A Professional Vision of Literacy

The following is a documented description of an interview between a PS1 Education student and a
school superintendent. The PS1 student was asked to give their personal views and opinions on the
importance of incorporating literacy into the classroom. Education students are constantly learning
about new ways that they can integrate literacy into everyday teaching. This interview demonstrates
current views of a student teacher immersed in the world of education

who recognize the diverse which will further their

Superintendent- How
would you define the term
literacy?
Education student- I believe
that literacy is all around us.
However, contrary to
popular belief, I believe
literacy is more that just
reading and writing. Many
people may think that they
are only using literacy when
they are reading a book or
writing a letter. In reality,
people are using literacy
when they are looking at
advertisements posted
throughout a shopping mall
or even when they are
having a conversation with
their best friend. Literacy is a
mode of communication and
it can be recognized across
disciplines. I want my
students to know that there
are so many different ways
they can express their
thoughts and emotions both
personally and academically.
There are several scholars
understanding of literacy,
such Thompkins, Bright and
Winsor in the Language and
Literacy textbook who state,
Literacy, then, is not a
prescription, or reading list,
but rather a way to come to
learn about the world and to
participate more fully in
society (409). Literacy is
fostered in motivation and
engagement. Learning with
literacy will make students
become successful life-long
learners.
Superintendent- What are
some of your own values and
beliefs about literacy
practices in your own
classroom?
Education student- I believe
that one way to have
students interested in
literacy, is by keeping them
engaged. Students will find
more enjoyment in learning
about literacy when they are
actively participating.
Whether that be interacting
in various games or creating
activities that get the kids up
and moving, students will
become active listeners,
understanding. I believe that
it is essential that students
are given the opportunity to
participate; whether that be
reading a novel together as a
class to even presenting
what they have learned. I will
also try to keep my students
engaged by giving them
options. Throughout my own
education, I remember
having very little freedom
when choosing class novels
and far too often, we were
studying books that were out
of my interest. This made it
difficult to fully invest myself
into the reading and retain
any information. I want my
students to have the ability
to choose books they want
to read and any modality
they want to use when they
present their ideas. I will
encourage my students to
explore various genres that
they may not be as
comfortable with. For
example, I was not exposed
to many graphic novels in my
own elementary schooling
until coming to University. I
believe that graphic novels
are a very underrated genre,
yet once introduced to it, it
can be many childrens
favourite. I interpret literacy
as an output for exploring.
When students use literacy,
they will develop more
awareness towards different
cultures, traditions, and
other subjects. Finally, I think
that it is important to make
sure students become
familiar with the five
fundamentals of literacy
known as: Phonemic
Awareness, Phonics,
Vocabulary, Fluency, and
Comprehension. These five
techniques teach students
how to be fully invest
themselves with their
language, which will
ultimately motivate them to
succeed. This is also
described in the English
Language Arts curriculum
where it states, Language
helps students develop an
awareness of the skills and
strategies they need to
complete learning tasks
successfully and to
communicate about
themselves as learners (2) In
other words, the more
comfortable students are
with language and literacy,
the more confident they will
become when
communicating their
thoughts in every day life.
Superintendent- How
would you define your role
as a teacher of literacy across
the curriculum?
Education student- When explore different ways to
students are exposed to engage my students with
literacy, they will develop a literacy.
greater understanding of
When teaching literacy, I
their language. I will
consider myself to be a
incorporate literacy across all
support system for my
disciplines. I will use literacy
students. I will teach my
in Math and Science lessons
students different literary
by encouraging my students
skills, and I will then
to view and visually present
encourage them to explore
their ideas; whether that be
literacy for themselves. I
in experiments or visually
want my students to take
demonstrating the steps
risks and know that mistakes
taken to solve a word
are all part of the learning
problem. I will use literacy in
experience. I believe that
Social Studies classes by
students learn best when
inviting my students to write
they have the freedom to
reflection pieces on a
discover things for
moment in history or
themselves. This idea of self-
opinions on social and
regulated learning also
political issues. I will even
encourages students to
use literacy in Physical
communicate and learn from
Education by showing my
each other. Of course, this is
students videos or
not my sole approach to
demonstrations on how to
teaching, however, it is a
perform a certain skill using
strategy that I think would be
the body. Overall, there are
very beneficial students
so many ways teachers can
learning development across
incorporate literacy into the
the curriculum. Schunk and
classroom, and ultimately
Zimmerman emphasize this
develop students knowledge
idea by stating, These self
across disciplines.
reactions can produce
I believe that effective adjustments in self-
teachers will plan outside of observations or self-
the box, rather than solely judgements during the next
respond to teachers cycle of learning (3). I
manuals. The English believe it is essential for
Language Arts curriculum, students to have the
acts a guide or framework for opportunity to use the
independent teaching. knowledge and skills they
Instead of instructing my learn in English Language
students to simply read a Arts throughout all
textbook or write direct disciplines.
answers to questions, I will