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Week Nine

When on placement in the Year 1 classroom, I observed students creating a video using an app on their iPads to describe one of the learner profile attributes as described by the International Baccalaureate (IB-PYP). The modalities used to create these texts were spoken language and visual meaning. Students drew a visual image on the iPad that showed the attribute they would be speaking about. They also recorded their voice to play over the image, describing what the attribute means to them.

I would use this multimodal text in the classroom as an example of how students can quite easily create effective multimodal texts, through the simple use of audio and visual elements. Students would be able to then create their own version of a multimodal text using an application on their iPads, similar to that of the example created here.

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Week 8 Video Response

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Teacher Resources

On placement in Year Three, I saw firsthand how fantastic the SMART spelling approach is created by Michelle Hutchinson. I hadn’t heard of this program before, but quickly became acquainted with how it works and the effectiveness of following the steps described. After watching my mentor teach the first session, I continued to teach the spelling lessons for the rest of the placement. He provided me with the SMART spelling manual, which I took home and read through to gain a better understanding of the steps involved.

I think this as a resource for all teachers (especially graduates) is invaluable – as it certainly was for me! It takes you through step by step how to correctly and effectively teach spelling to children. Students are explicitly taught spelling patterns one at a time, with choices of simple to complex words in each list. Teachers begin by teaching the meaning of words to expand vocabulary and then break words into syllables, sounds and letter sounds (graphs, diagraphs and trigraphs). I felt far more confident going into my lessons understanding what it was I was teaching, and having concrete steps that I could follow.

This is the link to the website for SMART spelling, where you can watch videos on how to use this approach in the classroom.

https://www.smartspelling.com.au

Example of one of the Year 3 lists I taught from

Another wonderful resource for teachers to enhance their personal literacy knowledge is the use of the Fountas & Pinnell Literacy Continuum. This comprehensive source describes specific behaviours and understandings that are required at each level for students to demonstrate their thinking within, beyond and about the text.

This is helpful for teachers to become familiar with, because I have found that if I know what it is I am looking for in student work and achievement, I am better able to successfully teach to that. The Literacy Continuum is a foundation for setting clear learning goals and planning specific lessons for students based on these goals. It contains interactive read-aloud materials, shared and performance reading, writing, oral and visual communication, phonics and spelling and guided reading. This resource has an abundance of valuable information for educators, which is why I feel it should be utilised in further developing teacher literacy knowledge.

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Week 3 - Literature Resource

The website ‘Super Summary’ provides both teachers, children and their parents with information and resources about children’s literature. This website provides links to other websites where you can read online and contains many literature-themed games. There are also resources for teaching literature to children, and help for parents to foster a love of reading in their children. Specifically, for educators, there are many resources to assist in teaching with the help of picture books, book reviews, engaging lesson plans about various books and many literature interactives.

http://www.supersummary.com/childrens-literature-guide/ 

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I found this Persuasive Writing poster on TeachStarter, which I have found to be a wonderful teaching resource.

I chose this display because I connected with the difficulty students can have in thinking of synonyms, (or another way to say the same thing). In a persuasive writing piece, we often feel the need to repeat certain words that display influence or impact, but find ourselves repeating the exact same words time and time again. By having a poster such as this in the classroom, students can begin to understand that there are many ways in which you can get your point across to the audience without using the same words all the time. The sentence starters and conclusion starters are also helpful, in that they assist students in beginning to write, and indeed how to end a piece of writing too.

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Week 1 - Childhood Reading

I have always had a deep love and passion for reading and books. From an early age, I have had a fascination with stories and words; and their ability to provoke emotions and journeys within the mind. I have always used reading as a hobby of enjoyment and delight, I believe resulting in a continued drive to learn and read more. One of my fondest series of books when growing up was the Harry Potter series. I have vivid memories of spending days enthralled by the pages of the stories, allowing my imagination to wander and thrive. I would wait excitedly in anticipation for a new book to be released, and I would be the first in line at the bookstore to pick up my copy, barely making it back home before opening the first page.

Growing up, I was read to every single day. I was fortunate to have my mother at home, so we would read book after book, day after day. I was captivated by books and stories, more so than many other activities at home. I believe this constant engagement with words and books, helped me to develop not only my ability to be a good reader, but more importantly a lifelong love of books and learning. I hope that my enthusiasm towards reading will be transposed into my future teaching. Since I began this degree, I have been collecting children’s literature to one day place in my own classroom. I hope that by showing my students that reading can be enjoyed and treasured, I can help them develop a love of reading and books akin to myself.