Course REFLECTION:
The nature and meaning of the word literacy has changed completely in my mind and teaching practices now as compared to before this coursework. I never knew all the aspects that literacy encompasses. At the beginning of the course I was overwhelmed with all of the “new” literacies I would be responsible for on top of an already loaded, highly challenging science curriculum. “Today’s challenge is that, with the aid of a textbook‐based curriculum with microscopically proscribed content dictated by state agencies, many educators feel compelled to present students with the material they are expected to “know” in a well-intentioned effort to prepare them for a series of examinations geared to the content being taught” (Thornburg, 2004, p. 2). The “teach to the test” mentality is alive and well in my school and only getting stronger with the newly district-mandated, district-wide quarter assessments for every content and grade level. “…[A] challenge of the United States curriculum is that it is a mile wide and an inch deep. Students are expected to know a little bit about a lot of things, but are (so the critics claim) deprived of the chance to pursue any one topic in depth” (Thornburg, 2004, p.5). I do not want to fall into the trap of teaching to a test, but the trap is baited so well—my scores are being compared to my peers. This class has made me realize that I do not have to teach to the test—I can provide my students with balanced, engaging, challenging assignments that will incorporate the literacy skills as well—through inquiry based projects.
I was stressed out about how and when I would be able to work in the necessary lessons to teach my students the 21st century literacy skills they would need to be successful outside of my classroom. The biggest revelation I have had about teaching as a result of this class is that teaching these new literacy skills should blend seamlessly with the lessons and concepts I am currently teaching my students—these skills do not have to be taught separately from your core content materials; they should be integrated into those lessons through methods like the inquiry-based project we worked on over the course of the past seven weeks. I have learned that even though the amount of material and benchmarks seems daunting—it all fits together cohesively, and I can improve my teaching if I experiment with combining different literacy skills and science concepts in new ways.
One professional development goal I would like to pursue that would build upon my learning from this course is double sided—one, I would like to improve my skills in the areas of “[c]alculat[ing] and measur[ing] information for application” (Jukes, 2007) through working with the math teacher on my team at my school. At the beginning of this course when we discovered out strengths and weaknesses, I went to the math teacher and she was willing to help me brush up on my mathematics skills. I also purchased some item analysis sheets for the scantron machine we use at school to make to recording easier (since we are required to give partial scantron tests). I will work on actually using the findings from these tests to improve my teaching—through re-teaching of concepts utilizing different methods. I would also like to pursue a goal of working one technology rich lesson in to each large concept I teach—whether it comes in the form of a large project or simply a small discussion board assignment, I need to use more real-world technology in my classes. My students will gain the skills and experiences they need to be successful outside of the four walls within which I teach them.
I am continuously improving and expanding my knowledge-base and am excited to put it to use. I am not only learning about how to improve my lessons and ultimately my teaching, but I am also learning how to improve my own learning. The field of education is changing almost as fast as the technology we are learning about, and it is important that I stay up to date for the sake of my students’ futures.
Resources:
Jukes, Ian. 21st century fluency's quotient insta-audit. Retrieved January 5th from http://www.committedsardine.com/handouts/tfcfia.pdf
Thornburg, D. (2004). Inquiry: The art of helping students ask good questions. (Executive Briefing No. 402). Retrieved from http://www.tcpdpodcast.org/briefings/inquiry.pdf
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