MCLB #6

This semester we have talked a lot about the importance of visual literacy, as it is all around us. Today, students are expected to be able to interpret, recognize, appreciate, and understand information presented through visible actions, objects, and symbols (Edutopia). According to Steve Moline, visual literacy is our “other language” and he goes on to explain that “visual literacy is not a cute new toy for children to play with; it is the means by which we manage in the everyday world”. That sounds pretty important to me!

(Source: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/ccia-10-visual-literacy-strategies-todd-finley; Moline – Chapter 1)

We know it is important but why should we care about visual literacy? In a previous post I answered this question as follows:

(Source: MCLB #3 – https://caralamedica.wordpress.com/2017/02/06/mclb-3/)

While I stand by this answer, I have now expanded my knowledge of visual literacy since I initially answered this question and would like to add to it. Moline describes so many reasons why we must cause about visual literacy including:

(Source: Moline – Chapter 1)

While there are many ways to incorporate visual literacy into our classrooms, teachers must use and explicitly teach their students various types of visual literacy. Comics are a common type of visual literacy that is often used in classrooms because they can be very effective in instruction. Frey and Fisher discuss teaching visual literacy with comics as “comics lend themselves to extensive interpretation, providing teachers with numerous opportunities to help develop visual literacy among their students”.

Frey and Fisher even have a book that specifically explains how to use types of visual literacy, such as comic books, to develop comprehension and thinking skills.

(Source: http://www.google.com)

(Source: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/ccia-10-visual-literacy-strategies-todd-finley)

Thinking back to when I was a student in elementary school, I can remember my teachers constantly using various types of visuals in the classroom. We were always using graphic organizers across different subjects to support our understanding of new topics and concepts. I specifically remember my teachers having us complete venn diagrams, flowcharts, timelines, and maps both during class and for homework for many different purposes in various subjects. I always preferred using graphic organizers instead of simply taking notes to learn new information. Seeing the information in a more visual format helped me comprehend the information more clearly because visuals make the information more accessible than just words on a page. I remember making many dioramas and collages for projects at the end of each unit and I can recall being so excited when we had the opportunity to do creative types of projects, instead of the typical written projects. I also remember making comic strips beginning in my 5^th grade class and really enjoying the process. I was never really into comics as a kid, however I liked drawing so I enjoyed drawing pictures in each box to tell a story. I also liked that we only needed to include a small amount of text (if any) in each box because it was easier than having to write a lengthy description. Since I loved when my teachers included visual literacy in their lessons, I will definitely be incorporating many aspects of visual literacy into my future lessons.

Moline states, “Visual information literacy is about making meaning with a mix of visual elements–lines, boxes, outline-drawings, arrows, labels grids, numbers, and so on”. Below are some great infographics that incorporate these visual elements mentioned by Moline that I found online. These infographics further discuss just how important visual information is, as it is a fundamental element in learning.

(Source: Moline – Chapter 1)

(Source: https://www.espatial.com/articles/why-you-need-data-visualization-in-2016)

(Source: https://www.tweetfavy.com/blog/2015/04/visual-content-role-design-online-marketing/)

(Source: https://ernestoolivares.com/2013/01/11/we-are-90-visuals-beings/)

 

(Source: https://educators.brainpop.com/printable/visual-information-fundamental-element-learning/)

Lastly, I came across an image titled: An infographic about infographics

(Source: http://www.netimperative.com/2015/03/an-infographic-about-infographics-13-reasons-why-we-crave-visual-information/)

When I clicked on this particular infographic, it took me to a website that discussed 13 reasons why we crave visual information. This website uses various infographics to explain why it is so appealing to receive information visually through infographics. I would definitely recommend checking it out!

Link: http://www.netimperative.com/2015/03/an-infographic-about-infographics-13-reasons-why-we-crave-visual-information/

 

(Source: Moline – Chapter 1)

MCLB #5

(Source: Reading Workshop: A Structure That Supports All Students – Dudley-Marling & Paugh, 2004)

• Modeling
• Explicitly explaining instructions
• Flexibly arranging furniture
• Having print everywhere (immersing students in print/active engagement with print)
  • Environmental print
• Allowing students move around freely
• Providing many different types of books for reading options
• Having a reading center that is comfortable for students (ex: pillows, carpet, chairs, etc.)
• Providing recorded stories for listening
• Posting charts around the room as visual aids for reminders/reference
• Reading aloud to the class and pausing to ask questions in order to stimulate discussion
• Using literature-sharing groups to provide a social context for reading
• Engaging in assisted reading for students who are struggling
• Engaging in repeated reading for students who are struggling
• Emphasizing connections
• Creating flexible groupings based on students’ needs and interests
• Doing a whole-class review of independent reading
• Having a classroom library with a large number of titles on a wide variety of topic that are likely to interest the students in the class
• Having a varied classroom libraries that reflect students’ interests as well as cultural and linguistic backgrounds
• Displaying books prominently around the classroom so they are more accessible for students

(Source: Reading Workshop: A Structure That Supports All Students – Dudley-Marling & Paugh, 2004)

Rick Kleine (pictured below) is a 5th grade teacher who is able to use the workshop model to differentiate his instruction to meet the needs of all of the learners in his class, further demonstrating that the workshop model is an inclusive pedagogy.

(Source: https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/student-reading-workshop-lesson)

 

During the read aloud of the book, Rick pauses to have the students physically act out the words he is reading to them. For example, he reads the word “beaming” and has the students show him what that expression looks like on their faces. He then has students do a turn and talk with a partner to share their thoughts, reactions, and ideas during the read aloud. Next he reads, “I’m sick from being nervous” and asks the children if they’ve ever felt that way to activate the students’ prior knowledge of experiences they have had to make text to self connections. Lastly, he asks students where they feel sick from being nervous and all of the students pointed to their stomachs.

This is a pivotal moment because as Rick explained in the video, “the physical act of acting out emotions helps [students] see how authors use figurative language to bring forth a character’s feelings”. By pausing to have students act out the emotions being described through figurative language in the story, Rick is supporting his students understanding and encouraging them to make connections by demonstrating the character’s feelings. These practices help students make physical and mental connections to their reading, which makes this evidence of inclusive literacy. Rick could have simply read the book start to finish without pausing to allow students to turn and talk with a partner and without encouraging them to act out the figurative language, however this would not support struggling readers who maybe would not be able to make these connections on their own. By making these physical and mental connections as a class, Rick is supporting all types of learners and ensuring that his students are making meaning of the story they are listening to. Ultimately, by pausing to help students make physical and mental connections, Rick is making the important elements of the story more accessible for all students.

During the next read aloud, Rick is engaging in metacognition as he shares his thinking with the class to model the types of things that the students should be thinking about as listen to the story. He says to the class “these are the things I am thinking about” and then has them do a turn and talk to shares their thoughts with a partner. He tells students that it is time to “grow their thinking” and allows them to share their theories with a partner just as he modeled sharing his theory with the class. Rick explains that the “talking is the most engaging part” as it allows kids to make connections and then share those connections with their peers.

This is a pivotal moment because Rick explicitly modeled what he wanted the students to do in the turn and talk with their partners. Rather than just giving the students instructions to follow, he showed them exactly what their conversations should sound like when they are sharing their theories and connections that they have made. He then takes it a step further by getting out of his chair and going around to different groups to listen to the conversations that students are having. This is important because he gets down on the students’ level and helps guide their conversations as necessary, which supports various types of learners. He explains that he does this instead of asking them what they talked about after the turn and talk so he can report back to the whole class what he heard in individual conversations. This approach helps students hear their ideas in more academic language and helps them see how this language is used. This is evidence of inclusive literacy because Rick explicitly modeled the process of his thinking to the students to give them a solid example of what types of things he wanted them to be thinking about during the story, as well as how to share their theories. It is important to model this type of thinking aloud to students so that struggling readers have a better understanding of what they should be thinking about while listening to the story to help them form theories and make connections. Sharing points with the class that he heard during the turn and talk is also an inclusive practice because Rick is not putting individual students on the spot and forcing them to share their ideas, but rather he is reporting the ideas of various students using academic language. This is especially great for students who may be uncomfortable sharing their theories themselves. Additionally, it reinforces important points for all students and offers them the varying perspectives of other students.

(Source: https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/student-reading-workshop-lesson)

As I watched the video, Rick Kleine reminded me so much of an awesome teacher that I had in elementary school. My teacher would always get right down on the floor with us while we were working, as Rick did with his students. By bringing himself down to our level, it made him so much more approachable than other teachers that would simply sit at their desks and watch us work on the task at hand. When students are instructed to work independently at their desks, while the teacher sits at his or her desk, it makes students feel intimidated to go up to the teacher and ask for help, often times resulting in silent struggle/frustration. Therefore, when the teacher allows students to work in small groups in areas that are comfortable to them (ex: on the carpet, around the room, etc.) and goes around the room personally engaging with each group in a meaningful way, students ultimately feel more supported as a result. I have also seen the importance of this hands-on approach in various classrooms that I have observed over the years. I have noticed that students respond much better to teachers who get down on their level and allow the students to move around freely while they work. This type of hands-on, open approach is not limiting to students like traditional instructional practices sometimes are and really supports all types of learners to increase motivation, participation, and success.

(Source: Seeing All Kids as Readers – Kliewer, 2008, p. 38)

Based on this, I do believe that the workshop model fits into Kliewer’s Triadic Literate Profile and Literate Citizenship because it lends itself to collaborations in inclusive literacy among students through the use of visual, orthographic, and tactile symbol and sign systems and promotes these meaningful interactions. The workshop model focuses on read alouds, minilessons, independent reading, small-group activities, print-rich enviroments, and self-assessment to encourage students to make connections and engage in visual and symbolic interactions/collaborations with their peers, as Kliewer discusses, to ultimately construct meaning of text, make various connections, and write stories.

(Source: http://www.google.com)

 

 

 

MCLB #4

Writing has never been at the top of my list and has often been a source of frustration for me as a student. I wouldn’t consider myself a terrible writer, just not a great writer. Recently, I came across this image on the Internet that really spoke to me:

(Source: http://www.google.com)

This image really highlights the struggle I faced as a young student and, admittedly, even sometimes my current experiences with writing. Writing was not something I typically enjoyed as a young student. In fact, I often avoided it whenever possible. I was always uncomfortable sharing my writing because I was fearful that it wasn’t good enough. But when writing instruction is explicit and meaningful, in addition to being taught as a process as opposed to isolated skills, students can become strong writers. Let’s start at the beginning…

On pg. 8 of his article All Children can Write, Donald Graves explains, “writing is a medium with which people communicate with themselves and others at other places and times”. I would agree and understand that writing is a form of communication. Writing is used as a way to communicate many different things including thoughts, ideas, opinions, information, directions, and so on. It is also used as a way to interact with the experiences we have and the information we are constantly taking in to make sense of to connect everything. Furthermore, Pinnell and Fountas describe writing as “multifaceted in that it orchestrates thinking, language, and the motor movements required to produce the graphic signs representing meaning” in Chapter 13. Sound complicated? For many students, especially those with learning disabilities, it is.

Some students who struggle with writing are not simply “lazy” or “incompetent”. Instead, their difficulties may arise from an actual condition called Dysgraphia. According to understood.org, Dysgraphia refers to a condition in which a person experiences trouble with written representation of thoughts and ideas. In other words, what sounds good in their head doesn’t always transfer on paper. Some common signs of Dysgraphia include messy handwriting, spelling errors, and difficulty writing in straight lines/staying inside margins. As teachers, it is important to be aware of possible obstacles that our students may face. For example, in the context of Dysgraphia, it is crucial for a teacher to be able to recognize and understand the challenges that their students experience so as not to write them off as lazy.

(Source: https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/dysgraphia/understanding-dysgraphia)

Sometimes writing is taught as skills in isolation, which often leads to students struggling and feeling disconnected from meaning. When writing is taught as a process, as Graves suggests, students begin to truly engage with the material and make connections. Graves explains on pg. 7, “the writing-process approach to teaching focuses on children’s ideas and helps children teach the teacher or other children in the class what they know, with emphasis first given to ideas and clarifying”. Additionally, Graves highlights key points to teach writing:

(Source: All Children Can Write By: Donald H. Graves)

Writer’s Workshop is an approach to writing instruction that is currently being used in many classrooms. This approach supports writing as a process and aligns with what Graves discusses in his article, All Children Can Write.

(Source: https://www.ttms.org/PDFs/05%20Writers%20Workshop%20v001%20(Full).pdf)

(Source: http://performingineducation.com/2015/12/how-to-run-a-successful-writers-workshop.html)

Link: http://performingineducation.com/2015/12/how-to-run-a-successful-writers-workshop.html

Link: https://www.ttms.org/PDFs/05%20Writers%20Workshop%20v001%20(Full).pdf

(Source: http://www.google.com)

(Source: http://www.google.com)

MCLB #3

(Source: http://www.google.com)

(Source: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/ccia-10-visual-literacy-strategies-todd-finley)

 

Visual literacy is found all around us, quite literally EVERYWHERE, as we live in a very technological age. We are able to use visual literacy in many ways from presenting information through the use of detailed visuals, such as Paul Hughes demonstrated in his Ted Talk, “Ten Meters of Thinking: The ABC of Communication” and communicating like Alex and Liza described in the podcast, “Me and My Girlfriend Texted Only in Emoji for a Month”. While written and oral word is still an important aspect, it is no longer the only thing we consider when we think of literacy. Visual literacy can be used to enhance the understanding of information and communication through the use of visible actions, objects, symbols, and so on.

In my post last week, I included a visual that explained “90% of all information transmitted to our brains is visual” and “people remember 80% of what they see but only 20% of what they read”, which further supports just how important the use of visual literacy is to learners…

(Source: http://blog.visme.co/10-mind-blowing-interactive-stories-that-will-change-the-way-you-see-the-world/)

 

Visual literacy has been being used to support learning and increase understanding in classrooms for a long time now. In his Ted Talk, Paul Hughes used 10 meters of paper to provide meaningful visuals to help the audience understand the information that he was presenting. Honestly, sometimes when I am watching a lengthy video such as a Ted Talk, I tend to lose interest and become less engaged as the speaker continues to stand at a podium and talk. Paul’s use of visuals throughout his talk really helped me to stay engaged in what he was saying and understand the concepts that he was presenting. If I would’ve listened to his explanations without also seeing his drawings I do not think I would’ve fully understood his message. Initially, his strategy of rolling the paper out and drawing seemed like an innovative and really cool way to keep his listeners engaged. However, I soon realized that it reminded me of something teachers have been using in their classrooms for a while:

Anchor charts are a great source of academic support for all students, especially visual learners that promote visual literacy. Personally, I always loved when my teachers would use anchor charts when I was an elementary school student. Now, as a teacher education student, I really enjoy making them to support my lessons.

Below is a link to a website that further discusses classroom usage of anchor charts.

Link: https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/blog-posts/rhonda-stewart/anchor-charts-effective-teacherstudent-tool/

 

Another great way to use visual literacy in the classroom is by incorporating Emojis into instruction. In my experience, students get such a kick out of using things they love in their everyday lives inside the classroom. In the podcast, “Me and My Girlfriend Texted Only in Emoji for a Month”, Alex talks about they are challenged and ultimately able to express more emotion through the use of visuals to enhance their vocabulary with each other. This same idea can be used in classrooms to help students develop their visual literacy skills and really begin to think critically by using multimodal formats for learning.

I found a great blog that includes many different ways that teachers can use Emojis in their instruction.

Link: http://teacherrebootcamp.com/2015/08/03/emoji/

 

One of my favorite resources that was included in the blog post was something called the OMG Shakespeare Series which is a collection of works by Shakespeare told through texts and Emojis. This is something that I feel I definitely would have enjoyed reading in my middle and high school English classes. I always hated reading Shakespeare, mostly because I often had a hard time understanding what I was reading. This series makes the original works relevant and easy to understand for students, like myself, who struggled with reading Shakespeare. I think this is such a cool idea that uses aspects of visual literacy and popular culture to increase understanding of traditional literacy.

(Source: http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/series/OGS/omg-shakespeare)

 

Though, unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to use the OMG Shakespeare Series as a student, I can remember coming across some similar things in popular culture. For example, in the 90’s film 10 Things I Hate About You, there is a scene in which the teacher raps an excerpt from Shakespeare in the effort to make the text more relatable to his students. This idea is symbolic for the entirety of the movie, as it is meant to be a rendition of Taming of the Shrew for modern audiences. It was interesting to me how the movie made use of visual literacy, in this case: film, to convey Shakespeare’s story through alternate means of expression and representation. Because of this, both that particular scene, as well as the film itself are great examples of visual literacy.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUzslPhNP6M)

(Source: http://www.giphy.com)

Basically, there are really so many ways teachers can incorporate visual literacy into the classrooms including:

(Source: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/ccia-10-visual-literacy-strategies-todd-finley)

 

(Source: http://www.google.com)

(Source: http://www.google.com)

MCLB #2

Last week I explored what it means to be literate and determined that there are endless ways in which a person can demonstrate being literate. Students can demonstrate literacy through dance, music, art, sports, technology, and so on. Historically, literacy was thought of in a limiting way as the ability to read and write. However, my conception of literacy has changed drastically since I have become a teacher education student. I have adopted a more inclusive understanding of literacy, in that it is much more than being able to read and write.

(Source: http://www.google.com)

 

This week, the notion of multiliteracies is discussed as new literacies and learning to make meaning, opposed to the old reading and writing approach to literacy. On pg. 10 of ‘Multiliteracies’:
New Literacies, New Learning, Cope and Kalantzis describe the logic of multiliteracies as “one which recognizes that meaning making is an active, transformative process, and a pedagogy based on that recognition is more likely to open up viable life courses for a world of change and diversity”. In my experience as a student, literacy instruction was always very passive. The teacher would teach the skills, have us practice as a class, and then demonstrate our new knowledge by completing activities. That approach is fine for a student that is able to learn like that, however this is not enough for many students. According to Cope and Kalantzis, “literacy teaching is not about skills and competence; it is aimed a creating a kind of person, an active designer of meaning, with a sensibility open to differences, change and innovation”. This quote really resonated with me because students must be active participants in their learning in order to truly make meaning and engage with the content. When I was an elementary school student, my teachers took a more “skill and drill” approach and it left little opportunity for creativity, diversity, and innovation. Though I always did very well in school, I often felt disconnected from the lessons. I think I could’ve made deeper connections if the material was presented in a more open and engaging way. The multiliteracies approach seeks to do just this and extend learning beyond just skills and competence and really get students actively involved in the content in a meaningful way by using written language, oral language, visual representation, audio representation, tactile representation, gestural representation, and spatial representation.

The videos below highlight the key concepts of multiliteracies. Both videos use multimodal elements to explain the information, which helped me further understand this approach. Although  I gained a basic understanding from reading the articles, seeing  the information presented in a more visually appealing and multimodal way helped me make meaning of this concept.

Video: Literacy and Multiliteracy

Video: Multiliteracy Presentation

 

We have come such a long way from writing on the board and handing out worksheets in black Times New Roman font. Today, teachers are incorporating relevant social media into their classrooms to support a multiliteracies approach and spark student interest. In the article Reinforcing Multiliteracies Through Design Activities, on pg. 29 Dousay explains “social media, sharing videos, images, photographs, and user-generated memes are common practice” in classrooms today. Teachers are using what interests their students outside the classroom to educate their students inside the classroom. Similarly, boring PowerPoint presentations have become a thing of the past and we live in a time where if we have internet access, we have the tools to create truly amazing digital presentations. We have access to awesome alternatives to PowerPoint, such as Prezi, where we can create more interactive presentations. The really cool thing is that it’s not just teachers who can make these digital presentations but students can too! Students today, as young as elementary-aged, consistently impress me with the work they are able to create. They are capable of making professional looking presentations by using various tools that available to them free online. Aside from online resources, these tools are now available on phones so kids literally have the necessary multimedia tools in the palms of their hands…

Below is a link to a list of websites students can use to create interactive digital presentations:

Link: http://images.pcmac.org/Uploads/BristolTN/BristolTN/SubDepartments/DocumentsCategories/Documents/20%20Presentation%20Tech%20Tools%20for%20Kids.pdf

 

When reading about multiliteracies, the aspect of visual representation stood out to me the most. As a teacher education student, we spend a great deal of time discussing learning styles and the importance of knowing how your students learn best. Personally, I am a visual learner and love when information is presented in an appealing way with images, colors, etc. When something is visually appealing, it just sticks better and it becomes more memorable to me. When visiting the Interactive Stories site, I came across this piece of information:

(Source: http://blog.visme.co/10-mind-blowing-interactive-stories-that-will-change-the-way-you-see-the-world/)

This is such an important thing to keep in mind as educators because we cannot simply assign reading to students and expect our students to learn and make connections. Instead,  we must go beyond and really extend their learning by taking a multiliteracies approach. Cope and Kalantzis state that “traditionally, literacy teaching has confined itself to the forms of written language” but now those confines are being transcended and we have access to a plethora of resources and tools to teach students in engaging, interactive, meaningful, and fun way. We just have to use what is available to us…

(Source: http://www.giphy.com)

MCLB #1

Literacy. What does it mean to be literate? Before we can attempt to answer this question, we must first understand what literacy is. After some research, I found that Merriam-Webster defines literacy as the following:

(Source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literacy)

Aside from this vague definition, I found it interesting that there were also links to two more definitions of literacy, one for “English-language learners” and one for “kids”. Each definition can be found below:

(Source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literacy)

(Source: http://www.wordcentral.com/cgi-bin/student?book=Student&va=literacy)

Lastly, here is the definition of literate:

(Source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literate#h1)

All of these definitions are of a similar nature, as they are rather limiting and closed instead of inclusive and open. I find the definition of literate to be specifically troubling because of the language that is used, including educated, cultured, able, lucid, polished, knowledge, and competence. Based on the use of these words, there is some uncertainty as to whether they are suggesting that someone who is not seen as literate is uneducated, uncultured, disabled, not lucid, unpolished, unknowledgeable, or incompetent. When the latter is examined, it seems rather harsh.

As we discussed in class last week, the concept of literacy and being literate is so much more than simply demonstrating that you can read and write. The notion of social construction, as described in Dudley-Marling’s The Social Construction of Learning Disabilities, is relevant here because the idea that someone must be able to read and write to be considered literate, is an idea that is socially constructed because it only exists in certain contexts. In other words, the concept of literacy is dependent on the relationship between the individual and their environment. In my experience, we are a society that values, emphasizes, and virtually requires abilities like reading and writing to determine success. Since we hold literacy to such a high standard, we typically look down upon those who do not demonstrate those skills in a conventional sense. We often see those individuals as less than or lacking, which ultimately leads to a deficit perspective. This could not be further from the truth. For example, everyone possesses different talents, skills, and abilities that can be viewed as forms of literacy. According to pg. 411 of Collins, “My Mom Says I’m Really Creative” Dis/Ability, Positioning, and Resistance, in Multimodal Instructional Contexts, these are considered multiple literacies. This concept can also be referred to as hidden literacies. The idea of multiple/hidden literacies is illustrated in the video below:

Video: What is Literacy?

During class last week the question “What is Literacy?” was posed to the class and we all contributed our ideas. The responses varied between being consistent with the dictionary definitions discussed above and going beyond those historical constraints to be more inclusive. According to the video above, students demonstrate literacy in a number of ways: playing an instrument, snowboarding, playing video games, dancing, etc. and teachers should recognize those hidden literacies and incorporate them into instruction as much as possible. I think this video does a good job summing up what Collins discusses in her article regarding how we should not label certain students as illiterate just because they have difficulty in the common reading and writing representation of it. These students are in fact literate even if they are considered illiterate in the conventional sense. There are so many contexts and situations (multiple/hidden literacies) in which skills in reading and writing are not necessary to be seen as literate in something. Personally, school has always been a context in which I have excelled. However, there are other contexts that I would consider myself disabled or illiterate in using this perspective. Some of these include reading sheet music or writing code, neither of which I would consider myself to be literate in.

THIS IS ALL LITERACY!

(Source: http://giphy.com)

Going off of that point, there is an example from an article I read a few years ago that has always stuck with me. The article, Two Perspectives on Inclusion In The United States, explained the two models of disability, explaining the social perspective through an example about football. The example basically discussed how someone who lacks the skills/abilities to play football is only seen as “disabled” on a football field. Those football skills are not necessary in other contexts, such as school, just as the skills to read and write and not necessary on a football field. A student who is able or “literate” in playing football may be seen as disabled or “illiterate” in the context of school. After reading that article, my eyes were opened to this concept that disabilities and illiteracies only exist in certain contexts and situations.

(Source: http://giphy.com)

Two Perspectives on Inclusion In The United States

Link to article: http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1055208.pdf

All in all, I think Piper Otterbein said it best during her TED Talk when she said “find what you love, find what you enjoy, and pursue it”. This advice really resonated with me. In the beginning of the talk, Piper explained that her “brain worked in completely different ways than others” and she felt like she had to overcome her dyslexia, until she realized that her passion of art would not be hindered by her difficulty with reading and writing. This is important to me as a future teacher because I hope to help students find their multiple/hidden literacies that they love and enjoy and incorporate them into my instruction. This will ultimately give them the tools necessary to pursue those passions regardless of their abilities in the context of school.