Improving classroom literacy, one step at a time
Finishing my Masters in Literacy means organizing and reorganizing my portfolio of competencies and taking one last class on reading disabilities. Instead of writing formal papers I am using my weekly conferences and readings provided by a local expert to reshape my classroom instruction. This week, I brought the focus to US History. My department is rebuilding it's curricula unit by unit. Instead of one unit on WWII I suggested two units. I think an overview of global engagement is one approach followed by a unit on North American values and identities shaped by war. I am using the theme of story sharing to help students become engaged. Storycorps became a place to start, followed by interviews and podcasts found on NPR. I had read about the need for students who struggle with reading to gain confidence for inquiry by engaging in a culture of a particular study. Too many of my students are too young to have living relatives connected directly to World W...