I chose the text, “Engaging Students in Disciplinary Literacy, K-6” to review for my inquiry project. I Choose this book because it related to elementary grade levels which is my area of focus. My next couple of blog post will relate to my experiences with this text.
This text listed five design principals to improve disciplinary literacy instruction. I found these principals important because they were not something I had come across before. They looked at this type of instruction with different lenses, which I think will benefit students and educators. Below I will list a brief summary of each of the principals noted in the text.
- Authentic social and cultural practices are critical features of instructional units.
I think these two practices are often overlooked in lessons. I especially think that social practices are often overlooked. The book mentions using authentic writing practices such as writing to pen pals. In this current time period, this would have evolved into writing blogs, twitter, social media, podcast, etc. It is important to keep up with the times to keep things relatable and meaningful to students.
- An optimal learning model provides a framework for instructional units.
The text mentions that these models could include explicit-instruction, modeling, coaching, and independent practice. I would consider this making sure you are differentiating your lessons as well as providing multiple modes of delivering information and receiving learned information from students.
- Key inquiry questions give structure o disciplinary study
Providing key inquiry questions ensures that students are focused on what they are to learn from the unit.
- Composing meaning within and across units requires a range of resources (including both conventional texts and digital media).
Create text sets that are meaningful, diverse in information and in ability level. This helps students access information in a variety of meaningful ways.
- Authentic assessments must reflect the different types of meaning-making processes students use as they read, write, and talk in the course of instruction.
These assessments could include reading, writing, and talk assessments. Talk assessments mean that you assess information a student has learned through conversation rather than producing a physical artifact.
These principals will help to ensure you are creating effective multi-disciplinary instruction in the elementary classroom. I found this help on my inquiry journey because it related to what you would do in the elementary classroom. It also provided guidelines to ensure you are meeting the needs that the disciplines would require. You could almost use these principals as part of an outline for your lessons to ensure you are meeting them.
Resource:
Brock, C. H., Goatley, V. J., Raphael, T., Trost-Shahata, E., Weber, C. M., & Palincsar, A. S. (2014). Engaging students in disciplinary literacy, K-6: Reading, writing, and teaching tools for the classroom. New York: Teachers College Press, Columbia University.
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