Objective One:

Demonstrate understanding of different purposes and functions of literacy in one's own life. 

"To talk about literacy these days, both in school and out, is to speak of events, practices, activities, ideologies, discourses, identities (and at times to do so almost unreflectively, so much a part of our customary academic ways of thinking have these categories and terminology become)."

~ SCHOOL'S OUT ~

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When this class began, this goal was our first main focus.  As the weeks turned into months, this objective blended into the all the other objectives.  Every assignment or discussion we had began with our personal ideas and interpretations; then led to how we could use it in a classroom. The first homework assignment is the project that allotted me time to think about the purpose literacy has with every activity I do.  Below is my reading and writing log and a reflection. 

The weekend I choose to log my time spent reading and writing was not a normal weekend.  In fact, I spent the weekend at home, participating in a fishing tournament.  As a result, I do not have too much reading and writing activities because I was not in a convenient location to do these things.  Fortunately, I have enough results to analyze.  After studying my weekend trend, I was amazed at all the activities that I and society does that requires reading and comprehension.  For example, when I went to brush my teeth, I had to go through my morning bag looking for my toothpaste.  I was forced to read the container to convince myself that the tube I was holding really was toothpaste.  When I took a shower, I had to read the label on the bottle to distinguish the difference between shampoo and conditioner.  Another example came when I went to the grocery store.  I knew what I was looking for and where to go, but I had to read the labels on all the cans to make sure I purchased whole kernel corn and not cream style.  This example I know is not mentioned above, which just drives the point  I am trying to make home.  The fact is that everything in today's society requires some type of reading or comprehension.  I noticed that my life is totally succumbed by reading and writing that most times, I do not even realize my brain is reading and writing. 

At the beginning of the semester, I never thought about what my brain has to do in order to accomplish everyday tasks.   Before this class, I considered literacy the act of reading and understanding, but I only thought of this on an academic level.  I now hold the proper knowledge of literacy.  Everyday from the moment I awake, I pay attention to how I read my alarm clock, find my toothpaste, and read the numbers of different combination locks. Literacy is the core to every undertaking in our daily lives.  Whether a student is reading, writing, or verbally communicating they have to be comprehending or they would not be able to think of the proper moves to function correctly. 

Reading is a basic tool in the living of a good life.
~ Mortimer J. Adler ~

Home    Philosophy    Resume    Content Knowledge    Growth and Development    Learners and Learning    Planning and Instruction   

Management and Motivation    Communication    Learner Assessment    Reflection    Collaboration    Conclusion

Student Teaching Experiences    Secondary Literacy Pedagogy Final   

Academic    Professional    F.U.R.S.C.A.