https://kmccullochcop.github.io/assets/js/3b334f55.df5d4b17.js

1"use strict";(self.webpackChunkmy_website=self.webpackChunkmy_website||[]).push([[2679],{3905:(e,t,n)=>{n.d(t,{Zo:()=>h,kt:()=>g});var o=n(7294);function a(e,t,n){return t in e?Object.defineProperty(e,t,{value:n,enumerable:!0,configurable:!0,writable:!0}):e[t]=n,e}function i(e,t){var n=Object.keys(e);if(Object.getOwnPropertySymbols){var o=Object.getOwnPropertySymbols(e);t&&(o=o.filter((function(t){return Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(e,t).enumerable}))),n.push.apply(n,o)}return n}function r(e){for(var t=1;t<arguments.length;t++){var n=null!=arguments[t]?arguments[t]:{};t%2?i(Object(n),!0).forEach((function(t){a(e,t,n[t])})):Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptors?Object.defineProperties(e,Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptors(n)):i(Object(n)).forEach((function(t){Object.defineProperty(e,t,Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(n,t))}))}return e}function s(e,t){if(null==e)return{};var n,o,a=function(e,t){if(null==e)return{};var n,o,a={},i=Object.keys(e);for(o=0;o<i.length;o++)n=i[o],t.indexOf(n)>=0||(a[n]=e[n]);return a}(e,t);if(Object.getOwnPropertySymbols){var i=Object.getOwnPropertySymbols(e);for(o=0;o<i.length;o++)n=i[o],t.indexOf(n)>=0||Object.prototype.propertyIsEnumerable.call(e,n)&&(a[n]=e[n])}return a}var l=o.createContext({}),c=function(e){var t=o.useContext(l),n=t;return e&&(n="function"==typeof e?e(t):r(r({},t),e)),n},h=function(e){var t=c(e.components);return o.createElement(l.Provider,{value:t},e.children)},d={inlineCode:"code",wrapper:function(e){var t=e.children;return o.createElement(o.Fragment,{},t)}},u=o.forwardRef((function(e,t){var n=e.components,a=e.mdxType,i=e.originalType,l=e.parentName,h=s(e,["components","mdxType","originalType","parentName"]),u=c(n),g=a,p=u["".concat(l,".").concat(g)]||u[g]||d[g]||i;return n?o.createElement(p,r(r({ref:t},h),{},{components:n})):o.createElement(p,r({ref:t},h))}));function g(e,t){var n=arguments,a=t&&t.mdxType;if("string"==typeof e||a){var i=n.length,r=new Array(i);r[0]=u;var s={};for(var l in t)hasOwnProperty.call(t,l)&&(s[l]=t[l]);s.originalType=e,s.mdxType="string"==typeof e?e:a,r[1]=s;for(var c=2;c<i;c++)r[c]=n[c];return o.createElement.apply(null,r)}return o.createElement.apply(null,n)}u.displayName="MDXCreateElement"},3621:(e,t,n)=>{n.r(t),n.d(t,{assets:()=>l,contentTitle:()=>r,default:()=>d,frontMatter:()=>i,metadata:()=>s,toc:()=>c});var o=n(7462),a=(n(7294),n(3905));const i={title:"Learning Blog - Literacy as a Resource",description:"learning blog post",authors:"katie",tags:["teaching-philosophy"],hide_table_of_contents:!1},r=void 0,s={permalink:"/blog/2022/12/02/literacyasresource",source:"@site/blog/2022-12-02-literacyasresource.md",title:"Learning Blog - Literacy as a Resource",description:"learning blog post",date:"2022-12-02T00:00:00.000Z",formattedDate:"December 2, 2022",tags:[{label:"teaching-philosophy",permalink:"/blog/tags/teaching-philosophy"}],readingTime:3.285,truncated:!0,authors:[{name:"Kathleen McCulloch-Cop",imageURL:"/img/profilePic.png",key:"katie"}],frontMatter:{title:"Learning Blog - Literacy as a Resource",description:"learning blog post",authors:"katie",tags:["teaching-philosophy"],hide_table_of_contents:!1},prevItem:{title:"Learning Blog - Reaching All Students",permalink:"/blog/2022/12/03/reachingallstudents"},nextItem:{title:"Welcome!",permalink:"/blog/welcome-docusaurus-v2"}},l={authorsImageUrls:[void 0]},c=[],h={toc:c};function d(e){let{components:t,...n}=e;return(0,a.kt)("wrapper",(0,o.Z)({},h,n,{components:t,mdxType:"MDXLayout"}),(0,a.kt)("p",null,"In Canadian schools, English and Language Arts are at the core of skill development in nearly every classroom. Math, science, history, technology, business, arts: all of these require foundations in vocabulary procurement, comprehension of instructions, and information processing. However, because so often English class is associated with reading fiction and essay writing, it becomes siloed ","in students\u2019 minds. The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test aims to measure \u201cwhether students are meeting the minimum standard for literacy across all subjects\u201d but still focuses on reading texts and writing . The ways in which literacy is applied in every subject is considered to be implicit. Students, particularly those who struggle with reading and writing, are expected to make the connection between their literacy skills and their abilities in other disciplines on their own. Often, students shrug at English classes, ask why they need to know the information, complain about how they don\u2019t like reading anyways, so who cares if they\u2019re good at it? They don\u2019t see how it impacts their ability to create a successful resume, communicate with colleagues or supervisors, or process information that is not prose. As educators, we tend to forget or deprioritize this fact, when it should be at the forefront of a successful English classroom."),(0,a.kt)("p",null,"What tends to add to the isolation of English as a discipline is its content. As English teachers, we are predisposed to love the written word: books and stories are interesting and engaging, something that we not only love to study, but love to study with others, sharing thoughts and opinions, discussing what was interesting or surprising, dissecting the ways the story was crafted. Not every student feels the same \u2013 in fact, many students very strongly disagree with that view. Books are boring, often dealing with old and outdated ideas or settings. Having to not only read, but talk about (or god forbid, write about) narrative texts is torturous and seems pointless. What relevance does it have to their lives? How 

1is reading books going to prepare them for the real world past grade 12 when they don\u2019t even read outside of school? Of course, students are always reading, as both our digital and physical lives are saturated in text and written language. But the act of reading is not associated with scrolling social media or messaging with friends, due in part to the way English has traditionally been taught. When students who have gone through classes with \u2018silent reading time\u2019 meaning they need to physically hold a book and follow a story in their head, there tends to be no other definition of reading. If that action is the sole definition of reading, and literacy skills are equated to \u2018reading skills\u2019, then what does literacy matter outside of the English classroom? How does it apply to their real lives?"),(0,a.kt)("p",null,"When this is the way English is taught and discussed, that\u2019s a fair question. But when English classes and teachers make explicit the connections between the real world and the skills students are learning, suddenly, students can see how important English class is. When we step outside of the canon and traditional narrative texts, and focus on unconventional content, we can show students just how essential literacy is. Resumes, instructional guides, summary texts, professional communication; these are all texts that do not fall under the traditional concept of English class content, but are essential in a workplace. Skills like media literacy, processing, paraphrasing, researching, drawing inferences, and making connections all require strong foundations in reading comprehension and written expression, and can be fostered in many ways that do not follow traditional English classroom methods. Drawing on real-world examples, applying activities to students\u2019 everyday lives, and showing them just how many opportunities become available for them with the procurement of these skills demonstrates to them how an English classroom prepares them for excellence in all areas of their lives, and we need to take care to prioritise this fact."))}d.isMDXComponent=!0}}]);