The seven pillars of effective reading instruction are an important base to an effective and engaging classroom. Teachers, who are able to apply each of these pillars to everyday learning in the classroom, reach their students and provide instruction in meaningful and approachable ways. Each of these pillars provides important ideas and information that work together to create an effective learning environment in the literacy classroom. By accessing and including each of these pillars in my classroom environment, curriculum and instructions, students benefit from the more effective reading instruction possible. Teacher knowledge has always been the basis to an effective learning experience. Without a knowledgeable teacher, students are not able to receive a quality educational experience. This pillar encompasses the influence teachers have on student learning and achievement, possession of research based knowledge, and effective teaching practices. I thrive to be educated and knowledgeable on the information presented to my students. By having a variety of teaching techniques that work and I use often in my classroom, I am able to mold my instruction around student needs and provide efficient and …show more content…
With an emphasis on STEM education, I am able to implement many forms of technology and new literacies into everyday lessons. Defining New literacies as “the skills, strategies, and insights necessary to successfully exploit the rapidly changing information and communication technologies that continually emerge in our world” (Reutzle & Cooter, 2015, p.21),lends to many of the programs I offer being highly effective in exposing students to such literacies. The use of computers is a way in which I connect students to 21st century technologies. Using software to create and play video games just seems like fun to students, when really they are learning about literacy and technology while engaging in fun
Turckle notes the change in the culture of literacy, “when I first began studying the computer culture, a small breed of highly trained technologists thought of themselves as ‘computer people.’ That is no longer the case” (606). Computer technologies and resources have become a normal part of everyday life. The availability of millions of sources and endless information has enabled a growth in knowledge and an enhancement of literacy. Turckle helps summarize the impact of technology by saying, “Today, starting in elementary school, students use e-mail, word processing computer simulations, virtual communities, and PowerPoint software. In the process, they are absorbing more than the content of what appears on their screens. They are learning new ways to think about what it means to know and understand” (601-602). This new way of thinking and the capability to use the internet enables students to be more proficient at gathering information. No longer does a person need to wait to borrow the book, drive to the library, find a bookstore; any person, at any time, can search out and discover the information he or she needs from a variety of sources that previously would not have been
Teachers help us expand and open our mind by giving us skills throughout students’ early life to help students when they are older. By learning information from teachers, students become better people, in a couple of ways. Besides inquiring knowledge from their teachers, students learn to work with one another, open their mind to other peoples’ thoughts and ideas, respect one another, and learn different techniques for life’s issues.
I have been working actively to integrate 21st century skills and themes in both my classroom and school for the last several years. My own interest in technology set me out on a path of personal discovery developing expertise across a wide range of platforms and devices. When I began incorporating technology in my teaching, I quickly realized that student engagement in...
Research indicates that one of the most important factors in ensuring a students’ success in school is their teacher. Questions such as “how well does he or she relay information to their students?” and “what type of relationship do they have with their students?” are
As Ward (2001) pointed out, the mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The Superior teacher demonstrates and the great teacher inspires. Brookfield (1985) argues that the role of teachers is to “facilitate” the acquisition of knowledge, not “transmit” it.
In preparing 21st-century students for life beyond the classroom, educators must reevaluate what and how they teach and tailor this to the individual needs of the student. Educators must bring technology into learning to engage, motivate, and inspire their students become achievers (Spires, Lee, Turner, & Johnson, 2008). Indeed this is happening now, a lot more technology is utilized with classroom instruction, and teachers are being encouraged to use instructional technology in their lessons (Ayas, 2006; Yucel, Acun, Tarman, & Mete, 2010).
Literacy is an on-going skill that teachers and students alike should commonly study and practice in all grades. Problems faced by teachers, especially teachers in higher grades, are not having the skills to be effective teachers of literacy. To effectively teach literacy across content areas, a teacher would need skills such as knowledge of the reading process and the ability to cultivate the knowledge gained in order to make informed decisions within their classrooms (Clary, Oglan, Styslinger,
Learning to talk is a process that comes naturally and is an almost effortless learning experience for young children. This is largely because we as humans have evolved as animals that can communicate orally. However learning to read is a completely different skill to master altogether, this is because humans have been literate for a very short time. There are five key areas that teachers needed to focus on in order to have effective instruction if reading for young students. These five areas have become known as the five pillars of effective reading instruction and are comprised of: Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary and Comprehension. To effectively teach students these five pillars, a teacher needs to do this in a balanced approach using direct and explicit instructional methods. Taking a balanced approach is a key criteria in effective reading instruction, the NICHHD with scientific evidence has identified that the most reliable and effective approach in teaching the five pillars is through systematic and explicit instruction (NICHD 2000).
An effective teacher must be knowledgeable and able to find and use resources in planning lessons to meet the curriculum. I have come to understand the importance of planning. My classroom should be student centered where different learning styles are addressed through different type methods and lessons. I will accommodate and adjust my instruction for the diversity I find in my students. I have to be flexible enough and honest with myself if something isn’t working. I recognize that I must use a variety of assessments to get a true picture of my students’ progress. An effective teacher must be an effective manager. A well organized classroom promotes learning. I will create a safe environment for learning to occur. Finally I must model behavior that shows respect and value for all students that enter my classroom.
Do you ever think about how much technology has changed the way we work, learn, play, and even think? Technology is a major beneficiary to society; especially in the classroom where we get the opportunity to learn and grow. In recent years, schools have begun implementing tablets and other devices in the classroom to better student’s education. The use of technology in the classroom provides more of a personalized learning experience and gives students a widespread availability to engage in learning. Technology is necessary in today’s modern globe, it is basically “the pen and paper of our time and the lens through which we experience much of our world” (Warlick, 2013). Technology is not just considered the “internet”, it is so much greater than that. Overall, it enhances the quality of education and engages students deeper than ever before. With all the significant gains, why would people argue that technology hinders students more than it helps? Critics may try to repute the use of technology in the classroom but I believe what really matters “is the way we use it, the context that we use it in, and the learners who we use it for” (Chong, 2012).
The 21st century is a technological world. Everywhere you look, you see that everyone has a gadget: whether it’s a phone, tablet or a laptop. You cannot escape this technology because it is interwoven of what it means to live in a connected world. Digital media has slowly peered its way into classrooms and it is reshaping education. Our growing reliance on technology is redefining education. Technology makes education efficient, engaging, and easily accessible.
We are all very aware that technology has become a big part of our lives. In the most recent years we use technology for almost everything, for instance you can go to a restaurant and order your food through an iPad. It was just a matter of time until we start noticing this technology being used in classrooms, and surely enough students now are doing in class activities on tablets and reading books off the apps. Teachers are finding ways to incorporate the new technology into their lessons and activities students can do. There are many positives with bringing technology into a learning environment but there can also be many downfalls. Due to the advances in technology, kids in all grade levels get to experience education in a totally different way older generations couldn’t.
Technology is here to stay; therefore, we need to harvest its benefits. The government knew how important technology was; therefore, in 1983, it enforced a computer sciene course to the public school system. According to Marc Prensky, today’s students are “digital natives” and older adults are “digital immigrants.” Young students are born into a world with the high usage of computures, tablets, and smart phones; while older adults grew up in an environment of changing technology. Teachers who are not computer literate should be properly educate in order to successfully intergrate technology learning into their classroom.
Prensky (2001) claims that when planning lessons, teachers have ignored “digital natives”, who are accustomed to playing computer games and who are skilled in multitasking, parallel processing, graphic awareness, and random access (Thota and Negreiros, 2015). Teachers need to adapt their techniques and integrate technology in their curriculum to meet the challenges of educating “digital natives” and dismiss such claims. Dockstader (1999) states several important reasons for integrating technology: (a) correctly designed, more depth into the content-area curriculum is possible; (b) in the information age, there is an intrinsic need to learn technology; (c) students are motivated by technology, thus increasing academic engagement time; (d) while working in more depth with the content, students are able to move beyond knowledge and comprehension to application and analysis of information; (e) students learn where to find information in an information rich world; (f) computer skills should not be taught in isolation; (g) students develop computer literacy by applying various computer skills as part of the learning process. Now that we understand the importance of technology integration in the classroom, we will look at what types of technology can allow for the success of the 21st century
Educating students with 21st century skills is valuable because they live in an ever-changing world. For instance, teaching students not only how to operate technology, but how to use it appropriately should be a focus in classrooms. Students engage with a world where technology consumes daily life; where Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter are the center of their social lives. Technology advances every day, and the students adapt along