Theory of “Write to Learn”
Reading and writing are the basis of the original meaning of literacy. This definition, however, changed over time and culture. The term has expanded to include computer literacy, digital literacy, information literacy, health literacy, etc. (Vacca, Vacca, & Mraz, 2011). Nevertheless, the most important change to the term literacy is expanding the use of reading and writing. Literacy is defined as understanding, thinking and practicing the use of language in different cultural/social settings through the use of all types of media which allows people to communicate and make meanings (Vacca et al., 2011). To support this new meaning of literacy, specifically in the classroom, a new method or strategy has emerged called “write to learn.” This method describes short and informal writing tasks that help students make connections to previous knowledge, and allow them to represent their knowledge of specific content areas through writing (Vacca et al., 2011). These activities can be used in any content class to further improve students’ learning.
Importance of “Write to Learn”
The use of the “write to learn” strategy is very important in content subjects, specifically mathematics. First, this strategy allows teachers to comprehend students’ thought process, their understanding of the material and what areas might need re-explaining (Vacca et al., 2011). These activities give teachers a look at their students’ understanding and it allows them to prepare lessons accordingly in order to address problems students may have or even reward students for their understanding. Second, these activities allow students to clarify their learning and they engage students in the lessons (Vacca et al., 2011). Through these...
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...rite to learn” method is very influential and useful in content classrooms, specifically in mathematics. Students can use a variety of “write to learn” activities, such as admit/exit slips, academic journals, biopoems, or unsent letters to demonstrate their knowledge of the subject as well as research and investigate their learning. These activities can even be used in a context of a sociocultural theory lesson. The two theories/methods complement each other as they share the same idea of allowing students to demonstrate their learning and further investigate their learning process and understanding.
References
Ormrod, J. E. (2011). Educational psychology: Developing learners (7th ed.). Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Pearson
Vacca, R. T., Vacca, J. L., & Mraz, M. (2011). Content area reading: Literacy and learning across the curriculum (10th ed.). Boston: Pearson.
The second part of this memo contains a rhetorical analysis of a journal article written by Linda Darling-Hammond. Interview The following information was conducted in an interview with Diana Regalado De Santiago, who works at Montwood High School as a mathematics teacher. In the interview, Regalado De Santiago discusses how presenting material to her students in a manner where the student actually learns is a pivotal form of communication in the field (Personal Communication, September 8, 2016).
According to the reading, Writing as a Mode of Learning by Janet Emig, knowledge is described as “an act of knowing that enters as a passionate contribution of the person to know what is being known, which is a coefficient that is no mere imperfection but a vital component of a person’s knowledge.” Essentially, knowledge is composed of what a person, association or discourse community knows about what is already known in their area of expertise or fully know what could occur in a certain situation, similar to how a rhetor must prepare and know what rhetorical situations might occur at any moment during their speech or writing. Knowledge is created to prepare for various outcomes and situations as goals are being constructed in a discourse community.
Gomez, L. M., & Gomez, K. (2007). Reading for learning: Literacy supports for 21st-century work. Phi
Vacca, Richard T., Vacca, Jo Anna L., and Mraz, Maryann (2011). Content Area Reading: Literacy and Learning Across the Curriculum(10th Edition). Boston: Pearson.
The student assessment that I choose for my students to complete in my geometry class was to write in their personal journals. By writing in a personal journal and reflecting on the lesson they learned, I will be “Activating students as the owners of their learning.” (William, 2007) After each lesson, usually at the last 5 to 10 minutes of each class period, I had my students write in their personal journal of what they learned and what information they were not completely sure of. At the end of the class as my students leave, I will hold on to their journal and look through a few of them to see what they understood and what they still need help with in understanding. The students will have three questions they can answer on their journal entries, they are:
Intellectual quality is embedded through the elements of deep knowledge and understanding and substantive communication (NSW DET, 2003, p. 10). Throughout the lesson, focus is sustained on key concepts such as cursive writing, spelling, grammar, punctuation and vocabulary. Students are then given opportunities both orally and written, to express and demonstrate their understanding and competency. Extension options are also available for students where they can use digital technologies to publish their work or write in calligraphy once the set task is completed. (NSW DET, 2003, p. 11). For students to achieve higher quality outcomes, they need to be highly engaged and willing to participate (NSW DET, 2003, p. 10). This can be achieved through establishing challenging learning goals within each students’ proximal development and providing work that is intellectually stimulating, relates to real life and meet the needs of each student in order to gain confidence first (AITSL, 2011; Berk, 2013, pp. 267-268).
One of the first steps on this list is “Write the problem on the board before the children enter the room. You hope they will take the bait” (Schulman 88). I liked this strategy because it immediately gives students something to think about and discuss with another classmate as they get ready for class to begin. This strategy can also help the students relax and get ready to learn if they are coming into the classroom for the first time that morning or right after a special. Writing a question on the board helps the students to adjust back to the classroom routine. These questions can also help determine the prior knowledge of the students in a class regarding a topic. For example, if a teacher writes an open ended question on the board, some students who are confident may respond to the question by raising their hand or by writing down their answer. A student who is less confident about the topic may stare blankly at the question and may not make an effort to even write the question down. Teachers can watch their students’ reactions to the questions to see if the students understand the topic or are confident about the
Doing that involves an increasing mastery of skills, knowledge, and ideas." (Robinson, p. 119) The mentioned idea can be used to motivate students to participate in the learning process. The same way young children learn playing with others, the older child can do it experimenting and prove their theories. As a teacher is easy to noticed the difference between a lesson that is pure theory, and the lesson that incorporates creative factors. Students present a better behavior during the lesson, participate, interact, formulate questions and get the answers working together without
Literacy embraces reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Integrating all of these into a literacy program is key. Teachers must provide endless and ongoing opportunities for their student to read, write, listen, and speak.
While I believe every child is a reader, I do not believe every child will be enthralled with reading all the time. All students have the capability to read and enjoy reading, but just like any other hobby, interest will vary from student to student. The students in my classroom will be encouraged in their reading, be provided with choice, taught how books can take you into another world but, my students will not be forced to read. This paper will illustrate my philosophy of reading through the theories I relate to, the way I want to implement reading and writing curriculum, and the methods I will use motivate my students to read and help them become literate.
In class, we have been focusing on the explanation of what Literacy III: Research and Pedagogy in Content Area Literacy actually means. Content Area Literacy is defined by as “the ability to use reading and writing for the acquisition of new content in a given discipline” (McKenna and Robinson 1990). Because of the explanation of the class, I feel as if I am learning about the background and deepening my knowledge and understanding of the class as a whole. Content Area Literacy gives each subject areas a reason to include reading strategies in those lessons. These subject areas include mathematics, science, history, and English (Hodges 2015). When you can include reading strategies in these lessons, you are expanding student’s horizons and giving them multiple exposures. I think that this is extremely beneficial in the all classrooms. As for the negatives on Content Area Literacy, it should be noted that teachers should not only focus on reading during the other subject areas. Teachers need to have a medial balance between the content area and the literacy strategies
Every child deserves a positive, safe, nurturing, and stimulating learning environment where they will grow academically, socially, emotionally, and physically. My role as an educator is to provide my students with this type of environment as well as an education that will help them succeed academically and become life long learners. It is the responsibility of a literacy educator to provide students with this type of environment, but also to provide instruction that will help students become successful readers and writers. There are numerous programs and philosophies about literacy and reading. Through years of experience and research, one begins to develop their own creative approach on teaching these skills. After looking at different programs and seeing the positive and negatives of each, an integrated and balanced approach of literacy seems to be the best way to teach the differing needs of each student.
In this paper, I will analyze reading strategies for the content area of language arts in a fifth grade class. Reading comprehension is one of the most critical skills a student can master. Without a firm grasp on the comprehension process, learners will struggle in every subject they encounter, whether it’s science, math, or social studies as well as everyday living skills. The content areas typically included disciplines like science, social studies/history and math, but any area outside of English literature instruction constitutes a content area. The reading associated with content area courses reflects not only the concepts and ideas important to these subjects, but also the text structures used by those practicing the field.
In this course I experienced an important change in my beliefs about teaching; I came to understand that there are many different theories and methods that can be tailored to suit the teacher and the needs of the student. The readings, especially those from Lyons, G., Ford, M., & Arthur-Kelly, M. (2011), Groundwater-Smith, S., Ewing, R., & Le Cornu, R. (2007), and Whitton, D., Barker, K., Nosworthy, M., Sinclair, C., Nanlohy, P. (2010), have helped me to understand this in particular. In composing my essay about teaching methods and other themes, my learning was solidified, my knowledge deepened by my research and my writing skills honed.
It is very important for learners how to learn it and how to use it. It is obvious that for learners, writing is a means of recording and reformulating knowledge and developing ideas. It may also be a means of personal discovery, of creating, and of self-expression. Wade (1995, as cited in Al-Hazmi, 2006) persuasively states that writing is an essential ingredient in critical thinking instruction, since it promotes greater self-reflection and the taking of broader perspectives than does oral expression. Suitable written assignments, she believes, can stimulate classroom writers to enhance their active learning spontaneously. Writing, especially the process approach, is, by nature, a self-critical one. It lends itself to the kind of introspection that would prompt students to reflect on their understanding, and to communicate their feelings about what they know, what they are doing, what they are struggling with, and how they are experiencing their learning (cf. White & McGovern,