Category Archives: Literacy teacher educators

Literacy/English Teacher Educators and Digital Technology

July 5, 2014literacy, Literacy teacher educatorsDigital technology, literacy teacher educators, pedagogies in higher educationckosnik

We (Clare) have begun the third round of interviews of for our research study of Literacy/English teacher educators. A focus of these interviews is on their use and views of digital technology. We have learned about some very clever ways technology is being integrated into their literacy methods courses. Wow! What a range of interesting examples:

Blogs (student teachers do blog post on the disciplines e.g., their insights into teaching)
vodcasts
podcasts (both professionally made and student-teacher made)
virtual tasks (done individually and in small groups)
surveys (during the course to monitor student teacher learning)
You Tube videos
websites
student teacher-made videos of practice teacher
SKYPE (with authors that they are reading class)
discussion on BlackBoard on readings prior to class
cartoons
photos
PPT
Wikis
Voice Thread
Email (a way to remain connected to student teachers during practice teaching, especially for those working in rural areas)

Videos were used frequently. These were seen as a way for student teachers to observe and analyze exemplary practice.

When asked the question, What does digital technology provide you that you could not do decades ago?, there was overwhelming recognition that technology is supporting and enhancing teaching and learning. It provides ready access to materials, supports development of community (e.g., student teachers introduce themselves prior to the course beginning; social media connects them socially), and extends their repertoire of pedagogies. All felt that their efforts to teach with, through, and about digital technology took a huge amount of time and effort.

Maya Angelou’s Influence on Hip-Hop

July 2, 2014classroom teachers, literacy, Literacy teacher educators, Teacher educationA Tribe Called Quest, Hip-Hop, literacy, literacy education, Maya Angelou, poetry, Q-Tip, teacher education, Teaching Poetrylmmenna

Each year, Clare and I (Lydia) invite student teachers in the P/J and J/I literacy methods courses to explore the rich pedagogical possibilities available when poetry is included as an integral part of a literacy program. We consciously include the work of a variety of poets in an effort to provide student teachers with multiple entry points into the teaching of poetry. The recent passing of celebrated poet Maya Angelou brought to light once again the dynamic and influential nature of poetry. Angelou’s powerful poetry inspired a generation of Hip Hop artists who appreciated the beauty and complexity of her work. Upon hearing the news of her death, rapper-producer Q-Tip acknowledged the deep impact Angelou’s poetry had on him. In a twitter post he recalled trying to copy her voice during his early days with A Tribe Called Quest. He noted, “I tried to copy Maya’s fluid voice early on but failed miserably. But because of her I found my own… RIP Maya Angelou and thank u.”

Maya Angelou’s Legacy in Hip-Hop: www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/05/28/maya_angelou_s_legacy_in_hip_hop_poet_leaves_behind_a_history_of_appearances.html

What Influences How Teachers Teach?

June 26, 2014classroom teachers, literacy, literacy, Literacy teacher educators, research, Teacher educationchildhood literacy experiences, influences on teachers' practices, Language and Literacy A Canadian e-Journal, life history, literacy teacher education, literacy teaching, Monica McGlynn-Stewartckosnik

As a former elementary teacher, I (Monica) know that there are many things that influence how teachers teach in their classrooms. In our longitudinal study of teachers, Teacher change: patterns, factors, and implications for professional education, we have been learning from teachers about the kinds of formal and informal professional development that they find most relevant and helpful. One of the factors that intrigued me early on in the study was the influence that the teachers’ own early schooling had on their teaching. I interviewed 6 of our participants over the first three years of their teaching and discovered that they all use one or two teachers from their own childhood as role models for their teaching. My research has just been published in Language and Literacy: A Canadian e-Journal. Here’s the link: http://ejournals.library.ualberta.ca/index.php/langandlit/article/view/20426/16419

Love that Dog: A touching book and useful pedagogical resource

June 25, 2014classroom teachers, education, literacy, Literacy teacher educators, Teacher educationchildren' literature, literacy, Love that Dog, poetry, Sharon Creech, student teachers, teacher education, Teaching Poetrylmmenna

In both my experience teaching pre-service literacy courses and my current research with student teachers I (Lydia) have witnessed the sense of anxiety and discomfort many student teachers voice when they are faced with the prospect of teaching poetry during their practice teaching placements. Often, their associate teachers are themselves not comfortable with poetry and therefore, they have difficulty scaffolding the teaching of poetry or providing supportive resources for student teachers. This awareness has motivated Clare and I to delve into poetry within the first few weeks of the P/J and J/I literacy courses, in an effort to ease some of the initial anxiety student teachers experience in anticipation of teaching poetry. We attempt to provide multiple entry points into the teaching of poetry by presenting student teachers with various forms of poetry, and by highlighting the creative expression and emotive potential offered by this medium. We also provide them with a number of resources and pedagogical strategies they can utilize during their practice teaching placement. I recently picked up a copy of the book Love that Dog by Sharon Creech, which I hope to use in the literacy methods courses this year because the insight provided into how students might feel about reading and writing poetry is useful for both teachers and students. Throughout the book, the main character a young boy named Jack journals back and forth with his teacher Ms. Stretchberry, cleverly expressing his initial resist and eventual connection to poetry. Jack initially pronounces, “I don’t want to because boys don’t write poetry. Girls do”; however, through his ongoing dialogue with his teacher Jack experiments with word choice, sounds, and rhythm as he is engages with various poetic formats. My favorite entry in the book is “November 22.” Hopefully the student teachers in the literacy courses this year will enjoy this touching book as much as I did.

Because of Mr. Terupt- I was touched

June 20, 2014classroom teachers, Curriculum Resources, education, literacy, Literacy teacher educators, teacher educatorsBecause of Mr. Terupt, bullyiing, children' literature, literacy, Literature, literature circles, qualities of a good teacher, read aloudsDr. Cathy Miyata

I’ve been striking it lucky with my pick of children’s literature lately. Because of Mr. Terupt is a juvenile fiction novel well worth reading to a junior level class. Also perfect as a sample novel for student teachers experiencing literature circles. This touching story, by Rob Buyea, brings up many discussion points regarding what makes a good teacher, plus many other school issues: diversity, inclusion, forgiveness, and bullying just to name a few. Terrific resource for ‘hot seat’ /role playing explorations. A must read for children’s literature fanatics like me!

Reflecting on my time at the International Symposium for Digital Technology and Literacy/English Teacher Education

June 11, 2014Conferences, curriculum; teachers, education, Events, literacy, Literacy teacher educators, Reflections, Teacher education, teacher educatorscommunication, curriculum, Digital technology, international scholars, research, student teacherslmmenna

I (Lydia) feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to participate in the symposium last week as many of the issues raised resonated with my current research examining student teachers’ experiences with contemporary literacy teaching and learning. The issues highlighted during the individual presentations and accompanying discussions offered rich insights into the status of teacher educational internationally.

I’d like to share a few of the questions raised during the symposium that remained with me and will continue to inform my research in literacy teacher education: What should a curriculum of contemporary teacher education include? In what ways can a curriculum of teacher education provide the space and quality time necessary for student teachers to truly engage as learners? How does power continue to operate in the curriculum? How do digital tools and social media spaces construct reading and writing? What do these digital spaces permit and what do they restrict? How is knowledge constructed, represented, and distributed within digital spaces? What are the pedagogical consequences as students engage with different modes within digital spaces? These are just a few of the questions I continue to consider upon my return from the symposium. Having the opportunity to consider the complexities and issues relevant to teacher education with international scholars was truly inspiring. I look forward to continuing our rich conversations.

International Symposium on Literacy/English Teacher Education: A Focus on Digital Technology

June 10, 2014academics, Conferences, curriculum; teachers, education, Events, literacy, Literacy teacher educators, Reflections, Teacher education, teacher educatorsdigital publics, Digital technology, Pooja Dharamshi, Shawn Bullock, technological determinism, Tug Agencypoojadharamshi

With the symposium a few days behind us, I (Pooja) have had some time to reflect on what was discussed in London, England. Clare wrote a reflection post on day one of the symposium (https://literacyteaching.net/2014/06/06/symposium-day-1-reflections/), so I want to reflect a bit on day two. Day two started off with mini-presentations which asked presenters to focus on a central question: What is happening with digital technology in your context?

Shawn Bullock, assistant professor at Simon Fraser University, raised some interesting issues related to digital technology and education:

Technological Determinism: A theory which asserts we need to stay current with technology to stay relevant in society; technology determines cultural values and society’s structures
Digital Publics: The theory that the nature of public space has changed significantly over the past years. The nature of public space has gone from persistent to replicable to searchable in the past few decades:

o Persistent- recording (video, audio) events changed the nature of public space;

o Replicable- recordings became replicable;

o Searchable- today we can search for any recording

(danah boyd)

Understanding how the nature of public space has drastically changed over the years, Shawn posed an important question to the group: What is the role of education in theorizing privacy in the digital age?

As the symposium was coming to a close, we were guided to reflect on the past two days. Many people realized that the rapid increase of standardization and data driven initiatives was happening across all contexts. However, many individuals commented that the conversations over the past two days were “energizing.” Being in conversation about big issues across international contexts made many teacher educators realize they were not alone. In fact, many commented they wanted to keep up the momentum by further collaborating and “making some noise” in teacher education.

Once again, we’d like to thank TUG Agency for so graciously hosting us. TUG provided a vibrant and exciting atmosphere for our symposium to take place. Check out their website at: http://www.tugagency.com

Thank you!!!

Symposium: Day One Reflections

June 6, 2014Conferences, literacy, Literacy teacher educators, Reflectionscommunication, Digital technology, literacy, literacy teacher education, literacy teacher educators, student teachers, teacher educationckosnik

The first day of our Symposium was a smashing success! The large group discussion of “where we are” revealed the extreme pressure on teachers and teacher educators. We heard about the fast and furious rate of reform in some countries – non-stop initiatives coming from the government. These are so prolific that there are often contradictory messages (e.g., be inquiry-based but focus on skills development). The mini presentations addressed a range of issues: what happens when standards are implemented; student teacher expectations for courses versus the teacher educators’ goals; problems of teacher retention; the vast number of pathways into teaching creates confusion; and teacher educators having different emphases in their courses even when there is a common syllabus. A problem that arose is lack of control over the implementation of standardization. It can take a very different form from the envisaged use of the standards. The place of digital technology in literacy/English education still eludes and needs much more discussion of what to do and how to do it so that technology is used to support learning.
The discussion was rich and far-ranging. A number of participants commented that we rarely have an opportunity to discuss “big issues” in education and teacher education.
Today promises to be another day full of lively discussion.

Clare Kosnik awarded 2014 JJ Berry Smith Doctoral Supervision Award

May 29, 2014celebrations, graduate students, literacy, Literacy teacher educators, Teacher education2014 JJ Berry Smith Doctoral Supervision Award, awards, Clare Kosnik, doctoral supervision, grad students, OISE, PhD supervisor, U of TDr. Cathy Miyata

clare u of t Yesterday, we (Clare’s grad students) had the honour of seeing Clare awarded the 2014 JJ Berry Smith Doctoral Supervision Award. Professor Brian Corman, Dean of Graduate Studies (Uof T), acted as MC for the proceedings. Dean Corman reported there were many distinguished applications and the selection committee was under great pressure. However, the decision to award Clare was unanimous. 19 letters from present and former grad students were included in the application. Dean Corman shared some of the comments written in the letters: “epitome of a pedagogy of caring”, “challenged me to think deeply”, “met with me weekly, which after talking to other grad students, I realized other supervisors did not do”. Clearly, her students felt privileged to have worked and be working with her.

While accepting the award, Clare suggested doctoral supervision was a terrific topic for a research study. She shared that as she read the letters she was astounded by the differences in what the doctoral students said mattered to them. We hope someone takes Clare up on this suggestion. They should begin the study with Clare. Using her work ethic as a model, many other grad students might have the opportunity to work with a supervisor as dedicated, caring and wise as Clare.
Congratulations, Clare! Well deserved.