Introduction
This was my last course in the PME literacy field. This journey through literacy has been so inspiring, enlightening and has had powerfully impacted my professional practice. I will be focusing this reflection on how my understanding of literacy instruction and interventions has been impacted since the beginning of the course. My learning progressed naturally throughout the course and I feel this is due to the nature of the course structure. I appreciated learning new concepts, terminology and techniques. I have a great interest in the research of learning disabilities, self-regulation, and universal instructional design (UDI) and I feel that this course really allowed us to dive into these subjects. Later in the course, as groups, we journeyed to creating classroom designs and plan specific interventions. To tackle this task, we had a suitcase full of knowledge and tools, based on our learning, at our disposal. I truly have been a thrilling journey.
History of Reading Research and Overview of Learning Disabilities
Reviewing the reading research about the brain was very important to me in developing my understanding of how and why we have the theories of literacy that we do today. In reading the articles I was able to bring to mind everything that I had previously learned in PME 841, Theoretical and Historical Foundations of Literacy. The articles left us with a little piece of the puzzle, one more clue to unlocking the mystery of how to teach others to read in the most effective way. As our research reading continued we reviewed the various types of learning disabilities. What was I appreciated most about these readings is they explored the process in which learning disabilities are classified, diagnosed and addressed across Canada and the United States. I feel that I am now ‘caught up’ with the professional community across the country. I was no longer an outsider who joined the party a little too late to fully understand the conversation and debates surrounding different classifications of learning disabilities. This will greatly support my practice because we are a school division that provides education for The Edmonton Military Garrison. I often have students and families that come from other provinces and it is my job to explain to parents the programming and supports we have in Alberta. It will be very beneficial for me to now have an understanding how other provinces classify, support and assess learning disabilities so that I can highlight similarities and differences for families who frequently travel between provinces.
Exploring Dyslexia
Learning about dyslexia in this course was definitely a highlight for me as it has always been an area of interest for me. Prior to starting this course, I was aware that I did not have a good understanding of what dyslexia was, how to recognize it, or how to support learners with it. I had tried numerous times before to search for information but often got lost in conflicting or outdated information. I was terrified that my struggling readers were suffering because of my ignorance. This course finally gave me the opportunity to really expand my understanding of dyslexia. I finally had access to the information I was seeking and the tools to know how to interpret that information. This is a skill that I will now be able to transfer to other learning and questions that I might have in the future.
While writing, the formal academic paper was a challenge for me, it was one that I thoroughly enjoyed. My most salient growth in understanding of dyslexia was developing a timeline of the research to better understand how we arrived at the theories we have today. This also helped me to better understand why there are so many different theories of dyslexia floating around professional communities. One area of dyslexia I would like to explore further is the possible connection to Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). It is interesting to me that these two conditions share possible connections in the brain and I would like to continue to follow the research.
Response to Intervention and Effective Literacy Instruction
The Response to Intervention (RTI) and Effective Literacy Instruction modules were definitely the culminating lessons in the course for me. This was a chance for me to really look at my own classroom design and instructional approaches and evaluate my professional choices against research. This for me was pivotal. One of the main reasons for enrolling in a Master's program was so that I might be able to determine if my teaching practices were as professional sound and as effective as I hoped that they were. I have spent years developing my literacy classroom and program, and it was very much a piecework process, stealing a little from this and a little from that. My only compass points were what I knew to be true about managing an inclusion classroom, based on my RTI training, and achieving the end goal of reading. While I constantly sought feedback, critique, and support from my professional learning community and colleagues I knew that I still lacked the knowledge to really feel confident in my choices. Also, there were always those few students I was not able to help achieve success. How could I best support their needs? What was I missing?
Studying RTI and effective literacy instruction in this course allowed me to parallel my classroom and instruction with research. From this vantage point, I could clearly see where my instruction and design were aligned with best practices informed by research and which ones were not. When I found a practice that did not align with research and best practice I was able to learn how to adjust these practices through the course content. For example, I reading the writing of Dawson & Guare (2010) really helped me improve my focus on supporting students with executive functioning in my classroom. I was able to evaluate, based on the readings, if my current use of cues and visuals were a support or a hindrance to those students, and then adjust them to be more appropriate for the student's needs.
I was very encouraged to discover that many of my practices such as tiered interventions, universal design, small groups, learning centers, pair instruction, focus on balanced literacy instruction, all built on a strong foundation of phonological awareness and oral language, were supported by research. I feel very justified in my approaches now and am excited to renew my efforts to share these practices with others that I work with. I feel passionate and prepared, after this course to share my learning with others. In the future, I hope to share my learning in this course within my professional learning community and as a mentor teacher.
English Language Learners, Self-Regulation, Behavioral Interventions and ADHD
The above heading could basically describe the student make up of any classroom. Teachers always have such a wide variety of learner needs within one classroom and often the language and behavioral needs can sometimes be the most challenging. Students who struggle with self-regulation, behavioral challenges and ADHD can be very disruptive to classrooms, creating a lot of disruption to the learning of others. Teaching and learning amidst chaos and disorder is nearly impossible and so it falls on teachers to manage the chaos. I often think of my role as a teacher as a "chaos coordinator", especially in ECS classrooms.
Our school focuses a lot on self-regulation and supporting students with behavioral needs and so I felt very comfortable reading about these topics. Nonetheless, it is always refreshing to read research that is so relevant to your daily practice. Teaching grade one means that all my students are at the age where they are learning to self-regulate and they all need at least some type of behavioral intervention, especially at the start of the year. This is especially true of Alberta classrooms, in my opinion, because our age of entry is 5.5 years of age. So, I am always happy to learn more about effective instruction and interventions to address these areas of needs. I found that the articles that addressed these needs, helped me to better understand the information I had previously learned. I think this will help me in my practice because I now feel more confident in being able to articulate this knowledge and understanding to others. This will benefit me in navigating conversations with parents regarding their child's needs and abilities such as helping parents to understand how their child's brain is functioning and how this applies to their behavior and reading ability.
I am less familiar with ELL learners and thus I found it more of a struggle to understand some of the research data provided in those articles. I think the next area of learning for me would be to learn how to read articles with statistical and research data. This is a great example of needing to learn content specific comprehension skills and reminds me to always remember to teach my students how to read and understand different types of content texts.
Instructional Planning for the Classroom - Group Project
I was very excited to be paired with my partners for the group project. We have been a part of each other’s PME journeys for such a long time but this was our first opportunity to work together so intimately. Group projects in an online setting can be a daunting task, especially when group members are scattered across times zones and contexts. I found that our group really overcame these struggles through the use of video chats. Typically, in group projects, nearly all correspondence between group members was done via email and discussion threads. Our group decided that we would like to try something different and instead worked collaboratively, in real time, via video calls and google docs. Working collaboratively this way generated a lot of discussions, stories and sharing of our experiences that would normally be left out. This incidental learning was not only exciting but valuable. We were able to compare many similarities and differences in our context and debate the pros and cons for students. I was so inspired by this incidental learning that I tried to reach out to other peers in our class using the discussion threads. I highlighted the topic of school timetables, as a discussion started because from our group's discussion we felt it had the most implications for student learning.
Overall the group project was very challenging because it required us to articulate so much information. Essentially we had to summarize our internal teacher dialogue and what it is we do every day, all day. How does one begin to consolidate all of that information into one document?! My mind immediately went to the Daily 5 (2006) authors, Boushey & Moser, who took several books to articulate their approach to classroom design, literacy instruction and intervention, and we were expected to do it 30 pages? We were completely overwhelmed.
This wasn't the first time I was overwhelmed by this task. About the time that I really began to research reading instruction, and start my PME program, my colleague went on maternity leave. Upon her return, she wanted to know how my literacy instruction had changed. I really struggled to articulate to her what I was doing, and when she challenged me on certain practices I often could not "prove" to her that my new approach was more beneficial to students. I simply wanted to show her what I was doing by having her come and observe. I felt that if she could just see it "in action" it would be simpler and make more sense. Of course, we were never granted the time for her to observe. I wished then that I knew how to articulate my practices in a more effective way. I feel that the group assignment has really provided me with the knowledge of how to begin to organize and articulate, succinctly, how I teach literacy. This will be beneficial to me as I continue to mentor other teachers and look to share my instructional practices with my PLC.
Summary
Overall, I now feel I can not only improve my practice but scientifically and professionally name and defend teaching practices I have been intuitively using. Stanovich & Stanovich (2003) stated we need tools to evaluate the credibility of these many and varied sources of information. Acquiring those tools means understanding scientific values and learning methods for making inferences from the research evidence that arises from the scientific process (p. 6). I certainly feel more equipped to do this after taking this course. Furthermore, I am beginning to see how desperately all teachers need the information I gained in this course and I plan to advocate for our school to bring in more meaningful professional development to further our literacy education as professionals and improve our practice.
References
Boushey, G., & Moser, J. (2006). The daily 5: Fostering literacy independence in the elementary grades. Stenhouse Publishers.
Dawson, P., & Guare, R. (2010). Interventions to promote executive skills. Executive skills in children and adolescents (2nd ed., pp. 49–74). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Stanovich, P. J., & Stanovich, K. E. (2003). Using Research and Reason in Education: How Teachers Can Use Scientifically Based Research To Make Curricular & Instructional Decisions.
This was my last course in the PME literacy field. This journey through literacy has been so inspiring, enlightening and has had powerfully impacted my professional practice. I will be focusing this reflection on how my understanding of literacy instruction and interventions has been impacted since the beginning of the course. My learning progressed naturally throughout the course and I feel this is due to the nature of the course structure. I appreciated learning new concepts, terminology and techniques. I have a great interest in the research of learning disabilities, self-regulation, and universal instructional design (UDI) and I feel that this course really allowed us to dive into these subjects. Later in the course, as groups, we journeyed to creating classroom designs and plan specific interventions. To tackle this task, we had a suitcase full of knowledge and tools, based on our learning, at our disposal. I truly have been a thrilling journey.
History of Reading Research and Overview of Learning Disabilities
Reviewing the reading research about the brain was very important to me in developing my understanding of how and why we have the theories of literacy that we do today. In reading the articles I was able to bring to mind everything that I had previously learned in PME 841, Theoretical and Historical Foundations of Literacy. The articles left us with a little piece of the puzzle, one more clue to unlocking the mystery of how to teach others to read in the most effective way. As our research reading continued we reviewed the various types of learning disabilities. What was I appreciated most about these readings is they explored the process in which learning disabilities are classified, diagnosed and addressed across Canada and the United States. I feel that I am now ‘caught up’ with the professional community across the country. I was no longer an outsider who joined the party a little too late to fully understand the conversation and debates surrounding different classifications of learning disabilities. This will greatly support my practice because we are a school division that provides education for The Edmonton Military Garrison. I often have students and families that come from other provinces and it is my job to explain to parents the programming and supports we have in Alberta. It will be very beneficial for me to now have an understanding how other provinces classify, support and assess learning disabilities so that I can highlight similarities and differences for families who frequently travel between provinces.
Exploring Dyslexia
Learning about dyslexia in this course was definitely a highlight for me as it has always been an area of interest for me. Prior to starting this course, I was aware that I did not have a good understanding of what dyslexia was, how to recognize it, or how to support learners with it. I had tried numerous times before to search for information but often got lost in conflicting or outdated information. I was terrified that my struggling readers were suffering because of my ignorance. This course finally gave me the opportunity to really expand my understanding of dyslexia. I finally had access to the information I was seeking and the tools to know how to interpret that information. This is a skill that I will now be able to transfer to other learning and questions that I might have in the future.
While writing, the formal academic paper was a challenge for me, it was one that I thoroughly enjoyed. My most salient growth in understanding of dyslexia was developing a timeline of the research to better understand how we arrived at the theories we have today. This also helped me to better understand why there are so many different theories of dyslexia floating around professional communities. One area of dyslexia I would like to explore further is the possible connection to Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). It is interesting to me that these two conditions share possible connections in the brain and I would like to continue to follow the research.
Response to Intervention and Effective Literacy Instruction
The Response to Intervention (RTI) and Effective Literacy Instruction modules were definitely the culminating lessons in the course for me. This was a chance for me to really look at my own classroom design and instructional approaches and evaluate my professional choices against research. This for me was pivotal. One of the main reasons for enrolling in a Master's program was so that I might be able to determine if my teaching practices were as professional sound and as effective as I hoped that they were. I have spent years developing my literacy classroom and program, and it was very much a piecework process, stealing a little from this and a little from that. My only compass points were what I knew to be true about managing an inclusion classroom, based on my RTI training, and achieving the end goal of reading. While I constantly sought feedback, critique, and support from my professional learning community and colleagues I knew that I still lacked the knowledge to really feel confident in my choices. Also, there were always those few students I was not able to help achieve success. How could I best support their needs? What was I missing?
Studying RTI and effective literacy instruction in this course allowed me to parallel my classroom and instruction with research. From this vantage point, I could clearly see where my instruction and design were aligned with best practices informed by research and which ones were not. When I found a practice that did not align with research and best practice I was able to learn how to adjust these practices through the course content. For example, I reading the writing of Dawson & Guare (2010) really helped me improve my focus on supporting students with executive functioning in my classroom. I was able to evaluate, based on the readings, if my current use of cues and visuals were a support or a hindrance to those students, and then adjust them to be more appropriate for the student's needs.
I was very encouraged to discover that many of my practices such as tiered interventions, universal design, small groups, learning centers, pair instruction, focus on balanced literacy instruction, all built on a strong foundation of phonological awareness and oral language, were supported by research. I feel very justified in my approaches now and am excited to renew my efforts to share these practices with others that I work with. I feel passionate and prepared, after this course to share my learning with others. In the future, I hope to share my learning in this course within my professional learning community and as a mentor teacher.
English Language Learners, Self-Regulation, Behavioral Interventions and ADHD
The above heading could basically describe the student make up of any classroom. Teachers always have such a wide variety of learner needs within one classroom and often the language and behavioral needs can sometimes be the most challenging. Students who struggle with self-regulation, behavioral challenges and ADHD can be very disruptive to classrooms, creating a lot of disruption to the learning of others. Teaching and learning amidst chaos and disorder is nearly impossible and so it falls on teachers to manage the chaos. I often think of my role as a teacher as a "chaos coordinator", especially in ECS classrooms.
Our school focuses a lot on self-regulation and supporting students with behavioral needs and so I felt very comfortable reading about these topics. Nonetheless, it is always refreshing to read research that is so relevant to your daily practice. Teaching grade one means that all my students are at the age where they are learning to self-regulate and they all need at least some type of behavioral intervention, especially at the start of the year. This is especially true of Alberta classrooms, in my opinion, because our age of entry is 5.5 years of age. So, I am always happy to learn more about effective instruction and interventions to address these areas of needs. I found that the articles that addressed these needs, helped me to better understand the information I had previously learned. I think this will help me in my practice because I now feel more confident in being able to articulate this knowledge and understanding to others. This will benefit me in navigating conversations with parents regarding their child's needs and abilities such as helping parents to understand how their child's brain is functioning and how this applies to their behavior and reading ability.
I am less familiar with ELL learners and thus I found it more of a struggle to understand some of the research data provided in those articles. I think the next area of learning for me would be to learn how to read articles with statistical and research data. This is a great example of needing to learn content specific comprehension skills and reminds me to always remember to teach my students how to read and understand different types of content texts.
Instructional Planning for the Classroom - Group Project
I was very excited to be paired with my partners for the group project. We have been a part of each other’s PME journeys for such a long time but this was our first opportunity to work together so intimately. Group projects in an online setting can be a daunting task, especially when group members are scattered across times zones and contexts. I found that our group really overcame these struggles through the use of video chats. Typically, in group projects, nearly all correspondence between group members was done via email and discussion threads. Our group decided that we would like to try something different and instead worked collaboratively, in real time, via video calls and google docs. Working collaboratively this way generated a lot of discussions, stories and sharing of our experiences that would normally be left out. This incidental learning was not only exciting but valuable. We were able to compare many similarities and differences in our context and debate the pros and cons for students. I was so inspired by this incidental learning that I tried to reach out to other peers in our class using the discussion threads. I highlighted the topic of school timetables, as a discussion started because from our group's discussion we felt it had the most implications for student learning.
Overall the group project was very challenging because it required us to articulate so much information. Essentially we had to summarize our internal teacher dialogue and what it is we do every day, all day. How does one begin to consolidate all of that information into one document?! My mind immediately went to the Daily 5 (2006) authors, Boushey & Moser, who took several books to articulate their approach to classroom design, literacy instruction and intervention, and we were expected to do it 30 pages? We were completely overwhelmed.
This wasn't the first time I was overwhelmed by this task. About the time that I really began to research reading instruction, and start my PME program, my colleague went on maternity leave. Upon her return, she wanted to know how my literacy instruction had changed. I really struggled to articulate to her what I was doing, and when she challenged me on certain practices I often could not "prove" to her that my new approach was more beneficial to students. I simply wanted to show her what I was doing by having her come and observe. I felt that if she could just see it "in action" it would be simpler and make more sense. Of course, we were never granted the time for her to observe. I wished then that I knew how to articulate my practices in a more effective way. I feel that the group assignment has really provided me with the knowledge of how to begin to organize and articulate, succinctly, how I teach literacy. This will be beneficial to me as I continue to mentor other teachers and look to share my instructional practices with my PLC.
Summary
Overall, I now feel I can not only improve my practice but scientifically and professionally name and defend teaching practices I have been intuitively using. Stanovich & Stanovich (2003) stated we need tools to evaluate the credibility of these many and varied sources of information. Acquiring those tools means understanding scientific values and learning methods for making inferences from the research evidence that arises from the scientific process (p. 6). I certainly feel more equipped to do this after taking this course. Furthermore, I am beginning to see how desperately all teachers need the information I gained in this course and I plan to advocate for our school to bring in more meaningful professional development to further our literacy education as professionals and improve our practice.
References
Boushey, G., & Moser, J. (2006). The daily 5: Fostering literacy independence in the elementary grades. Stenhouse Publishers.
Dawson, P., & Guare, R. (2010). Interventions to promote executive skills. Executive skills in children and adolescents (2nd ed., pp. 49–74). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Stanovich, P. J., & Stanovich, K. E. (2003). Using Research and Reason in Education: How Teachers Can Use Scientifically Based Research To Make Curricular & Instructional Decisions.