Literacy Learning and Teaching
My Beliefs on Literacy Learning and Teaching
When it comes to the teaching and learning interaction of literacy, one of the most significant pieces to understand as educators is that students are not just empty voids to be filled with information; each student comes with their own funds of knowledge. Heydon et al. (2022, Where Are We Learning? With Whom Are We Learning? Para. 7) defines funds of knowledge as “the “resources” people bring with them to school . . . . [stemming from] cultural, geographical, linguistic, intellectual, [and] physical [experiences that build the foundation of] learners’ views of themselves and their families, school, and literacies.” In other words, the concept of funds of knowledge is a student’s prior knowledge and understanding of the world, who they are, and where they belong. It is important that we educators recognize these invaluable perspectives and give students the opportunities to use their funds of knowledge to support their literacy development.
One of the most important beliefs that I hold when it comes to literacy learning and teaching is that students should not only see a reflection of themselves and their beliefs in the classroom, but also get an insight into their peers’ cultures, values, and beliefs. This concept can be referred to as “windows and mirrors” (Bishop, 2015). This idea supports a culturally-responsive pedagogy and decolonization where students can see their sense of belonging, whilst opening their eyes to other backgrounds and beliefs that others come from instead of just the mainstream white supremacy views and values.
I also believe that not one student learns in the same way as the next, nor does a student learn in the same consistent style themselves. For this reason, literacy should be taught with a multimodal approach: to ensure the success and inclusion of all students and their learning types, multimodal literacy uses multiple modes and senses to engage students for a well-rounded understanding of their new knowledge (Heyden et al. 2022, Multiliteracies, para. 2). These three ideas—funds of knowledge, culturally-responsive pedagogy, and multimodal learning—will be dissected in further detail under My Literacy Theories as an Educator.
My Experiences in Reading and Writing
Growing up I had a positive experience with reading and writing. The acquisition is definitely a process evident of the years it has taken to develop literacy from birth to the present moment—in fact, Heydon et al. (2022, Listening, para. 1 & 2) claims the most significant dimension of literacy is listening throughout primary school and our entire lives—but everyone truly is capable of literacy within their funds of knowledge. As educators, we can push students into their zone of proximal development and into a state of disequilibrium to allow accommodation and further the acquisition of knowledge.
Earlier in the course, we were asked to describe what literacy looks like. I had answered with literacy looking like a producer and a consumer. My ideas clearly align with the expressive (speaking, writing, representing) and receptive (listening, reading, viewing) dimensions of literacy (Heydon et al. 2022, Dimensions of Literacy, para. 1). Growing up I had never noticed the six dimensions of literacy in any English classes. However, looking back I can now see certain assignments and activities that correspond to the development of these six dimensions. Throughout all of my English classes from kindergarten to grade twelve, we were given the opportunity to silently read for fifteen minutes. Not only did we read but we could also journal in that fifteen minutes as well. In lessons, multiple modes were used like us students viewing a video, listening to the teacher speak, and reading articles or novels in groups, all together, or to ourselves. I specifically remember an assignment in grade eight where I chose a novel study of my choice, and then represented the book through a project called a book in a bag. Through this assignment we got the opportunities to both represent and view others’ representations. In grade twelve, we had an assignment where we had to choose a page or two from the novel we were reading, To Kill a Mockingbird, and read it aloud with expression appropriate to what was happening in the scene. Although it was a nerve-racking assignment, it allowed me to step out of my comfort zone to grow as a learner regarding both the speaking and reading dimensions.
My Literacy Theories as an Educator
The first literacy theory I believe aligns with my pedagogical practice is the sociocultural theory including funds of knowledge. In class, my group brainstormed how this theory outlines the social and cultural factors that influence a child’s language development. In this theory, children construct meaning from language through social interactions (Heydon et al. 2022, Social Constructivist Perspectives, para. 1). The sociocultural theory very much derives from our identity and the people around us. Therefore, each student has their own funds of knowledge they carry as prior mentioned. It is important as an educator that we get to know our students, their backgrounds, and their values. This way, we can teach in a culturally-responsive format to ensure each child is reflected in the classroom. Some classroom implication measures I can take to honour these literacy theories—the sociocultural theory and funds of knowledge—is to implement diverse cultures into the lessons to help the student learn. When a student sees a reflection of themselves it the lesson, I believe it helps them to open up more and reach into their funds of knowledge to get the best success out of learning. I can also have literacy around the classroom that supports diverse cultures and represents these individuals in an uplifting format. These texts will act as windows and mirrors in the classroom.
The next theory I will be including in my instruction is culturally-responsive literacy. Will and Najarro (2022) describe culturally-responsive teaching as “using students’ customs, characteristics, experience, and perspectives as tools for better classroom instruction.” When we can create a welcoming environment where students see a reflection of themselves and can relate what their learning to their funds of knowledge, acquisition comes easier. A classroom implication for this literacy theory is to see and welcome the students’ funds of knowledge and be open to different strategies that enable the students to do their work that reflects through their culture and beliefs. This can look like allowing an ESL student to do their homework in their first language and we can then work to translate it together.
The final theory I’d like to include in my classroom is multimodality. Some of the many different modes of delivery are videos, lectures, pieces of art, songs, a diagram or map, field trips, articles, and jigsaw activities. Using two or more of these methods and others allows students to fill the gaps in their acquisition that other modes may not have conveyed to them. The classroom implication for multimodality is giving the freedom for students to express their work in different formats and to learn in multiple different modes that suits their needs best. This honours my large belief that not all students learn in the same way as others, or even themselves throughout different subject areas.
Applications in the Classroom and Anti-Oppressive Instruction in Literacy
To support my implications in the classroom regarding the sociocultural, funds of knowledge, and multimodality literacy theories, there must also be action taken, or applications, to serve justice to these prior implications (I have noted the implications by underlining them in the previous section). These applications all support an anti-oppressive pedagogy to deter from the colonial curriculum. To support sociocultural literacy through classroom applications, we can get to know our students in many different ways. To start the year, we can send out a form to both the students and families to get to know their culture, beliefs and values, and family dynamic as a whole. Moore (2023) provides documents supporting the importance of a teacher-student-family connection (See Appendix). We can also support this literacy theory by incorporating literacy into the classroom representing diverse cultures. For example, when introducing medicine to a grade 4 class in health education you can dissect Western beliefs and also Indigenous ways of knowing that have influenced where we are in the medical world today. Kiger (2023) states how Indigenous peoples used American black willow to brew tea which contains salicin found in “modern aspirin tablets” today. This is just one of the many ways we can incorporate different cultural beliefs, stories, and values into our lessons to deter away from the often colonial curriculum and perspectives.
To support different funds of knowledge through a culturally-responsive pedagogy and applications in the classroom, we can start by “[selecting] materials that draw on a range of learners’s funds of knowledge [to] provoke interest” (Heydon et al. 2022, Learning Centres, para. 1). This can look like an assignment in math on data and statistics drawn from the students’ interests: the students can pick a topic that interests them and do research to gain the skills in analyzing data and statistics in a way that is meaningful to them for optimal acquisition. As educators, we can also advocate and ensure that ESL/EAL students have the support they need in the classroom. Language should not have to be a barrier for ELLs in schools. They should have the support they need such as educational assistants that are qualified to help with translation of the language and certain concepts. We can also provide these students assignments and opportunities where they can express their knowledge in their first language and multiple modes. Using a culturally-responsive pedagogy challenges the colonial curriculum and allows students to bring their cultures and beliefs into the classroom to not only learn about themselves but bring in different perspectives supporting the windows and mirrors analogy. Educators who don’t actively support students who struggle with a language barrier and their needs’ supports the systemic oppression put in place. By getting to know our students through the forms previously mentioned, for example, allows educators to know a student’s language and backgrounds, and what we can do to help them succeed—this works against the oppression that may be experienced if we educate all students in the same format.
Multimodal literacy practice can be applied in the classroom through using multiple methods of teaching for optimal instruction (Heydon et al. 2022, Elements of Literacy Pedagogies, para. 2). For example, teaching the water cycle. We can first lecture and introduce the concept of the water cycle to our students through notes, a powerpoint, and verbal explanations from the teacher. We can then touch on other senses like showing them a video and playing a song about the water cycle. Finally we can get students to work with a hands-on approach and allow them to represent the water cycle using a diagram or some sort of physical model they can demonstrate their understanding through. Allowing students to use multiple modes to demonstrate their knowledge also allows them to display their understanding in the most accurate and encompassing format(s). Teaching in solely one format expecting all students to grasp the concepts and skills is a colonial way of teaching and learning. We must unlearn this belief and offer multiple modes of instruction that will best fit the needs of all our students. These are just a few of the many modes, and we can use this multimodal approach to ensure an equitable education experience for all students.
References
Bishop, R. S. [Reading Rockets]. (2015, January 30). Windows, Mirrors, and Sliding Glass Doors [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AAu58SNSyc.
Heydon, R., McTavish, M., & Bainbridge, J. (2022). Constructing Meanings: Pedagogies for Literacies K-8 (7th ed.). Top Hat.
Kiger, P. J. (2023, July 10). 10 Native American Inventions Commonly Used Today. History. https://www.history.com/news/native-american-inventions#:~:text=From%20the%20tip%20of%20South,and%20flourish%20wherever%20they%20lived.
Morin, A. (2023, June 15). Printable Questionnaires for Connecting with Students and Families. Understood. https://www.understood.org/articles/questionnaires-for-connecting-with-students-and-families.
Will, M., & Najarro, I. (2022, April 18). Culturally Responsive Teaching. Education Week.
Appendix