Session 2: Strengthening Literacy Instruction

In the first module, we discussed the importance and challenge of doing more learning than schooling in schools. To do more learning, we need to develop our schools as learning organizations with the 5 characteristics.

The 5 characteristics, along with distributed leadership are essential in shaping your Project Initiatives that would respond to the country's current literacy situation. In Module 1, you are tasked to compose a Shared Vision Statement. Here in Module 2, we are shaping that Shared Vision Statement through aligning goals by using the SMART Goal Strategy. We have also mentioned in the last session that the Shared Vision Statement and the SMART Goals can be used to reinforce our vision towards school literacy programs.

As core outputs, you are asked to formulate your Shared Vision Statement and SMART Goals. Make sure that your SMART Goals are aligned with your Shared Vision Statement. Aligned SMART Goals to the Shared Vision Statement are essential components in making a viable literacy Project Initiative Plan before the end of the training.

In this lesson, we will link SMART Goals to strengthen literacy instruction. To accomplish this, we will be examining important conditions that influence literacy development. These conditions are well-being, social emotional learning, gender equity and social inclusiveness, capacity to care, growth mindset, and collaborative problem-solving.

Let us begin with examining some images.

A new trend happening in learning research is about brain-based learning. Much of this research says that the environment can affect the way one’s brain functions which in turn influences the way one learns.

Take a look at these two brain scans.

One of the scans shows the brain of a healthy and functioning individual and the other one is taken from the brain of an individual with a history of physical and emotional abuse. Which do you think is the scan of the functioning individual and the scan of the abused person?

Swipe right to reveal the description of the scans.

Brain studies like this show evidence of the importance of working in a safe and supportive environment. As the image shows, a healthy brain is more active and fully functional as opposed to less functioning brain triggered by abuse and deprivation. Similarly, when students are studying in a safe and positive learning environment, their capacity to remember, process and apply information increases. Their brains expand. But when students feel disturbed or anxious, their brains send negative signals and consequently becomes less attentive and then stop learning.

When students perceive the learning environment as positive, they experience a sense of belonging. Because students feel connected, they give importance to the school and adopt the school’s expectations and standards for learning. This in turn motivates them to study and show better performance in reading, writing and numeracy achievement tests.

To read the whole study you can follow this link:

Maxwell et al., 2012 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02069/full)

For the rest of the topics in this session we will be exploring conditions that strengthen literacy instruction leading to a positive learning environment. For strengthening literacy instruction, we perceive WELL-BEING as our bigger framework. Under the framework of Well-being are Social Emotional Learning (SEL), Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI), Capacity to Care, Growth Mindset, and Collaborative Problem-solving as conditions to foster literacy instruction.

Wellbeing

Well-being is one of the indicators of student assessment by PISA. As indicated by PISA, well-being refers to the psychological, cognitive, social, physical and material functioning and capabilities that students need to live a happy and fulfilling life.

The NSW DEC's study also (2015) showed that schools have a pivotal role to play in connecting character development in children and young people to individual and collective wellbeing, which in the longer term will shape the values and attitudes of the society in which they live. Teachers play an important role in providing learning experiences and opportunities that develop and shape the character and wellbeing of children and young people. Experiences that develop character, by promoting mindfulness (self-regulation and behavior), curiosity, courage, resilience, ethics, and leadership benefit children and young people as they grow and develop. Schools should focus on giving children and young people voice, being active learners and developing strong character qualities that will enable them to succeed, thrive and contribute positively throughout life.

Let's try to remember what happened in Aida's case. What actions could she do to ensure wellbeing is fostered in her school for effective literacy instruction?