How does Warlick's definition of a "learning literacy" (page 94) apply to
how you design your instruction in your class? Warlick asserts that a
"learning literacy" is the ability to expose information, employ
information, express ideas compellingly as well as integrate an ethical
code into your use of information.
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Looking back over my methods of teaching and my general approach, I can find evidence of “learning literacy” in my use of the project approach. This approach is flexible and related to real world problem solving or investigation. Interestingly, I was first introduced to it in early childhood classrooms, where educators have fewer restrictions concerning curriculum and teaching methods, and students have more time to play and explore. In older classrooms, I have seen distinct evidence of “learning literacy” in inquiry projects in particular.
While my students and I do search and employ information, investigate, and construct and document learning, I could offer a greater variety of formats to do so. For example, we expose information through the means of searching pictures, charts, maps, and books; if possible we also gather information through the use of interview, demonstration, models, and observation. Because of the age of my students (preschool currently), we do not use computers often, but I do think they would be useful.
The primary way my students employ information is through the use of collage or sequencing. They often relate what descriptions of their own experiences to stories we have read. In one art project, I photocopied and shrank self-portraits they had drawn. Students could then paste small drawings of themselves and their friends onto blank paper and create scenes around the portraits. I think it would also be possible to do this with computer art software, even with young children.
My students’ primary means of expressing what they know is through collaborative projects, particularly art-based, in which we construct an object based on what we have learned about it, such as a train. We often compile what we know in classroom books or other collections. The primary way they use text is to label parts of their drawings and diagrams, and many do not yet have the skills to do so. It is important for me to think about the different ways students are authors, and I should provide them with more opportunities to document what they know. I could use more video and audio devices, in addition to the many photographs I take to document their work and play. This month, my students have been interested in maps, so we are creating a map on a sheet to be used in the block area. We are using our home addresses, our routes to school, and our knowledge of Chapel Hill to construct a map that we can use to play on and to learn from.
When I consider the concept “learning literacy”, I define it as the ability to read and write in a way that allows one to function as a contributing and collaborative member of society of the 21st century. A few years ago, I would have considered myself a very literate person, but as technology evolves, new forms of literacy unfold. At times I feel illiterate and know this could hinder my computer literate students.
Today's definition of literacy is changing to include literacy skills necessary for students to gain access to the best information in the shortest time, to identify and solve their most important problems, and then communicate this information. In other words, teachers and students alike must be willing to learn, unlearn and relearn to maintain capacity in this ever changing Conceptual Age. As a language arts teacher, my colleagues and I, must without hesitation, need to find innovative answers for "How can teachers help students use their reading and writing strategies in a digital platform?" while maintaining a safe and tolerant environment.
Specifically, what can I do to facilitate reading and writing couched in a technological experience? Students, who will be successful in the 21st century, must engage in problem solving, information processing, and digital community collaboration. Fro example, Literature-based Web Quests and books have become the focal point for reading-centered learning activities. It is essential that I can locate, evaluate, adapt, and integrate existing Web Quests. I raise this point as it is our ethical responsibility to make certain that any technology used in our classrooms meets ethical standards demanded by parents, the county and the state. As a result, integrating technology into instruction will be a proactive, front loaded activity, requiring perseverance and tenacity. At least until the time comes where there is a rich and broad variety of “student safe” platforms.
These questions come to mind as I think about how must design curriculum that aligns with “learning literacy”: what standards-based literacy goals do I need my students to develop?, what are my students’ abilities and needs?, what are their specific capabilities when using technological tools?, and what are the most effective ways to combine technology tools with research-based reading and writing strategies? This is an awesome yet inescapable responsibility that educators in disciplines must embrace now rather than later.
Since I am not teaching my own class now, I will apply this definition to my past experience. I think I was somewhat successful in teaching students to expose information, employ information, and express ideas compellingly. In doing research projects I often had students use the Internet. In preparation, we would practice how to evaluate the reliability of information they found in terms of both accuracy and bias. I had particular success with a unit on To Kill a Mockingbird when I asked my average ninth grade class to find photographs, political cartoons, and information that related to the Scottsboro Boys trials that informed Lee’s writing of the novel. Often these students were difficult to engage, but they really enjoyed the research process and reporting on what they found. As I mentioned in last week’s blog, we also evaluated various media/literature in order to discern possible attempts to manipulate the reader/viewer.
Also, we learned about how to use writing to communicate effectively and how varied contexts required varied styles of writing. In this way, I think I did my best to promote what Warlick calls “learning literacy.”
However, my use of technology was quite limited by current standards. Besides using the computer for Internet research and various kinds of publications, the only other technology students used was video cameras for group presentations on short stories that required them to synthesize their reading of the text and literary criticism into a creative presentation to teach the story to the rest of the class. While I am not as enthusiastic as some people about the omnipresence of new technology in every aspect of the classroom, I really liked some of Warlick’s ideas. In particular, I agree that the availability of digital cameras opens many options for integration in various curriculums. His suggestion to assign students to take photographs representing literary quotes and then have the class match the quotes to correct photograph is an excellent one which allows students to appreciate theme on an entirely different level. Also, I would personally like to learn more about how to use digital technology to help students tell their own stories. One curricular objective for 11th grade English is to have students complete an autobiographical writing assignment. Integration of digital technology has the potential to make this a much richer experience for both the creator and reader/viewer.
I think the key to utilizing technology effectively is to focus on purposeful ways to integrate it into our curriculum, so that it makes the learning process more profound, instead of merely latching onto the “next big thing.” As a teacher, my challenge will be to seek out these opportunities AND make myself comfortable enough with the technology to confidently utilize it with my students.
While looking at what I do in the classroom and talking to my lead teacher about learning literacy there is evidence of learning literacy in my instruction. In kindergarten I start out teaching the alphabet and the sounds that will be very important when they start to read books. Not only do we do the alphabet/sounds, but they are also learning sight words and other vocabulary words that will help them when they begin to read and write. When I teach the letters and sounds I tell my students how it will help them when they start to read. We also sing a song in the morning by Dr. Jean about the letters and the sounds and how they help us to read. The children love this song and always say how they are ready to read when they get done singing it. The students are also learning the different strategies to help them when they start to read. I see them apply the strategies that they learn when they are reading books on their own and when they are reading to me. Reading plays an important role in our society and students need to know that it is not just for school, we use it in our everyday life. I see that while they are applying what they learn they are also learning new things on their own through their reading and writing and I like to see that. They are also applying what they learned when they are on the computer interacting with the letter/reading games. When the students are at these games they will say, that letter is in that person name or that letter is in my name. So they are making connects to what they are learning to what they see around them.
Our school has put a lot of time in problem solving and critical thinking. I know that for my self that I need to do more of that in my classroom b/c they will use problem solving in their lives. I have started to use math journals to help with problem solving and I have started using literacy journals as well. For their math journals they are given a problem that relates to what we are learning and they figure out the problem in their journal. Then we will discuss it.
In thinking about "Learning Literacy," I find this somewhat hard to comprehend the true magnitude that Warlick is proposing. While I think my instructional approach is highly varied and engaging, my main goal (for the most part)is to motivate students to learn a set objective. The latest training in our county involves "High Yields" strategies, including setting specific yet flexible learning goals. This is so that students know what they are expected to learn and ideally learn it by the end of the lesson/unit. It seems like having specific learning goals in mind is backwards from what Warlick proposes, that we don't all need to learn a set of information.
I think I push my students to expose information and to be able to gain knowledge out of the texts they read (book or internet) by helping them activate prior knowledge, think about how what they are reading compares to what they already know, asking questions, and vocalizing ways they can gain the answers to their questions.
I think in our standards-based educational society, pulling off what Warlick is proposing is full of risks. I have strong oppositions towards having elementary-aged students specialize in a specific content areas. How do our children come to us already knowing what they are interested in, what they might need to explore for their future life? Given that when a child is not interested or does not like a content area, it is because the content has not been presented in a way that is engaging, motivating, or captivating. So, again, how do young children come to us already knowing what they should explore? I think the answer is that we still need to be working within an expected, foundational set of outcomes and learning expectations. The amount of information that students are expected to learn (given the standard course of study) does not match up to the time required of this 21st century classroom.
One way that I do think I apply 21st century learning in my science/social studies content is to have a web-based project in each unit. It is during these times that students are self directing their learning and I am not concerned that students may be walking away with a variety of information discovered and learned. During our Colonial Life study, students made an ABC book with colonial terms/facts found on a given website. They were able to write sentences, descriptions, or draw to demonstrate what they had learned. In this case, the products were the same, but the information shared was varied.
Given that a more technologically powerful education is necessary for our students future, I feel ready to embark on this exciting and uncharted future, but our educational system, our classrooms, our districts, our high-stakes testing are not ready for this massive change. I am also frightened by the fact that while David Warlick has a sense of urgency about new literacies, I am not feeling this sense of urgency from the powers that be in NC or my district. If we truly have 5 years, we have a long way to go and not enough time to get there.
Learning should be a continuum, and I think that Warlick is making that evident in his definition of a "Learning Literacy." When we aquire a new skill or knowledge, we must go through the process of exposing information, employing information, and expressing ideas compellingly in order for our understanding of the knowledge to be meaninful. As Warlick mentions, in many conferences and other professional development settings, we are hearing more and more about integrating technology into our lessons and allowing for more inquiry-based learning. As teacher, I think that we are already doing many of the things that he discusses, we just need to "kick it up a notch!"
I teach at a Title I school, so we have used some of our Title I money to enhance our technology program. I have ventured into using many of the new devices and programs that we have, however, I know that there is so much more that I can do. Finding the time and learning about the technology that I have available to me is oftentimes a barrier. I do think that exposing students to various forms of technology will enhance their learning as well as get them excited about learning. All of my students love it when I integrate what we are learning about in reading or math or science or socical studies with activities in our technology lab.
My goal is to not only teach my students the SCOS, but to provide them with opportunities to become 21st century learners. In order to do so, I need to become a 21st century learner myself. I plan to do much more with literay and web-based learning. Developing webquests, projects, and other activities that require my students to use problem solving skills when analyzing information, form inquiries that are individual to them, and to process the information so that it is meaningful to them. By providing them with purposeful activities, technology can become an effective way to teach and learn.
Since I no longer have my own classroom, I am going to relate this definition of "learning literacy" to the fourth grade class I taught last year. Last year I was fortunate enough to teach in a technology magnet school. We had access to smart boards, digital video cameras, digital cameras, GPS systems, personal laptops, individual writing lap tops for each student in my class, and a school news room which had all of the equipment a regular news room is equipped with. Thus, I feel that I was really able to apply Warlick’s definition of “learning literacy” to how I designed my classroom. I would expose new information to my students using various technology pieces, then they would employ the information, and express their ideas compellingly.
I designed the instruction in my class based on a hands-on, inquiry approach using the technology we had available to us. One of the big projects I was able to do with my class was creating commercials for different landmark spots in North Carolina. I divided the class up into groups, assigned them each a region. Then it was there job to find landmark places that they thought people my want to visit in that region. For example, the mountain region did a commercial for the Biltmore Estate. They used the Internet to research and determine what landmark place they would like to do a commercial for. Then they manipulated this information to find pictures that they would like to use as still frames in their commercials. The students then expressed their ideas by creating a script for their commercial. The students then spent a week in the newsroom, where we worked together to put their scrip on the teleprompting machine, and organize their still frames as the backgrounds for their commercials. We recorded the commercials and then watched them as a class. My students learned a great deal from this activity because I was able to integrate technology, writing, reading, and social studies all into one activity. They were also able to learn how to communicate effectively by using commercials. During this activity since my students were working with the Internet and creating commericicals, we had to have discussions on how to use the Internet in a safe and ethical way. Students had document where they found their pictures and where they found their information on the Internet and supply this information in the credits. We also had to discuss that not everything on the Internet is true and it is important that we use and find credible sources. I feel that this is a great example of how I was able to design instruction in my class to support Warlick’s definition of “learning literacy.”
Since we had projection screens in the classrooms, I was able to integrate technology into a lot of my lessons. Frequently, I would have my students read a piece from the Hough Miffilin anthology, we would discuss it as a class, and then I would extend their learning by using videos from United Streaming. For example my students read a story about the Titanic. After doing the reading lesson that I prepared, I had the students watch a United Streaming video on the Titanic. I wanted them to connect what they read in a story, to a real life history lesson through the use of a video. I then had the students write a journal entry pretending they were a passenger on the Titanic. They were asked to write about their last day on the Titanic. Through activities like these I was able to expose the information to the students by using text and technology and then I had them use this information to manipulate their new knowledge to write a journal entry.
I tried to design my classroom in such a way that all that subject areas integrated technology in some way. I feel that I was able to engage my students in ways that would not be possible 10 years ago. I wanted my students to be able to make connections between what they were learning, and I feel that I was able to do this by using inquiry and hands on activities and projects. I had to integrate an ethical code into my teaching practices, because I did use a lot of technology. It was important for me to assess the reliability of the materials that I was using with my students. It was also important that I teach my students how to use technology in an ethical and responsible way. Warlick’s “A student and teacher’s information code of ethics” on page 92 and 93 is a great resource that I will use in my future classroom.
Since our society is becoming so technologically advanced, I agree with Heather when she stated that we need to find ways to integrate technology into the classroom in effective and purposeful ways. Our students depend on us to help them grow into successful adults, however we need to help them grow in ways that will benefit them the most. This will require us to step out of our comfort zone and integrate technology into our classrooms as much as we are able to with the resources we have available. “Learning literacy” will need to become a guiding point for the future development in our classrooms.
Warlick’s “Learning Literacy” is a 21st Century Learning Literacy. As a kindergarten teacher, I have to be very focused on basics, especially in the beginning. I have to make sure that children know their letters and sounds in order to be successful readers and writers. It has been interesting to me to read Warlick’s text because I’ve gained a better understanding about how we’ve moved away from the 3Rs and are moving to exposing information,, employing information, and expressing ideas compellingly. This made me think about the lessons and activities that I teach on a daily basis and whether or not that are appropriate in terms of making sure that my students are learning 21st Century skills.
In my classroom, we do lots of graphing in Math, as well as in centers. Students have to complete their activity or activities and then create graphs using the results. We also complete problem solving activities in our Math Journals on a weekly basis. These are mainly addition and subtraction word problems. We do several examples whole group and then the students complete the problem in their journals on their own. When reading, I really try to focus on retellings and making personal connections. Writing journals allow the students to express themselves compellingly, and Science Notebooks give the students the opportunity to really examine and elaborate on activities or experiments that have taken place.
In order for my students to be functioning and successful in the 21st Century, I try to make sure that the lessons and activities are appropriate and essential to personal growth in the future. This is a work in progress. After reading Warlick’s text, I’ve thought about different ways in which to make my students 21st Century literate. I am going to work hard at making more activities interactive and digital, as well as incorporate more videos and images when possible.
One goal that I have started working on is having my students complete a page in their writing journals, and then type their sentences on the computer, as well as illustrate using Kid Pix. I want my students to be very comfortable using the computer and know that it isn’t just for typing words and Math/Reading games. I want them to really comprehend that technology can be integrated in all aspects of life and learning and that it’s important to be computer literate and a problem solver in order to be successful in the future.
I can see evidence of "learning literacy" in my classroom. I teach kindergarten and I focus on teaching the basic skills that they need to learn to read and write and problem solve in math. We start the beginning of the year learning the alphabet and phonemic awareness. We play literacy games in whole group and centers to gain these skills. Eventually the students learn to apply these skills on their own. They make connections everyday to the new skills they have acquired.
I see this in math as well when I teach problem solving. I teach the students the basic skills of understanding what the problem is asking and the different ways it can be solved. We complete the problems in a daily math journal. We only do simple addition problems right now, but they are very good at solving these problems on their own now. I am working this year on strating science journals for students to record and evaluate experiments we have done.
I need to integrate more uses of technology into my classroom. My students are using the computers for reading, writing and math games. I need to incoporate a greater variety for the students. I need to find meaningful and purposeful ways to do this.
I am not currently a classroom instructor, but I will speak to my 2 years of teaching while at UNC. On the second day of lab, I told my students that I would be going through, step by step, how to create Excel charts and graphs that would be required for their weekly reports. I told them that if they already felt comfortable with how to create them in Excel, then I would allow them to leave and not sit through a demonstration, since they already knew what to do. After the mass exodos out of the classroom, I was usually left with 3-4 students (out of 15-20) who did not know how to use Excel. Later during the semester, I commented on the number of students who already were proficient with Excel, and their response shocked me. Most had never had a formal course in computing, yet they knew how to use software programs that are fairly difficult to master. Many of them told me that they were self-taught, and that they HAD to learn the programs since all of their classes were requiring them to be proficient in Excel, PowerPoint, etc. I took a course in 1997 to learn Access, PowerPoint, and Excel, but these days students are the ones teaching themselves these skills, since these programs are so ubiquitious. However, I think that providing our students the chance to employ 21st-century skills in projects and practical real-world assignments will shift the climate of the classroom toward becoming a more "meaningful" environment which will (hopefully) be highly conducive to learning and motivation. Since students these days are already diving head-first into all the technology they can get their hands on, they should be allowed to use these tools in order to better understand the world around them. However, I do not believe they should hold to this "entitlement" theory, in which they are given whatever gadgets they want to have available to them. I think with greater student freedom should come greater responsibility, and it will be interesting to see how educators toe the line in the coming years to make use of new technologies to engage and motivate learners...while trying to minimize the negative consequences.
There is an old saying that you don’t really know something until you can teach it to someone else. I think that Warlick’s definition of “learning literacy” applies to this statement. As a Kindergarten teacher, I teach my children things that they will come to own and employ in multiple learning situations. Kindergarten is the first introduction to many skills that children will use for the entire time they are in school. I teach my children the letters and the sounds that those letters make. I use many different techniques to teach letters and sounds. I use pictures and different alliterations, a song for each letter, and sheer repetition of the letter and sound. We write the letters and learn to link the sound to the writing of each letter. Once the children have mastered each individual letter and sound, we work on taking that knowledge and applying it to words and eventually sentences. We master one aspect of reading and start to apply it to another. The children have been ‘exposed’ to information and are starting to ‘employ’ it. Once the children have mastered all letters and sounds they are more able to ‘express’ their own ideas in writing.
I talk to my children about writing on a daily basis. We talk about how important it is to always try our hardest when we do work. I always model the writing process for my children before they start their writing. We will pick a topic as a class and then I will write about it. Let’s say we are writing about our favorite holiday. I will draw a picture and write the sentences, “My favorite holiday is the 4th of July. I love to see the fireworks.” I discuss the thoughts that are going through my head when I write. I discuss decoding the words that I want to write. Then, I cover up my writing. I talk to the children about why my writing gets covered. I want them to write, I don’t want them to copy what I have written. We talk about the difference between copying a word from the word wall and copying words from another person’s writing. Ethics on a Kindergarten level.
I want my children to learn as much as they can in Kindergarten, it is the first year of the rest of their educational life. It is important that they start off right. That I expose them to information and that they employ and express that information in their own way. “Learning literacy” from Kindergarten to graduation and beyond.
As a seventh grade language arts teacher I have had a personal belief that I must meet my students where ever they are and take on more of a coaching approach to learning. While I recognize that I am the teacher and ultimately responsible for setting a stage for true learning to occur, it is my student’s responsibility to actually learn. Therefore we hold joint responsibility and “power” for the learning process. This philosophy seems to pair well with Warlicks assertion that "learning literacy is the ability to expose information, employ information, express ideas compellingly as well as integrate an ethical code into your use of information.” Language Arts is all about information, and teaching how to access, sort through, judge and use that information for various purposes. By meeting students where they are as technical natives it is my responsibility to bring the technology they are using into the classroom. Through this medium I can then teach students to define purpose, sift information and create a new informational product based on the SCOS. This can be done through creating group power points, brochures or a number of different products. What I recently discovered about this wonderful new generation of learners is that I do not have to be the computer expert in the room in order to create the products. By providing choices on how they create their end product I have shared the responsibility of learning and have empowered students in the use of this new technology. If a student is a wiz at creating web pages, then why not let them create a web page on one of the elements of fiction we are learning about and then present it to the class? They can even give a mini-lesson on how to create the web page. The 21st century learners are the experts, so I should use this tool in the classroom!
While I realize that this may be a bit idealistic, I do realize that some foundational work needs to be laid up front. I do need to be very explicit with how I teach ethical use of information. To me this falls under the umbrella of character development. What better place than Language Arts or Social Studies to delve into character development? Reading novels, or current events and discussion the pros’ and con’s of character choices, doing large class projects identifying our own “givers”, teaching the art of reflective thinking through writing, are all tools for laying the foundation of understanding the “WHY” behind the message “plagiarism is bad.” After that it’s much easier to teach ways to give credit for others ideas in our own new products we create in the class. 7th grade students then have a structure to tie this vague notion of plagiarism to.
In conclusion, I believe that Warlicks “learning literacy” includes more than just a shift in teaching strategies; it will include a shift in how we teach children. We are no longer the “keeper of knowledge.” Instead we are now guides through the thinking process involved in exposing information, employing information, expressing ideas and using the ethical codes of conduct. Engaging my students in this thinking process using the technology they are familiar with is where the change in my class will begin.
When reflecting on the application of learning literacy in my classroom, my science program comes to mind first. For instance, when my fourth graders are exploring the concept of electricity they are given wires, a source of electricity and a light bulb all of which must be combined to power the light. These children use the knowledge that they have from reading the text. I think that students thrive in situations that require them to find the answer rather than to memorize my instruction. Every year that I’ve taught this material a competition inevitably ensues among the groups of children to be the first to complete the circuit. I think that exploration and friendly rivalry are a large part of the retention of this information. I also believe that activities such as this are ways to build student confidence and reiterate the fact that having the ability to interpret and use prior knowledge properly are the foundations of learning.
Having a strong literacy base will assist students in performing well throughout their educational careers; however, a learning literacy will be necessary for future success in the workplace and in life. It is imperative that we, as educators, are supplying students with experiences meant to increase their higher levels of thinking. The manipulation of information and the ethical use of that knowledge is what will create thriving adults.
As a reading teacher for grades 3, 4 and 5, I feel that I am teaching my students to develop their “learning literacy” each day. The students I teach have different strengths and weaknesses. Some are better at understanding what they read, yet struggle with using decoding strategies or “exposing” information. Others are better at using strategies to decode what they read, but struggle to “employ” that information by making connections and analyzing their reading. I work with them by starting where they are in their knowledge of reading and then teach them strategies to construct further knowledge from what they read. The way I do this is through beginning with demonstration and modeling of decoding and comprehension strategies. I then help them to practice with me, guiding them along, and then finally I release the responsibility for them to try on their own, scaffolding them if necessary. For example, many of my students know short vowel sounds in isolation. However, when the come to a new word they do not know, they do not use what they know about short vowel sounds to help them in decoding. Likewise, I have students who can read most any word because they are very skilled at decoding, yet if I ask them to summarize what they just read or to make a connection, they are unable to do so. My job is to teach my students how to think about their own thinking, using metacognition, when reading anything unfamiliar, so that they will be successful readers who are able to teach themselves. David Warlick’s comments on how our society will need workers who can think for themselves “outside the box” motivates me to work harder to teach my students how to think creatively and increase their “learning literacy” for their 21st century futures.
Thinking back on my seven years of teaching sixth grade Language Arts, I feel I really did design my classes in a way that Warlick encourages us to do.
As a language arts teacher, we are constantly encouraging our students to read books outside of class and typically require students to do some form of assessment on this reading. I did away with the traditional book report in my first year of teaching. I learned very quickly that students can easily summarize the book by searching online and simply recalling the information (hopefully in their own words). This was not serving my purpose - students weren't reading the books and they weren't thinking at a higher level.
Now I do book projects -- these are various projects that are based upon the reading of the book. I have had students create a "text message" to a friend on the book they have read - (I give them a handout that has a graphic of a text phone display). Students then have to summarize the main points and they get to use the language that they use with friends. Another project I have done is to have students pretend to be a character in the book they have read and create a "mini-scrapbook" on the person and their life. After taking this class I think I can now take this project up a step and allow them to create a digital scrapbook.
There are so many new ideas in technology. I believe that what Brad was saying about students teaching themselves and not requiring classes is the truth. As part of my presentation for class on Monday I will be demonstrating another technology tool which I had never used before. I can honestly say that I just went to the website and taught myself -- only hours after doing it on my own did I see that there was a tutorial. I think that this is how learning is leaning.
Warlick writes that “we must create learning experiences for our students that are sensitive to the actuality that the facts we are teaching may not be true 10 years from now.” He also argues that we are trying to cram too much essential curriculum into a school year. I agree with Warlick from the sense that we are trying to “cover” material in order to prepare students for standardized testing. Instead of this approach, I support Warlick’s idea of teaching students a minimum curriculum that prepares them to choose self-directed paths to follow to continue their education. He points out that we don’t use many of the facts and procedures we learned in school and neither will our current students. In order to truly prepare students to be successful in our ever-changing society, they need thinking skills. They need to be able to use higher level thinking skills in our classrooms and in the real world. One way I try to prepare my students is by consistently asking them higher level questions and requiring them to complete projects and activities that engage them in higher level thinking. Students don’t need to be taught every fact and detail when they can access information digitally in a matter of seconds. What we should be teaching them is how to be critical viewers of the information they are finding.
One way I encourage learning literacy in my classroom is by creating projects, especially in social studies, that allow students to narrow in on aspects of the topic that interest them. After some exploration, they choose which direction to take their research and expose relevant information. They employ information and create products that display what they’ve learned. These products serve a dual purpose by showcasing their learning as well as teaching others about the topic. Students seem more engaged in learning when they have choices and real audiences to share their work with. “Learning literacy” allows students to focus their learning and to personalize it to their needs.
I found Warlick’s definition of learning literacy to be interesting because that concept has been the foundation for higher education sometime. When one enters college, and even moreso when attempting to receive a masters or doctorate degree, students are expected to have the abilities that make up Warlick’s definition of learning literacy; expose information, employ information, and express ideas compellingly. The onus is on the student to make their educational experience worthwhile and to do so means to use the aforementioned abilities.
The reason why I believe these abilities are worth mentioning in Warlick’s book is because we are seeing technologies trickle down effect in education. Technology has afforded students the opportunity to have more meaningful educational experience at a younger age. It seemed that before, the rationale was that everyone had to attend grade school and high school to learn basic needs and if you were interested in learning more, you went to college. Now students can do more than simply memorize facts and learn basic equations in grade school. With technology, they can take what the instructor teaches them and make it more applicable to their own life.
This puts me as a college instructor in an interesting position. The students I have in class right now are on the border of the 20th and 21st century learning skills. They are certainly familiar with new media technologies but did not necessarily grow up using technology in educational settings all the time. Because of this, I sometimes have to work at exposing them to new ways of expressing their ideas in a compelling manner through technology. I am very curious to see how my level of involvement in making students become learning literate will change over time.
Besides having students who haven’t fully experienced 21st century learning skills in my class, the other problem I currently face is teaching a low level communication course. To many, this is seen as an easy course that anyone can pass. Many of them feel that it takes little to no effort to pass the course. As a result, many of them may be learning literate, but choose not to use those skills in my class. Being the instructor of this type of course, I have to continue to work at changing the students’ perception of the course so that they do use their learning literacy. If I am unable to do that, then I feel like I fail as an instructor. In order to help my students exhibit their learning literacy, I work hard at trying to show my efforts in teaching the course and using 21st century learning skills to do it. It is my hope that my efforts will rub off on them and they will return the favor by showing me their abilities in their work.
As an English teacher, I stress the importance of good grammar to my students, and together, my students and I work diligently to ensure that they are prepared for the grammar questions on the EOC. During my first year of teaching, I often incorporated games to help them prepare them for tests and earn extra credit. When I received the EOC results and the scores weren’t as high as I had hoped them to be, I blamed myself for giving the students too much fun time with grammar. I have honestly believed during these last two years that students became too caught-up in the idea of playing a game rather than the content of the game. Yet this year, I have incorporated some of the games and “fun” into my lessons and have been pleased with the positive results on their grammar tests. Students are going to learn the material better if they have fun doing it as Pink explained, and with a subject that tends to be as boring as grammar, any way that I can motivate the students will be a positive step toward their increased learning.
I have mentioned before that I have used the lack of available technological resources as an excuse to keep from incorporating more technology into my lessons. I will be very honest; the thought of letting some of my low-level students into a computer lab frightens me. Having had several bad experiences with previous classes, I am apt to figure out another way to teach the material rather than have another bad experience. Yet, I know that I cannot postpone incorporating technology any longer. I am cheating my students out of learning 21st century skills. Therefore, with the help of my Professional Learning Community (PLC), I am designing new lesson plans. It is sometimes a stretch, but simply by having my students go to a website and analyze the material on that website, I am tapping into their right brain. I already planned a journal topic that had my students research the controversies surrounding William Shakespeare before reading Romeo and Juliet, and it was amazing to hear the responses of my students. They wanted to learn more about him, a man who has been dead for almost 400 years!
It is always easy to develop a routine for teaching, especially in this age of standardized testing and meetings nearly every day. Yet, if I am going to truly help my students be prepared for the EOC as well as the real world, I will have to step out of my comfort zone and start tapping into the available technological resources. By confronting my own insecurities about technology, I will integrate learning that is fun and based on 21st century skills for my students.
Throughout my years as a teacher, I think that I have swung full circle in my approach to learning literacy. I began my career at a Quaker independent school, where the project approach was a required part of our learning experience. Our thematic units were 6-8 weeks long—where we could truly delve into the theme in all subject areas, including technology. I really felt that my students were experiencing learning in a way that was meaningful. Thankfully, our school was test-free.
Moving to the public schools, I become quickly indoctrinated into the world of testing, data, and preparing students to meet specific benchmarks at the end of each grade. Almost instantly, I felt my teaching move from a holistic approach to a fast-paced race to finish unit after unit in order to cover every benchmark in our standard course of study. At the end of the year when my students and I were reflecting over the year, I realized how little they had retained from our “big” units of study. It was a very powerful realization for me as a teacher.
Therefore, I now try as much as possible to allow my students the time to process, reflect and build on their learning through inquiry. I find the times where the students are asking the questions, my job is simply to facilitate their learning in the right direction.
Since I have not had a lot of experience with teaching in the classroom I feel that I can use a lot of what Warlick says about “learning literacy” and implement it into my future classroom. Many of my culminating activities after unites of study consist of collaborative projects in which students are able to present what they have learned. They are able to research and find information through books, the internet, charts, graphs, and the library. They may present their findings through a poster, a book of information, photographs, collage, a video tape, a slide show or other media presentation. These projects will be authentic and will allow students to make connections to their life and the real world. I believe that “learning literacy” and my future classroom consist of technology, collaboration, information, and real world problem solving. Students must be given the strategies and the opportunities to work together to solve and present what they have learned. To do this in the 21st century technology must be readily available and integrated throughout my instruction.
As I reflect on my teaching methods over the past few years I can find ways I implemented the "learning literacy" approach. One way I do this is through science journaling. Students observe and discover different science topics and then use their journals to sketch, label, and write down their thoughts. A lot of times I have them research science topics on the web and then write a report about their research.
Another great way to implement literacy for the 21st century is through webquests. This is a great intercative way for students to learn. Last year when I first tried one with my students I was a little hesitant because I teach 3rd grade students and I didn't know if this was too young. Boy was I wrong - When I did my first webquest the students were so involved and motivated. They loved it and learned so much from it!
I am sure there is so much more I can do in order to integrate 21st century learning, and feel this is essential in order to prepare our students for the future.
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