(http://www.edc.org/newsroom/articles/what_literacy). What I now note, is that that definition solely touches on reading and writing and they affect one's life. This project taught me that there are various literacies to know and implement in one's classroom. Even though my group just studied emotional literacy, by looking through the rest of the class's projects I learned a lot about other types of literacy. My understanding of what literacy is and the different types of it has definitely expanded since being in this class.
Even since I was young I knew about emotions. Every day I feel different emotions. However, I never knew there was a form of literacy that involved the types of emotions and how to appropriately express those feelings. I knew there are books about feelings, but I did not realize that they would be classified as emotional literacy. By making a project using Photobucket, it made me understand emotional literacy better. By using photographs and text to help show what emotional literacy is, it helped me better understand it. Not only do I now know what emotional literacy is, but I know what it looks like, what the benefits are, and what resources can I use to help my students learn about it. Photobucket is supposed to focus on photographs, which allows viewers to see the six universal emotions. While we can state the facts about emotional literacy in words, the pictures seem to have greater impact.
During this project I learned how to use Photobucket. I had never heard of it before my group mates decided to use it for this project. I know that there are many different types of emotions. What I learned though, is that there are only six universal emotions. What I have seen through my placement is that it is not just a parent's job to teach children how to appropriately respond to their emotions, but that it can be taught in school as well. Children can write about how to address their emotions and how to express them decently. Children can also read about their emotions in children's books.
This project also informed me that there are emotional IQ tests that children can take. I had honestly never heard of one until researching for this project. I think it would be interesting to see what students emotional IQs are. By knowing the state of my student's emotional IQs, I can better know my students. I definitely plan on having emotional literacy present in my classroom and children's lives.
I think the definition of literacy should be broader. I think people have a black and white definition of literacy and just see it as the ability to read. I have learned that there are many types of literacies and that they are all important. I have also learned that there are resources that can be found to go along with the different types of literacies. The various literacies can all affect one's life different. I will no longer look at literacy as "just literacy." My knowledge and view regarding literacy has significantly increased.
In language arts students can be presented material about the different types of literacies. Not only can they read about them, but write as well. For example, if using emotional literacy in the classroom, students can read a book about someone being sad and then write about how that book made them feel.
To provide effective literacy instruction a teacher touch use all of these different types of literacy in his/her classroom. Their students should be presented material that involves different types of literacy and students should be given the opportunity to explore them. Teachers should have material about the different types as well. A teacher should model how these types of literacies work and students should have the opportunities to explore and discuss them. Based on their life experiences students will perceive this information differently. That is also why it is important to discuss the material with students. Students should be given the opportunity to have visuals, hands on, and auditory information about each type.
It is really important for teachers to use the different types of literacy in their classrooms. After seeing all of the projects today I saw various ways to have students see and work with the topics. A goal for teachers would be to have their students be well rounded with seeing the different types of literacies. Teachers need to be able to also have resources that teaches students about literacy. Plus, the more engaging, the better. That is when the different technologies come in. Students would enjoy working with some of the technology our class presented. It is important for teachers to stay up to date with the options that are available. I hadn't heard of half of the technology our class used and took notes on the ones I liked. I hope to use them in my classroom. It will be important for students to know how the technology works and the features of it. It will also be necessary for students to know how to research and use the technology appropriately vs inappropriately. I would hope to give my students as many resources (depending on their age) as I could find to help them understand better. It is good for students to see material presented in different ways, so I would try to have a variety of options. I also think it is really important to have discussions with students about the material, which I would plan to do.
This project really opened my eyes to the different types of literacy and technology that are out there for myself and my future students to explore together.
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