Fostering collaboration to support literate communities:

Strategies and tools for 21st century reading, writing, and discussion

Christine Clayton Pace Faculty InstituteMichael Giordano May 17, 2016Maria MinafraSchool of Education

What is literacy?

Literacy is ...

“More than reading and writing. It involves purposeful social and cognitive processes. It helps individuals discover ideas and make meaning. It enables functions such as analysis, synthesis, organization, and evaluation. It fosters the expression of ideas and opinions and extends to understanding how texts are created and how meanings are conveyed by various media, brought together in productive ways…”

- English teachers, NCTE 2006

“...reading the word is not preceded merely by reading the world, but by a certain form of writing it or rewriting it, that is, of transforming it by means of conscious, practical work.”

- Paolo Freire, Brazilian social justice literacy educator

Content and Disciplinary Literacy“Disciplinary literacy… is knowledge and abilities by those who create, communicate, and use knowledge within the disciplines.” - Shanahan & Shanahan, 2012

What are MULTIliteracies?● Social networking ● Collaborative learning● Digital literacy ● Google docs● Multimedia production● Graphic Novels● Podcasting● Blogs● Wikis● Design

TCH 412: A Course in Content Literacy for Candidates preparing to teach High SchoolCourse Description: This course examines theory, research and methods of practice for integrating literacy instruction in all content areas at the secondary level. Emphasis is on developing listening, speaking, reading and writing skills of students with varying abilities as needed for content learning.

Reading and Writing Strategy Lesson Plan Sequences

Case Study

Literacy Statement

Reader Responses and Student-led Discussion as part of participation and preparation grade.

Google Docs ● Google docs allows students to comment on each other’s work in a digital

world. ● This takes peer review to a new step integrating technology and “digital

literacies”. ● Interesting part of this is that many students can be working on the same

piece of writing at the same time.

Google Docs in Teach 412Google docs played a large role in our writing assignments this semester including:

● Literacy Case Study● Reader Responses● Strategy Study (Reading and Writing)

Shared folder on drafts of case study assignment: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0BxWwDyVvT9XoYXJQWF9xNS1ZMEU

How did it help?

● Allowed the students to read each other’s work and give constructive criticism, praise and get ideas for their own work.

● Enhanced the writing process by allowing the students to see how their peers’ work improved from draft to draft.

Literacy and MathWhen asked on the first day of classes “What is literacy?” my answer was the straightforward textbook definition:

“Literacy is reading, writing and speaking.”

After class readings, discussions, and the Literacy Case Study assignment, my perspective on what literacy is and what literacy is specifically in math drastically changed:

I’ve recognized that literacy does not only play a role in mathematics, but is the deciding factor of if

students are understanding what’s going on and can apply what they’re learning. Specifically, literacy

represents understanding, rather than memorization, and an active way of problem solving, through

making sure students can break down and understand the language of the problem and how each unit

applies to their lives and to society.

Literacy Case StudyAllowed me to craft my perspective on what literacy is in math through analyzing the performance of a 7th grade ELL student.

● Analyzed her work: tests, quizzes, notes● Observed her behaviors inside and outside of class● Recognized how multiliteracies plays a role in her life● Noticed the strategies she used to demonstrate her understanding of the

content (underlining important phrases, writing out formulas)

Voicethread

What is Voicethread?

● Create a presentation using your voice centered around chosen images.

● Collaborate and comment on other peers work and comments.

● Share your thoughts in a more ideal and effective way using your voice.

● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arB74zm6DPs

Voicethread in Education

● "teachers and students are using VoiceThread as a storytelling tool, a deep

thinking tool, a research tool, an expository communication tool, and even an

assessment tool." - Brenda Dyck (National Middle School Association)

● Meeting the needs of ALL students.

● Students are becoming more proficient in technology, therefore students feel

more comfortable using these new technologies.

● Student led and Student driven.

● Motivating

Voicethread in Education

https://www.njea.org/news-and-publications/njea-review/march-2011/voicethread

https://www.njea.org/news-and-publications/njea-review/march-2011/voicethread