ENGL 483 Writing: Theory and Practice for the Elementary School focused on the process, strategies, and evaluation relating to writers at emergent, early, and developing stages. Writing is one of the aspects under the broad term of literacy. The proper definition of writing is the skill of marking coherent words on paper and composing text. However, writing to me is so much more. It includes both consumption and creation. There is a time and place for the basic foundations of writing like spelling, grammar, etc., however to be a skilled and successful writer, you must go beyond this foundation.  Writing includes questioning and evaluating, being creative, fostering dialogue with texts, and developing new lenses in which students see the world. Teaching critical and media literacy in the classroom really expands on this idea. Media literacy is the ability to identify different types of media and understand the messages they are sending. Critical literacy includes seeking to understand text, interrogating multiple viewpoints, focusing on sociopolitical issues, and taking action and promoting social justice. By instructing with both of these literacies in mind, teachers have the ability to provide students with all the tools needed to become successful writers. It is easy for future teachers to view the different parts of the writing process as separate objectives that need to be taught on their own, when in reality the most efficient and effective approach to instruction is blending it all together. I think what I have taken away from the material covered in this class is that it is important to expose and submerge students into all that is available. Using models of good writing, using frameworks such as the Daily 5 to provide practice and independence, and exposing students to different types of media are all some of the ways us future educators can make this happen for students. Writing can be messy and challenging at times and can be creative and expressive at others; it is important for students to get comfortable with both. Writing is often a subject that is neglected. Think for yourself… Do you remember being taught to write? I don’t. It has become automatic for me. In order to be an effective teacher of writing, one must be a good writer themselves. This course encouraged me to engage with the writing process: both the messy and clean parts. It also required me to engage in all different types of writing. After this course, I am more aware of the attention and pedagogy needed to develop successful writers. 

Below is a podcast I created about the Daily 5 framework. This podcast showcases an example of a writing style I attempted in this class as well as a new found instructional strategy I have learned about and adopted for my future classroom.

(Fall 2021) 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Yck2swjU5GWtAcV5iaZynNewXudWLWdc/view?usp=sharing

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