DOCSLIB.ORG

Understanding How Transliteracy Practices Contribute to Grade Three

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Understanding How Transliteracy Practices Contribute to Grade Three Shifting Transliteracies in Elementary School: Understanding How Transliteracy Practices Contribute to Grade Three Students’ Construction of Meaning by Jacqueline L. Filipek A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Elementary Education University of Alberta © Jacqueline L. Filipek, 2020 Abstract Situated within social constructivist understandings of multiliteracies, this eight-month ethnographic study explored transliteracy practices in a grade three classroom. The intention of this research was to conduct an ethnographic case study to understand how digital and multiliteracies support the ways children construct meaning through transliteracy practices in elementary school. Findings revealed that transliteracy, using both digital and analog technologies across modes, media, genres, and platforms, is an effective lens to understand the shifting literacy practices of young 21st-century learners. Transliteracy is described in relation to four understandings of literacy: critical transliteracy, digital transliteracy, social transliteracy, and disciplinary transliteracy. Understandings and implications of a transliteracy mindset are articulated in their contributions to scholarship and pedagogy and through descriptive examples of transliteracy in the classroom. This study contributes to growing conceptual understandings of transliteracy and supports the fluid nature of transliterate learning. It promotes the use of multiliteracies, student choice, and opportunities to use more than one mode, device, or platform simultaneously at school. Canadian students constantly face many choices in literacies, thus, being transliterate becomes significant to their literacy education. ii Preface This thesis is an original work by Jacqueline Filipek. The research project, of which this thesis is a part, received research ethics approval from the University of Alberta Research Ethics Board, “An Ethnographic Study of How Multiliteracies Support Transliteracy In Primary School” No. Pro00069898, April 11, 2017. iii Table of Contents List of Tables List of Figures Chapter 1: Studying Transliteracy………………………………………………………... 1 Problem Statement…………………………………………………………..……….…… 2 Research Questions…………………………………………………………..………....… 7 Rationale for the Study……………………………….……………………………..….… 8 Technology Context in Canadian Schools……………………………………………..… 11 Chapter 2: Research Frameworks and Literature Review……………………...………… 20 Research Paradigm…………………………………………………..…………………… 20 Social Constructivism……………………………………………………..……… 20 Constructing Meaning…………………………………………………..………… 21 Theoretical Frameworks…………………………………………………….……………. 23 Understanding the Social Nature of Literacy……………………………..……… 23 Multiliteracies Theory…………………………………………………..………… 28 Multimodality……………………………………..……………………… 32 Digital Literacies………………………………………….……………………… 33 Digital Reading…………………………………………………………… 35 Transliteracy……………………………………………………….……………… 36 Literature Review…………………………………………………………….…………… 40 Seminal Research on Print-Based Literacies, Reading, & Constructing Meaning... 41 Current Research on Digital Literacies, Digital Devices, & Constructing Meaning 46 Studies about Literacy Practices in Schools and on 21st-century Learning……… 50 iv Studies about Multiliteracies and New Literacies in Primary School……………. 52 Studies about Transliteracy…………………………………..…………………… 55 Studies Using Ethnography to Study Literacy in Educational Settings with Children…………………………………………………………………………… 58 Chapter 3: Research Design Methodology and Methods………………………………… 62 Methodology: Ethnography……………………………………….……………………… 62 Ethnography as an Act of Writing and as a Process of Inquiry…...……………… 64 Researcher Stance: Participant-Observer……………….………………………… 65 Becoming an Insider……………………………………………………… 67 School Context - Eagle Peak Elementary School………………………………………… 71 School Recruitment…………………………………………..…………………… 71 Research Site……………………………………………………………………… 73 Participants and Focal Student Recruitment……………………………… 74 Duration of Data Collection………………….…………………………… 76 Digital Technology Context…………………………….………………… 77 Data Collection Methods…………………………………………..……………………… 82 Kidwatching…………………………………………………….………………… 83 Observation…………………………………………………..…………………… 84 Field Notes and Expanded Field Notes…………………………………………… 85 Interviews……………………………………………………….………………… 87 Collection of Artefacts…………………………………….……………………… 89 Audio and Video Recording………………………………….…………………… 91 Ethical Considerations…………………………………………………….……………… 91 v Thematic Analysis Process………………………………………………..……………… 95 Constructing Meaning and Analysis……………………………………………… 99 Researcher Reflexivity…………………………………………….……………… 101 The Transliterate Ethnographer…………………………………………………………… 101 Chapter 4: Transliteracy Findings………………………………………………………… 105 Focal Student Profiles…………………………………..………………………………… 105 Andrew………………………………………………….………………………… 105 Emily……………………………………………………………………………… 108 Kwento………………………………………………………….………………… 109 Benson…………………………………………………………..………………… 112 Classroom Teacher Profiles………………………………………………….…………… 113 Denise Carpenter……………………………………………………..…………… 113 Mila Rayne………………………………………………………………………... 117 School Description……………………………………………………………...………… 119 Classroom Description…………………………………………………………………… 121 Transliteracy Survey……………………………………………………………………… 122 Classroom Structures ………………………………………………………..…………… 124 A Typical Day in Grade Three…………………………………….……………… 124 Mrs. Carpenter’s Class Money System…………………………………………… 128 The Leader in Me – Leadership Groups in Grade Three…………….…………… 130 Transliteracy Examples…………………………………………………………………… 133 Example 1: Daily Morning Routines: Agendas, Schedule, & Literacy Centres….. 134 Agenda Writing…………………………………………………………… 134 vi Daily Schedule……………………………………………….…………… 137 Literacy Centres…………………………………………...……………… 139 Example 2: Using Google Drive and Slides (Andrew)…………………………… 141 Example 3: Remembrance Day…………………………………………………… 149 Example 4: Dance Unit Final Project…………………………...………………… 152 Example 5: Social Studies Activities: Transliterate learning Through Research……………………………………………...…………………………… 156 Tunisian Ceremonies Across Resources…..……………………………… 157 Choosing from Many Sources to Learn About Peru……..………….……. 161 Example 6: Transliteracy Across the Curriculum………………………………… 165 Chapter 5: Discussion…………………………………………………………..…….…… 167 A Transliteracy Mindset………………………………………………..…………….…… 167 Critical Transliteracy……………………………………………………………………… 169 Awareness of Cheating and Monitoring by Outside Sources ……………………. 171 Choosing Texts and Material……………………………………………………… 173 Critically Evaluating Appropriateness of Information…………….……………… 177 Using Transliteracy to Discuss Critical Topics from Media……………………… 180 Digital Transliteracy……………………………………………………….……………… 182 Directly Learning Digital Transliteracy Skills and Practices……………………… 184 Learning About Usernames, Passwords, and Storage Methods………...…………. 193 Text to Voice, Voice to Text……………………………………………………… 197 Editing Tools……………………………………………………………………… 200 Transliteracy for Troubleshooting and Problem Solving……….………………… 205 vii Social Transliteracy……………………………………………………..………………… 210 Internet Games Inspiring Traditional Literacy………………….………………… 216 Social Transliteracy in Student Created Clubs……………………….…………… 220 Technology-Based Language……………………………………..………………. 223 Disciplinary Transliteracy in Content Areas……………………………………………… 228 Simultaneous and Reciprocal Transliteracy Practices Across the Curriculum……. 235 Research: Learning to Use Search Engines and Their Intricacies…………………. 240 School Provoked Transliteracies…………………………………………..……… 242 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………… 247 Chapter 6: Contributions and Significance………………………..……………………… 249 Barriers to Transliteracy……………………………………………………...…………… 249 Equipment Barriers………………………………...……………………………… 250 Connectivity and Program Barriers……………………………..………………… 251 Systemic Barriers…………………………………………….…………………… 253 Financial Barriers…………………………………………………….…………… 254 Expertise Barriers………………………………………………….……………… 254 Pedagogical Barriers…………………………………………….………………… 255 Reducing Barriers……………………………………………………….………… 256 Defining Transliteracy……………………………………………………..……………… 256 Transliterate Learners…………………………………………………...………………… 259 Contributions to Scholarship……………………………………………………………… 260 Constructing and Expressing Meaning…………………………………………… 261 The Six Language Arts and Multimodality Theories - Trans versus Multi………. 262 viii Transliterate Research Methods: Implications for Qualitative Research Methods. 264 Contributions to Teacher Practice………………………………………………………… 266 Concept-Based Curriculum and Transliteracy……………………….…………… 266 Implications for Teaching………………………………………………………… 268 Confidence, Choice, and Differentiation………………..………………… 268 Guided Practice and Modeling………………………..…………………… 272 Resources, Tools, and Multiliteracies……………………………………... 276 Recommendations for Transliteracy Pedagogies in Elementary Classrooms….…. 282 Limitations of this Study…………………………………………………………….……. 283 Future Research…………………………………………………………………………… 285 Rethinking the Boundaries of Literacy Learning……………………….………………… 287 References………………………………………………………….……………………… 289 Appendices………………………………………………………………………………... 315 Appendix A: Information Letter to Accompany Consent Forms……….………………… 316 Appendix B: Parental or Legal Guardian Informed Consent Form………………………. 318 Appendix C: Teacher Informed Consent Form…………………………………………… 321 Appendix D: Minor Assent From………………………………………….……………… 324 Appendix E: Typical Features of Good Field Notes……………………………………… 325 Appendix F: Ethnographic
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Development and Interactions of Instructor and Student Musical Identities in a University Introductory Music Course for Non-Music Majors
    University of Northern Colorado Scholarship & Creative Works @ Digital UNC Master's Theses Student Research 5-3-2021 Development and Interactions of Instructor and Student Musical Identities in a University Introductory Music Course for Non-Music Majors Nicholas Booker [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digscholarship.unco.edu/theses Recommended Citation Booker, Nicholas, "Development and Interactions of Instructor and Student Musical Identities in a University Introductory Music Course for Non-Music Majors" (2021). Master's Theses. 201. https://digscholarship.unco.edu/theses/201 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Research at Scholarship & Creative Works @ Digital UNC. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of Scholarship & Creative Works @ Digital UNC. For more information, please contact [email protected]. UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN COLORADO Greeley, Colorado The Graduate School DEVELOPMENT AND INTERACTIONS OF INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT MUSICAL IDENTITIES IN A UNIVERSITY INTRODUCTORY MUSIC COURSE FOR NON-MUSIC MAJORS A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Music Nicholas Alexander Booker College of Performing and Visual Arts School of Music Music Education May 2021 This Thesis by: Nicholas Alexander Booker Entitled: Development and Interactions of Instructor and Student Musical Identities in a University Introductory Music Course for Non-music Majors has been approved as meeting the requirement for the Degree of Master of Music in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences in the Department of Music program of Music Education Accepted by the Thesis Committee: ______________________________________________ Brian Casey, D.M.A., Chair, Advisor ______________________________________________ Nancy Glen, D.A., Committee Member Accepted by the Graduate School _____________________________________________________ Jeri-Anne Lyons, Ph.D.
    [Show full text]
  • New England Reading Association
    Volume 46 • Number 1 • 2010 New England Reading Association Mural in response to children’s and young adolescent literature N news E education R research A article The New England Reading JOURNAL Association Journal Volume 46 • Number 1 • 2010 EXECUTIVE BOARD DELEGATES Editor: Helen R. Abadiano PRESIDENT CONNECTICUT NEW HAMPSHIRE Judith Schoenfeld James Johnston Jennifer McMahon Associate Editors: Jesse P. Turner Rhode Island College Central CT State University The New Hampton School Lynda M. Valerie Providence, RI New Britain, CT New Hampton, NH Department Editors PRESIDENT-ELECT Linda Kauffmann Margaret Salt Spring Hermann Eileen B. Leavitt Capitol Region Education Council Plymouth Elementary School Julia Kara-Soteriou Institute on Disability/UCED Hartford, CT Plymouth, NH Diane Kern Durham, NH Sandip LeeAnne Wilson Miriam Klein Gerard Buteau 1st VICE PRESIDENT Sage Park Middle School Plymouth State University Editorial Board Kathleen Itterly Windsor, CT Plymouth, NH Margaret Salt, Chair Westfield State College Kathleen Desrosiers Westfield, MA MAINE RHODE ISLAND Miriam Klein Linda Crumrine Courtney Hughes Barbara Lovley 2nd VICE PRESIDENT Plummer Motz School Coventry Public Schools Nancy Witherell Lindy Johnson Falmouth, ME Coventry, RI Literacy Coordinator Journal Review Board East Montpelier, VT Barbara Lovley Kathleen Desrosiers Julie Coiro Fort Kent Elementary School Warwick Public Schools Ellen Fingeret PAST PRESIDENT Fort Kent, ME Warwick, RI Carol Reppucci Catherine Kurkjian Margaret Salt Central CT State University Jane Wellman-Little Lizabeth Widdifield Janet Trembly New Britain, CT University of Maine Coventry Public Schools Kenneth J. Weiss Orono, ME Coventry, RI Nancy Witherell SECRETARY _________________________ Subscription rate for Association members Angela Yakovleff MASSACHUSETTS VERMONT and institutions is $35.00 per year; Whitingham Elementary School Cynthia Rizzo Janet Poeton Retired educator membership is $20.00 Wilmington, VT Wheelock College Retired Classroom Teacher per year; Single issues are $20.00 each.
    [Show full text]
  • Theoretical Analysis of Threeresearch Apparatuses About Media and Information Literacy in France Jacques Kerneis, Olivier Le Deuff
    Theoretical analysis of threeresearch apparatuses about media and information literacy in France Jacques Kerneis, Olivier Le Deuff To cite this version: Jacques Kerneis, Olivier Le Deuff. Theoretical analysis of threeresearch apparatuses about media and information literacy in France. Key Concepts and Key Issues in Learning, European Conference on Educational Research (ECER), Aug 2012, Cadix, Spain. hal-01143562 HAL Id: hal-01143562 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01143562 Submitted on 20 Apr 2015 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Theoretical analysis of threeresearch apparatuses about media and information literacy in France1 Jacques Kerneis 5 rue A. Camus, 29000 Quimper Résumé: 150-200 mots Abstract: In this article, we compare three projects about mapping digital-, media- and information literacyin France. For this study, we first used the concept of “apparatus” in Foucauldian (1977) and Agambenian sense (2009). After this analysis, we calledon Bachelard(1932) and his distinction between phénoménotechnique and phénoménographie. The first project began in 2006 around a professional association (Fadben: http://www.fadben.asso.fr/), with the main goal being to distinguish 64 main concepts in information literacy. This work is now completed, and we can observe it quietly through publications.
    [Show full text]
  • Traditional Song
    3 TraditionalSong l3-9 Traditional Song Week realizes a dream of a comprehensive program completely devoted to traditional styles of singing. Unlike programs where singing takes a back seat to the instrumentalists, it is the entire focus of this week, which aims to help restore the power of songs within the larger traditional music scene. Here, finally, is a place where you can develop and grow in confidence about your singing, and have lots of fun with other folks devoted to their own song journeys. Come gather with us to explore various traditional song genres under the guidance of experienced, top-notch instructors. When singers gather together, magical moments are bound to happen! For Traditional Song Week’s ninth year and our celebration of The Swannanoa Gathering’s 25th Anniversary, we are proud to present a gathering of highly influential singers and musicians who have remained devoted over the years to preserving and promoting traditional song. Tuesday evening will be our big Hoedown for a Traditional Country, Honk-Tonk, Western Swing Song and Dance Night. Imagine singing to a house band of Josh Goforth, Robin and Linda Williams and Ranger Doug or Tim May, Tim O’Brien, and Mark Weems! So, bring your boots and hats, your voices and instruments, and get ready to bring on the fun! Our Community Gathering Time each day just after lunch affords us the opportunity to experience together, as one group, diverse topics concerning our shared love of traditional song. This year’s spotlight will feature folks who have been “on the road” and singing for quite a while.
    [Show full text]
  • Brian Bannon, Distinguished Alumnus 2015 We Make Information Work
    Fall 2015 we make information work ischool.uw.edu Dean’s Message — Page 2 Donor Honor Roll — Pages 8 & 9 Alumni Updates — Page 10 Brian Bannon, Distinguished Alumnus 2015 By Clark Heideger Library where he was the general manager for the neighborhood library system. Making strides towards innovation in the Bay Area, six years later, Bannon got a call from Chicago. At the time, Mayor Rahm Emanuel was looking for a new leader for the Chicago Public Library. “He was really interested in looking at ways of leveraging the unique mission and footprint of the library to be transformative as part of his new vision for the city,” said Bannon. Bannon got the job. And for three and a half years, he’s been serving as commissioner of the Chicago Public Libraries. And as the second largest library system in the country, CPL has a long track record for being an innovative library organization. When Bannon first started, the library was piloting a program called YOUmedia, a digital media program engaging teens in learning. Now he has helped operationalize the program as a central part of what CPL does to serve teens. “It represents for me the kind of library that would have been welcoming to me as a kid,” Bannon said. “The mission is really to connect people to Brian Bannon, the 2015 iSchool Distinguished Alumnus, considers himself ideas and knowledge to make a stronger and more competitive and an unlikely librarian. Dyslexic as a kid, he never felt fully at home in the democratic society. It was an insight into how libraries might lead the environment.
    [Show full text]
  • Information Transliteracy”?
    International Conference “Media and Information Literacy (MIL) for Knowledge Societies”, 24-28 June, 2012, Moscow, Russian Federation Can one speak of an “information transliteracy”? Vincent LIQUETE ( Bordeaux University – IMS/CNRS UMR 5218 [Human Engineering and Knowledge Engineering (Team CIH)] [email protected] / [email protected] Summary of paper: The issue of transliteracy in general and particularly informational transliteracy is increasingly being debated worldwide and from extremely varying perspectives. These concepts refer to highly varied cultural and professional realities and contexts. In this paper we will discuss three dimensions and issues. First, we will attempt to delineate the scope and range of current thinking by researchers in information and communication sciences in France with regard to informational transliteracy, and present its four main components. Second, we will lay the claim that the informational transliteracy approach goes beyond the “Media and Information Literacies (MIL)” approach, in particular by giving all due importance to issues related to learning with computers, i. e. “computation”. Finally, we will present some new thinking that is currently being implemented in the French education system and will present some research projects involving informational transliteracy (LIMIN-R project, Translit project, etc.). Key words: Transliteracy / Information culture / French educative system / Informational practice /Competencie / Forward For twenty years now, the notions of information literacy and thereafter Translitteracy have been the subject of a wide range of definitions and an extensive scientific literature, especially in the Anglo-Saxon world. We will attempt during this presentation to demonstrate some of the main dimensions in terms of skills and attitudes in the various literacies that are giving rise to the new forms of training and support required in the future.
    [Show full text]
  • The Sociology of Music and Social Distinctions: P!NK's Career As an Example of Social Linkage
    Digital Commons @ Assumption University Honors Theses Honors Program 2019 The Sociology of Music and Social Distinctions: P!NK's Career as an Example of Social Linkage David Cifarelli Assumption College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.assumption.edu/honorstheses Part of the Music Commons, and the Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Cifarelli, David, "The Sociology of Music and Social Distinctions: P!NK's Career as an Example of Social Linkage" (2019). Honors Theses. 49. https://digitalcommons.assumption.edu/honorstheses/49 This Honors Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Honors Program at Digital Commons @ Assumption University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Assumption University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Sociology of Music and Social Distinctions: P!NK’s Career as an Example of Social Linkage David Cifarelli Faculty Supervisor: Christopher Gilbert, Ph. D Department of English A Thesis Submitted to Fulfill the Requirements of the Honors Program at Assumption College Spring 2019 Cifarelli 1 Introduction Music is extremely social. It is one of the most expressive art forms our society holds. Due this expressive nature, the art of making music can hold many social connotations and directly involve or relate itself to social occurrences, movements and ideals. This intertwined relationship thus allows music to be a conductor of social change by existing and working within these various social constructs. In addition, those involved with the music-making business are, by association, also potential conductors of social change.
    [Show full text]
  • Critical Literacy, Digital Platforms, and Datafication
    Critical Literacy, Digital Platforms, and Datafication T. Philip Nichols, Baylor University Anna Smith, Illinois State University Scott Bulfin, Monash University Amy Stornaiuolo, University of Pennsylvania [Final manuscript, as accepted for Pandya, J.Z., Mora, R.A., Alford, J., Golden, N.A., & de Roock, R.S. (Eds.), The Handbook of Critical Literacies. Routledge, November 2020] Abstract This chapter considers the place of critical literacy research, teaching, and practice in relation to an emerging media environment characterized by digital platforms and datafication. We outline key ideas associated with platform studies and Big Data, and highlight where current frames for critical literacy align with these concepts. We also contend that platforms and datafication present a challenge for critical literacy scholars and practitioners: while critical literacy is valuable for identifying and analyzing many facets of digital activity, it can strain to explain or intervene in the emergent interplay of social, technical, and economic dimensions that animate digital platforms. Rather than undermining the project of critical literacy, we suggest that these limitations offer an opportunity to clarify the place of critical literacy within a wider repertoire of tactics for mapping, critiquing, and transforming digital ecosystems. We offer some implications such a stance might hold for research, teaching, social action, and practice. Introduction In this chapter, we examine key ideas associated with platform studies and datafication, and their relation to critical literacy. We contend that platform technologies present a challenge for critical literacy scholars: while critical literacy is a powerful resource for identifying and analyzing certain digital practices, it can strain to explain or intervene in the broader social, technical, and economic forces whose entanglements animate digital platforms.
    [Show full text]
  • Critical Literacy
    CRITICAL LITERACY: WHAT’S WRITING GOT TO DO WITH IT? Barbara Kamler, Deakin University Based on Keynote address for The English Teachers Association of Queensland State Conference, Marist Brothers College Ashgrove, Queensland August 16, 2002 My address is entitled Critical Literacy: What’s Here the slippage from ‘writing and reading’ Writing Got to Do With It? If I were to give a to ‘reading practices’ is fairly seamless and succinct reply to this question, I could offer three is symptomatic, I would argue, of a broader words. On the one hand, I would say ‘Everything’ tendency for literacy to get read as reading (one word) because I believe writing is central or enacted as reading practices. In Barbara to the project of critical literacy and that a Comber’s (1994) important text on critical critical approach to student writing can make a literacy, she argues that in practice, critical difference - to student’s capacity to understand literacy involves at least three principles for and manipulate both the stories of their lives and action: the genres of schooling. • Repositioning students as researchers of On the other hand, I would say ‘Not enough’ language (two words) because in classrooms where • Respecting student resistance and teachers are enacting critical literacy as part exploring minority culture constructions of a repertoire of literacy practices, the focus of literacy and language use has been more deliberately on reading than writing. So, too, in the research literature, where • Problematising classroom and public academics examine what critical literacy means texts. in early childhood, middle years, high school I would add that in practice, these principles and adult literacy contexts.
    [Show full text]
  • Implementing Critical Literacy Pedagogy
    IMPLEMENTING CRITICAL LITERACY PEDAGOGY Implementing Critical Literacy Pedagogy to Pose Challenges and Responses of Elementary School Learners By: Nicole Pittman A research paper submitted in conformity with the requirements For the degree of Master of Teaching Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto Copyright by Nicole Pittman, April 2016 1 IMPLEMENTING CRITICAL LITERACY PEDAGOGY Abstract This case study was designed for the purpose of answering the following research question: how do elementary school teachers implement critical literacies in order to pose critical challenges and responses of learners in the twenty-first century? Using qualitative research methods I conducted semi-structured interviews to gain insight to whether practices and teacher prompts of critical thinking proposed by the recent curriculum documents of the Ontario Ministry of Education are working for my participants. An in-depth literature review and three face-to-face, open-ended interviews brought forth data that highlighted four key themes including: 1.) Constructing Student Identities, 2.) Teacher Critical Pedagogy, 3.) Differentiating the Classroom Environment, and 4.) Supporting Inquiry Based Learning. The accumulation of themes was integrated into a discussion of the research findings, providing recommended strategies and areas for future research. By implementing critical literacies in the classroom, students learn to exist in the world through deeper involvement and engagement of content, leading towards greater social action that has the potential to transform environments of the school and their society. All of my participants along with supporting literature gathered suggest that teachers can foster the kind of inquiry and discussions necessary in a critical literacy program by building safe, inclusive classroom cultures that promote student inquiry.
    [Show full text]
  • Gee's Theory of D/Discourse and Research in Teaching English As A
    Gee’s Theory of D/discourse and Research in Teaching English as a Second Language: Implications for the Mainstream Tim MacKay University of Manitoba MacKay, T. Gee’s Theory of D/discourse and ESL 1 In this paper I will undertake an exploration of James Paul Gee’s theory of D/discourses and discuss the relevance of this theory to current research in the fields of second language acquisition (SLA) and teaching English as a second language (TESL/ESL). In doing so, I will elaborate on Gee’s theory of D/discourse and will focus on Gee’s discussion of how D/discourses may be acquired. Following this, I will explore some of the parallels that exist between Gee’s theory and current research in SLA and TESL, and by doing so, will demonstrate how certain conditions are required for D/discourse acquisition to occur in the manner theorized by Gee. My intention is to use Gee’s theory and TESL research to suggest that schools and classrooms with students from minority language backgrounds need to carefully consider the social contexts in which these students are integrated. I also intend to show how Gee’s theory and TESL research provide support for the notion that, for effective language learning and academic achievement to occur for ESL learners, pedagogical interventions need to target students who are first language speaker of English in order to enhance ESL students’ opportunities to learn and integrate into the classroom. Gee’s Theory of D/discourses Linguistic theory has always played a significant role in the formulation of theories for second language acquisition (for summaries see, Beebe, 1988; Ellis, 1985; Fitzgerald Gersten & Hudelson, 2000; Spolsky, 1989).
    [Show full text]
  • Fall 2019 Library Newsletter
    ChaptersTHE NEWSLEttER OF THE SHREWSBURY PUBLIC LIBRARY - FALL 2019 Children and their families enjoy the new outdoor “Construction Zone” play space. A letter from Library Director Ellen Dolan: As described by Wikipedia, “Being Mortal is In this issue I wish to tell you about a new a personal meditation on how people can community wide reading project we will be better live with age-related frailty, serious launching this fall. Some might recall our past illness, and approaching death. Gawande community-wide reading projects based on calls for a change in the way that medical the books My Antonia by Willa Cather, which professionals treat patients approaching focused on the immigrant experience, The their ends. He recommends that instead of Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, which focusing on survival, practitioners should spoke to the veteran’s experience, and The focus on improving quality of life and enabling Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. well-being.” Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Katherine Boo noted that Being Mortal is, “A Past projects were predominantly run by deeply affecting, urgently important book library staff and funded through a National — one not just about dying and the limits of Endowment for Humanities grant program medicine, but about living to the last with called the Big Read. In this new project autonomy, dignity, and joy.” the planning team is much broader. It includes representatives from various The project will include various informational town departments (Library, Senior Center, programs on topics such as estate planning, Shrewsbury Public Schools, Parks & Recreation, caregiver stress, and end-of-life planning.
    [Show full text]