How can we design and respond to the disciplinary literacy needs of adolescents?
The disciplinary literacy needs of adolescents are vast and changing. As we can see in the above clip, there are clear misunderstandings of what the teacher wants to know. This is a vital part of your design and response systems to the disciplinary literacy needs of students. Teachers must be explicit in what they want to know, in a clear, concise way, with no other means of interpretation.
The design process needs to be backwards. We start with what we want them to do when we are done, then figure out how to get them there. This is essential in the design process. This then is translated to a culminating project, and the lessons or steps to get them there. Design means starting small and expanding understanding step by step until you achieve the desired outcome.
The next thing that needs to happen in the design is to make it relevant to the student, and explain how this applies to their lives, either now of in the future. If this is not possible, drawing analogies to things that they can relate to is the next best thing. In this meme, anyone who has ever been in a Kindergarten classroom in the first week can totally understand what chaos means.
The next point I want to bring up is about engaging the students. If a student is bored, they are not paying attention. They are therefore not learning. Therefore there is a design flaw. You can’t just read a power point and show a video everyday. The design must be complex, yet simple, engaging yet not titillating, informative yet not boring facts.
So, If we know that we need to design appropriately, lets get into response. I personally agree with these teachers…..
However, we are teachers, members of a noble profession, and untimely, professionals. When there are issues with disciplinary literacy, there are possibly multiple failure points. The first thing to do is figure out where and what went wrong. Now, there are some students who simply don’t get it. We know this. But when you are dealing with a situation where there are multiple students who are not understanding what you are saying, you are the problem.
This is where reflective teaching comes into play. As a teacher, we need to try new things, and if they don’t work, we have to adjust accordingly. Every class is different, and every teacher is different. They all have different styles and “flavors”. This means that you need to be flexible and adjust according to the needs of that class and those students. If more work on vocabulary for that discipline are needed, increase usage, practice and practical application. Go to other teacher for fresh ideas and methods, consult best practices for your discipline. Ultimately, respond!
References
Best 25 Common core meme ideas on Pinterest | Extra credit, A meme and Ben meme. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.com/explore/common-core-meme/?lp=true
Core, E. T. (2015, June 26). 45 Memes That Nail What It’s Like to Be a Teacher. Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/99571841740900388/
Teachers Who Know How To Deal With Students! (2017, February 23). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weOyHNuhKaY
A. (2017, July 19). Funniest Test Answers by REAL KIDS | TOP 60 School FAILS (2017). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPrEK6Oo0Gk
A good analogy is easily understood, offends no-one and is memorable. (2017, August 08). Retrieved from http://ffolliet.com/2017/08/05/good-analogy/
