To start off this post I will
say that this literacy course has given me tons of ideas and models that I can and
will use. For example, the technique to develop meta-cognitive skills. Initially,
I had thought about avoiding any kind of reading assignments that I could
because I hated them because they always seemed so long and I never got
anything out of it. But now that I know some before, during, and after
activities I feel like my students will see the purpose in the readings and
actually learn from it. I also found the tips on how to construct a vocabulary list
very informative. There are tons of words that I could through all together and
tell the students to learn them, but what purpose would that serve? Instead of
having them memorize a dictionary of technological jargon, I merely select the
few “need to know” words that are truly important. In order to support the
academically, linguistically, and culturally diverse students that will be in
my future classes, I think the biggest thing it to know them individually. If I
know what level there English language is at, I can plan to put them in a group
with another students that can help translate the goals of the activity, or
maybe put them in a group of only English speakers. Or when I am preparing a
lesson, I can look at innovations that were made outside the US and, if possible,
from the countries that my students may be from. One of the big take away ideas
from this course in regard to writing is that I need to have the students
practice all three levels of writing and not just give them a level three paper
to write at the end of the course.
