2. New Strategies in English Education Articles Writing for the Instant Messaging and Text Messaging Generation: Using New Literacies to Support Writing Instruction Teaching Flexibly with Leveled Texts: More Power for your Reading Block Motivating Students to Use Newly Learned Study Strategies
3. Writing for the Instant Messaging and Text Messaging Generation: Using New Literacies to Support Writing Instruction* Today’s students communicate with each other constantly. They use Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and text messaging to socialize and share information. Although these forms of communication are often filled with slang and shorthand, they are still a valuable form of communication. In this sense, it’s more important that the exchange of ideas occurs than the style of grammar used. *Sweeny, Sheelah M. (October 2010). Writing for the Instant Messaging and Text Messaging Generation: Using New Literacies to Support Writing Instruction. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy Vol. 54. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2077567
4. Writing for the Instant Messaging and Text Messaging Generation: Using New Literacies to Support Writing Instruction Teaching students with the communication styles they use daily with their friends will increase their learning power Some examples of how teachers have integrated these new technologies in the classroom are: Using different kinds of music to stimulate writing sessions Creating assignments where students must use Twitter s several times a week to communicate with classmates Text messaging assignments to the class and receiving assignments by text
8. Teaching Flexibly with Leveled Texts: More Power for Your Reading Block Readers need variety in the levels of text available. Choose texts above and below grade levels. Build confidence in students. Use additional type of materials: Magazines Newspapers Plays Poetry anthologies Digital and Online Texts
9. Teaching Flexibly with Leveled Texts: More Power for Your Reading Block Often, I think students are grouped together by a perceived level. I like the idea in this article that students of all levels should be grouped together, but I wonder if the higher level students will be held back by their lower level counterparts. I think diversity in the classroom is key, but it does not come before learning. Teachers who use this approach should tread carefully and use check points to clarify student’s progress. I think the most important part of English Education is to teach a love of reading. Education is the door to improvement and it starts with reading. Giving a child a book is the first step in their future. More areas to explore: http://www.readwritethink.org http://www.readingrockets.org
10. Motivating Students to Use Newly Learned Study Strategies* When teaching new study strategies, teachers must make an effort to show how the new strategies may be applied Students must see the value in trying a new strategy, particularly if their current strategies are already successful. Ease of learning and use are the keys to success *Rauch M., & Fillenworth C. (April 1995). Motivating Students to Use Newly Learned Study Strategies. International Reading Association, Volume 38. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40016665
11. Motivating Students to Use Newly Learned Study Strategies Motivation factors for using new strategies Foster a positive, friendly classroom Make strategies relevant to courses Confer with students Have students keep journals Give more assignments Share your own experiences Create goal lists Offer Extra Credit
12. Motivating Students to Use Newly Learned Study Strategies I think, as an educator, one of the most important aspects is constant improvement. Motivating students to use new, better study strategies might prove difficult, especially if students are already successful. I think the new strategies would have to show better efficiency, be easier to remember, or offer some other type of reward. I’m not sure I agree with the authors that new is always better; I think it depends on what is being taught. If I were the student, I would be skeptical of any new study strategy. Usually, students have a system that works for them. I think sharing these within the classroom and providing personal testimonies might be better than using unproven methods.
13. Conclusion Overall, the number one priority of any educator should be to connect with students to empower learning. In these articles, I wanted to illustrate that change is constant. Educators must change with technology, adapt to more diverse cultures, and constantly be creative in their classrooms. Change will continue to thrive in our technology driven world and education must keep up.
