In kindergarten our efforts at teaching literacy focus on hard copy material in a more traditional framework. We work in small guided reading groups to teach students different reading strategies, such as making one to one correspondence with words, using picture clues, and reading from left to right and top to bottom. We also focus our attention on student fluency and comprehension. In addition, our school has implemented a reading program for our kindergarten to fifth grade students, where students are provided books to read each night at home. The idea is to have the student read for one half hour at home and another half hour at school. This is also a more traditional approach to literacy development. With these efforts, I felt as though I was teaching literacy completely, efficiently, and effectively. In Making Sense of Online Text, Julie Coiro points out that “students require new skills to effectively read and learn from text on the Internet” (Coiro, 2005). Now, I recognize that I need to prepare my students with new approaches to read online resources and build the foundation for their new literacy construction.
In New Literacies: A Primer for Reading Teachers, Cathy Doyle points out that “with new technologies such as the Internet becoming a regular part of classroom lessons, teachers are realizing that students lack the new literacy skills that are necessary to search for and locate information both efficiently and effectively” (Doyle, 2008). Eagleton and Dobler's QUEST model organizes a teaching approach that helps develop lessons that focus on students developing and incorporating new literacy skills. In order to address this discrepancy, I plan to start Eagleton and Dobler’s QUEST modeling process in kindergarten in conjunction with Walden’s inquiry based unit plan. By developing an inquiry based unit plan on our science exploration of living and non-living things, I recognize that young learners can begin this process in kindergarten. In addition, this experience has helped me understand the process and how it all relates. The inquiry based unit plan allows curriculum compliance and promotes students development of their new literacy skills as they investigate core content.
Now, I recognize the impact of incorporating online resources in order to develop student literacy skills. By using the QUEST model of internet inquiry developed by Eagleton and Dobler, teachers can help students learn how to learn using a variety of resources. The spiral nature of the QUEST model allows students to begin their inquiry with a question, collect resources, evaluate information, synthesize and transform their understanding, which can continue as new questions arise and the cycle continues as student learning and understanding develops and expands. Dr. Thornburg notes that “questions lead to questions, and the process of inquiry leads to deep understanding”, (Thornburg, 2004). So it is through the QUEST model that students can develop their new literacies as well as enhance their understanding.
In addition to using a variety of resources, it is also relevant for student to develop a wide range of 21st century literacy skills. We are in the middle of a shift in pedagogy. The more traditional methods are giving way to a more open ended culture of teaching and learning. Dr. Douglas Hartman identifies new literacies as “questioning, searching, evaluating, synthesizing, and communicating” (Hartman, 2010). These new literacy skills, also emphasized in Eagleton and Dobler’s QUEST model, encourage student learning through involvement, collaboration, critical thinking and breaks down the walls of the classroom. Eagleton and Dobler recognize “four elements of effective instruction in any content area are modeling, scaffolding, practice, and feedback” (Eagleton & Dobler, 2007). In the new pedagogy, the teacher functions in a capacity as a facilitator, guiding through modeling, providing guided practices, and instruction with conferences and feedback, while the students are actively engaged in their learning.
As a professional development goal, I would like to pursue using screencasting, booking marking site diigo, and use the QUEST model in collaboration with the inquiry based unit plan. Screencasting has a great deal of potential. I have developed a classroom webpage to facilitate communications with parents and students. I plan on using screencasting to help parents with some at-home projects, where I can have a link to a screencast that will demonstrate to the parents what the assignment is all about and what the expectations are for the students. I also have links to a variety of websites that I recommend for the students. I plan on using screencasting to show the parents the potential of the websites for student learning at home.
I am also planning on using the social bookmarking site diigo more often. When searching http://www.diigo.com I was able to locate sites of interest for students to explore. These are the sites that I bookmarked for our unit on living and non-living things, http://www.buildyourwildself.com/ and http://www.kidsknowit.com/ and http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/animals/creaturefeature/ and http://switchzoo.com/ . These sites helped encourage student interest and involvement while firmly integrating
Overall, I feel more prepared to help my students build a more well-rounded and inclusive foundation for their new literacy skills. Over the course of this class, I have realized that
References: Coiro, J. (2005, October). Making sense of online text. Educational Leadership, 63(2), 30-35. Retrieved September, 2010.
Doyle, C. (2008). New literacies: A primer for reading teachers. Illinois Reading Council Journal, 36(4), 13-19. Retrieved September, 2010.
Eagleton, M. B., & Dobler, E. (2007). Reading the Web: Strategies for Internet Inquiry. New York: The Guilford Press.
Hartman, D. (2010). New literacies. Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom (DVD). Baltimore, MD: author.
Thornburg, D. (2004). Inquiry: The art of helping students ask good questions. (Executive Briefing No. 402). Retrieved September, 2010, from http://www.tcpdpodcast.org/briefings/inquiry.pdf
