Looking Forward
Looking forward, two ongoing considerations and challenges for teachers is the multiliterate environment of our students, and their critical awareness.
WORKING WITHIN A MULTILITERATE ENVIRONMENT
The demands of the 21st century require complex and multiple literacies. Readers are developing their comprehension skills in a digitally connected, media rich world where the meaning of literacy and comprehension is constantly being reinvented. This has a fundamental impact on how ideas are represented in text and communicated.
Teachers must therefore be savvy of technological advances and constantly changing practices in accordance with increasing multiliteracies. Teachers cannot teach comprehension of literacy if they don’t know what literacy means for their students. As noted in the ‘Welcome’ page of this website, there is an increasing disconnect between literacies inside and outside of the classroom as students progress through their middle and upper primary years. This is an indication that teachers are not bringing their students experiences with multi-literacies into the classroom. The more teachers know about their students and their literacies, the more chance they have of improving their reading comprehension.
The following websites contains examples of activities that employ multiliteracies for individual students, small groups and whole classes. These sites also contain online resources for teachers seeking to further develop their multiliteracies and technology in the classroom including examples and ideas for using technology with respect to reading comprehension.
Teachers must therefore be savvy of technological advances and constantly changing practices in accordance with increasing multiliteracies. Teachers cannot teach comprehension of literacy if they don’t know what literacy means for their students. As noted in the ‘Welcome’ page of this website, there is an increasing disconnect between literacies inside and outside of the classroom as students progress through their middle and upper primary years. This is an indication that teachers are not bringing their students experiences with multi-literacies into the classroom. The more teachers know about their students and their literacies, the more chance they have of improving their reading comprehension.
The following websites contains examples of activities that employ multiliteracies for individual students, small groups and whole classes. These sites also contain online resources for teachers seeking to further develop their multiliteracies and technology in the classroom including examples and ideas for using technology with respect to reading comprehension.
TEACHING CRITICAL LITERACIES
In the middle and primary years students should be exposed to a broad range of text and consider their purposes through critical evaluation (Winch and Holliday, 2010). Critical literacy focuses on power relationships, leading to consideration of alternative perspectives, reflection and social action (McLaughlin and DeVoogd, 2004). Such critical evaluation facilitates effective reading and writing in secondary school (Linden, 1997). With the information overload in today's digital world and ever-changing literacies, the demand for and scope of critical literacy is increasing rapidly.
We need to be across technology and the complexities of today's literacies, in order to teach students how to evaluate messages by authors/artists/webpage designers/cartoonists etc. which can often be distorted if not equipped with a critical eye.
This website outlines five exercises teachers may use in the classroom in applying critical literacy in the classroom. Each exercise clearly outlines the learning objective, resources required, suggested topics of discussion as well as activities for individual learners, small group or the whole class.
We need to be across technology and the complexities of today's literacies, in order to teach students how to evaluate messages by authors/artists/webpage designers/cartoonists etc. which can often be distorted if not equipped with a critical eye.
This website outlines five exercises teachers may use in the classroom in applying critical literacy in the classroom. Each exercise clearly outlines the learning objective, resources required, suggested topics of discussion as well as activities for individual learners, small group or the whole class.
Incorporating technology into your lessons.........
The following site was developed by Monash University academic Kelly Carabott, and contains excellent ideas on using ICT for developing students' reading comprehension.
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The table above outlines activities for reading comprehension that incorporate ICT in the classroom.
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