Being in a Kindergarten practicum classroom this year has given me a unique opportunity to observe multiple literacies in students who are not yet developed in their written language. Instead, these students rely on other forms of literacy to communicate their ideas and knowledge. I have found it a very welcome challenge to attempt to assess the students on their learned knowledge of a subject area within the Manitoba curriculum through creative forms and multiple literacies instead of written forms. This has allowed me to see literacy in a new way and recognize that communication can happen in many ways.
One thing that I have noticed during my time in the classroom is that not all students respond through the art forms of drawing, painting or other such art forms. I think that is an important reason why incorporating multiple literacies is so important in the classroom to reach all students. The two illustrations below show two students representations of two types of trees (deciduous and coniferous) as we learned that they look in the winter. However, for one student who's literacy language is not art it is very unclear what the student had learned. Through discussion with this student I found that they had learned and understood in the same capacity as the student whose art portrayed their understanding. The important aspect that I took from this is that while students should be encouraged to try many types of literacies it is important that we as teachers are assessing our students in ways that best showcase their individual way of knowing and making sense of information.
Being in a Kindergarten practicum classroom this year has given me a unique opportunity to observe multiple literacies in students who are not yet developed in their written language. Instead, these students rely on other forms of literacy to communicate their ideas and knowledge. I have found it a very welcome challenge to attempt to assess the students on their learned knowledge of a subject area within the Manitoba curriculum through creative forms and multiple literacies instead of written forms. This has allowed me to see literacy in a new way and recognize that communication can happen in many ways.
One thing that I have noticed during my time in the classroom is that not all students respond through the art forms of drawing, painting or other such art forms. I think that is an important reason why incorporating multiple literacies is so important in the classroom to reach all students. The two illustrations below show two students representations of two types of trees (deciduous and coniferous) as we learned that they look in the winter. However, for one student who's literacy language is not art it is very unclear what the student had learned. Through discussion with this student I found that they had learned and understood in the same capacity as the student whose art portrayed their understanding. The important aspect that I took from this is that while students should be encouraged to try many types of literacies it is important that we as teachers are assessing our students in ways that best showcase their individual way of knowing and making sense of information.
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