Melanie's Definition of Literacy

To me, literacy is the art of properly utilizing and understanding the components/meaning of reading and writing. However, this is just my definition of literacy when considering the context of this course. My overall definition of literacy has certainly changed from the past. Before, I thought literacy was only relevant to the subject of language arts. But, now, I realize that literacy can occur in ANY subject. It's a broad term, which is why many people, myself included, cannot accepted one definition for this term. My ideal literacy learning environment would include a multitude of resources that clarify the definition of literacy itself. My definitions of reading and literacy actually overlap. And, in my opinion, many people have a skewed understanding of the essence of these terms. Thus, in my ideal literacy learning environment, I would like to incorporate techniques such as visual literacy, oral literacy, etc. I believe these methods, combine with my scaffolding, will help students attain a precise defintion of literacy itself. As a result, once they become literate individuals, they'll have the knowledge and ability to refine their literacy skills in the future. I'll also incorporate different activities that call for different forms of interaction in my classroom. For instance, Langer discussed the making meaning process. I want my students to partake in such activities to ensure that my students obtain a thorough understanding of the material that I present. Cambourne's article also touched on the necessity of stimulating interaction. I agree with his statement of transformation (learners are responsible for thier own learning). This reminds of of the video we watched in class, and how the students took control over the curriculum. This technique seemed to benefit her students immensely, and I am now inspired to take such a risk in my classroom. The last point that I noticed in our readings was Leland's notion of critical literacy. I think exposure to crictical literacy is crucial for students' understanding of themselves and their surroundings. Thus, I want to include activities and books that expose students to these issues. I believe that including all of strategies in a classroom will help students become active readers and better critical thinkers. Mastering these crafts will ultimately help them become better contributors to society. As a future educator, I'm honored to be a part of this crucial developmental process.