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.