Social Linguistics and Literacies - Essay Example

Topic 1 Gee (1996) is referring to the socio-cultural approach to language and literacy which views literacy as multiple and situates it within social and cultural practices and discourses. In his statement, Gee is essentially summarizing the essence of the socio-cultural view- that literacy is not just a technical ability to read and write or function within the social contexts that comprise day to day life. Rather, Gee is arguing that literacy cannot and should not be separated from culture since literacy practices such as behaviors, interactions, thoughts, value systems, beliefs, speech and reading and writing are all embedded within particular discourses and tied to values and norms. In this new society which Gee envisions, individuals should be able to express their culture through their language and literacy practices rather than just conform to a mechanical view of what literacy “should be” which is divorced from culture (Gee 1996). 1. During my childhood, experiences of literacy were more traditional or “analog” which mainly included reading children’s books, conversations during play or learning and learning to write or create images using pen and pencil. In contrast, modern day children’s experiences of literacy involve a significantly higher interaction with new technologies and media texts. Nowadays, televisual texts are becoming a primary literacy activity. Modern cultural texts include computer games, comics, children’s magazines based on television characters and a diverse range of environmental print, images and sound such as billboards, stickers, labels and music. In my opinion, the demands for children to engage in literacy are stronger today than 30 years ago as children have to adapt to the demands a rapidly changing environment characterized by constant technological change in their day to day lives (Makin 2007). While this is advantageous in the sense that they can access more information from literacy activities, the disadvantage is that it compromises the quality of formal reading and writing which are important for competence in literacy from a young age (Marsh 2004). 2. Some of the daily literacy practices I engage in daily include reading and sending emails, reading newspapers and magazines, having conversations about sports or politics, reading text messages or even watching television. These literacy practices are situated within a particular discourse as an early childhood educator (the need to read children’s books and literature on early childhood education) as well as social contexts such as communicating and functioning effectively in my day to day life (Makin 2007). In contrast, children’s literacy experiences are more focused on meaning making and developing competence such as reading children’s books, playground interactions and watching television. Unlike me, the children are constructing knowledge about their culture or context and developing competence in communicating, reading or writing. 3. The literacy practices of my peers, family and community members in general are a generic variation of my own in the sense that they mainly differ to the extent in which our careers, social roles or cultural practices differ. These practices are shaped by various economic, political, social and cultural influences. For instance, literacy practices such as sending emails are common among working class people while blogging and using Facebook or Twitter is mainly a preserve of the younger generation (Leu et al 2004). The literacy practices of other working class people in my community and of professionals in pedagogy are the ones that match those of the literacy practices in my place of study and work since as an aspiring early childhood educator I am always interacting with texts on early childhood education and with early learners to try and improve on my competence. References Gee, J.P (1996). Social Linguistics and Literacies: Ideology in Discourses. London: Taylor and Francis. Makin, L. (2007). ‘Surveying the Landscape’. In Makin, L., Diaz, C.J. & McLachlan, C. (Eds). Literacies in Childhood: Changing Views, Challenging Practice. Sydney: Elsevier Australia. Marsh, J. (2004). The techno-literary practices of young children. Journal of Early Childhood Research 2(1), 51-66. Leu, D.J., Kinzer, C., Coiro, J.L., & Cammack, D.W, (2004). ‘Toward a theory of new literacies emerging from the internet and other information and communication technologies. In Ruddell, R.B. & Unrau, N. (Eds) Theoretical Models and Processes of Reading. Newark: International Reading Association. Topic 2 The 5 outcomes in the early years learning framework are to a large extent an expression and reflection of the constructivist perspective where the learner “constructs” meaning and knowledge rather than merely receiving it. The constructivist model of learning holds as a premise that the acquisition of knowledge does not occur passively but that it is actively built upon by the individual (Watson 2000). The constructivist perspective to early years learning therefore focuses on ensuring that young children as early learners must actively engage in the learning process as a prerequisite for effective learning. Children’s involvement in learning contexts facilitates and promotes their development as learners. The outcomes for children from birth to five years all reflect a desired state in which children must have been involved in learning (Fleer and Raban 2005). The first outcome, a strong sense of identity can only be created if the child participates in learning. The second outcome states that the child should contribute to their world, denoting children’s participation in early learning. The fourth outcome, children who are confident and involved learners, is a self explanatory justification of the constructivist approach while effective communication (the fifth outcome) also indicates development of which involvement is critical (Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace 2009). References Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace (2009). Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. Retrieved on August 5, 2012 from Fleer, M., & Raban, B. (2005). Literacy and numeracy that counts from birth to five years: A review of the literature. Canberra: Department of Education, Science and Training. Watson, J. (2000). Constructive instruction and learning difficulties. Support for Learning, 15(3), 134-141. Topic 6 In my opinion, the most important aspects of oral language theory and practice are the theories of language acquisition and particularly the role of interaction in Lev Vygotsky’s social constructivism theory. I find the constructivist and cognitive theories of oral language acquisition to be the most relevant and practically applicable. Experience has shown me that early learner’s language acquisition is largely determined by their interactions and context since they are prone to both imitate the language of their parents and also to learn it from their learning environment through practice. I particularly find the application of Lev Vygotsky’s concept of scaffolding in his social constructivist theory as the most useful strategy in oral language instruction. From experience and literature, I have observed that the role of the instructor is crucial not just in guiding the learner to acquire knowledge in their zone of proximal development but also in facilitating learning by creating an enabling environment where interactions such as speech and shared readings condition the learner to acquire oral language skill competence (Ruddell and Unrau 2004). Reference Ruddell, R.B. & Unrau, N. (Eds) (2004).Theoretical Models and Processes of Reading. Newark: International Reading Association. Topic 8 From my participation in a shared book reading, I noticed that although the logic and the theory behind Peter Hill’s Children's Literacy Success Strategy is sound and comprehensive, it requires the teacher or instructor to have detailed knowledge and understanding of how children learn and to develop well structured routines, structures, organization and management for small groups (Hill and Crevola 1999). However, Hill’s strategy is very effective in developing oral reading skills among small groups as clearly shown by the ease of interaction by the participants in the shared reading. In a lower school based setting, guide reading is organized by first segmenting the children into various small groups. The teacher then assigns a self regulated activity such as independent reading to other groups while one group at a time is taken through the guided reading session as the rest of the classroom performs another activity under the watch of supervisors. This helps concentrate the teacher’s attention on these small groups optimally. The activity elements in a guide reading cycle include shared reading, guided reading, shared writing, guide writing and interactive reading and writing. These activities are effective but only when administered or instructed within smaller groups. The presence of Duffy’s six characteristics of a literate environment- text, organization, rich oral and written vocabulary, writing, guided reading and conversational talk must also be ensured to make the guided reading cycle effective (Duffy 2003). In the early childhood site that I visit for the literacy assigns unit, all of the six characteristics except organization to allow time to read are present. As a result, reading is conducted hastily and under pressure and some of the learners struggle with their speech. References Duffy, G. (2003). Explaining Reading. New York: Guilford Press. Hill, P.W., & Crévola, C.A. (1999). The role of standards in educational reform for the 21st century. In David D. Marsh (Ed.), ASCD Yearbook 1999: Preparing our schools for the 21st century. (117-142) Alexandria, VA.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Topic 9 Writing as a social practice entails a goal-oriented, purposeful and culturally shaped writing process aimed at developing knowledge and understanding about a particular social issue. Writing as a social practice can also refer to a creative and cognitive process that is culturally, politically, historically and socially situated For example, academic writing is a social practice mainly because it is often clearly defined, has a clear purpose and is often written to explain or persuade (Ivanic, 2012). Some of the ways, that one can find out about the writing processes that children are involved in their communities and families is by critically examining and gaining awareness on children’s families and communities, their values and beliefs and how they impact on the learning of children. Moreover, it is essential to critically examine and gain awareness on children’s past experiences and personal styles of writing (Community Child Care Victoria, 2010). Children’s knowledge, understandings and skills in writing can be developed by building their understanding on the relationship between written and spoken word. Furthermore, it is important to provide children with the encouragement and opportunity to employ their writing skills for different purposes in different situations and support them to develop their confidence in writing (Grainger, 2005). Based on the “ Four Resource Model of Literacy “develop Freebody & Luke (1999), some of the things that children need to do so as to become effective writers include; decoding written text by recognising and using features like alphabet, patterns of text, spelling, conventions and sounds. Moreover children should, understand and create meaningful text and use texts functionally and critically analyse texts (Luke & Freebody, 1999). References Community Child Care Victoria (2010). Collaborating with Children for Effective Programming. Retrieved on August 5, 2012 from Grainger, T. (2005). Creativity and Writing: Developing Voice and Verve in the Classroom. London: Routledge. Ivanic, R. (2012). Writing as a social practice. Retrieved on August 5, 2012 from Luke, A., & Freebody, P. (1999). “A map of possible practices: further notes on the four resources model”. Practically Primary, 4(2), 5-8. Topic 10 Personally, I consider the arts as an essential learning area that provides learners with the opportunity to experiment, use their imaginations, develop creativity and express their emotions and thoughts. The arts act as a source of fulfillment, inspiration and enjoyment. As a learning area art can be used to promote literacy among learners. In order to effectively help learners realise this goal, this area should be balanced appropriately so as to incorporate teaching as well as planned opportunities to develop, use, apply knowledge and skills across the curriculum so as to promote literacy. Considering the links between art and literacy, I think I need to further develop my facilitation skills. Effective facilitation can help one to strike and effectively employ planned opportunities to develop, use, apply knowledge and skills across the curriculum so as to promote children’s literacy. Some of the innovative resources that I could access in our community in order to make links with various symbol systems in literacy and arts include art galleries and museums Topic 11 The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), meets diverse needs of students in literacy by supporting the use of a student-centered approach to learning. The framework acknowledges that children learn differently thus it is essential to identify the specific learning needs of each child and subsequently employ a learning approach that will effectively cater to the diverse needs of children in literacy. When planning I often opt for a holistic approach. In this case I take into account the connectedness of the both the physical, emotional and cognitive aspects that impact on children’s learning. I also consider learning as integrated and connected. Secondly, I identify and assess the learning needs of each students and subsequently develop learning approaches that will effectively meet the learning needs of each student. After deciding on which approach to use, I obtain adequate resources that will be used in the process of learning. One of the challenges I encounter in the course of the planning and implementing this approach revolves around time constraints. A holistic approach to planning is time -consuming and demanding since it entails a consideration of physical, emotional and cognitive aspects that impact on children’s learning. One of the ways to address this challenge is through collaboration with parents, teachers, other educators and members of the community (DEEWR, 2009). References Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), (2009). Belonging, Being & Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia. Topic 12 Assessment involves the process of gathering and evaluating information in relation to what children know, what they understand and what they can do. It is also an ongoing process that involves planning, documenting and analysing children’s learning. Assessment is important mainly because it enables educators to determine the extent in which children have progressed towards achieving the set learning outcomes. Furthermore, it helps to evaluate the effectiveness of learning approaches, experiences, environments and opportunities. In addition to this, assessments help in the effective planning of children’s future and current learning (DEEWR), (2009). Some of the assessment strategies that I have observed in literacy settings include; interviews, self-assessments, observations, tests and reflective journals. These methods are effective in assessing the learning progress of students mainly because they provide educators with a flexible, specific and multi-dimensional platform of assessing students’ knowledge and skills. For instance, interviews, observations and tests can be used to evaluate the specific progress made by each student in learning. This in turn enables educators to identify the specific learning needs of students and identify students who may need additional support so as to achieve the set learning outcomes. On the other hand, self assessments help students to recognise and reflect on their personal progress in learning ( Hammerman, 2008). References Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), (2009). Belonging, Being & Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia. Hammerman, E. (2008). Formative Assessment Strategies for Enhanced Learning in Science, K-8. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Task 13 The use of multi-media features such as e-books and iview has evidently changed the nature of book reading and TV. In addition, these features have played a great role in promoting the development of literacy. For instance, e-books and iview provide a platform where learners can access first-hand information in either visual or written form and interact with an ever –expanding global community to gather information, discuss issues and ask for help. In addition, these platforms enable learners to develop a capacity to read, evaluate, interpret, contextualise and information from a global perspective As a result, these features provide a platform where learners can develop literacy from a global standpoint (Burniske 2000). Moreover, as an alternative of book reading and TV, many educators are adopting the use of multi-media features such as e-books and iview so as to offer students an exciting learning experience and capture the attention and interest of students towards learning this can in turn help to students to develop literacy. References Burniske, R. W. (2000). Literacy in the cyberage. Arlington Heights, IL: Skylight Training and Publishing Company. Read More