My conceptual understanding of literacy has changed dramatically since the beginning of this class. Before going into this semester, I simply thought of literacy as reading and writing alone. Now, I know literacy has so much more to it. Not only did I learn that there are many different types of literacy (like all the various types we learned about through out projects), but I also learned that the definition of literacy is constantly changing according to societal norms. For example, a huge portion of being considered literate nowadays is being up to date with all the different technological advances, many of which did not exist in the past.
The research I did on my chosen type of literacy (emotional literacy) allowed me to understand that there are many different types of literacy in existence that are extremely important, but very unheard of. I had never heard of anything such as emotional literacy until I was guided to by this class; however, now I think it is a type of literacy that everyone should be aware of. One main reason being because it can strongly effect a student's well-being a rate of success in classes and in life in general. Working with a new digital literacy (Prezi) also helped to inform my thinking. After experimenting with different digital literacies including Prezi, I now know the many different options I have to present material as a future teacher. This is so important because the way information is presented to students can either make or break their learning experience. For example, students are much more likely to effectively learn when they're actively engaged in a website and/or class discussion compared to blandly listening to a lecture for an entire class period.
Overall, I am now aware of so many new skills, strategies, knowledge, and dispositions that I was not aware of before. I now know that there are many different types of literacy that exist and are extremely important to know as a student, teacher, or simply as a citizen. Moreover, I have also discovered many new digital literacies that will promote higher-level learning for my students. From my own experiences and from what I've learned in class, it is very important that students are actively engaged and motivated when learning new information. With all the knowledge of digital literacies that I now have, I can allow students to learn to their maximum potential and hopefully have them thoroughly enjoy it in the process.
To provide "effective literacy instruction to diverse learners", to me, means to take advantage of the variety of digital literacies to help students learn to their maximum potential. Since all students learn differently as individuals, it is extremely beneficial to incorporate digital literacies that can appeal to all learners. For example, the fact that so much multimedia can be incorporated into digital literacies increasing the student's learning potential within itself. Specifically, some students may prefer standard text while other students may prefer diagrams, videos, etc. Either way, with digital literacies, all multimedia can be incorporated into one source.
For students to develop their digital literacy, it is important that they are given the time and the opportunities to experiment with the different types. In fact, a project like the one we currently did (The New Lit Project) is an extremely beneficial way to inform students. Not only were students able to explore different digital literacies, but they were able to use one themselves first hand. This is something that I would definitely consider doing in my own classroom. To allow them to learn to their maximum potential, I would make sure that students felt they could ask questions anytime they needed when feeling confused about a new digital literacy. This way, students could make the most of their time and learn the most with what they're given. Also, since all students do not have access to computers at home, I would make sure to schedule computer time in the school building (if available) or computer time at a public library.
For students to develop emotional literacy, it is important that they first are introduced to what it is and why it is important. I can do this by showing them the Prezi that I made for this project which includes definitions, examples, videos, etc. After they have an understanding of what it is, I can teach students the different human emotions and common situations where people may experience them. Also, I can incorporate literature where a main character's emotions are constantly changing and ask questions during the reading like "What do you think this character feels like right now? Why?" After going over the different human emotions, I can teach different strategies students can use to cope with them. For example, if I'm teaching the class about the emotion sadness, I can then teach different strategies to cope with sadness. I can also ask the class if they have successfully coped with sadness before so they can share their own personal experiences with the class. As far as support goes, I feel it is most important that students know they can ask any questions when feeling confused. To provide this support, I can consistently make clear and concise comments about feeling free to ask any questions either to the class or privately. Furthermore, if a student expresses confusion towards the meaning or coping of a certain emotion, I can provide different literature that may help clarify their understanding.
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