Literacy: It Is More Than The Traditional Three R's

Elementary school and high school for me focused on being able to read, write and do arithmetic. These three R's together made up the definition of literacy (Drake, Reid, Koholon, 2014). Literacy is a main goal of education and therefore every student in Ontario in grade 10 is required to successfully complete an Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test or Course (OSSLT) in order to be eligible to graduate. The OSSLT only focus' on the reading and writing aspects of literacy however, literacy in the 21st century has become much more. Literacy today according to Drake, Reid and Koholon (2014) has expanded into including new interdisciplinary literacies. 

Retrieved from: https://sites.google.com/a/mail.csuchico.edu/21st-century-literacy/

These new interdisciplinary literacies according to Drake, Reid and Koholon (2014) will allow students to gain the 21st century skills (such as critical thinking, communication, and computer and digital technologies) that are needed "for students to participate fully in a constantly changing world"(p.107). 

Retrieved from: http://www.besteducationresources.com/financial-
literacy-can-help-you-pay-off-your-student-loan-debt.html

In my opinion technology has become a major part of everyday life and therefore, it is important to teach students these new literacies such as critical literacy and media literacy along side the subject literacies in order to prepare them for this complex technological world we live in today. Most people in todays day in age use technology for online banking and this is why I believe financial literacy has become a major topic within education today. In 2011 the Ontario Ministry Of Education implemented financial literacy into the ontario curriculum for grades 4-12 in order to allow students to gain an "understanding  of personal finances, the local and global economy and the results of their choices as consumers" (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2015) . The implementation of financial literacy would ultimately teach students the skills needed to be active whole citizens in the 21st century.  

Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15K8F7PHoSo

As discussed in the video students need teachers to understand the world that they are living in and therefore, it is important for teachers to be able to understand and use technology in order to teach these new literacies within the 21st century classroom. The personal experiences that I have gained through my placement courses are both shocking and interesting. What intrigues me the most is the extent to which students are engaging with technology within the classroom. This comes as a surprise to me because I did not have any of these tools or resources when I was a student at that age.  

Retrieved from: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/remind/jppddpkfhdojffabldnpdacpeoefcljp

When I had shared with my sister my experiences with technology in the classroom she responded by sharing with me this free application that is used by several teachers today. This application is called Remind and functions to send reminders to both students and parents as a text message. The application does not allow the students to respond to the message and ultimately allows a teacher to use the technology that students are using throughout a daily basis. Recognizing that such softwares are available for teachers has made me realize that in order to prepare my students for the workplace and the real-world today I am going to have to teach myself and learn to effectively teach others about the technology that is integrated into these new literacies.

Consequently, when considering the integration of the new interdisciplinary literacies, the traditional three R's of reading, writing and arithmetic are no longer satisfactory to meeting the needs of students. Rather, it will be more beneficial for students to learn the four E's of expose, employ, express and ethics on the internet (Warlick, 2005). 

Cheers, 

Mr. Bracco 

References 

Drake, S. M., Reid, J. L., & Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving Curriculum and Classroom Assessment: Engaging the 21st Century Learner. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2013). Financial Literacy Education In Ontario Schools . Retrieved from: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/surveyLiteracy.html

      Warlick, D., (2005). The New Literacy. Scholastic,. Retrieved from http:// www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=263

Knowing Your Students: The First Step Towards A Relevant Curriculum

Throughout the Concurrent BPhEd (Honours)/ BEd Intermediate Senior program at  Brock University I have had many opportunities within my courses to learn about the importance of getting to know your students differing intelligences and learning styles in order to design a relevant curriculum that meets the needs of each and every student in the class.

Retrieved from:https://www.blendspace.com/lessons/fuk9fneGUZ14NA/multiple-intelligences-learning-about-finding-yours

According to Drake, Reid and Kolohon (2014), a diagnostice assessment is a good assessment tool in order to determine "what students already know and can do, their preferred learning styles and multiple intelligences, and their general interests" (p.53). To determine what  student already knows a teacher could have the students brainstorm on a unit of study within the class describing what they already know, what they are wanting to know and how they would like to learn it. 21st century skills are more and more relevant to education and therefore it is also a good idea to determine the students level of technological skills in order to then be able to incorporate technology into the classroom (Drake, Reid, Kolohon,  2014). 

Retrieved from: http://www.communicationstudies.com/how-technology-in-the-classroom-is-changing

This picture depicting a 21st century classroom with technology being used for learning reminds me of a placement I did for one of my courses at Brock University. Throughout each class the students used iPads, laptops and desktops in order to complete assignments and do homework. I found this very interesting because it was the first time I had ever experienced technology being used to that degree in the classroom. Students were making videos, comic strips and using apps which differed from my learning through handing in essays and powerpoint presentations. All of the students were interested, laughing and having fun while learning the information that was supposed to be taught. 

Retrieved from:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1FC1ZPN7cw

Learning preferences are important for a teacher to understand about each student because it involves learning styles, multiple intelligences, triarchic intelligences and environmental preferences and thus relates to the way a student will learn best in a classroom. Learning styles is the type of learner a student is and there are 3 main kinds; auditory, visual, and kinaesthetic. Multiple intelligences is an idea that intelligence is fixed however, it can be demonstrated through eight different ways (see Picture 1). The Triarchic intelligences states that students have 3 intelligences (analytical, practical, and creative) and each student uses them in different ways. Environmental preferences relates to the setting in which each student learns best in, for example; brightness of the light, in groups or alone, with music or silent, and etc..

Retrieved from:
https://turnermagic.wordpress.com/2011/03/11/how-to-remember-names-the-memory-mojo-way/

After reading Drake, Reid and Kolohon's (2014) chapter 2 from the text I learnt about an important part of getting to know your student that has never really been discussed in my other courses and is usually a topic that is assumed to know. This topic is  about getting to know a students background; what their interests are, what their nationality is, who they are friends with, what extracurricular activities do they participate in, and therefore getting to know a "student's social, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds" (Drake, Reid, Kolohon, 2014, p.53). In order to find out this information Drake, Reid and Kolohon (2014) state that a teacher should look into the following things (p.52,53):

Retrieve from:
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/adorasvita594699.html

• Review of OSR
• Consultation with parents 
• Consultation with previous teachers
• Consultation with support team
• Classroom observation checklist 
• Educational assessments 
• Multiple Intelligences Survey or Learning Style Inventory 
• Work samples, assignments and projects 
• Portfolios 
• Teacher-student conference 
• Peer and self assessments
• Interest surveys 

Therefore after reading chapter 2 by Drake, Reid and Kolohon (2014) I as a future educator plan to know each and every student within my class not only on their knowledge, skills and learning preferences but also on their "social, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds" (Drake, Reid, Kolohon, 2014, p.53).  In doing so I will be able to form relationships with my student and create a relevant curriculum that will allow maximize success in learning for each and every student. 

References 

Drake, S. M., Reid, J. L., & Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving Curriculum and Classroom Assessment: Engaging the 21st Century Learner. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press

Cheers, 

Mr. Bracco 

Gearing towards a project-based learning approach for student success

     Throughout history there has been a clear conflict between traditional and constructivist styles of teaching. This conflict stems from the pedagogical approach in which we as a society believe students learn best. The truth is, each student has their own strengths and weaknesses in learning and thus "a unit of study changes each year because of the uniqueness of the students and the dynamic global issues impacting their world" (Drake, Reid, & Kolohon, 2014, p. 52). By knowing your students' interests and experiences, you as a teacher will then be able to create a relevant curriculum (Drake et al., 2014). With this being said, the development of the students curriculum must exhibit a project based learning approach as opposed to a traditional based learning approach because a traditional based learning approach does not meet the learning needs of each and every student.  

Retrieved from: http://presentlygifted.weebly.com/problem-based-learning.html

      As shown in the picture above, a traditional based learning approach starts with the teacher telling the students what they need to know, followed by the students memorizing it and lastly illustrating how to use it through an assigned problem. Through my own experiences of the traditional learning approach I found that it was not a successful approach for me as I learn better through hands on experiences. I also found that I lacked motivation and simply sat in class to receive the content that was needed for me to then go home and learn it through my own learning strategies. After reading chapter one and learning more about the project-based learning approach, I believe that this approach would meet the different learning needs of each student. The Project-based learning approach would accomplish this because it uses a project as a "vehicle for simultaneous instruction and application" (Drake et al., 2014, p.3). The teacher is to guide the students to use his or her own interests and experiences in order to make connections and bring light to knowledge while working on the project (Drake et al.,2014). 

Retrieved from: http://plpnetwork.com/2012/10/19/venturing-project-based-learning/

Retrieve from http://bie.org/about/why_pbl

      A PBL approach begins with the teacher asking a challenging/ complex question that incorporates the students learning goals, interests, curriculum content and is grounded into the real-world (Coffey, n.d.). According to Drake et al., (2014) the students thus use 21st century skills like inquiry/research, critical thinking, collaboration, communication and problem solving to  research, learn about concepts, gain new knowledge and thus apply this knowledge and concepts  in different ways. These skills are not only beneficial to the specific task at hand, rather, they are applicable to life experiences outside of the classroom. By PBL allowing students to take the learning into their own hands, the student then builds a basis for how they will work within their future life in college, university,  and their career. Therefore PBL ultimately fosters a deeper lifelong learning compared to the traditional learning approach as it encourages students to use technology and become active, reaching out beyond the school building and integrating their skills into the world around us (Edutopia, 2007). 

References

Coffey, H., (n.d.). Project-based learning., Learn NC,. Retrieved from: http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/4753

Drake, S. M., Reid, J. L., & Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving Curriculum and Classroom Assessment: Engaging the 21^st Century Learner. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press.

Edutopia, (2007, October 19). Why Is Project-Based Learning Important?. Retrieved from: 

http://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning-guide-importance

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