Abstract
During my time at North Carolina State University, I was able to gain valuable instruction centered around literacy curriculum that will better serve our 21st century learners. Through the program I was able to explore literacy practices through the lens of global perspectives, new literacy instruction, and digital learning integration. When examining the literature on the impact of technology on literacy, Hitchinson and Woodward (2014), supported the idea that digital tools can be a valuable asset in the classroom and help support differentiated learning opportunities. Integrated technology enables teachers to more effectively address the varied learning needs of students. Integrated technology has great promise for enhancing writing instruction with young learners. Teachers can tap into the technological skills of students to help them learn and engage with the writing process.
Intertwined into my coursework, I was able to gather research based practices for all types of readers and writers. I formed a critical understanding of how I can better serve the students in my school while being an advocate for change in literacy instruction. My creative synthesis is able to showcase my complex understanding specifically for authentic writing in the classroom with a focus on forming a global perspective. Research shows that authentic learning gives students a purpose and provides the learner with opportunities to connect to the real world (Revington, 2016). By helping students to become an authentic writer through their learning experience, students are able to discuss topics of relevance that they are passionate about and form a deeper appreciation for things around our world. To expand the thinking of my writers, I discovered that reading and writing are simultaneous and students need to be exposed to text that makes them critically think. Students also need an audience beyond the classroom teacher, they need to collaborate when writing, and receive frequent feedback to improve. Through my research over the last two years, I was able to determine that students need more authentic opportunities to write in the classroom and it should be student-led. Teachers need to take a back seat and facilitate their curiosities, while giving them the tools to be successful. I felt that providing students with global literacy truly allowed for them to bridge the gap between curiosity and real-world.
Sources: Hutchinson, A., & Woodward, L. (2014). A planning cycle for integrating digital technology into literacy instruction. The Reading Teacher, 67(6), 455-467.
Revington, S. (2016). Authentic Learning. Retrieved April 18, 2017, from http://authenticlearning.weebly.com/
Intertwined into my coursework, I was able to gather research based practices for all types of readers and writers. I formed a critical understanding of how I can better serve the students in my school while being an advocate for change in literacy instruction. My creative synthesis is able to showcase my complex understanding specifically for authentic writing in the classroom with a focus on forming a global perspective. Research shows that authentic learning gives students a purpose and provides the learner with opportunities to connect to the real world (Revington, 2016). By helping students to become an authentic writer through their learning experience, students are able to discuss topics of relevance that they are passionate about and form a deeper appreciation for things around our world. To expand the thinking of my writers, I discovered that reading and writing are simultaneous and students need to be exposed to text that makes them critically think. Students also need an audience beyond the classroom teacher, they need to collaborate when writing, and receive frequent feedback to improve. Through my research over the last two years, I was able to determine that students need more authentic opportunities to write in the classroom and it should be student-led. Teachers need to take a back seat and facilitate their curiosities, while giving them the tools to be successful. I felt that providing students with global literacy truly allowed for them to bridge the gap between curiosity and real-world.
Sources: Hutchinson, A., & Woodward, L. (2014). A planning cycle for integrating digital technology into literacy instruction. The Reading Teacher, 67(6), 455-467.
Revington, S. (2016). Authentic Learning. Retrieved April 18, 2017, from http://authenticlearning.weebly.com/
Rationale for Question
It is evident that in today’s society it is essential we continue to learn how to adapt to the changing world around us. In doing so, we must stay educated on global events and what we can do to help our neighbors around the world. In fact, a true cosmopolitan lives by the tenant that every human life matters and whatever our obligations are of one another, we understand that we have a right to have differences in which we respect and learn (Appiah, 2006). Staying educated on current events isn’t an easy task, as you have to navigate around bias opinions and dig to find factual information. Forming an opinion once all your facts are collected takes reflection and often times leads us to write expressively. Writing is a way for individuals to gather all of their thoughts, express a truest sense of emotion, and it allows for others to resonate with the words with which we fill our pages.
Today it is a necessity for our 21st century thinkers to have opportunities in a classroom that allows them to explore issues and topics that expand past the community in which they live. It is imperative that we allow them to not only read about problems we face as a society, but also allow them to express what they think and how they feel about them. Some may encourage students to do this verbally, however often times we see students are more willing to express these thoughts through writing. I strongly believe that when writers are given the opportunity to express their thoughts, they are given power over their words. By enabling a writer to have power, it allows them to deeply reflect on things that matter the most.
I chose this question because going into my first year of teaching I knew I wanted to open up the possibilities for writers in my room beyond the traditional five paragraph approach. I also knew that writing instruction often takes a backseat in English Language Art instruction. Too often the focus is placed on ensuring students are ready for state exams and with this comes test driven instruction. I wanted to break free from this mentality and create the shift in my own classroom, where writing becomes a priority. As I started thinking about how I wanted to do this I knew that I needed to place a heavy emphasis on giving my students an opportunity to not only write often and with passion, but to do so authentically. I explored topics like the correlation between reading and writing, the power of digital integration in writers workshop, and exposure of global topics that provide students the motivation to do more. This is where authenticity and global awareness coincided for me. Once I realized that writers can I have both an authentic experience and connect to the world around them, I started to make these opportunities available for my own students.
Source: Appiah, K. A. (2006). Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers (Issues of our Time). New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company;.
Today it is a necessity for our 21st century thinkers to have opportunities in a classroom that allows them to explore issues and topics that expand past the community in which they live. It is imperative that we allow them to not only read about problems we face as a society, but also allow them to express what they think and how they feel about them. Some may encourage students to do this verbally, however often times we see students are more willing to express these thoughts through writing. I strongly believe that when writers are given the opportunity to express their thoughts, they are given power over their words. By enabling a writer to have power, it allows them to deeply reflect on things that matter the most.
I chose this question because going into my first year of teaching I knew I wanted to open up the possibilities for writers in my room beyond the traditional five paragraph approach. I also knew that writing instruction often takes a backseat in English Language Art instruction. Too often the focus is placed on ensuring students are ready for state exams and with this comes test driven instruction. I wanted to break free from this mentality and create the shift in my own classroom, where writing becomes a priority. As I started thinking about how I wanted to do this I knew that I needed to place a heavy emphasis on giving my students an opportunity to not only write often and with passion, but to do so authentically. I explored topics like the correlation between reading and writing, the power of digital integration in writers workshop, and exposure of global topics that provide students the motivation to do more. This is where authenticity and global awareness coincided for me. Once I realized that writers can I have both an authentic experience and connect to the world around them, I started to make these opportunities available for my own students.
Source: Appiah, K. A. (2006). Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers (Issues of our Time). New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company;.