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EDUC 420 Designs for Learning English Language Arts Welcome In this course we will explore theories and pedagogies related to language and literacy instruction for elementary and middle school students. We will examine research, issues, and conceptual models in literacy education from the global research community, while grounding our learning in the Big Ideas, Curricular Competencies, and Content of BC’s English Language Arts ELA curriculum and the core values of UFV’s Teacher Education Department – integration of knowledge and practice, critical mindedness, pedagogical sensitivity, reflective practice, and social justice. As teacher candidates, you will develop an understanding of how the Six Strands of ELA – speaking, listening, reading, viewing, writing, and representing are integrated into a welldesigned ELA program that is informed by evidencebased literacy instructional practices, enriched by multiliteracies pedagogies, and empowered by thoughtprovoking children’s and young adult YA literature. Dr. Joanne Robertson University of the Fraser Valley UFV Untitled illustration. The Five Pillars of Reading Breaking Down the Elements of Successful Literacy Instruction. httpsblog.edmentum.comfivepillarsreadingbreakingdownelementssuccessfulliteracyinstruction Dr. Joanne Robertson. University of the Fraser Valley. 2022 MODULE 1 Introduction to Literacy Education Essential Questions ● In what ways do our personal, lived experiences influence how we view literacy learning, development, and teaching ● How do we define literacy in the 21st century What does it mean to be literate today ● How do global and societal factors lead to evolving definitions of literacy and literacy instruction over time ● How do theoretical and conceptual models teach us about effective literacy pedagogies ● How do curriculum frameworks shape literacy instruction in classrooms ● What are the ethical responsibilities of literacy educators How can literacy instruction contribute to educating about and for social justice What do we mean by critical literacy practices for both teachers and students Defining Literacy in the 21 st Century “What is literacy” is a threeword question that deceptively suggests simplicity, but instead opens up a world of complexity Keefe Copeland, 2011, p. 92 Untitled illustration. Defining Literacy in a Digital World. httpswww.readwritethink.orgclassroomresourceslessonplansdefiningliteracydigitalworld Dr. Joanne Robertson. University of the Fraser Valley. 2022 2 Most people would agree that literacy development is fundamental to a student’s ability to learn at school and to later engage productively as an adult in society. But if you ask ten different people to explain what literacy actually means, you will likely get ten different answers Literacy is a concept that is complex, multifaceted, and constantly evolving. Time to Reflect Before you read any further, take a moment to write your own definition of literacy. Please keep your original literacy definition and bring it to our first session of EDUC 420. Historically, definitions of literacy focused primarily on the ability to read and write. Even at the turn of the 21st century, the Organization for Economic CoOperation and Development OECD defined literacy as “the ability to understand and employ printed information in daily activities, at home, at work, and in the community to achieve one’s goals” OECD, 2000, p. x. Traditional definitions of literacy that focus exclusively on the linguistic modes of reading and writing have since been replaced by newer conceptualizations that reflect current realities, most notably global mobilization, the proliferation of digital technologies, and the predominance of multimodal forms of communication and expression. Note the difference in the OECD’s very recent definition of literacy Literacy in the 21st century is about constructing and validating knowledge. Digital technologies have enabled the spread of all kinds of information, displacing traditional formats of usually more carefully curated information such as newspapers. The massive information flow of the digital era demands that readers be able to distinguish between fact and opinion. Readers must learn strategies to detect biased information and malicious content like fake news and phishing emails. The infodemic in which events like the Covid19 pandemic has immersed us makes it harder to discern the accuracy of information when reaction time is crucial. It illustrates how essential it is to be a proficient reader in a digital world. OECD, 2021. And consider this definition from the BC Curriculum “Literacy is the ability to understand, critically analyze, and create a variety of forms of communication, including oral, written, visual, digital, and multimedia, in order to accomplish one’s goals” BC Ministry of Education, n.d.a, para 10 . While these contemporary perspectives of literacy reflect the reality of an increasingly digitized world in the 21st century, the real work of redefining literacy and literacy instruction is far more complex from an ideological perspective since it involves challenging longheld views of literacy. This work began in earnest in the 1990s and continues to shape our views of literacy instruction… A Pedagogy of Multiliteracies In 1994, a group of ten educational scholars from the USA, Australia and the UK, all with substantial experience and academic expertise in language and literacy education, convened in New London, New Hampshire to “discuss the state and future of literacy education in America and around the world” Serafini Gee, 2017, p. 1. This ensemble of academics, who would later come to known as the New London Group, was interested in challenging traditional literacy definitions that focused on monolingual, monocultural, and formal uses of language by exploring the “growing Dr. Joanne Robertson. University of the Fraser Valley. 2022 3 significance of two ‘multi’ dimensions of ‘literacies’ in the plural – the multilingual and the multimodal” Cope Kalantzis, 2009, p.2. The New London Group developed the term multiliteracies – a concept that they believed represented a broader view of language and literacy instruction. Their article, published in 1996 in the Harvard Review, would become a “landmark publication” Serafini Gee, 2017, p. 1 and a “programmatic manifesto” Naylor, 2005, p. 1 for literacy instruction. The New London Group. Works Days Kalantzis Cope. httpsnewlearningonline.comkalantzisandcoperesearchwriting Multiliteracies extended the conception of literacy beyond the linguistic forms of reading and writing. As stated in their article, two main arguments emerged through their discussions which were then described in detail in their published article The first relates to the increasing multiplicity and integration of significant modes of meaningmaking, where the textual is also related to the visual, the audio, the spatial, the behavioral, and so on. This is particularly important in the mass media, multimedia, and in an electronic hypermedia. We may have cause to be skeptical about the scifi visions of information superhighways and an impending future where we are all virtual shoppers. Nevertheless, new communications media are reshaping the way we use language. When technologies of meaning are changing so rapidly, there cannot be one set of standards or skills that constitute the ends of literacy learning, however taught. Second, we decided to use the term multiliteracies as a way to focus on the realities of increasing local diversity and global connectedness. Dealing with linguistic differences and cultural differences has now become central to the pragmatics of our working, civic, and Dr. Joanne Robertson. University of the Fraser Valley. 2022 4 private lives. Effective citizenship and productive work now require that we interact effectively using multiple languages, multiple Englishes, and communication patterns that more frequently cross cultural, community, and national boundaries. Subcultural diversity also extends to the ever broadening range of specialist registers and situational variations in language, be they technical, sporting, or related to groupings of interest and affiliation. When the proximity of cultural and linguistic diversity is one of the key facts of our time, the very nature of language learning has changed. Indeed, these are fundamental issues about our future. In addressing these issues, literacy educators and students must see themselves as active participants in social change, as learners and students who can be active designers makers of social futures. We decided to begin the discussion with this question of social futures. Cope Kalantzis, 2009, p.64 The New London Group believed that a pedagogy of multiliteracies would contribute to greater equity in schools by creating new ways of learning that included textual, visual, and multimodal forms of communication. Within this framework, technology is viewed as a powerful tool to educate for a world of social equity and inclusive diversity, a world in which differences in languages and cultures are valued and where culture is explored through authentic representation in the curriculum. Bainbridge and Heydon 2017 suggest that a pedagogy of multiliteracies provides a framework for teachers to “create language and literacy opportunities that may lead to the expansion of learners’ literacy and identity options” p. 28. A pedagogy of multiliteracies is also concerned with enhancing students’ social futures. Cope and Kalantzis 2009 note that a pedagogy of multiliteracies is an integral component of a “characteristically transformative” education that celebrates diversity and promotes student selfactualization and social justice Learning is a process of selfrecreation. Cultural dynamism and diversity are the results. Such a transformative pedagogy is, we would argue, based both on a realistic view of contemporary society how does schooling offer cultural and material access to its institutions of power and on an emancipatory view of possible paths to improvement in our human futures how can we make a better, more equal, less humanly and environmentally damaging world p. 17. A Brief History of Literacy Instruction The definition of literacy has evolved over time and will continue to evolve in the future in response to an everchanging landscape of global and societal factors that challenge the way we answer the questions “What is literacy” and “What does it mean to be literate today” As perceptions of literacy evolve, so too do the theoretical frameworks and pedagogies that underpin language and literacy education today. Robert Tierney and David Pearson 2021 note that “the global reading and literacy education research community” has experienced “monumental shifts” p. vii as new insights have emerged regarding the nature and development of readingliteracy development and pedagogies. Major global developments and scientific research have shaped the theories, policies, and classroom pedagogies associated with literacy instruction as demonstrated in the following table. Dr. Joanne Robertson. University of the Fraser Valley. 2022 5 Time Frame GlobalScientific Influences Literacy Theory, Policies, and Practices Late 19 th – 21 st century Early Science Psychology Behaviorism Laboratorybased research Reading tests Stages of reading, skillsbased reading curricula, mastery models, graded reading materials, reading skills scope and sequence Focus on observable, measurable reading behaviours e.g., eye movement tracking 1960s Search for the Silver Bullet Space Race and heightened focus on reading achievement scores Research on the best reading methods – Programs for teaching phonics, basal readers, worksheets Learning to Read The Great Debate Jean Chall, 1967 – concluded that there is no single best approach to teaching reading 1970s Learning to Learn Wave Cognition replaces behaviourism Civil Rights End of the Vietnam War Early reading and writing development Reading comprehension strategies Theories of meaning making, Constructivistbased approaches to reading 1980s The Social Wave The Critical Wave Sociology Sociopolitical considerations, critical race theory, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, feminist theories Focus on improving reading comprehension, learning to learn, metacognition Research on the writing process, the readingwriting connection, and critical literacy Changes to assessment practices – selfassessment, portfolios, studentled 1990s2020 The Digital Wave The Age of Reform Proliferation of digital technologies Educational reform – government control over what is taught and how – Increased focus on testing and standards New forms of literacies, digital tools, social media, multiple forms of representation, Reading Wars continue Changes to literacy curricula from whole language to phonicsfocused Increased standardized testing Renewed interest in the “science of reading” SoR Adapted from Tierney Pearson, 2021 Contemporary Literacy Theories Frameworks The First Peoples Principles of Learning FPPL The Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada include a call to integrate “Indigenous knowledge and teaching methods into classrooms” Call 62 to enhance learning for all students. Indigenous knowledge, histories, and cultural practices are unique across the country given the vast diversity of Indigenous communities. For example, British Columbia is home to Métis, Inuit peoples and 203 different First Nations Chrona, n.d., para 1. Throughout the EDUC 420 course, we will ground our learning in the First Peoples Principles of Learning a framework that was originally “articulated by Indigenous Elders, scholars and knowledge keepers in BC to guide the development of the the English First Peoples course First Dr. Joanne Robertson. University of the Fraser Valley. 2022 6 Nations Education Steering Committee, n.d. and served as an important, critical lens for the redesigned BC Curriculum K12 BC Ministry of Education, n.d.a. The FPPL reflect “cultural constructs and worldviews among Indigenous people in British Columbia that serve to enhance the public education system for all students ” Chrona, n.d., para 1. The FPPL lend themselves particularly well to language and literacy instruction given their emphasis on story, intergenerational knowledge, reflexive learning, and personal responsibility. The First Peoples Principles of Learning poster. First Nations Education Steering Committee httpwww.fnesc.cafirstpeoplesprinciplesoflearning Cambourne’s Conditions for Literacy Learning A second important framework for literacy education in Canada is Cambourne’s Conditions for Literacy Learning. After years of observing young children learning to speak both in and out of classrooms, Australian educator and researcher Brian Cambourne 1988 developed a framework of conditions for literacy learning. Cambourne proposed that young children acquire early oral and written language proficiency most easily when these specific conditions are present in their environments, both at home and school. While the framework was originally designed for early literacy development, it revolutionized the broader field of literacy education and continues to inform both scholarship and practice in literacy instruction at all grade levels. Cambourne’s model comprises seven main conditions for literacy learning, each supporting the central goal of engagement as illustrated in the following diagram and table. Dr. Joanne Robertson. University of the Fraser Valley. 2022 7 Slider, R. n.d. Untitled image adapted from Cambourne, 1995. RT Slider’s Teaching Portfolio. httprtslider.weebly.comphilosophy.html Summary of Cambourne’s Conditions for Literacy Learning Condition Recommended Instructional Practices Immersion Surround children with interesting, high quality children’s books and a variety of texts. Read aloud every day, use word games, movement and dance to engage students in language, literacy and stories. Demonstration Model reading and writing for students in a variety of genres notes, letters, stories, recipes, etc. Expectation Set realistic expectations for literacy development. Become familiar with the developmental stages of emergent literacy and support students with appropriate tasks. Expect that they will become accomplished readers and writers with time and support. Responsibility Give children choice in their reading selections. Set up the classroom environment to provide access to literacy materials and promote selfdirection Approximation Accept children’s approximations in reading and writing. Guide them gently towards accuracy and selfcorrection. UseEmployment Create a climate that fosters functional and meaningful use of oral and written language Response Listen to children, encourage their comments and questions, extend their use of oral and written language. Celebrate their accomplishments Engagement Support children in becoming active literacy learners. Set up a riskfree environment so they can experiment with language and literacy. Provide easy access to literacy materials. Dr. Joanne Robertson. University of the Fraser Valley. 2022 8 Some scholars have pointed out the limitations in Cambourne’s model, noting in particular that not all aspects of literacy are learned in the same way as speaking and listening, with some requiring more explicit instruction than what is outlined in Cambourne’s framework Heydon et al., 2022. However, these same scholars authors recognize and acknowledge the value and lasting influence of Cambourne’s model on literacy education Cambourne’s model provides a way of thinking about the conditions that classrooms set up for learners, and how these conditions together create learning opportunities. The conditions are also flexible in the sense that they provide an overarching framework of sorts under which educators can insert a variety of pedagogical strategies or experiences for learners. For instance, an educator’s demonstrations can be quite systematic and explicit or overt, as in readalouds. Conversely, a demonstration might entail an educator showing that she values reading by herself reading during independent reading time p. 27. A Pedagogy of Multiliteracies The New London Group’s Pedagogy of Multiliteracies 1996 originally outlined four major dimensions of pedagogy, which the authors referred to as Situated Practice, Overt Instruction, Critical Framing and Transformed Practice. In 2005, Kalantzis and Cope reframed the four dimensions into a Learning Design pedagogy featuring the four knowledge processes of ‘Experiencing’, ‘Conceptualizing’, ‘Analyzing’ and ‘Applying’ Cope Kalantzis, 2009, p. 17 1. Situated PracticeExperiencing – Since learning and cognition are situated and contextual, learners should be “immersed in authentic and meaningful literacy practices” Robertson, 2019. Pedagogical ‘weavings’ within this dimension are between school learning and the practical, outofschool experiences of learners and between familiar and unfamiliar texts and experiences. Learning activities might include observing, describing, exploring, connecting with a text, etc. 2. Overt InstructionConceptualizing – This dimension involves a knowledge process that requires that learners be “active concept and theorymakers…making the tacit explicit and generalizing from the particular” Cope Kalantzis, 2009, p. 18 through the construction of mental models, abstract frameworks, and schematic representations. Learning activities might include deducing, hypothesizing, sorting, contrasting, etc. 3. Critical FramingAnalyzing – Literacy development requires that learners become both analytical and evaluative, activating processes of reasoning, drawing inferences, exploring cause and effect, explaining patterns in text, and evaluating multiple perspectives, interests and motives, continuously weaving between known and new experiences and conceptualizations. Learning activities might include comparing, synthesizing, critiquing, analyzing, etc. 4. Transformed PracticeApplying – In this dimension, students can transfer knowledge and understanding to new, realworld situations or simulated realworld situations in predictable and expected ways. ‘Applying creatively’ empowers students to transfer their knowledge in new and innovative ways based on their “interests, experiences and aspirations, thereby “making the world anew with fresh and creative forms of action and perception” p. 19. Learning activities might include synthesizing, constructing, composing a text, illustrating, etc. Dr. Joanne Robertson. University of the Fraser Valley. 2022 9 Time to Reflect Which aspects of the First Peoples Principles of Learning, Cambourne’s Conditions for Literacy Learning, and the Pedagogy of Multiliteracies reflect your own personal experiences with literacy learning and development Which ones were missing from your literacy education What do these conceptual frameworks teach us about effective literacy instruction Which frameworks resonated with you Which ones do you want to learn more about What questions do you still have Please respond in writing and bring your response to the first class to share with others in the cohort. Literacy Instruction in Canada Now that you have a basic understanding of how literacy and literacy instruction have evolved through history, we will turn our attention to understanding contemporary theories and frameworks that inform and shape the design of literacy education in Canada today. The Language and Literacy Researchers of Canada’s Position Statement 2023 provides a concise yet comprehensive summary of literacy and literacy instruction in Canada today. The position statement, developed by researchers from across Canada, includes several important considerations and expectations for teachers of language and literacy, all of which reflect the compelling need for teachers to take an evidenceinformed, thoughtful, and studentcentred approach to teaching English language arts that is enriched by critical reflection, reflexive practices, and lifelong learning. Critical Literacy Critical literacy is an important consideration in designing an English language arts program. Various conceptual frameworks for critical literacy exist in the literature on literacy education, many of which focus on engaging students in the process of critically analyzing, questioning, and evaluating the meaning they read, hear, and view in relation to issues of “power, equity, and social justice to inform a critical stance, response, or action”. EduGains, n.d. In their book, Creating Critical Classrooms, Lewison et al 2014 articulate a theory of critical literacy and provide an instruction model for use in elementary and middle school classrooms. Their model below reflects their view that critical literacy instruction is a “transaction among the personal and cultural resources we use, the critical social practices we enact, and the critical stance that we and our students take on in classrooms and in the world” p. 5. Dr. Joanne Robertson. University of the Fraser Valley. 2022 10 Instructional Model of Critical Literacy. Lewison, Leland, Harste, 2014, . p. 6. Personal and Cultural Resources Critical literacy begins by examining the personal and cultural resources that students and teachers bring to a literacy program. The concept of resources is considered in the broader sense to include resources that explore social issues, personal experiences, popular culture, websites, oral texts, home literacies, and community concerns. Critical Social Practices Lewison et al 2014 consider these social practices within the following four dimensions that were originally developed by Lewison, Flint, Van Sluys 2002. 1. Disrupting the Commonplace asking questions, seeing the everyday through new lenses, demystifying views of the world, taking a critical viewpoint regarding long held theories, beliefs, assumptions, habits, and routines interrogating the everyday world and imagining new realities 2. Considering Multiple Viewpoints questioning whose voices are heard in a text and whose voices are absent or silenced appreciating multiple realities and worldviews, considering multiple and contradictory textual accounts counter narratives of an event, and seeking out resources that “give voice to those who have been silenced or marginalized” p. 10 3. Focusing on the Sociopolitical analyzing how language is used to maintain societal power structures and relationships questioning hierarchies examining social structures that create power, privilege and status for some groups while marginalizing others questioning injustices racism, discrimination exploring the use of resistance, dialogue, and pubic debate as critical social practices 4. Taking Action to Promote Social Justice using literacy to transform inequities encouraging students to “compose their own narratives, counternarratives, letters, essays, reports, poems, commercials, poster, plays, and webpages to promote social change” p. 12 participating in discussions that focus on issues of inequity, oppression, and transformation using the arts to express critical understandings and promote change for social justice rewriting one’s identity as social activists and change agents Dr. Joanne Robertson. University of the Fraser Valley. 2022 11 Critical Stance The concept of taking a critical stance is at the core of the critical literacy framework proposed by Lewison et al 2014 and encompasses the “attitudes and dispositions we take on that enable us to become critically literate beings” p. 13. Taking a critical stance involves four key actions 1. Consciously engaging thoughtfully naming, confronting, and responding to issues 2. Entertaining alternate ways of being new ways of interacting and communicating 3. Taking responsibility to inquire questioning events, motives, and consequences 4. Being reflexive being aware of our own complicity in systems of injustice Literacy Instruction in British Columbia The BC English Language Arts ELA Curriculum The BC ELA curriculum framework is considered foundational in terms of developing the language and literacy skills that students need for success in school and beyond. Throughout the curriculum, there is also an explicit and important focus on students’ critical literacy skills, with a clear goal of empowering them to become “thoughtful, ethical, and responsible citizens of a diverse society” BC Ministry of Education and Childcare, n.d.d., para 3. In particular, the ELA curriculum is intended to help students understand the “influences shaping Canadian society and the unique contribution of First Peoples to our country’s and province’s heritage” ibid. Within the ELA curriculum, students are expected to 1. Become proficient and knowledgeable users of language, in all its forms, to achieve their personal, social, and career aspirations ● appreciate language and learning as lifelong sources of joy, curiosity, and passion ● think creatively, critically, and reflectively about language and texts as part of constructing and communicating personal meaning ● become critical and ethical users of digital media, capable of adapting to new modes and tools of language use ● strengthen their understanding of themselves, diverse cultures, and multiple perspectives through the exploration of First Peoples’ and other Canadian and international texts ● contribute to Reconciliation by building greater understanding of the knowledge and perspectives of First Peoples ● appreciate the power, beauty, and artistry of language and texts and their impact on personal, social, and cultural life ● use language to design and share information interpersonally, interculturally, and globally Dr. Joanne Robertson. University of the Fraser Valley. 2022 12 The Six The K4 English Language Arts Foundational Learning Progressions The ELA Foundational Learning Progressions are a new addition to the BC ELA curriculum framework that will be implemented in September 2025 to support the development of K4 students’ reading, writing, and oral language skills. The ELA Foundational Learning Progressions include descriptors of proficiency in key aspects of the curriculum, including oral communication, phonics, grammar, and vocabulary. They provide a clear scope and sequence for teachers to help them ensure that students are on track with their foundational literacy skills. By using these Learning Progressions, teachers can identify both areas of strength as well as areas for additional support or intervention. The Strands of English Language Arts ELA Literacy learning involves many processes and developmental competencies. According to the International Reading Association 1996, there are six language arts reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing, and representing. In Canada, these six dimensions are now represented in all curriculum frameworks for teaching ELA Heydon et al, 2022. In British Columbia, the ELA curriculum represents an integrated and holistic approach to teaching and learning with six highly interconnected elements and the understanding that “the development of competency in one element supports the development of competency in another, often simultaneously” BC Ministry of Education and Childcare, n.d.b., para 3. The six strands fall into two ‘modes’ of receptive and expressive literacy skills These six elements are WHAT we are expected to teach in the English Language Arts program. In the sections that follow, we will turn our attention to the more complex aspect of HOW we teach. And to do so effectively, we must always be thinking about WHO we teach. It all begins by designing an environment for our students that will engage them in exploring the six language arts and inspire them in their literacy development. Allow me to share a personal story from my experience to illustrate this point… Dr. Joanne Robertson. University of the Fraser Valley. 2022 13 I clearly remember my Grade 4 teacher in 1974 at Central Elementary in Mission, BC. Ms. Lee Kowalski was new to our school that year. Perhaps it was even her first year of teaching. She was young and beautiful with long hair and a hippy style of dressing. Most importantly, she was kind, patient and encouraging. The kind of person who somehow makes everyone feel special. We were mesmerized by her. Ms. Kowalski loved to play the guitar, so many of our language arts lessons began in a circle on the purple shag carpet with a sing along to folk songs like Peter, Paul and Mary’s Where Have all the Flowers Gone” She would also read aloud to us everyday She carefully chose short stories, novels, and poetry that would inspire us to write. Our ‘open area’ classroom was filled with a variety of books for us to read and centres with interesting materials for us to create our own masterpieces during Writer’s Workshop. Ms. Kowalski always found opportunities for us to read and write in ways that were relevant and engaging and connected us to an authentic audience. When Margaret, a new student from the UK, joined our class midyear, Ms. Kowalski immediately set up a penpal exchange. Each one of us was paired with one of Margaret’s former classmates in Lowestoft, a small, north eastern coastal town in England. We loved writing to our British penpals and learning about their lives in a place that was so far away. Our reading and writing had purpose and real world connections. One day, near the end of our opening circle time, Ms. Kowalski suddenly announced that there was a poetry contest. It was an opportunity to get published, she told us excitedly. We all must have looked at her with faces filled with dread, trepidation, or shock because I clearly remember her telling us kindly but firmly that we were already accomplished writers and poets, so it was time to share our work with the world. And she made it happen. We all wrote poems, which, after many drafts and revisions, were published in a Canadian anthology. I remember how proud we felt when the book arrived and she read all of our poems aloud. We were poets and published writers Although she was my teacher for just one year, looking back I now realize that Ms. Kowalski not only inspired my own love of literacy but also shaped my teaching practices throughout my career as an elementary teacher, particularly in the area of language arts. And her legacy continues to inform my practice as a teacher educator. As you read about the literacy frameworks in the next section, keep your focus on your own imagined future students. And, always remember this mantra I teach readers and writers not reading and writing. Dr. Joanne Robertson. University of the Fraser Valley. 2022 14 The Ethical Responsibilities of Literacy Teachers As you have come to understand, literacy and literacy instruction are complex constructs that are constantly evolving as a result of broader societal and global influences. Within the contemporary Canadian landscape, those influences are closely linked to issues of equity, diversity, indigeneity, and social justice, which must be embedded and addressed within our literacy instruction. As Brazilian educator Paulo Freire 1985 reminds us, literacy is the key to developing critical consciousness for social change If we think of education as an act of knowing, then reading has to do with knowing. The act of reading cannot be explained as merely reading words since every act of reading words implies a previous reading of the world and a subsequent rereading of the world. There is a permanent movement back and forth between “reading” reality and reading words…reading the word is not only preceded by reading the world, but also by a certain form of writing it or rewriting it. In other words, of transforming it by means of conscious practical action. For me, this dynamic movement is central to literacy Freire, 1985, p. 18. Throughout the EDUC 420 course we will explore opportunities through children’s literature and through our pedagogical actions and strategic choices of guiding our students in engaging in this dynamic process of reading the word and reading the world, enabling them to simultaneously develop both ageappropriate literacy skills and a growing sense of critical consciousness for a more just society. UFV School of Education Values and the ELA Program The UFV School of Education’s five core values provide an excellent framework to explore ways of thinking about the roles and responsibilities of literacy teachers. The following statements are informed by these values and the expectations for teachers of language and literacy as outlined in the Language and Literacy Researchers of Canada’s Position Statement 2008. Pedagogical sensitivity Literacy educators must understand the nature and purposes of language and literacy. They must also have the knowledge, skill, and confidence and develop and adapt an English Language Arts program that meets the specific needs of students, adopting a comprehensive approach to the teaching of language and literacy in the classroom and recognizing that students need multiple opportunities for modeling, demonstration, guided practice, sharing, reflection and independent application of strategies and skills. Literacy educators recognize that text selection should be negotiated with students and reflective of their strengths, needs, and interests. Above all, literacy educators must believe that all students can learn and engage in language and literacy practices. Reflective practice Literacy educators must engage in constant reflective practice and demonstrate the ability to reflect in a thoughtful way on the significance of different teaching situations and on their role in Dr. Joanne Robertson. University of the Fraser Valley. 2022 15 defining an inclusive and ethical language arts learning environment. Reflective practice, guided by the principles of selfevaluation and selfdirected learning, is considered the foundation of continuous professional growth for literacy teachers. Literacy teachers should be lifelong learners and envision themselves as speakers, writers, representers, listeners, readers, and viewers, who continue to learn about languages and literacies after their formal education is complete, engage in reading and writing for their own purposes, and value the role of language and literacy in their lives. Critical mindedness Educators must understand the complexity, subtlety, and difficulty of contemporary educational questions and issues related to literacy instruction and assessment. They must also understand the relationship that exists among the language arts and the interaction of curriculum, assessment, teaching, and evaluation in solving problems and responding to the unique learning needs of students. Literacy educators must show a high degree of flexibility in considering various perspectives and alternative solutions that may be required by students . Integration of knowledge and practice Literacy educators must understand how theory informs practice and their understanding of the unique needs of each student. They must constantly engage in the recursive interplay of knowledge, educational theory and practice throughout their professional lives. Above all, they must recognize that there is no consensus in the literature that supports one generalizable way to teach literacy. Social justice Literacy educators require the ability to see beyond their own ways of defining the world and to be advocates of social justice and the inclusive classroom. They should engage their students in critical and metacognitive thought about the processes, strategies, purposes, and consequences of language and literacy and the connections between literacy and critical consciousness. A high value is placed on the ethical responsibilities of literacy educators in selecting texts and resources and in designing learning opportunities that respectfully and appropriately address issues of diversity, equity, indigeneity, and social justice. Teaching literacy is teaching about and for social justice Dr. Joanne Robertson. University of the Fraser Valley. 2022 16 Reading Aloud to Students in English Language Arts We will start the EDUC 420 course by exploring how to create a short and engaging read aloud lesson in the ELA program. Why Because reading aloud daily to our students is critical to their development as readers and writers, and more importantly, to the development of a love of literacy. According to Maria Walther 2018, reading aloud to students should be a “joyful celebration for all” p. 1 that accomplishes so many literacy instructional goals, including, 1. Igniting a passion and excitement for reading among students 2. Fostering a strong sense of community and belonging in the classroom 3. Celebrating the words and illustrations of literacy 4. Building a foundation for future literacy learning 5. Expanding students’ vocabulary 6. Demonstrating the reading strategies that proficient readers use 7. Supporting early writing development 8. Sparking collaborative conversations 9. Encouraging perspectivetaking and empathy 10.Opening windows to other worlds learning about cultural and linguistic diversity Kids of all ages enjoy being read to As a former intermediate teacher, I read aloud to my Grade 6 and 7 students on a daily basis. And they loved it They would settle in after a break outside and happily listen to me read them a picture book or a novel. Often, when we had to move onto a different subject or activity, they would beg me for just a bit more reading I used a daily read aloud to introduce older students to picture books and novels that they would not necessarily have selected for their own independent reading. Most often, these were books that focused on issues related to equity, fairness, power, and social justice. For example, I introduced students to the history of the Japanese internment during World War II through picture books like Baseball Saved Us Mochizuki, 1983 and novels like The Eternal Spring of Mr. Ito Garrigue, 1985. During these read aloud sessions, I used a critical literacy instructional lens, encouraging students to constantly question, analyze alternate perspectives, and grapple with the complex issues presented through the stories. Other texts that I used for read alouds with older students included ● Click, Clack, Moo Cows that Type Cronin, 2000, a cute animal tale on the surface, but one that also explores complex, realworld issues related to power and labour negotiations ● No, David Shannon, 1998 a story about a high spirited child and his exasperated parent the story is told through minimal, simple text but presents the opportunity to teach older students to pose important critical literacy questions such as “Who image is missing from this text” “Whose voice has been silenced” ● Waiting for the Rain Gordon, 1989 a story about two boys growing up together on a farm in South Africa during the political tensions of apartheid. This text provides a wonderful opportunity to explore themes related to colonization, racial inequality and discrimination, segregation, and enduring friendships. Dr. Joanne Robertson. University of the Fraser Valley. 2022 17 Literacy Terminology Part of being an ethical and critically conscious literacy teacher also means being aware of the words we choose to talk about our students. The following chart provides a brief list of some of the changes to literacy terminology and their relevance today in BC schools. learning needs. Like literacy and literacy instruction, these terms have evolved over time. Dr. Joanne Robertson. University of the Fraser Valley. 2022 18 Term Notes Culturally and Linguistically Diverse CLD Students This is a common term in research literature and in schools across Canada and the US. It is still a relatively new term in BC, but it is taking hold in some school districts as a subset of “culturally responsive teaching”. The term highlights the “assets” or cognitive tools that CLDs bring to the classroom. English Language Learner ELL Defined as “a student enrolled in a B.C. school who needs additional English language development support in order to access the provincially prescribed curriculum and succeed in the academic environment” BC Ministry of Education, 2020, p 1. The change to ELL from ESL acknowledges that many students already speak more than one language and are learning English as an additional language. In other provinces, the terms ESL and EAL English as an additional language continue to be used. Indigenous students Indigenous has largely replaced the term “Aboriginal,” but the term “student of Aboriginal descent may also be used in some BC schools. The term “Indigenous” more closely focuses on being frombelonging to a particular place, territory or land. BC Ministry of Education, n.d.c. Students with Special Needs Students who have a disability or diverse abilities of an intellectual, physical, sensory, emotional, or behavioural nature BC Ministry of Education, n.d.c. In most schools in BC, we speak about students with Autism Spectrum Disorder ASD or students with an identified Learning Disability LD, students with dyslexia, etc.,with the emphasis on the person before the clinical designation. Time to Reflect How have literacy, literacy education, and literacy terminology evolved over the years In what ways do your own personal experiences with language and literacy teaching and learning reflect these changes Which aspects of the critical literacy model proposed by Lewison et al 2014 resonate with you Which critical literacy actions do you think might be challenging to implement in the classroom What experiences have you had, as a learner or a teacher, in using critical literacy to surface issues of social justice with students Please write a brief reflection and bring to the first class of 420