1. Disciplinary literacy develops an increased understanding of content area and allows students to
read as content experts. Furthermore, this allows students to not only comprehend the subject, but also
master and engage in the subject. I believe the “Module 1 Recap” succinctly captures a meaningful
definition of the term “disciplinary literacy” reading “Disciplinary literacy...refers to the ability to
engage in social, semiotic, and cognitive practices consistent with those of content experts. It is
grounded in the beliefs that reading and writing are integral to disciplinary practices and that
disciplines differ not only in content but also in the ways this content is produced, communicated, and
critiqued. From this perspective literacy is no longer just a set of strategies or tools to be imported into
the disciplines to improve reading and writing of text across content areas...Being literate in a discipline
means both deep knowledge of disciplinary content and keep understanding of disciplinary ways of
making meaning” (p.2). A commonality within course readings is that “the key to developing
discipline-specific reading skills and strategies is in understanding how knowledge is presented in
characteristic patterns of language in each subject” (FS p. 3). For students to acquire this understanding
a suggestion I found could be especially beneficial is the collaboration of literacy and discipline area
teachers.
I recently accepted a middle school English teaching position. This course is directly correlated
with the material I will be teaching. This school has divided the subjects of English and Literature with
the intent that the English teacher will increase students literacy in all subject areas through
collaboration with disciplinary teachers. I am excited for the opportunity to apply several strategies
discussed throughout this course. There are very few flaws I foresee with this approach considering the
increased time that will be allotted for developing disciplinary literacy. Unlike the traditional content
area literacy pedagogy, students will not only learn to read and write a subject, but master their
comprehension and ability to engage in the subject. Fang and Coatoam accurately identify the
advantages assessed with disciplinary literacy stating “The approach is grounded in the beliefs that (a)
school subjects are disciplinary courses recontextualized for educational purposes; (b) disciplines differ
not just in content but also in the ways this content is produced, communicated, evaluated, and
renovated; (c) disciplinary practices such as reading and writing are best learned and taught within each
discipline; and (d) being literate in a discipline means understanding both disciplinary content and
disciplinary habits of mind” (p. 628). The challenge I may encounter is increasing my own awareness
of the grammatical patterns and variations among the different subject areas. However, the immense
advantages are sure to compensate for any challenges that I may encounter. The advantages students
will achieve are countless!
In collaborating with disciplinary teachers, I have learned the importance of supporting them in
their efforts to increase student literacy. I intend to identify the primary struggles these teachers are
encountering with their students and assess which strategy may prove most beneficial in resolving these
struggles. As an English teacher, I am responsible for developing students literacy through grammar,
reading, writing, researching, etc. among all content areas. I discovered that teaching students to
question the author is a crucial element in attaining comprehension and this course has addressed
numerous methods to instil this skill. I will apply several of the discussed techniques some of which
including note taking, the jigsaw strategy and stacking reading material. I am excited to begin with
simple texts and gradually increase the difficulty.
Additionally, I hope to utilize engaging activities throughout the school year by incorporating
student involvement as Guzzetti discusses in her commentary. by identifying “how