“A mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge,” said by a famous American novelist, George R.R. Martin. Personally, I couldn’t agree more with this quote. Books are always being with me throughout my life. My literacy journey started when I was nine years old. I started with some simple Dairy and short stories.…
In the reading, The Sponsors of Literacy by Deborah Brandt she talks about how literacy was received and withheld from people because of socio-economic classes. Brandt claims that there is a connection between literacy and economic development or as she refers to them as sponsors of literacy which can either help, sensor, or withhold all together the ability to be literate. Literacy provides an upward mobility or at least the means to move upward in social classes and without literacy there is no means to gain an edge. In her interviews of Raymond Branch (European American) and Dora Lopez (Mexican American) Brandt found that even though both were born in the same year and had moved to the same town when they were younger Branch was introduced…
My literacy skills begun like most of the other people. First, it begun by listening typical nursery rhythm, and bedtime stories. Later my skills started getting polished in school and teachers begun to mold and shape my style of reading and writing. I think the reason why I started getting better at my literacy skills, was my needs. Everyone who wants a success in their lives, needs to know how to read and write.…
The novel Their Eyes Were Watching God is a compelling story over the main character Janie and her re-occurrence of her battle to free herself from others’ assurance to seek power over her life. In the beginning of the novel the audience glimpses the first sign of seeking power, when Janie’s grandmother is ruling over who she should marry. As the novel goes on Janie is seeking new true love, each person she attempts to form her life with ends up showing some symbolism of controlling Janie physically and also mentally. In the novel Janie struggles to discover her true self, but as the story progresses she develops her own voice. Zora Neale Hurston conveys to her audience that the more you let others have power over you, the less power you have over yourself.…
I’ve always had the desire to write beautifully, from penmanship to placement and flow of the words. I remember getting birthday cards from my Granny with elegant cursive writing. Attracted to the way each word blended so smooth and soft, I would get a piece of paper and mimic the slants of each word connecting each letter, more like one lowercase “l” after another, to the next. One day I’d be able to spell the words in my mind, and until that day I’d practice my “cursive” one squiggly line at a time.…
The standard and learning objectives within my learning segment address an essential literacy strategy, requisite skill that supports use of the strategy, and a reading/writing connection. The essential literacy skill of my learning segment is to recognize/identify and use frequently occurring adjectives. Students will be able to build these strategies through practice examples and real text. Prior to my learning segment, students are able to identify nouns. The requisite skills are the students’ ability to identify and correctly use a word describing a noun. The reading/ writing connections addressed within the learning segment are for students to construct complete sentences using appropriate adjectives, as well as recognizing/identifying…
Throughout my first year as a middle school Language Arts teacher, I have developed a theoretical understanding of what I believe are the necessary components to providing a meaningful and generative environment in which students develop and expand literacy skills. The teaching of literacy needs to include a balance of reading, writing, speaking and listening activities, and needs to be a social endeavor that provides a variety of instructional strategies to meet the needs of all diverse learners. My teaching strategies, beliefs and personality that I bring to my classroom can be characterized as a blend of two types of philosophical theories: social constructivism and relational teaching and learning. My philosophy of literacy education centers around five different ideals which I believe make my classroom a successful learning environment that promotes literacy acquisition. Those five elements in no particular order are: 1. building meaningful relationships with students, 2. encouraging collaborative learning, 3. providing generative learning experiences, 4. bringing relevance to subject matter, and 5. empowering students. I will discuss the research that supports these five methods, along with specific examples of their practical application in my classroom.…
References: Anstey, M., & Bull, G. (2000). Developing multiple and critical readings of text. Reading the visual: Written and illustrated children’s literature (pp. 201-214). Sydney: Harcourt.…
When you hear the word literacy what comes to mind? Do you think of words or school or horrible comprehension tests? When I hear the word literacy none of the above is what comes to my mind. I think of when I was young, no more than five, and I would sit on my grandmother’s warm lap wrapped up in her arms that seemed to protect me from any and everything while she read to me. I think of the struggle and the many trials it took to spell and write my own name, but also relishing in the sense of accomplishment I felt. I think of the times I read along to books my mother would read to my sisters and me until I could read them on my own. Finally, I think of the smiles and proud looks on my parents’ and grandparents’ faces when ever I would show…
What role does literacy play in my life? Literacy makes me think of ways to do things in my everyday life. Being literate gives me the opportunity to read and write. Also it helps me to understand things better and in a different perspective. literacy plays a role in everybody's life each day whether we know it or not…
Growing up in a bilingual household has affected my literacy journey. It affected my Spanish writing because I focused more on English. This course has helped me look at English literacy beyond the point of it being another credit to simply cross off my list. A specific reading from this course that I was able to really retain and relate to was Victor Villanueva's excerpt from Bootstraps: From an Academic of Color. Here he brought up several points that made me think differently about literacy and how it can affect my life now or even after college. “One professor said my writing was too formulaic. One professor said it was to novel. Another wrote: ‘nonsense.’ “ (Villanueva 112) I really like this quote because relating it back to literacy and my college experience ahead of me, it makes me understand that there will be times…
My memory of my how I became literate is and always will be a part of me that I will never forget. I suppose I heard the sounds around me and connected them with emotions. Crying, I noticed, got a quick response from my parents, and usually some food. My communication development was identical to every other child learning to talk. Listening. But everyone has a story behind their literacy. Mine was one day, when we were driving to the grocery store, with the radio turned on, my jam turned on. It was the ABC’s. This song was unexpected, not only because of its difference in the nature of the regular pop songs, but that it was a new song altogether. Nonetheless, I began to rock along with the catchy tune of the song. I longed for more and demanded it…
My current interests include participating in art, specifically sketching and water-color painting. I started taking up interest in art a few years back and I continue to practice to develop my skills and ease into peacefulness. I also spend my time biking around different areas within Jacksonville. It is a time where I get to appreciate my surroundings and experience some exercise. When taking the course AP English Language and Composition, my qualities include being able to analyze text to find meaning and author’s purpose. It’s useful for understanding the text and help me during my exam; furthermore, I am able to write a proper formal essay with the skills I learned from last year. For instance, I know how to write proper introductions,…
I came from China to live in United State as a resident. Literacy sounds more important to me and became a life issue. I did have my literacy which is in Chinese. When the time I immigrant here. America use different culture and literacy. I have to say I got stuck sketching totally. Literacy is affecting my families, my career, and my social perspective.…
Violence, behavior intended to harm someone else, itself is a problem worldwide which does not have a clear cure, and in many places violence can be considered an epidemic because it spreads and takes the lives of those that surround it. Violence has many forms, but many people would agree that violence that operates within a system that involves an organized crime, also known as gangs, is very dangerous. Gang violence can be observed in many places around the world, some more than others. One of the most astonishing facts, according to LA times, about gang violence is that currently El Salvador is known as the world’s most violent country, and it’s capital, San Salvador, is known as the world’s most homicidal city. Recent statistics show that last year in El Salvador there were about 6,652 killings. This translates into a national homicide rate of almost 116 per 100,000, which happens…