This course on including literacy into my discipline area was a great tool for me. Not only did I learn the importance of literacy and how including it in the classroom can help students I also learning specific ways of doing so. Integrating literacy into my curriculum is now an important thing to me. I plan to do this by using a variety of texts in my lessons and including writing into my class. In my discipline it will be very important to teach vocabulary to my students. I plan to have them discover vocabulary works and work out their meanings through instruction and to reinforce my students to remember them by using them daily int he classroom. My students will have the opportunity to use oral language in my classroom and they give presentations and participate in classroom discussions.
In these ways and many more I plan to integrate literacy into my classroom to help empower my students through the use of literacy.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Monday, October 31, 2011
Discipline-Specific Reading
As an FCSE major we have many classes to cover but I would like to focus on the unconventional texts that some may think are not texts or do not count as literacy such as Clothing and Foods
In the clothing classes we focused on reading patterns. To some people this may not seem like literacy but if you have never seen a pattern before I promise you will have a hard time reading and understanding it. In my discipline there are many types of literacy that need to be taught from scratch even to a student who is considered a "good reader"
As I started out in this major I had very few experiences in reading a pattern. In my first clothing class on campus my professor had to start from scratch with my teaching me the basics of understanding how to read a pattern. This was very frustrating for me (and I imagine her) but in the end I am grateful to her for taking the time to teach me and not just tell me what to do.
Remembering this in future classroom I would like to be just as patient with my students and teach them the basics of understanding a pattern, a recipe, or a tax form, going through the steps with them and then encouraging them to do it on their own and come to me with questions. I believe this type of scaffolding is important so students aren't completely depending on me to do their assignments.
In the clothing classes we focused on reading patterns. To some people this may not seem like literacy but if you have never seen a pattern before I promise you will have a hard time reading and understanding it. In my discipline there are many types of literacy that need to be taught from scratch even to a student who is considered a "good reader"
As I started out in this major I had very few experiences in reading a pattern. In my first clothing class on campus my professor had to start from scratch with my teaching me the basics of understanding how to read a pattern. This was very frustrating for me (and I imagine her) but in the end I am grateful to her for taking the time to teach me and not just tell me what to do.
Remembering this in future classroom I would like to be just as patient with my students and teach them the basics of understanding a pattern, a recipe, or a tax form, going through the steps with them and then encouraging them to do it on their own and come to me with questions. I believe this type of scaffolding is important so students aren't completely depending on me to do their assignments.
Affective DImensions of Reading
I have loved reading for as long as I can remember. I consider myself a good reader and a quick reader than average (although not as quick as my husband or my sister). I am good at comprehending as I read and I enjoy reading as long as it is my choice. I hate reading textbooks, in fact I don't read textbooks unless absolutely necessary to get a good grade in a class. But I enjoy reading at home, on my own time, and my own choosing.I generally stick to fantasy with an occasional sci-fi, historical fiction, and finance books thrown in the mix.
My whole family is very literate and encourages reading as entertainment which is why I believe I read mostly for entertainment. I was read to as a child and always saw my parents and my siblings reading but usually for entertainment purposes as opposed to study.
From my background of reading I would like to promote reading as good entertainment and also a way to expand your knowledge. In most of my classes I could teach a textbook is not necessary but I would like to incorporate other intellectual texts such as research done in my field etc... to help the students learn how to gain knowledge from texts. There are also opportunities for me to foster reading as entertainment such as child development.
My whole family is very literate and encourages reading as entertainment which is why I believe I read mostly for entertainment. I was read to as a child and always saw my parents and my siblings reading but usually for entertainment purposes as opposed to study.
From my background of reading I would like to promote reading as good entertainment and also a way to expand your knowledge. In most of my classes I could teach a textbook is not necessary but I would like to incorporate other intellectual texts such as research done in my field etc... to help the students learn how to gain knowledge from texts. There are also opportunities for me to foster reading as entertainment such as child development.
Self-Selected project - Little Black Dress Prezi
http://prezi.com/z5hmpwvlndch/present/?auth_key=o34nzv1&follow=mrs.harris3311@gmail.com(To view this presentation you must have a prezi account, if you don't wish to get one and would like to see my presentation please contact me and I can get you the information to access it)
I designed a digital text that is could be used in a Fashion Strategies class. The text is on Little Black Dresses. In my class I would use it as an example of a presentation the students could do on an element of fashion. Students would not be required to use Prezi but it would be an option for them to use as they present their research on their chosen element or article of fashion.
I chose this project because I believe that digital literacy plays a huge role in being successful in today's world and I would like to get my students familiar with different digital presentation options. Ideally, my students would be working on their digital presentations during class so I would be able to help them with programs they are not familiar with.
As I did this assignment I realized that not understanding a program can be very frustrating. I consider myself pretty technologically savvy and I still had issues figuring out this new program so I imagine that my students who are not familiar with technology would need a lot of help being literate in whatever program they choose.
I think that Prezi is a great medium and that my student would like watching and making presentations with Prezi and would like to give them that option in my classroom.
I designed a digital text that is could be used in a Fashion Strategies class. The text is on Little Black Dresses. In my class I would use it as an example of a presentation the students could do on an element of fashion. Students would not be required to use Prezi but it would be an option for them to use as they present their research on their chosen element or article of fashion.
I chose this project because I believe that digital literacy plays a huge role in being successful in today's world and I would like to get my students familiar with different digital presentation options. Ideally, my students would be working on their digital presentations during class so I would be able to help them with programs they are not familiar with.
As I did this assignment I realized that not understanding a program can be very frustrating. I consider myself pretty technologically savvy and I still had issues figuring out this new program so I imagine that my students who are not familiar with technology would need a lot of help being literate in whatever program they choose.
I think that Prezi is a great medium and that my student would like watching and making presentations with Prezi and would like to give them that option in my classroom.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Connecting School and Home Experiences
With FCSE there are so many experiences that I had in my home and many students have before they get to school and into our classrooms. One type of experience that I had in my home as a child was with nutrition and cooking. So going into my cooking classes in high school and middle school I had some experience and appreciated my teachers for acknowledging the things that I knew.
In my classroom I would like to help students draw from the their backgrounds to help them succeed in my classroom. For example in a class such as interior design I would have them bring in pictures or drawings of buildings or homes that they are familiar with. If you draw on things they are familiar with they will be more likely to remember the information you teach them. To show this I will give an example I would like to use in my classroom.
I would have the students bring a picture of a room that they are familiar with, whether it be in their home, a room of a TV show set, or a place they hang out in. I would teach they students a concept such as line or color and have the students analyze the concept in their own room. The students will be more likely to remember the concept if they can link it to something familiar.
In my classroom I would like to help students draw from the their backgrounds to help them succeed in my classroom. For example in a class such as interior design I would have them bring in pictures or drawings of buildings or homes that they are familiar with. If you draw on things they are familiar with they will be more likely to remember the information you teach them. To show this I will give an example I would like to use in my classroom.
I would have the students bring a picture of a room that they are familiar with, whether it be in their home, a room of a TV show set, or a place they hang out in. I would teach they students a concept such as line or color and have the students analyze the concept in their own room. The students will be more likely to remember the concept if they can link it to something familiar.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Digital Literacy
I am a very digital person. I have an iPod, and Android phone, 2 computers at home, and a T.V. I usually start my day off waking up to an alarm on my phone, after which I open up my Weather App. to check for the temperature for the day. I then switch to my Facebook App. and my E-mail where I check up updates and notifications. I might then turn on my computer to print off/read any assignments that might be online. As I head to school I put my earbuds in and listen to the music I have downloaded on my phone. Later that day I might to research for school online, check my bank account online, watch a show on Netflix or Hulu and maybe watch a DVD on the TV when my husband gets home. All of this without forgetting that I carry my phone around with me, texting my mom, my sister, my husband, and my friends and randomly opening the web on my phone to look things up for class or when I am bored. I follow a few blogs and a few funny websites such as averagewizard.com to keep in touch with friends, to have good laugh, to learn new recipes or sewing ideas, and to take a break from studying/homework/housework. As I type this it seems like ALOT of digital time everyday and I am sure the students who I will be working with will be the same way if not more so.
When I am a teacher I think it would be great to have a class blog! I think it would be a great way for students to share ideas, contact each other for homework, print things off that they missed in class, see examples from previous students and to gain access to extra help if needed. I have also heard of having texting quizzes. Like an i-clicker this might be a fun way to take role and to participate in certain things in class.
As for resources online, there are countless resources online for any content area! In FCS there are cooking and sewing blogs, there are banks that provide videos and lectures on Debt and Interest, and the list could go on forever. Teachers could direct students to find their own resources or simply add them to a lecture.
I think a lot of students will be familiar with computers by the time they reach High School but it would probably be a good idea to visit the schools computer lab anyways. The computer lab instructors could help students who are unfamiliar with the technology while everyone is working in the computer lab.
The only reason I would hesitate using technology outside of the classroom (or even inside with the text quiz idea) is the chance that someone in your class doesn't have access to a computer to use the blog or doesn't own a cell phone.
I think technology and online resources are things that could be used in the classroom. There is so much information out there that isn't outlines exactly like a textbook, or the text you are using in the class. Searching for different resources is a less expensive way of accessing more texts that might show students different insights, a different side of the story, a different opinion, and entertaining but educational material.
When I am a teacher I think it would be great to have a class blog! I think it would be a great way for students to share ideas, contact each other for homework, print things off that they missed in class, see examples from previous students and to gain access to extra help if needed. I have also heard of having texting quizzes. Like an i-clicker this might be a fun way to take role and to participate in certain things in class.
As for resources online, there are countless resources online for any content area! In FCS there are cooking and sewing blogs, there are banks that provide videos and lectures on Debt and Interest, and the list could go on forever. Teachers could direct students to find their own resources or simply add them to a lecture.
I think a lot of students will be familiar with computers by the time they reach High School but it would probably be a good idea to visit the schools computer lab anyways. The computer lab instructors could help students who are unfamiliar with the technology while everyone is working in the computer lab.
The only reason I would hesitate using technology outside of the classroom (or even inside with the text quiz idea) is the chance that someone in your class doesn't have access to a computer to use the blog or doesn't own a cell phone.
I think technology and online resources are things that could be used in the classroom. There is so much information out there that isn't outlines exactly like a textbook, or the text you are using in the class. Searching for different resources is a less expensive way of accessing more texts that might show students different insights, a different side of the story, a different opinion, and entertaining but educational material.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Introduction
My name is Samantha Harris, I am an FCSE major. I love all of the classes in this major but the ones I would like the most to teach would be Foods and Nutrition, Financial Literacy, and Child Development.
I love FCSE because of the wide variety of subjects I am able to teach and because of the subjects themselves. The FCSE classes I took in high school were some of my favorite classes because they were hands on, performance oriented, and also were things I was interested in. I also liked them because they brought a variety of personalities into the classroom, which provided a lot of opportunity to interact with people that I might not have had the chance to work with in other classes.
Many people believe that the "Home Ec" classes are a dying breed and should be done with, but I truly believe that they are of worth in education. They teach skills that some teenagers may not have been taught other wise. Such as, money management skills, safe cooking practices, family/business communication skills, important nutrition information, career exploration, and gives hands on experience in all of these areas. The classes are also designed to be a break from the "core class" work of lectures and written tests.
I hope you enjoy my posts/ideas/reflections on literacy and how I plan to use and implement literacy in my classroom.
I am very excited (and nervous :) ) to get more experience in the classroom this semester with clinicals and to get the chance to student teach next semester and to eventually have a classroom of my own!
I love FCSE because of the wide variety of subjects I am able to teach and because of the subjects themselves. The FCSE classes I took in high school were some of my favorite classes because they were hands on, performance oriented, and also were things I was interested in. I also liked them because they brought a variety of personalities into the classroom, which provided a lot of opportunity to interact with people that I might not have had the chance to work with in other classes.
Many people believe that the "Home Ec" classes are a dying breed and should be done with, but I truly believe that they are of worth in education. They teach skills that some teenagers may not have been taught other wise. Such as, money management skills, safe cooking practices, family/business communication skills, important nutrition information, career exploration, and gives hands on experience in all of these areas. The classes are also designed to be a break from the "core class" work of lectures and written tests.
I hope you enjoy my posts/ideas/reflections on literacy and how I plan to use and implement literacy in my classroom.
I am very excited (and nervous :) ) to get more experience in the classroom this semester with clinicals and to get the chance to student teach next semester and to eventually have a classroom of my own!
Friday, September 2, 2011
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