This class has been informative in so many ways. It gave me a different perspective in teaching and students. As a Sociology major, I like to understand society and how it’s behavior works. It has taken me quite a long time to figure out that I like to understand student behavior and how I can help them reach their highest potential.

When I started working as an After School Leader, I grew an interest in working in education. Once I knew that I was interested, I decided to explore in different areas. These areas included working in the after school program, volunteering as an aid for a program named Special Pals and Classroom Aid. After these experiences, I had to really think about what I enjoyed and I realized which one was for me and which was not. It wasn’t until I became an Academic Mentor that I realized that I liked counseling students.

As a person who wants to work with students I think that it is important to have a wide range of knowledge in all areas of education. This class taught me how fun and interactive teaching can be. Literacy studies isn’t just reading and writing just for school. It ranges from text messaging, social media, blog post, memes, and so much more.

As Brandt had mentioned, we have sponsors who encourage literacy practices. For instance if I’m working with a child who’s parents don’t encourage literacy, it is important I try and help him view the importance of it. If sponsors, parents, were to teach us the importance of literacy outside of school and at an early age, then people similar to me wouldn’t struggle with it growing up.

The book Just Girls, taught me that literacy isn’t just reading and writing for school. Literacy as a whole is something that we practice in our day-to-day lives. Although texting and being on social media is frowned upon by older generations, this is a form of literacy. In today’s society, children are able to express their feelings. I like to think of this as a digital diary. In this generation, it’s uncommon for children to have diaries. Their social media is often times used as a form of a “diary”. What they post depends on the person and what they like to share with others. In relation, this depends on their personality and how they express themselves.

There were a lot more topics that we discussed that I also found interesting. These two topics stood out to me most. What I have learned in this class has given me a perspective on how I can better assist students reach their highest potential and achievements. The topics that I have learned in this class can be shared with the future teachers that I will be working with.

I really enjoyed this project. As a student, I think that when teachers incorporate a fun aspect into their teaching style it makes learning fun and memorable. Literacy practices can be taught in many different forms, whether if its making a song, playing a game, incorporating social media, fairy tales and fantasies, and much more.

For example, when it comes to history some students struggle with this subject. I think that making a rap song or a song in general can be beneficial in helping them learn and retain information better. In a teaching environment, I think that sometimes teachers forget that not all students learn the same way. I think that incorporating different teaching styles and techniques can help each student learn.

Although I am not going into the teach field, I will be working with students and I feel that this project will help me help them. I believe that it is important to inform yourself in different areas of teaching that not only benefit yourself but others as well. I have younger cousins who are in grade school and these techniques and styles will allow me to help them and show them that learning can be fun.

I enjoyed each groups presentation because they were all different and engaging. They were able to incorporate a lesson plan that made learning fun, interesting and engaging. My group was based on adolescent literacy, identity and social media. We had everyone make a Pinterest board and had them pin 10 different things that represented them. I found this to be hard because I felt that the 10 pins that I posted did not entirely represent who I am but gave an idea of what I like. I really enjoyed doing this project because it goes to show that learning can be fun!

Just Girls brought back old middle school memories and the literacy practices that my friends and I used to engage in. Before cell phones became popular, my friends and I would write each other notes, pass notes to each other or keep a journal that we would pass back and forth. This was our form of “texting”. Children nowadays don’t know the fear of getting caught passing a note and the teacher reading it. Most times the note contained inappropriate things and the consequences varied among teachers. I remember one time I was caught by my teacher and received a student contract and was sent to the vice principals office. We discussed the issue of the note and I received consequences, which was detention and my parents having to sign my contract. Boy, did I get in trouble with my parents.

 

Literacy studies isn’t just reading and writing for school. Literacy as a whole is something that we practice in our day-to-day lives. Although texting and being on social media is frowned upon by older generations, this is a form of literacy and children are able to express their feelings. I like to think of this as a digital diary. Now, I think it’s uncommon for children to have diaries. Their social media is often times used as a “diary” and they may restrict how much information they express in their post. I find it so intriguing how I was able to experience the transformation between hand written notes to texting.

Literacy as an individual pursuit differs among people. When writing reflections on my perceptions of literacy studies, at times it can be hard for me to put my thoughts into words. The articles that we have read over the past couple of weeks have been a combination of easy and hard. There are times when I have a hard time trying to understand or interpret what the author is trying to get across. In other words, sometimes I have a hard time trying to make sense of what the author is trying to say.

What I have learned in this class thus far is that literacy is an individual learning process and experience. How one is brought up plays a huge part in their literacy practices. Literacy practices differ among families, social class, and racial and ethnic backgrounds. As Brandt had mentioned, we have sponsors who encourage literacy practices. For instance, our mothers and fathers parent similar to the way they were brought up by theirs. If literacy wasn’t encouraged growing up, it is highly likely that that trait would be carried on. If our sponsors, parents, were to teach us the importance of literacy outside of school and at an early age, then people like me wouldn’t struggle with it.

Now that I am more knowledgeable about literacy, my perception of it has altered. I’ve always thought of literacy as just reading books. It’s intriguing to learn that literacy is everywhere and surrounds us in our day-to-day lives.

There are always new and different forms of digital literacies that are being invented. There are people out in the world who are more competent and literate in one form of digital literacy but can also be completely clueless about another. The literacy practices and the language used can be difficult to understand. It can be overwhelming and foreign at the same time.

When it comes to social media, I find myself coming across acronyms or abbreviations such as TBH, IMHO,or  TY. I also learn new vocabulary like THOT, fleek, or light weight. Personally, I find these words to be silly. Once I know what it means, I use it out of humor because I wouldn’t speak or write that way in my day to day life.

This semester I am taking a digital photography class. In this course we are require to use Photoshop. It’s been years since I’ve used it and to be honest I forgot how to navigate it. So you could say that I’m relearning this digital literacy. I am also learning the language of photography and knowing how and when to use the right aperture, shutter speed and ISO if needed be. The challenging part is remembering what everything means and how to use it the right way. A combination of Lynda.com, YouTube, Pinterest and friends who photograph is what’s helping me learn. I’m catching on fairly quickly and I’m really excited for what the semester has in store.