REFLECTION #3:

Currently, I am not pleased with the revisions of reflections #1 and #2. I have spent a great deal of time trying to define myself. I move from the present to the past as I puzzle over this school year. I have complained and have had to put in a lot of energy this year. So, what strengths do I use when confronting the difficult realities of teaching online in 2020. I am adapting, which is part of my teaching history. I taught in seven districts since beginning in 1988. My philosophy has been to bloom where I am planted, as corny as that sounds. Since beginning my Farmington teaching career, I have felt very constrained in my teaching because of the emphasis on data and assessments. I moved to middle school to have a bit more control in my teaching. This is my third year and I am constantly trying to figure out ways to connect FMS strategies with what I feel is best in the classroom. This year I am challenged. Engagement and attendance are down. I am working on methods to engage students online. ELD is my focus.

Finishing LLSS 500, Issues in Language/Literacy/Sociocultural Studies, helped me understand issues and strategies that would help me with ELD engagement. Since I am working online, with limited class time with students, I am struggling with engagement more than ever. I have created a mini bibliography of resources that focus on multimodal literacy engagement for emerging English learners:

de los Ríos, C. (2017). Picturing ethnic studies: Photovoice and youth literacies of social action. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 61(1), 15-24.

Jimenez, R., & Teague, B. (2009). Language, Literacy, and Content

Adolescent English Language Learners. . L. M. Morrow, R. Rueda, & D. Lapp (Eds.), Handbook of research on literacy and diversity.

Ladson-Billings, G. (2018). Igniting Student Learning Through Teacher Engagement

in Culturally Relevant Pedagogy. In R. M. de Silva, R. Gleditsch, C. Job, S. Jesme, B. Urness, & C. Hunter (Eds.). Multicultural Education: Caddo Gap Press

Lazar, A., Edwards, P., & Thompson McMillon, G. (2012). Bridging Literacy and Equity The Essential Guide to Social Equity Teaching. New York, NY; Columbia University.: Teacher's College Press.

Marshall, E. (2016). Counter-Storytelling through Graphic Life Writing. (Vol. 94). Language Arts: Read Write Think NCTE.

McLean, Boling, & Rowsell. (2009). Engaging Diverse Students in Multiple Literacies in and Out of School.

Norton, B. (2010). Identity, Literacy, and English-Language Teaching, (Vol. 28). TESL Canada Journal.

Vitali. (2014). Teaching with Stories as the Content and Context for Learning. In: University of New Mexico

Wong, S., Gosnell, E., Luu, A., & Dodson, L. (2018). Teachers As Allies Transformative Practices for Teaching. In. New York, NY; Columbia College: Teacher's College Press.

The missing portion of my practitioner research is engagement in online learning. My question remains, “how do I engage ELD students in literacy?” with the added element of “how do I engage ELD students in literacy online?” When working in a physical classroom, I am able to adapt and modify lessons when the lesson comes to a stop, not so much now. I have coordinated a district ELD meeting with my ELD peers from the other middle schools. We are all challenged with online learning. The other factor that I haven’t addressed is the district’s ever changing directions to staff. FMS staff, like teachers all around this country, are faced with a job that feels hopelessly out of our control. Teaching middle schoolers means that motivation is already limited in our students. Fatigue has set in due to quarantine. Students are told they can make up their work any time during the year. Sports – are they cancelled or not.

When I review my literature collection, I will focus on practitioner strategies that engage students in writing. I will start reading about ways to adapt lessons online. I began with the website Edutopia. Edutopia collects anecdotal information from teachers across the country and writes articles on current strategies that are working for teachers. This requires learning some technology strategies to support what is working. This is a challenge as I have an incredibly long list of “just one more thing to do” from our district.

I am also considering working with an emerging English language learner, rather than focusing on an entire class. If I work with one student, can I adapt engagement practices to an entire class in the future?