Reflection Of A Literate Classroom

Classrooms are different today from those of previous generations, they have become communities of learners where students assume more responsibility for learning. As opposed to a place where the teacher is in charge the modern class room there is often a hum of students, talking about books they are reading and working together in small groups using digital as well as print text. The students are more culturally and linguistically diverse, many have English as a second language (ESL). This Critical- reflective essay will explore using the four resource model developed by Luke and Freebody, focusing on; how young children learn to read, the four roles within the resources model are Code breaker, text user, text participant and text analyst. This essay will also articulate the understanding of the three phases of reading and writing development. Phase one, experimental reading and writing. Phase two, early reading and writing and phase three, transitional reading and writing. This understanding will then be applied to an early years setting including and application of strategies for cultural differences.

Campbell, R & Green, D. (Eds.)(2006). Literacies and learners: current perspectives. (3rd edn). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Education Australia.

Within my school teaching literacy takes place in everyday classroom. The format of this teaching varies to include different activities for each day. Certain aspects of literacy are taught every week. The teachers are to ensure that the work planned is appropriate for the age stage and ability of the children. They use strategies such as talk partners and small group work to allow children to develop their oral skills and ability to communicate and cooperate with their peers. Emphasis is placed on the acquisition of effective oracy skills in the early years and foundation phase. Role play areas are set up in partnership with the children so that they can practice speaking Listening and drama based activities within a meanful context.

A general population third grade class was observed to further understand the psychological aspect of teaching. The Title I school classroom observed has sixteen students, eight girls and eight boys, and is almost entirely made up of students from a low socioeconomic status (SES). The desks are arranged with one big horseshoe and two rows of desks inside the horseshoe shape. The teacher has made adjustments to seating assignments and layout due to student behavior and feedback. The class is made up with students eight to nine years old with two students repeating the third grade. Snowman and McCown (2012) highlight that students in this class would be in Erikson’s fourth stage of psychosocial development, industry

As a future teacher of a fast-changing generation that searches restlessly for new interests, I believe that old and new must meet to keep the basic values of a balanced literacy. Focusing on prior knowledge, collaborating with colleagues, peers, families, and community, creating connections with our surrounding, and empowering students’ learning style throughout the process of gaining knowledge of reading and writing. Foremost, my personal philosophy of teaching literacy is based on constructivism and sociolinguistic, where hands on experience and guidance are priority in an informational world. To facilitate a child’s acquisition of literacy skills , as I plan for literacy instruction for my future classroom, I will take into consideration

“The more you read, the more things you know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” This is how Dr. Seuss thought of reading, and I think of it in much the same way. Literacy is everywhere and influences us every day, therefore, it plays a major part in each of our lives. I believe that reading is an interactive activity in which learning happens, or as Clay (2001) defines it, “…a message-getting, problem-solving activity” (p. 1). Reading is the process through which one reads information and from doing so, constructs meaning about the material. The more exposure and practice one has with reading, the more knowledge one gains. In this paper, I will begin by discussing my own personal educational philosophy, then continue by stating and explaining four of my beliefs about the reading process and the research that is found to support each of them before sharing the remaining questions I have about literacy. I am an existentialist, and a strong supporter of a balanced literacy approach. My beliefs about literacy come from these foundations and perspectives that I embrace. For students to be successful in their literacy development, I believe that identity acceptance in the classroom is crucial, instruction for all students must be differentiated, direct and explicit instruction is at times necessary, and vocabulary is a significant component in the ‘Big Five’ of children’s literacy development.

I want to build a sense of community were discipline problems can be prevented, children can feel safe, secure, nurtured and supported by the environment through thoughtful arrangements. The large amount of space in my classroom will be devoted to the arrangement of individual student desks the U-shaped desk pattern in my classroom will allow me to make eye contact with every student and reach each student with ease and this is also good for frequent whole-group discussions. I will provide open passageways through the aisles so the children can move around the room, this is essential for children in wheelchairs to have mobility. My classroom will have brightly colored posters, rugs and furniture such colors as yellow, orange, red and green will be on the classroom walls. I will have a bulletin board in the entrance for posting lesson plans, information about special classroom activities,

Literacy is a vital part of all later learning. Because of this, the children will engage in hands on activities that relates to what they have read and give them opportunities to make up their own versions, as well as make up their own stories. They will have a large group story time and a partner reading time. An ample variety of books will be available at all times. Signs with words and pictures will be posted around the classroom showing, daily activities, objects that are used daily, and the placement of toys and

Literacy, literacies and multiliteracies bears various meanings to different people. Some believe that literacy is developed by cultures, while others believe that literacy and cultures developed an individual. There are single and multiple definitions of literacy, literacies and multi-literacies. Based on research, literacy is very important and continues to be developed through our rapidly changing world. Throughout this essay, we will focus on views of literacy, literacies, and multiliteracies and how their different meanings affect our approach to teaching literacy.

This movie, The Classroom, which was very interesting to watch, discusses all that goes on in the school system, the good and the bad. But it also shows how things at home can affect the way the student acts during the school day. This movie definitely makes you look at students that act out differently, instead of punishing them maybe we should all look deeper into the issue and find a way for the student to thrive and use school as an outlet.

Classrooms environments are very important at the time of learning. According to our textbook, the environment is viewed as an established behavioral place that forms how we act and behave (Vukelich & Christie, 2016). The environment in the classroom I visited was adequate for learning because it has all the things a preschool classroom has to have according to the textbook. The classroom has a bulleting board, a dramatic play center, a writing center, tables for manipulative and games, whole group meeting area, a computer area and an art area. There was also on a wall a picture of every single child with his and her names. My visit was from 10:30 to 12:30. When I first arrived, children were in a transition from one activity to another. The next activity was to watch an ABC phonics video. All the children knew what they have to do. They had to sit nicely and quiet on the floor. Every single child knew how to sit. They crossed their legs and put their hands in their laps. When the teacher saw that all the children were sitting properly, she assumed that they were ready to learn. During this activity I observed that Matthew and Jose were not engaged with this activity because they were looking to other children instead to look to the screen. For the next activity the children had to take a tablet from a cabinet. I was surprise because every single child knew the number of the tablet they have to take. Later I noticed that it was because in the classroom every child has a

Throughout my first year as a middle school Language Arts teacher, I have developed a theoretical understanding of what I believe are the necessary components to providing a meaningful and generative environment in which students develop and expand literacy skills. The teaching of literacy needs to include a balance of reading, writing, speaking and listening activities, and needs to be a social endeavor that provides a variety of instructional strategies to meet the needs of all diverse learners. My teaching strategies, beliefs and personality that I bring to my classroom can be characterized as a blend of two types of philosophical theories: social constructivism and relational teaching and

Educators are charged with not only teaching the content of their subject, but also responsible for creating a learning environments that fosters communication, engagement, and reflection so that the students will be prepared for their future careers and learning. Creating a classroom that fosters reading and writing is one way to engage students while promoting that they reflect on the material and communicate their understanding or misconceptions of the content. In order to form a literacy-rich classroom educators need to increase the amount of time students interact with all forms of print and literacy and the classroom environment is an essential key to setting the precedent and model behaviors that will make students more successful and capable of high level learning. (Tyson, 2013)

Teachers are not only expected to teach their students, but also provide an environment where everyone feels safe and can learn. Classroom management is a very important part of teaching. Students cannot learn in an unsafe, disruptive environment. This paper will discuss the strategy of SHAPING, how it is used to modify a student’s behavior, and give an example of how to modify a student’s behavior. This paper will also discuss my personal beliefs about classroom management, share rules and expectations for the classroom, rewards for individuals and the class, designing the classroom where the teacher is visible and there are no distractions, and discuss some classroom procedures and how they contribute to classroom management

When thinking about a future 5th grade classroom which I would be setting up, I would create a literacy rich environment, by including the following items for use in the classroom. A space or area specifically for literacy would be created so that the students could go there and know that they will have a variety of resources and literacy rich materials to work with. “Empowering students to make decisions about topics, forms of communication, and selections of materials encourages them to assume greater ownership and responsibility for their engagement in learning.” (Guthrie & McCann, 1997, p.28). There would be many different types of printed materials such as books, newspaper and magazines. These would be for the students to use as reading