Teaching the Biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder: Fostering a Media Literacy Approach for Multilingual Writers Kelly G
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Eastern Washington University EWU Digital Commons EWU Masters Thesis Collection Student Research and Creative Works 2015 Teaching the biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder: fostering a media literacy approach for multilingual writers Kelly G. Hansen Eastern Washington University Follow this and additional works at: http://dc.ewu.edu/theses Part of the Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons, and the English Language and Literature Commons Recommended Citation Hansen, Kelly G., "Teaching the biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder: fostering a media literacy approach for multilingual writers" (2015). EWU Masters Thesis Collection. 289. http://dc.ewu.edu/theses/289 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Research and Creative Works at EWU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in EWU Masters Thesis Collection by an authorized administrator of EWU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ________________________________________________________________ Teaching the Biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder: Fostering a Media Literacy Approach for Multilingual Writers Presented to Eastern Washington University Cheney, Washington ________________________________________________________________________ A Thesis Presented In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree Master of Arts in English With an Emphasis in Teaching English as a Second Language ________________________________________________________________________ By Kelly G. Hansen Spring 2015 Thesis of Kelly G. Hansen Approved By ___________________________________ __________________ LaVona L. Reeves, Ph.D. Date Professor of English MATESL Program Director Chair, Graduate Study Committee ___________________________________ _________________ Lynn C. Briggs, Ph.D. Date Professor of English Member, Graduate Study Committee ___________________________________ _________________ Florian Preisig, Ph.D. Date Associate Professor of French Modern Languages and Literatures Department Chair Member, Graduate Study Committee ii Master’s Thesis In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a master’s degree at Eastern Washington University, I agree that the JFK Library shall make copies freely available for inspection. I further agree that copying of this project in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this thesis for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without my written permission. Signature__________________________________ Date _____________________________________ iii Abstract In creating this thesis, the culmination of writings from teaching English composition to multilingual writers, contributed to my research. This action research study focuses on how to foster a media literacy approach when teaching multilingual writers. The literature focus unit was based on the biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder using the book, Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Photographic Story of a Life (Stone, 2009). The research conducted for this study took place during the winter quarter of 2015 within English 112, which is a composition class offered at Eastern Washington University (EWU) for multilingual writers. During this time, questionnaires, journal responses, student sample essays and assignments were collected. Within these pages, several student samples will be provided to demonstrate the effectiveness and importance of giving students an opportunity to express their voice through the use of media literacy. By honoring and preserving their culture they became active participants and were engaged within their learning. The goal of this study was to analyze and synthesize how media literacy can be fostered through a vast array of topics to assist the multilingual writer in gaining knowledge about U.S. history during the 19th and 20th century. iv Dedication This thesis is dedicated to all of my amazing teachers, mentors and professors whom I have had the opportunity to know throughout my life. You have demonstrated the importance of caring about student success as you continually taught with patience and compassion. As educators, may we never become discouraged and always remember why we chose this amazing profession. I dedicate this curriculum and thesis to the memory of Laura Ingalls Wilder, a true literary legacy. As she endured many trials and tribulations, she was inspired to share her memorable stories with readers from all ages. Her stories, which are still read today by a variety of ages, serve as an inspirational reminder that overcoming hardships and trials can be accomplished with faith and trust. v Acknowledgements My praise is lifted to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who has given me the wonderful gift of teaching. Throughout my life, he has provided me with wonderful job opportunities and experience that have led me to where I am today. He has always been my solid rock for encouragement, strength and perseverance and I am so thankful He is in my life. Christian, you have always been my best friend and a wonderful mentor who has continually encouraged me to move forward in my education and to not give up. Thank you for being so supportive in everything. You have shown me, through your exemplary model of integrity, that with hard work and determination anything is possible. Thank you to my daughter, Amanda, who assisted me in working on my thesis and understood my busy schedule over the past two years while I was teaching and going to graduate school. As you graduate from high school this year, and begin college in the fall, I hope that you will always remember the importance of higher education. Thank you for never complaining, for always giving me insight to look at the positive, and for always having faith in me. To my parents who filled my childhood with literacy experiences that contributed to my interest in becoming a teacher. The Little House on the Prairie book set that you gave to me, as a child, inspired me to create this curriculum. Thank you for your encouragement and prayers as I pursued higher education as a first generation college student. Your never-ending love has always been a blessing to me and I am proud to be your daughter. vi To my multilingual students from English 112: Thank you for the opportunity to teach you, but actually you taught me so much more than I could have ever imagined. I learned so much about your culture through your journal responses and essays which inspired me. Our last classroom day in English 112 will always be a significant memory to me. You continually amaze me by your determination to learn the English language and to become the wonderful writers and students that you strive to be. Thank you for the contributions of your writings for my thesis. Best wishes to all of you as you continue with your education and pursue your dreams! To Dr. LaVona Reeves: Thank you for your input on all of my thesis drafts. I will always remember your classes where I learned the wonderful foundations of grammar and the English language. As I observed your style of teaching, working with non-native speakers, you inspired me to integrate technology within my lessons to address topics that may have not otherwise been addressed. Your hard work and dedication to your students continue to amaze me. To Dr. Lynn Briggs: I appreciate your willingness to be a member on my thesis committee. After taking your class, my eyes were opened to the many rhetorical theorists who are foundational to research topics today. Thank you for providing a unique style of teaching in which you incorporated using media literacy within your lessons to connect past and present topics. To Dr. Florian Preisig: Thank you for volunteering to be the third member on my committee. It is evident by your many years of experience working in Modern Languages and Literature that you have a vast amount of knowledge to share. Thank you for your insight, questions and feedback during my thesis defense. vii Preface “The convergence of media and technology in a global culture is changing the way we learn about the world and challenging the very foundations of education. No longer is it enough to be able to read the printed word; children, youth, and adults, too, need the ability to both critically interpret the powerful images of a multimedia culture and express themselves in multiple media forms. Media literacy education provides a framework and a pedagogy for the new literacy needed for living, working and citizenship in the 21st century. Moreover, it paves the way to mastering the skills required for lifelong learning in a constantly changing world.” Elizabeth Thoman and Tessa Jolls (2005) After reading the above quote, I became interested in researching and applying the vast amount of ways that media literacy education could be integrated within the English classroom for the multilingual writer. As one can observe, the 21st century has brought many significant changes with the rapid increase in technology use. With this increase in the use of media literacy within our classrooms, students today are being taught quite differently than what was evident during my childhood. As a child, I can remember being consistently surrounded with all forms of literacy such as read-along story books, records and a Hooked on Phonics set. These books significantly contributed to my reading interests. The earliest memories I have of learning how to read began when I was five years old when my mother would read to me. One Christmas, I can remember receiving my own phonograph player along with the Walt Disney read-along story books. As I would turn each page, I would hear the cheerful “chime” sound as the story unfolded before my eyes. The wonderful stories of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, Lady and the Tramp, and Peter Pan were just a few of my favorites. viii I did not attend Kindergarten, so by the time I entered first grade I was eager to go to school. My first grade teacher immediately noticed my reading abilities and asked me to become the class reading tutor to assist other students in learning how to read.