Literacy and Language
My Philosophy
Literacy and language are some of the key essential skills for life. It is upmost important to educate the students on the importance of literacy and make the lessons as informative and clear as possible. By including ICT into the lessons such as ebooks and the use of iPads to create videos for narratives, it provides the students with a change to develop their digital literacy skills. To provide the best teaching experience possible with literacy, it is important to assess on various aspects and to individualise learning.
“Anything that is worth teaching can be presented in many different ways. These multiple ways can make use of our multiple intellegences.”
― Howard Gardener
Reading
During my time at Bellbrae Primary School, I was introduced to a new and inventive way to record and assess the students reading capabilities. During reading rotations, I would listen to the students read aloud and critque their reading skills focusing on the positives and using encouragement.
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This was an excellent opportunity to hear how they were progressing with their reading and to ask comprehension questions in relation their books.
This was an informal way to asses if they were truly connecting to the text.
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During Reading, I have shwon my capacity to achieve Standard 3.1 Establish challenging learning goals and Standard 5.2 Provide feedback to students on their learning, by providing both oral and written feedback to students on their reading and using this feedback to set the students individualised goals.
Pictured above: reading notes
Comprehension
At Bellbrae Primary School, at the beginning of all literacy lessons, we would begin with a 10-minute comprehension lesson based on observations of what the students needed to work on. This mini lesson needed to be precise and thoroughly engaging for all students. Incorporating ICT by the use of the Apple TV's within these lessons, kept the students eager and enthusiastic to learn.
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During Comprehension, I have shown my ability to achieve Standard 3.4 Select and use resources and 2.6 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) by creating the lesson based around the use of a slideshow quiz I created and streamed on the Apple TV. I have also displayed my competence in achieving Standard 1.2 Understand how students learn by creating these quizzes specifically based around the students and their interests in quizzes and whole group activities.
Pictured above: "facts or opinions" quiz sample
"I love this activity because we get to use our mini whiteboards and it's really cool."
-Grade 5 student
Spelling
At Bellbrae Primary School, I was introduced to a spelling program called 'Soundwaves.' As I discovered, particular students didn't enjoy spelling so I took it as a challenge to create fun and engaging activities for the students that they loved!
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During Spelling, I have focused on providing evidence of Standard 6.4 Apply professional learning and improve student learning, in collaboration with Standard 3.3 Use teaching strategies. I have achieved these by reflecting on the students attitudes to Spelling and by turning these negatives into positives by using different teaching strategies.
Pictured above: Soundwaves unjumble activity
Pictured Below: A students' unjumble question
"It's such a challenge to create our own unjumble word."
-Grade 5 student
Writing
At Kardinia International College and Bellbrae Primary School, I was introduced to Writer's Workshop. Writer's Workshop provides the students' with opportunity to develop seeds for their writing and to generate writing pieces around their own ideas. Through my experience, I have seen the benefits of Writer's Workshop and the ability to be inclusive and provide differeniation for students' in the class.
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During Writing I have displayed my excellence of Standard 1.3 Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds and Standard 1.6 Strategies to support full participation of students with disability. By using Writer's Notebook, it provides excellent opportunity to differentiate learning instruction to suit the students' differing needs. The Writer's Notebook style allows freedom for the students' to create writing pieces and the incorporation of ICT such as a student creating a movie from their written piece.
