A. (208). Teacher knowledge matters in supporting young readers. The Reading Teacher, 61(5), 384-394.

"An Invitation"

“An Invitation”

You can get an invitation in the mail,

But frankly, that seems kind of stale.

You might be asked to join a wedding or a party,

Or maybe a reunion with your wacky Uncle Marty.

Yet the best invitation you may ever receive,

Is one that welcomes you to read.

It will not be sent by e-mail or through the post,

Rather, you will be invited by a teacher who cares the most.

Gretchen Owocki[1] will have you think like a reader,

In hopes that one day you will be a literature leader!

Thinking like a reader requires you to stop and ponder,

About things like what has happened, what you see in your mind, and what you still wonder.

If you ask Klesius and Griffith why lapreading works,

They will provide you with all of its perks.

“The children delighted in being able to touch the pictures in the book,”[2]

That’s when you know that the teacher’s invitation has got them hooked!

Roskos, too, sees the value of an invitation,

Especially for those who need a slightly different education.

Teachers should, “…produce for children a feeling of belonging in a world that is authentic, welcoming and alive,”[3]

In a setting such as this, all students are set-up to thrive!

Now, the one question I have for you,

Is have these teachers bit off more than they can chew?

School is undoubtedly a big part of children’s lives,

But what if at home they are deprived?

Are their parents willing to inform,

Praise, demonstrate, and transform

Their children’s perspectives of reading?

Or will a lack of at-home support show developmental receding?

There must be a relationship between school and home,

If through the pages of literature we wish our students’ eyes to roam.

This all starts with a simple invitation,

To our young readers across the nation.

---

[1] Owocki, G. (2007). Grounding children in routines and procedures for meaningful learning: Literature days. (p. 15). Portsmouth, NH: firsthand.

[2] Klesius, J., & Griffith, P. (1996). Interactive storybook reading for at-risk learners. The Reading Teacher, 49(7), 558.

[3] Roskos, K. (2009). Joining oral language and early literacy. In Oral Language and Early Literacy in Preschool: Talking, Reading, and Writing (p. 5). International Reading Association.