BARB 5 describes several ways that students can take notes to deepen their comprehension of digital and traditional texts. I struggle with finding an appropriate way to take notes in kindergarten. I am also wonder if it is even a skill that I should be asking students to develop so early on. When do you think note-taking is beneficial to your students? How do you use note-taking in your class?
BARB 5 also lists many social networking tools that teachers and students can use in the classroom. I think that using social media has many benefits, but right now I do not have access to enough technology to use it within my classroom. I also notice that kindergarten parents are very hesitant to have their students on even child-friendly social media sites. They were very nervous about kidblog when I sent my permission slip home! What are the potential benefits of using social media in your classroom? What are the potential challenges/disadvantages of using social media in your classroom?
IRA discusses how students can use critical literacy to explore questions/problems they find in the world around them. Students at different ages need different learning experiences and levels of scaffolding to engage in critical literacy. What do you think critical literacy in general looks like at your level? What activities do you/would you use to engage your students in critical literacy? What supports/extensions do they need?
We are supposed to divide up the following readings to summarize and connect:
Wood
Literacy Circles
Kingsley
Byrne
I struggle with note-taking at the 3rd grade level too! I think that now is when they should begin to get a start with making note of certain parts of the story, and knowing when to stop and think, during reading a text. I think kinder may be too early to begin developing those skills, but maybe you could just begin modeling when doing a read-aloud with them?
ReplyDeleteI do not have access to social media on our school's network, but I could see how students could benefit from its use in the classroom. Right now, social media rules a lot of our social lives, so if students were taught good use of these tools and able to utilize them in the context of academia, maybe later on they would be able to successfully use them when they are considered of the appropriate age to.
I loved this article on critical literacy! The students were second grade, so a lot of what that teacher did, I should be able to do with my students. I'm definitely going to look for opportunities to engage my students in critical literacy practices in the coming weeks!
I'll take the article on Literacy Circles if that's okay :)
I will take Wood!
DeleteIn 2nd grade, I used note-taking toward the end of the year, especially with informational videos or Magic School Buses. For informational videos, I would have them look for three pieces of new information or two connections, etc. If we were studying oceans, I would have them make a t-chart for fantasy and reality. As they watched a Magic School Bus, I would have them write at least five examples for both.
In his article, Wood describes critical literacy as an instructional approach that encourages students to “read the world” in order to explore and solve social issues. Critical literacy engages students more deeply in reading by 1. disrupting the commonplace, 2. interrogating multiple viewpoints, 3. focusing on sociopolitical issues, and 4 taking action and promoting social justice. Through critical literacy, teachers encourage students to make inferences about author purpose, make connections, and to synthesize information they get from text.
ReplyDeleteWood lists some digital tools that teachers can use in the classroom to encourage critical literacy. The first, storybook maker, allows students to make their own e-books. Next, Croak It gives students the opportunity to record podcasts. Thirdly, Fotobabble is an app that students can use to capture photos and add audio.
My remaining question in regards to critical literacy is....where do we even start?! I know we are supposed to start with our students' passions and what raises their awareness, but to be honest - I have no idea where to begin with that because in thinking about my kiddos, there are a list of things they would probably come up with that wouldn't necessarily result in a deep, critical literacy, inquiry-type of project. Hmmm...I'm thinking of a class meeting or a simple survey to get started? I don't know...
ReplyDeleteThis is a great question! Maybe an interest survey of different potential topics? I am wondering if it might be best in primary to start with something that is personal and concrete to kids like different kinds of families or different traditions. Students may not take specific actions as a result of their research, but they may change their worldview.
DeleteNeka, that is a good way to begin on your first foray into critical literacy. Breanna, a survey of your class would also be a nice way to start, especially if you include some ideas for inquiry projects that might fit in with their lives or neighborhoods.
DeleteI found the Digital Lit Circles article interesting because I have started lit circles with a couple of my small groups recently. Everyone reads the same book, but each child has a specific job to do before the final group meeting, where they share what they learned and came up with. I love doing them, but after reading this article I think it's ore suited for older students. In these lit circles, students still read the same text and get a 'job' to do, but they complete their job digitally. So, if you are this week's geographer, you research where the book takes place and find a map that best fits the setting. You add information to it, print it out, and share it with the class. If you are the summarizer, you scan websites and book reviews to find the most accurately fitting summary. They were also allowed to choose their own digital medium for completing their job. These education majors found a lot of positives in this assignment - deeper understanding of the novel, more engagement because of the digital mediums used, etc. But my concerns lie in the time it takes to teach digital literacy, how to appropriately search for information you need, how to use all of the digital tools, and the fact that my students do not have a lot of access to internet or programs inside or outside of school. It definitely seems like a great way to have students dig deeper into text, though! I'm still wrapping my brain around how this looks for us in elementary....
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