Final blog... or is it?

The theme of my blog was maturity. I think that throughout the course, I really began to look at myself as a teacher and as a student and make connections  to the readings as both. As the course went on, I think I also matured with my writings and really came into my own opinions and ideas. Before this course, I had never written a blog before. I am proud of myself for sticking to it and learning that I can become a blogger and it is a great way for students to write in your classroom. I don’t think this is the last  blog I will ever create. I actually am planning on using this blog site with my special education students in the fall. I am going to create a different blog where I can post questions or ideas and have them write a response to it. I took a lot away from this course and I am so thankful for everything you have taught us!

Critical Literacy

Cultural literacy is a response to injustice and the production of illiteracy in which students and teachers work together to create an environment which is engaging and challenging. According to Gatto, we need to, as teachers, invent and reinvent our teaching practices. This will help engage students by pulling in what interests them and really getting them to explore something new. I also think that it is important to constantly change and reinvent your teaching because new practices always come along, and it is important to stay up with technology. By doing this, students will also be more engaged in your lessons because it will be something that actually interests them. According to Kohl, we also need to break away from “deposit education” where we just give our students information to memorize for the test, but we don’t prepare them for the real world when they leave high school. We need to create critical thinkers and problem solvers, not memorizers. According to Probst, we also should allow students to have some choice in their reading matter. This will encourage them to read more widely and carefully. This will help students to become literate. 

What resonates with me about the readings was the great ideas I kept getting as I was reading! I really liked the ideas of “finding a poem” and the “topsy-turvy” activities. I think by giving students the freedom to choose what they read, within certain parameters, is a great way to help spark interest and keep students motivated and engaged in reading. As a young teacher, I need to take a step back from time to time and really look at how I am speaking to my students and how they are hearing me. I think it is a great idea to pay attention to how you are heard. I think that these last chapters really helped me to see how my teaching affects students, and what I can do to help them succeed!

Inspiration from Gatto

Lynn Gatto is an amazing teacher that I look forward to becoming like in the future. She engages her students in a number of different ways. One of the ways she engages her students is through student conversation. According to Gatto, through student conversation, “students can express their opinions and disagree with others, self-select the turn taking during conversations, initiate topics for conversation, offer ideas for activities, and discuss and questions concepts” (2007, p. 2). I really like this approach because often times, I feel as if I am the only one talking, or I am talking to one student who is engaged. Having the students talk to each other is a great way for them to learn from each other, and at the same time with confident with their opinions because it is not in front of the whole class. I plan on taking this idea with me next year into my classroom. Another way Gatto engages her students is through a theme. For example, Gatto and her students completed a unit on a butterfly vivarium. She introduced math and science practices in the unit, along with the literacy concepts. The idea of this “inter connections” is amazing because after reading about this, I started to see all the connections I could make with a social studies unit. For example, I immediately thought about the Dust Bowl. I could incorporate next year the ideas of science and math by having my students predict the weather of the Dust Bowl or calculate how much water would be needed to stop the dust from spreading. This idea of having a central theme seems like a no brainer, but it really brought it home for me when reading about how someone else made all the connections. These ideas would certainly make Freire smile. Freire was all about thinking outside of the box and having teachers reinvent their teaching methods to help cater to the needs of their students. I think that by having projects like this or using the idea of student conversations gets away from that “traditional” view on education. This in turn, will only help benefit the students after they leave high school and can think critically and accept challenges in the real world. Project based learning is something I plan on using next year in my classroom because it is something that students are interested in and will keep them engaged, especially my special education students who love hands on activities. Getting away from paper and pencil tests and memorizing facts will not only make Freire and Gatto happy, but will also benefit the students.

Citical Literacy Learning

I think that literacy for students is a crucial piece in their academic success. As a special education teacher, I try all the time to get my students to write. I think that if students are writing something, it is better than nothing. One of the ways that I do this is by having my students answer a DO NOW questions in the beginning of class. These questions are either about the previous days lessons to help enhance their prior knowledege or it is a critical piece that they will have to think about, or disagree with. This way the students are thinking and writing. I also believe that literacy today does not just mean pen and paper writing. Technology is a major component of education and I believe it is important to have students write on a computer. Even though they are not working on their motor skills, I think that writing on a computer is more beneficial for them because for the rest of their lives, they will be writing on a computer. As a struggling writer when i was younger, I use to hate the idea of revising and editing a rough draft and then rewriting a final copy. The idea of a tellingboard is a great way to help students, like me, who hate editing their work. They could just use sticky notes or draw out their ideas and then continue with the writing process. I also liked the idea this week of having a writing portfolio. This way the students can feel confident about their best work and can see their own growth in writing. Students today also struggle in the areas of math and science. These areas usually go unnoticed when it comes to literacy. I think that students should write out their responses. This way they are also working on their literacy skills. More options for struggling math and science students also need to be available. Literacy is not just reading and writing anymore. As out world is constantly changing and evolving, I think that the idea of literacy and how to help out students should also evolve.

Digital Literacies and Gender Identities

I decided to begin with this title because after the readings from week six and week seven, I think that there are so many connections to be made between the two that it just seemed like a fitting title! From the readings last week, we had to create six word synopses of each. Listed below are my synopses.


1. Equal opportunities to learn equals success.
2. Reading and writing is not literacy.
3. Video games can help students learn.
4. Online literacy helps enhance student achievement.
5. Technology helps students with literacy skills.


After reading about gender equality and gender issues of teenagers today in schools, I couldn't believe how much these five readings directly related to these issues. For example, the first synopses reads Equal opportunities to learn equals success. After watching the ABC videos about a young child who knew he was a girl, it really made me stop and think. Why should it matter in school if this "boy" wants to dress as a girl? It shouldn't bother anyone. As long as this child has the same right and opportunity to learn in school, then that is all the matters. To be successful in life isn't defined by if you are a girl or a boy. Therefore, equal opportunities should be available for all learners. The second, reading and writing is not literacy, related to Williams and Stanley's view of young boys and girls. Literacy is made up of much more than just being able to read and write. When I read Williams article of the young boys at a writing camp that were looked down upon because they didn't write about riding horses, or going to the movies, I was shocked. I can't believe parents of children are going to judge other children for expressing themselves. I think we need to break away from the stereotype that's given to young boys. They are able to write books and not just play video games. This directly leads into the third synopses which states video games can help students learn. According to Williams "teachers who encourage writing without regard to subject matter are the ones who are able to see that boys are using literacy practices when they seek out websites about video games or argue over the plot of a movie or television program." I think that video games are a great source of literacy improvement. I also think that video games should not just be for boys. I think that as the young students come up, more and more girls are playing video games and getting into technology. This also goes along with synopses four that states online literacy helps enhance student achievement. I agree with Williams again here because he states "more girls are willing to read and write online." I know a lot of young girls create blogs and share their thoughts, feelings, and ideas with their friends and the world. I think the Internet is a great resource and I try to incorporate it into my classroom as much as I can. Finally, the last synopses sort of sums up everything I talked about. Technology helps student's with literacy sills. I think technology is an excellent resource for students. I also think that technology links these young students to the outside world, where they can see what is socially accepted and what is going on. I think technology also helps to create gender identity and is a way for teenagers who are experiencing gender identities to receive support and encouragement from one another.

sameness as fairness?

 I think sameness as fairness in schools is not a good idea. I think that as teachers, we need to look at the students who are coming into our classroom. Each year, there are going to be students with different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences, so how can we give the same lessons each year? We can’t! As teachers, we need to focus on each individual student and where they come from. We have to engage our students and take the time to get to know them. Through the readings this week, I learned that it is ok as an education to demand success for your students. It is not ok to let your students fail. We need to incorporate each student’s culture and background into their learning. We also need to expand how we are teaching our students. The use of multimodal literacies is a great way to help struggling readers and writers learn through fun exercises and experiences. Once students feel confident and successful, they will be much more engaged and ready to learn. I also liked the idea of Carter integrating the use of music in his classroom of urban students. Knowing the students hated writing, he had them analyze song lyrics and create their own meaning of the song. The students enjoyed the activity because they didn’t realize they were writing out a scenario, and they were having fun. I hope to incorporate activities like this in my classroom next year. Sameness and fairness in schools does not concentrate on each individual students needs. Instead, it is ensuring the same opportunities for all students. So what happens when you have a higher level learner and a lower level learner? They are to have the same education? One is not going to be challenged, and the other is going to be extremely challenged. Both are going to be frustrated and not want to be in school. This is why sameness as fairness in American schools is not the answer.

Are student's really learning?

"After all these years of common schooling, we still have no real way of knowing if students are learning." When I first read this statement, I really go to thinking about it. How do we know if students are learning? Yes, I mean assessments are a way of evaluating learning, but in reality, do the students really know it, or are they just memorizing key facts and ideas for the test?

Since NCLB in 2008, assessments really drive education. According to Carini, "assessment both controls and dominates what it is possible to do in schools.” I couldn't agree more. Teachers are not going to spend time on a topic they really enjoy or the students enjoy because they have to make sure they cover all the material on the test. It is sad to think that were producing almost robotic students who only are learning what they are going to be tested on and not expanding their minds. Also, administration plays a role in why teachers teach to the test. In a lot of school districts, it is important to have a high passing rate on state assessments. I know many school districts will do anything possible to improve test scores, not improve on the student's disability as to why he couldn't perform a certain task on the test. Carini again states that the only justification for having assessments is to improve test scores, and test scores are the only thing valued in schools.

I believe that we need to get out of the teach to the test mode. I agree with Luna this week when she describes teachers having the freedom to explore new ideas, ways of thinking, and collaboration. I believe that it is important as teachers today, to step away from the pen and paper assessments and have students really engage and learn the material. For example, as a special education self-contained social studies teacher, I felt immense freedom this year to really explore and create new lessons for my students to engage in, knowing I didn't have the pressure of a state assessment at the end of the year. I was able to collaborate with other social studies teachers and special education teachers to come up with creative project ideas that the students would love, rather than a test. It turns out, they really liked the project and I was able to spend time on each topic and really engage the students in the material.

I do feel that some sort of assessment is necessary to evaluate student progress. I think that these assessments need to be informal and formal. One way to do this is to have a daily "do now" question on the board so when students come into the room they are getting their brains in the material and remembering what they learned the previous day. I also think that formal assessments are needed to sum up each chapter, however, I think that this can be done through projects or group activities. I don't believe pen and paper, or essay tests are needed to be sure students are learning. I think that we should get away from standardized tests, since they discriminate against any minority group. These tests are aimed at middle class white students, and this clearly is not the case in New York State.

What it means to teach now.

      To say that teachers are undervalued is ridiculous.  "Study after study points to teacher expertise as the critical variable in effective reading instruction" (p. 15). Without teachers, how would students learn to read, or learn anything for that matter? Yes, I know parents are also considered teachers, but take this example. What if a parent is illiterate and doesn't speak English? How are they to help their child learn to read? How are they to help their child learn English and be successful in school? Without the constant work from a teacher, these students become successful!
     As a first year teacher, I am amazed to find myself learning new things every day from veteran teachers. At the same time, I offer new ideas and strategies to help my older colleagues. I think that teaching today can be defined as collaborative coaching. Teachers need to constantly be reevaluating their teaching, asking themselves questions like how can I improve on this lesson and what were successful aspects of the lesson? Teaching today is also collaborative with teachers. Teachers need to share ideas and lesson plans. I don't think teaching should be a competition, yet I know some people feel this way. Teaching is all about sharing. If you have a great lesson where the students were successful, engaged, and understood the lesson, why not pass it onto someone else to use? I think that you should take credit for coming up with a great idea, but at the same time, don't hide the lesson and take ownership of it.
      Another aspect of teaching today includes becoming a mother/father figure, or sister/brother figure to your students. For example, I work with 7th and 8th grade students. Some of them open up to me about their issues at home. They seek me out for advice and just someone they can talk to and who they trust. To be a mentor to these students is crucial because they might not get the attention at home. Maybe their parents work all day/night and they have no one to turn to. Being someone students can trust isn't exactly in our job description, however, it is an important aspect of being a teacher today. It is also important as a teacher to connect your students with their community. Getting their parent involved in the school and the community has a huge impact on how students will view coming to school. If their parents are involved, then their students will be more successful.
    Therefore, being a teacher today is not undervalued. Maybe people need to take a closer look at who is really benefitting from teachers. It's the students. Without great teachers, students would not be successful or prepared for the real world.

Option A: The role of multiple literacies in second language literacy

As a special education teacher, I see students struggling to read all the time. The school district I work in has a large low-socio economic class. What this means is that kids are coming to school not knowing how to read, and can't get help from home because their parents are illiterate as well.

I think the concept of multiple literacies for second and third language learners is a great way to help them enhance their skills. The concept of multiple literacies can be summed up in my opinion as a way for students to engage in literacy skills that are outside of the classroom. These include at home, within the community or just reading outside of school. "Out-of-school literacy practices in multiple languages must be considered equally consequential in the overall development of students’ identities." I never heard of this theory before but I think it is awesome. For example, one boy named Anton, was looked after by his older sister. She had him help her with her school work, and would create lessons for him to do. This helped him improve his literacy skills outside of school. I think that parental involvement is number one in getting students to succeed in literacy. I believe it is important to have parents read to their students and be involved in their school life. Here, Anton only had his sister because his mother was always working. I think that whoever it may be, the time out of school is needed to enhance those skills.

I really liked the classroom examples that were given in the reading by Hanenda. For example, I really connected with one point and I am actually going to start using it in my self-contained 8th grade social studies classroom! We have current event days every friday where I have my students look up an article either in a newspaper or online. They have to read it and write a paragraph on it describing it or asking questions about the article. I have the students chose the article they are interested in so it helps to engage them in the reading. I never before thought of doing this with my struggling readers in that class. In the article, they describe "Examining multiple and conflicting texts [e.g., reading the same event described by different newspapers or by different individuals who participated in the same event]. I could use this with my current events. I am going to now print off articles from The NY Times and a local newspaper and use these two different newspapers so the students can see the conflicting texts. I think this is a great idea and will really help my struggling readers!!

What is worth knowing

Many people around the world have different beliefs. We all have our own ideas of what we believe is important and worth knowing. According to E. D. Hirsch Jr., he complied a list of terms that he believes literate Americans should know. I couldn't disagree more.

From my point of view, first and foremost, I believe these things are what is worth knowing.
1. Love: By love, I mean love for family, friends, and that special someone. I believe this is worth knowing because it is a part of human nature. I can't imagine a child, or adult, not knowing what it feels to be loved by someone or to love someone back.
2. Respect: Everyone around the world, no matter what age, race, or gender, should know how to treat other people with respect. I'm not saying we all need to get along and be friends, but there is a mutual respect that needs to be appreciated throughout all different types of cultures.
3. Friendship: I think it is necessary to know what friendship is. It doesn't have to be human being to human being. I think that having a companion and friend will help us live longer and have a greater understanding for one another.
4. History I think it is crucial that we know where we came from so we know where we are going. I think that knwoing our history is very important because it will help us learn from our mistakes. I also think that history does not only mean world or country history. I also believe knowing your family history is important. By knowing your family's history, you know where your ancestors came from, the struggles they endured, and how proud you are of them. This leads to my next point.
5. Pride: I think it is worth knowing because we all should have pride in ourselves. we all have struggles and we all overcome obstacles. Therefore, I believe we should take pride in what we do and have confidence in ourselves.

Therefore, these are the top 5 ideas that I believe are worth knowing. Unlike Mr. Hirsch Jr., who focuses on random ideas such as watershed, and mammal, I truly believe that these 5 ideas are worth knowing. I think the other, specific ideas, will come with age and maturity. They also are not the important  ideas that every human being should know. I can't see myself going through life without knowing these five ideas.