Introduction to Language Learning

1. Introduction to Language Learning EDUC4214 Anna-Marie Aquino September 8, 9

2. Welcome and introductions Literacy Critical literacy Personal History Account Closing question What we learned

3. 1. Welcome and Introductions Attendance Journal/Folder Course outline Textbook Website Office hours Booklet

4. 2. What is Literacy? Semantic Map -Literacy

5. What I�ve read over the past few days: -alarm clock -text message -billboard sign -hand gesture while driving Record ideas on chart paper

6. 3. Critical Literacy Page 8: Dimensions of Critical Literacy Listen as I read a text using the dimensions as a frame to help guide your critical thinking about the text Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting

7. Dimensions of Critical Literacy Identify what is taken for granted within the text or what it is asking us to identify as taken for granted in society Consider and explore multiple perspectives with respect to the text Place the text within its socio-political context Discuss ways of addressing the issue presented in the text in order to promote equity and justice Each group will prepare the share their ideas.

8. Personal History Account Recall and construction of your own story as an independent literacy learner. Uncovering our literate selves and our literate lives shapes who we are in the classroom and how we interact with our students.

9. Begin with a critical analysis of who you are now as an independent literacy learner. Ask yourself: What do I know about myself as a reader, a writer, a speaker, a listener, a viewer, and representer? What are my attitudes about myself as an independent literacy learner? What are my beliefs about literacy? How does all of this influence my ability to teach? Once you have uncovered some beliefs and attitudes, explore the influences, the events, the objects and the people that helped shape the literacy learner that you are today. How did you arrive at this state? Where did the journey begin? Who was influential in this development? What are some of the significant memories or events that shaped what you believe today about literacy and yourself as an independent literacy learner?

10. Family and Friends Recall your experiences, as a child and adolescent, of being spoken to, read to, listened to, written with, of actively viewing, and visually representing. What are your favourite memories? Which stories do you remember best from childhood? What is it that you remember about them? What opportunities were there for you to read, write, talk and discuss, view (TV, movies/videos, informational technologies) and visually represent (e.g., visual and dramatic arts, pretend games, role play)? How did these influence your reading and writing development? Were your experiences at home different from your experiences at school? If so, in what ways?

11. Elementary School Can you detail your first memories of reading and writing instruction? Are your memories of reading and writing primarily positive, negative or neutral and why? Do you recall the type of instruction you received? Can you describe any instructional materials that were used? Do you recall reading and writing in any specific content areas? Can you detail early (or later) memories of speaking and listening, viewing and visually representing? What can you recall about specific instruction in speaking, listening, viewing and visually representing? What was your attitude about literacy (in particular reading and writing) in your intermediate or junior high years? How did you feel about required readings (novels) and designated writing topics in junior high or high school? Think about your experiences with literature: your favourite fiction or information book, �forbidden pleasures�, libraries, book stores, favourite genre, purposes for writing

12. Awareness of Self What are you currently reading or writing? Do you read and write for personal pleasure or are these activities a means to an end? What do you currently like to listen to, talk about, view, visually represent? For what purposes? What contributions have your reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, and visually representing abilities made to your life? How would you feel modelling these to your students? What impact might your literacy experiences have on your own developing sense of self as a literacy teacher and therefore the future literacy experiences of your students?

13. Your Task With these questions in mind, construct your own personal history account as follows: Include ideas with respect to each of the categories of prompts Summarize by connecting these experiences to how you view yourself as a literacy educator. How have these experiences shaped how you think you will approach teaching language art and literacy?

14. Closing the Class List the texts you were required to �read� in today�s class What literacies did you use?

15. What did we learn?  You�ll find that we use and talk about a variety of tools that are not exclusive to language arts and literacy. Graphic organizer Semantic maps Agenda Brainstorming