Reflection

ELNG 310 Portfolio Activity Week 9.1

My Classroom

Reflection

Why did you choose to include this activity?

I chose this activity because I believe the setup and the routine of my classroom have a major effect on the literacy experience of the students in the classroom. I will have many opportunities for students to learn and build their literacy skills. There will be students of all levels in the classroom and I will give all I can to my learners. The areas in my classroom will be welcoming and enjoyable for the students so they have a positive literacy experience. If children have a positive experience of literacy from an early age, they will continue to be literate throughout their life. This activity helped me get a better understanding of how embedded literacy is in the classroom. Literacy is used in all subject areas and is incorporated into many educational activities. Literacy components are a part of learning every day in the classroom.

What course goals does this activity connect to?

How can I design an engaging literacy learning environment that is responsive to the cultural and linguistic diversity in contemporary classroom? In my classroom, I will have opportunities and experiences that relate to all of the students' lives. On the bookshelves in the classroom, I will have books of all backgrounds and interests. all students are interested in different things, so it is important to have lots of books for them to choose from. I will have conversations with my students to make connections with them. I will ask them about their lives and what they enjoy, so when making activities for the class it is to their interests. The environment in the classroom will have a positive vibe, especially towards reading, writing and literacy.

What course concepts/ideas are reflected in the activity? Include citations

The course concepts connect to my classroom setup. The environment of my classroom will be a positive fun learning environment for all who enter the door. The relationships in the classroom will be positive, including respect, worth and uniqueness of all students, engagement of students, and positive interactions between teachers and peers (Saskatchewan Reads, 2015). The classroom should be a place where all students are happy and feel welcome. As a teacher, I want an environment that I enjoy working in, so I know how important it is for the student to enjoy the space they learn in. My bookshelves will be full of all kinds of books (Saskatchewan Reads, 2015). When getting a variety of books that are of interest to students, I might try using a survey format to fill my bookshelves with books my students actually like (Crooks, 2021). It might be a good idea to do this survey more than once a year because some might have new interests. This could also be done through conversations, but a survey would be much quicker to gather all the information.

How has your thinking about the activity changed over the semester and/or what questions do you have about this activity?

My thinking about my classroom setup has not changed. I have always wanted a classroom with many areas for different activities. I have always wanted a big "Cozy Corner" because I think it is a great place for students to explore all kinds of books. In all of these areas, students will be able to read alone, with a partner or as a large group (Saskatchewan Reads, 2015). The way I will use my bulletin boards has changed. I love the idea of an ongoing word wall that is student lead (Saskatchewan Reads, 2015). Any words students discover and or think are important to share can be added to the board. Pictures, words, and definitions can all be added for students to get a better understanding of the world around them. Table groups have always been something I wanted to incorporate because I believe group work and conversation enhances a person's literacy. Technology will also be incorporated into my classroom because I think there are so many resources out there that are beneficial for students. for example, audiobooks for children to listen to are very beneficial for their learning and literacy. Most of my views of my future classroom have stayed the same, but throughout the semester they have become stronger!