Critical Literacy In My Content

Is critical literacy great or what?? Since taking language, literacy and learning in content area at USU I learned how important literacy is in the classroom.  I never really considered literacy to be a huge part in family and consumer science courses but boy was I wrong! My content area requires a lot of reading (recipes, patterns, nutrition labels) and critical thinking but the tricky part is, how do I incorporate literacy into my lesson plans on a daily basis??  Through this course I have learned how to incorporate various forms of literacy into my lesson plans.  Incorporating literacy into lesson plans accommodates for multiple intelligence's and introduces many different forms of literacy that are new and exciting!  Comprehension instruction is one of the biggest things in FCSE.  It is my job as an educator not only to teach content that adheres to the standards and objectives but my the ultimate goal has to be to teach in a way that students can comprehend what is being taught and know how to apply that knowledge.  Before and after reading activities, and metacognition are great ways to incorporate specific comprehension strategies to best help students understand content. There is vocabulary in every subject area that is required by the state for students to be able to define.  I plan on using a word wall in my classroom where I can display unit vocabulary so students can visually see the words to help them remember how to spell the vocabulary words and provide the correct definition to each one.  I also think playing “Riddle Me This” at the beginning of each unit would be a fun way to introduce new vocabulary.  Teaching my students the importance of formal and informal writing is going to be a challenge.  In order to show my students that writing can be fun I will incorporate a lot of informal writing into my classes.  This will include writing assignments such as personal journal entries, free writes and classroom blogs.  I feel that informal writing is the first step in learning how to write because it helps students get their thoughts down on paper and they are not graded nor corrected on their grammar, thoughts and feelings.  These assignments are also a great way to help the teacher stay aware of student’s progress.  Formal writing will be a must in my classroom.  It helps students learn professionalism, how to critically think and prepares them for what to expect on a college level.  I have learned that using multiple representations to produce text helps engage students more in writing activities.  I plan to use social media such as twitter, Facebook and blogs to get my students publishing their own texts.   Social media is now becoming the biggest interest for teens therefore, I feel it is only appropriate to incorporate my students interests into my lesson plans.  I am really excited to introduce http://www.glogster.com/ to my students! I love how interactive glogs can be and it puts a new spin on posters.  I will be using this in all of my content areas when introducing a new unit.  I plan on using the text set I created as well as the ones that my classmates created as well.  This will provide my students with hundreds of text options that support academically, linguistically and diverse learners.  Providing a classroom library that has free access at all times will give students the opportunity to continue learning even on their free time. All of the concepts that I learned in this course most definitely addressed my content area providing an endless amount of possibilities on ways to incorporate language, literacy and learning into my classroom. I feel that incorporating the 6 traits of writing into my lesson plans is one of the best ways to see positive results in my student’s journey through learning.  

READING, READING, READING

READING IS EVERYTHING!! Reading gives us something to talk about, it’s an escape, it allows the imagination to run wild……..it educates.  Reading introduces diversity, poses questions, gives answers, creates fairy tales, paints happy and sad endings, it teaches truth, and honesty.

I don’t necessarily think of myself as a good reader but I thoroughly enjoy it.  I’m definitely a skim reader no matter the form of text.  I am one of those readers that can’t read every sentence line after line, word for word because I get too anxious to see what is going to happen next.  I like to read online texts such as blogs and I enjoy reading magazines and the daily newspaper.  I usually gravitate towards non fictional books.  My most favorite non fictional book is Night by Elie Wiesle. I had to read this book my freshmen year of college and I fell in love with it.  I love it so much that I just finished reading it for the 8^th time!!  Elie’s story of his experience during World War II and the Holocaust is painstakingly real and sheds light on the importance of standing up for your beliefs. Non fictional books are what keep me motivated to continue to read. There is so much to learn about history as well as current events.  I think it is important as citizens to stay educated on the world around us.   

During my junior year of high school my English class had to read the books Frankenstein, Count of Monte Cristo, and Life of Pi.  There were activities and tests that went along with each book.  At that time I felt like these books did not spark my interest in any way, shape or form.  I found myself reading the books and doing the assignments without really processing what I was reading because I had no interest.  I feel that a lot of the reason I hated these books is because I wasn't given a proper introduction to them.  It was up to us to figure out what the books were about and in my opinion; all three of these books are really hard to understand even when you are reading them with the right intentions!

I am most definitely going to incorporate reading into my classes.  I plan on using an opening day questionnaire on the first day of class to help me gain an understanding of the general interests of the classroom.  I will then base my book choices off of that.  I will present a few options and let my students vote as a class which book they would like to read.  I strongly believe that reading helps with self confidence.  I will attach reflection journals to readings so students can reflect on their progression as a reader.  These journals will also show them how much they have learned while reading their assigned book. There is so much to learn! Our world and our imaginations are waiting for us to explore them! I want my students to look at reading the way I do and be as passionate about reading as I am!

Affective Dimensions of Writing

Writing and I have always had a love hate relationship. I really enjoy writing until there is a grade attached to it.  I feel that I am a good communicator but I’d rather express my thoughts and ideas through my writing.   Composition journals were really popular in my elementary school.  My teachers required we write journal entries at the end of every day before we left for home.  These entries were free write entries to help get our thoughts down on paper.  We weren’t graded for these but our teachers did read them to make sure we covered the assigned topic.   I think because of those composition journals I have been an avid journal writer through the years.  I have kept a personal journal since I was in 7^th grade and I just started my 8^th journal this year. When I entered junior high I started expressing my ideas through poetry, art and photography.  I found myself really enjoying expressing my thoughts in abstract ways.  When I entered high school I really got into blogging and poetry writing.  I started my first blog in 10^th grade and have been blogging ever since.  I started entering my poetry into local and international poetry contests and have since become a published poet.  I currently still keep a journal, write poetry, photography and have now taken part in social media.  I really enjoy staying in contact with friends and family through Facebook and Instagram, and I am also able to share my photography through these internet sources. I have written a fair amount of papers in my school career.  Sometimes I enjoy writing them and sometimes I want to gouge my eyes out after 15 hours of trying to finish a 25 page research paper for English 2010. Through the years I have learned that I only enjoy writing papers that put very few restrictions on my creativity.  I dislike those papers that are cut and dry.  I don’t like when there are unrealistic word limits and when teachers are not very clear with their expectations.  My biggest pet peeve right now is when professors give instructions that say: “Write one substantial paragraph that gives substantial details on the 5 articles you just read but it cannot go over 5 sentences long.”  SAY WHAT?? After reflecting on this blog post I recognize how much I appreciated those teachers that helped me expound on my creativity through other dimensions.  I will structure my writing prompts the same way.  I will have composition journals which are not graded for students to get their thoughts out candidly.  I will create writing assignments that will increase student’s knowledge through papers, journals, art, photography etc.  I understand that grades will have to be attached to writing but I want to teach my students that writing should not be a scary thing.  I want them to have the opportunity to express freely and be recognized for their efforts. 

Connecting School and Home Exepriences

As a child I was always surrounded by experiences related to the family and consumer science discipline.  I loved observing the way my mom worked in the kitchen, decorated our house, washed our clothes, and sewed our Halloween costumes every year. As I got older I became increasingly interested in what I was observing and wanted to take those observations and put them into action.  Luckily my mom was patient and let me ask question after question until I had mastered the skills that I was so determined to learn.  Seeing the end results are what motivated me to continue finding other opportunities to learn.  As I got older my curiosity grew stronger and I wanted to be exposed to more experiences of homemaking skills.  I started babysitting because it was like playing “house.”  I could take care of children, make dinner, clean house, and get paid all at the same time.  I wanted to take on the role of a mother so quickly that I rightfully earned the nickname of “Suzy Homemaker” because I wanted to do it all!!  When I entered high school I had a lot of positive experiences in my FACS classes.  It was nice to learn the purpose behind all of the hobbies that I had taken up over the years.  I particularly remember the exact day my high school interior design teacher explained to me what a family and consumer science degree entailed.   

I almost fell to the floor in complete amazement!!

The heavens had opened and my brain went into an overload of excitement! 

I thought she was joking! I couldn't believe there was a college degree that encompassed all of the things that I had grown up enjoying doing so much.  I think it is safe to say these past experiences most definitely shaped the way I thought about this discipline, and my thoughts are still the same today.  In my future classroom I plan to teach my students the relationship between classroom learning and real life learning.  I will show them how the skills they learn in my classroom can be implemented outside of the classroom.   I will share personal experiences about how I have benefited from FACS skills.   I will be sure to make every lesson relatable to each student so they can interpret in a way that they can fully understand.  I will strive to help them understand that observing is one of the biggest teaching tools to possess.  I will explain that observing teaches us to look outside the social norm and standard ways of learning.

Introduction

My name is Jaycee Simmons and I am a senior at Utah State majoring in Family and Consumer Sciences Education.  You might recognize me as the girl with short blonde hair!! I feel like my hair is something that definitely sets me apart from most people.  Some of my interests and hobbies include:

Photography

Traveling

Cooking

Sewing

Decorating

Poetry

Football

Organizing

Cleaning

Socializing

Event Planning

Being with friends and family

Sports, Sports, and more SPORTS

As you can see, most of my hobbies have to do with my major.  I chose to major in Family and Consumer Sciences Education for three reasons:

1.  I am able to put all of my passions and interests into one career which ultimately feels like I will never work a day in my life.

2.  I want to have the opportunity to teach students the importance of learning the basic skills and concepts of life that are necessary for survival and success.

AND...

I simply want to make a difference in my student's lives.

Literacy:  The ability to read and write. Being able to demonstrate how to apply and synthesize what someone has learned.

I feel that literacy applies to my discipline in so many different ways.  The classes that I will be teaching are all hands on based courses therefore, my students will be demonstrating their knowledge through performance based activities.  They will also have to be able to properly read and interpret recipes, clothing patterns, finance material, floor plans etc.