M3 Blog Post #3: Leveraging Tools, Texts, and Talk in My Teaching Context

        In this module's readings, I have learned the importance of using blended learning to enhance literacy, student engagement, and creativity. While there are both possibilities and tensions in using technology to improve literacy, a key focus was also on digital literacy itself. The emphasis wasn't just on whether students understood the content of the lesson, but rather on whether they grasped the essence of the learning experience, with a focus on the learning process. As a social studies teacher, I'm always teaching my students how to analyze primary and secondary sources using different methods. Blended learning is a great way to help with this. By mixing digital tools with traditional activities, I can give my students a richer experience. It helps them engage more deeply with the material, think critically about history, and build stronger literacy skills. The combination of both online and offline learning lets them explore history in more ways, making it more interesting and meaningful.

    To engage students in meaningful conversations about new literacy practices, I first need to create a strong community in my classroom. This starts with helping students embrace their identities, and encouraging them to share and participate more. As Magnifico et al. (2018) state, “In these situations, the values and relationships of the local community do not necessarily translate to the values and relationships in the online community. As a result, many students may not see reasons to invest fully in the online space” (p. 156). Since the pandemic, many students have become used to informal communication and might struggle with formal, collaborative work. In the classroom, I can teach them how to work together and build their literacy skills through face-to-face interactions. Once these skills are developed in person, we can transfer them to the digital space, helping students engage more meaningfully online. By guiding them to communicate effectively both in person and online, I can help them become better collaborators and learners in all environments.

        Creating opportunities for oral practice, like group work and think-pair-share, helps ELLs build confidence and improve their literacy skills. Speaking with their peers gives ELL students a chance to practice in a supportive setting. However, I also need to be mindful of insecure or anxious students who might not feel comfortable recording their voices. For these students, I’ll offer other ways to express themselves, like writing or using visuals. There are digital tools, like discussion boards and voice recording apps, that can help students engage both in-person and online (Semingson, 2017). I’ll make sure they have the right support to use these tools effectively. It’s also important to make the content creative and culturally relevant so students can connect with it. Magnifico et al. (2018) state “Focusing on the learning process, not just the final product, enables deeper understanding and new ways of critiquing and participating in digital composition”(157). By focusing on the learning process and making things engaging, I can create a space where ELLs thrive, both in-person and online.  

    A great project for ELLs that combines both analog and digital learning experiences is a Cultural project. In this activity, students work with a classmate to research and present the culture of a country or region of their choice. First, they would gather information through books, articles, and interviews, creating a physical display such as a poster to demonstrate their findings. Next, they would use a digital tool like Padlet to record themselves explaining their project, combining photos and a spoken explanation to practice both their speaking and writing skills. After presenting their projects, students would participate in a virtual and physical gallery Walk with headphones provided, where they listen to their classmates' presentations and take notes on what they learned. This activity helps ELLs practice language skills in a variety of ways, including research, speaking, listening, writing, and collaborating, while making learning engaging and accessible through both hands-on and digital experience. At the end I would have, students reflect as a homework assignment on how the research process and voice recording made them feel and then what new vocabulary they learned in their process. Applications like Padlet allow me to easily leave feedback and boost students' confidence.

Works Cited:

Magnifico, A. M., Lammers, J. C., & Fields, D. A. (2018). Affinity spaces, literacies, and classrooms:

    Tensions and opportunities. Literacy, 52(3), 145-153. https://doi.org/10.1111/lit.12140

Semingson, P. (2017). Digital Literacies For Young Readers and Writers. Literacy Today, 35(3), 30-

    31.https://sunyempire.idm.oclc.org/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Ftrade-

    journals/digital-literacies-young-readers-writers/docview/1966005551/se-2?accountid=8067