Schools CAN Improve Literacy
Schools have been trying for years to find a way for student’s literacy rates to improve. The largest issue with this is that schools need to restructure what they consider literacy. If schools were to simply look at the student body, and more broadly, society they would see how many ways of being literate there are. Schools can begin this path of discovery through differentiation.
One example of the dynamic literacy in schools is found in “Just Girls” by Margaret Finders. Finders shows us two classifications of girls’ literacy in middle school. The two classifications are “tough cookies” and “social queens”. The “tough cookies” are focused on doing the best that they can do and have a deep level of reading and comprehension. The “social queens” see writing and reading as stupid,unimportant, and a way to act out. The middle school that these girls attended has let these girls down. They are not alone, because it is happening in middle schools across the country. The two groups of girls have different interests. When they are given an assignment there are no choices and are expected to all turn in a work that is similar to everyone’s in the class. These girls and other middle school students are in trouble and need assistance.
To help the students found in “Just Girls” and the students in every middle school in the nation there is just one solution. The education system has to differentiate and allow for student choice. Carol Ann Tomlinson defines differentiation as, “Differentiation means tailoring instruction to meet individual needs. Whether teachers differentiate content, process, products, or the learning environment, the use of ongoing assessment and flexible grouping makes this a successful approach to instruction.” Students should all learn the same outcome but processes and what is created should sometimes be up to the individual learner. The students should NOT be allowed to choose every assignment nor should they be allowed to make up their own assignments. The teacher should present choices to the students and then allow the students to choose from those choices (Brock & Boyd, 2011).
The education system today is more concerned with the grading process rather than the outcome of learning (Crouch, 2014). It is though the schools are asking students to dig a hole. Student #1 uses a spoon and student #2 uses a shovel. Each student’s holes are equal in every way except how they were dug. The system continues to count-off or dismiss the student who used the spoon. They should be praising student #1 for producing correctly but by using alternative methods. What should be the important part of this situation is, that schools and teachers should recognize that students can, through different mediums, show their knowledge, understanding, and literacy.
Schools across America need revitalization. Each school needs to reflect upon what they define as literacy. Literacy as schools have defined it is outdated and no longer applies to the students today. Middle schools need to compensate for the diversity of learners that are in their classrooms. Differentiation is where schools can get started because it is through differentiation where students can get engaged to the content and no longer have to think that it is lame or stupid. Allow the students to show us their understanding and knowledge and let us as educators grade them only on that and not the medium they choose to use.
References
Brock, C. H., & Boyd, F. B. (2011). Fostering Meaningful Middle School Literacy Learning: Investigating Beliefs and Practices. NCTE, 13–18.
Crouch, C. (2014, January 23). Grades Do More Harm Than Good. Retrieved from The Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-crouch/grades-do-more-harm-than-_b_4190907.html
Finders, M. J. (1997). Just Girls. New York: Teachers College Press.
Tomlinson, C. A. (2000, August). What is Differentiated Instruction? Retrieved from Reading Rockets: http://www.readingrockets.org/article/what-differentiated-instruction
