Digital Literacy

Before coming to college I would definitely have considered myself a digital immigrant.  Although I always remember growing up with a computer in the house, I was never enthusiastic about using technology.  I can specifically remember taking typing classes in seventh grade and HATING them.  When it came to writing papers I was the first to pull out my notebook and I had a collection of pens on hand at a moments notice.  Even throughout my freshman year at Michigan State I preferred to take notes manually rather than on the computer.  But as I furthered my studies in the College of Education I became to see how useful technology is for my future classroom, students, and myself.  I took advantage of the opportunities I had to learn about new technology as it pertains to education so that I could better myself as a teacher.  Now, I would consider myself a digital native because I am now the proud own of a Mac Book AND Iphone, so I do many tasks using technology.  I think all it took was for me to have the proper training about how to use certain programs so that I could feel comfortable with it before trying to us it on my own.

            In thinking about “emergent” digital literacy and the Tomkins reading about emergent literacy for children, it is obvious that there are many similarities.  Whether a student is learning to use technology or learning to read and write, scaffolding and support are needed in the early stages.  Tompkins refers to emergent literacy as learning how to read or write.  Digital literacy is much the same in that students are just becoming familiar with using technology, but still need an expert to model the proper way to use technology.  With both technology and literacy, emergent students are still looking for a purpose and meaning to what they are learning since it is all so new to them, so it is important for the learner to see good modeling and make useful connections.  Also, if learners of literacy or technology are exposed to a variety experiences using the two beforehand, they are likely to develop skills at a fast past since they have seen it used in context before. 

            In comparing my own need for support when learning how to use technology and comparing that to the support ELLs need when learning literacy, it is easier for me to understand how to help them.  In Kathleen Mohr’s article she talked about ways in which teachers can better support ELLs in literacy such as explicit instruction, multiple forms of input, and time for students to practice new skills.  These same ideas are useful when learning how to use a new form of technology because without direct instruction, scaffolding, and practice using technology on my own becomes intimidating.  In order to become confident using technology or literacy skills, students need to build up their skills so they are comfortable and ready when it comes time to learn something new. 

Talk in the Classroom

Even though I haven't seen my MT use literature in her class very often, the few times that she has used a story have seemed to be effective. At the end of last semester, she read Clifford's First Christmas to the class. As discussed in the McGee article, "children talk about what they know before reading and answer questions after reading." I saw this happen in my classroom when this story was read. My MT asked the class if they remember their first Christmas, and as expected, all of them said "no." She then asked them about some of the things that they do at Christmas time to get them thinking about what the story might be about. McGee also talked about how it is important to talk to the students during the story about what is happening. This is very important for students future understanding of the story. And it shows that the "interpretations of the reader are not static, but continually shaped by transactions between the reader's experiences and new information acquired from the text." (Almasi 1996) After reading the story, it is important to again discuss with the class the events that took place within the story. This can be done either as a whole class or in groups. If done in a group setting, this can be beneficial because "readers can share their own understandings and significant insights and must convince others of the value of their insights." (McGee 1996)
This type of discussion/talk has been started recently in my classroom in the form of literacy stations. One of the centers is called "book in a basket" this is where students pick books from a basket and can "read" them together and talk about what they like about the books. My MT makes an effort to sit along side the students while they are reading to help facilitate some discussion within the group. I think this is very significant for kindergarteners to be able to have an opportunity to openly discuss literature together.

Literature in the Classroom

            Literature is a huge part of my MT’s classroom.  She finds useful ways of integrating it across the core subjects.  Since she is so equipped to find a book for almost every topic, I was able to include literature into my science lesson last semester. I found that books could be an awesome primer for any lesson.  It also helps students learn in a way that is different then the normal introduction of a new topic in class.  I really liked the suggestions that were provided in the Out of the Box Reading.  I have taken a few classes that were aimed towards choosing controversial literacy to spark thoughtful discussions.  Interestingly enough, in my TE 348 class that focused on children’s literature, we read Bud Not Buddy, and my MT is currently reading this book to her class.  I would consider this book out of the box because it is about a boy that runs away from his foster home to connect with his father, whom he has never known.  The students in my placement come from all different kinds of backgrounds so it is interesting to listen how they connect to the story.

            In the article Understanding Literature, Judith A. Langer, provided the reader with a list of suggestions for instruction of literature.  They include: initial understandings, developing interpretations, reflecting on personal experiences, and elaborating and extending.  So far through my placements and volunteering opportunities I have seen all of these strategies except for the elaborating and extending.  To me, this seems like the most important strategy of all because it allows the students to think critically.  I would definitely consider incorporating this type of teaching during literacy instruction.  I think it could be best tackled through a creative activity where students could make a representation of their interpretation on a certain type of literature and then write a short reflection about the project they create.  Overall, I believe literature can be an extremely useful tool to integrate into any subject and I plan to use it throughout my instructions as much as possible.

TE 402 Expectations

After reading through the syllabus for TE 402, I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit overwhelmed.  BUT, with that being said I think we are going to learn a lot of extremely useful and interesting information this semester so I am very excited! Since we are all planning to teach at the elementary level, it is imperative for us know not only what to teach  in terms of literacy, but how to teach it.  Literacy is a huge part of early education and can be easy integrated into other parts of the curriculum as well, which makes for a lot of teachers favorite subject areas.  I am hoping throughout this course we learn a lot about how to effectively address topics of literacy in a way that makes it meaningful to both us and the students.  I am also hoping to expand my own definition of literacy so that I am able to apply it in all areas of my teaching.
Something else the syllabus addressed that sounds intriguing to me is to learn how to make our teaching fit our learners needs by celebrating their differences rather than making some students conform to different learning styles.  The survey activity we did in class brought to light the fact that each of us learn best in multiple different ways, so I am hoping throughout this course we learn how to adjust our teaching to cater to those differences.