Why did you choose to submit this item?
I chose this item because I believe the scenario is realistic and relevant. I plan to teach middle years, and the assignment description would also apply to that age group. It’s important to consider how the transient aspect of the learners affects the teaching. I like that the school is vibrant and welcoming because that is a critical component in creating a quality literacy program in which the students want to engage.
Additionally, I’ve chosen to submit this activity because I’ve learned that we may be faced with a version of this scenario in each year of teaching. Throughout my pre-internship, I’ve realized that the students reading level in the class varies, sometimes significantly. Having a plan to gather students’ interest in reading, promote reading, and identify ways to facilitate activities that may create genuine interest needs to be incorporated into every classroom. This activity helped me think about how I would start applying big-picture thinking to support these needs every year.
Which course concepts/ideas are reflected in the activity?
The theory on engagement vs motivation comes into practice throughout the activity and creates a quality literacy program. Based on what we know of the school’s demographic, it may appear like the students are not motivated to learn. However, distinguishing between motivation and engagement creates a problem-solving mentality that requires consideration and invitation for the students to learn. Like the one Crooks (2021) made, a survey identifies what interests the students, both in the type of book and the nature of the topic (personal communication, reading inventory survey, Oct 28, 2021). The survey can help the teacher better understand the students, how they think, and what engages them.
Routman (2003) as cited by Lynch et Al. (2017) explains that "to become better readers, students need to be given the time to read" (p.213). Promoting reading and devising a strategy to make reading interesting and accessible to everyone in the classroom will help students develop a love for reading. It will foster an interest among the students and hopefully, lead to more independent reading.
Course goals
What instructional approaches are useful for teaching readers and writers in elementary contexts?
Several approaches listed in the Reading II lesson provide a way to teach readers and writers, including the Daily 5 (“Balance Literacy Diet,” n.d.). Using this system, the students follow a system for literacy, including reading to self, reading to someone, listening to reading, working on writing and word work. This approach encourages the students to want to read by involving other people in their efforts.
It will lead to student comprehension and help students create a mental picture of the reading to encourage understanding. Teaching this method at a young age would help students learn to use their creativity while forming ideas.
Also, our group would incorporate a class library that promotes multi-cultural inclusiveness. The books would be relevant age and reading level appropriate, allowing the students to “make available high-quality selections that offer a wide variety of levels, topics and types of texts” (Miller, 2013, SaskReads). Providing the students with the resources that can capture their interest and promote literacy daily would be instrumental in creating an environment where reading and writing are fun.
How can I design an engaging literacy learning environment that is responsive to the cultural and linguistic diversity in contemporary classrooms?
Creating a library that includes different cultures, both in author, story, and illustrations, would be a wonderful way of having cultural and linguistic diversity. Additionally, our group requested an indigenous advocate to create an environment that is respectful and inclusive of cultural diversity. The advocate would be an excellent liaison for the students and teachers to be responsive to the diversity so common in today’s classrooms.
How has your thinking about the activity changed over the semester? What more would you like to learn about this activity?
My thinking has changed because I have learned about how education has changed since I was a student. It was prevalent in my classrooms for the whole room to be Caucasian. Cultural diversity was not a consideration in learning. If there were non-white students in the class, the teacher did not make an effort to ensure they felt included and represented in the classroom. They were just another student. Throughout this semester, I’ve learned how including everyone and considering their culture is essential to everyone’s learning. It benefits students of different ethnic backgrounds and all students through education and appreciation. In my current pre-internship class, it is very multi-cultural. It leads to a rich learning environment when the effort is made to bring in their perspectives, different readings, and culturally diverse teachings. My thinking has changed because I see the benefits of finding ways to engage students. I hope to continue building my resources and learning how I can be better at creating a culturally inclusive learning environment.