Fall 2013
TED619 Project:
TAKING A STAND

Literacy, Instruction, & Leadership in the 21st Century
During this course, we have examined three central course
concepts – “Literacy as Situated Practice,” “Literacy in the
Face of Deictic Technological and Social Trends,” and
“Literacy Instruction and Leadership in Today’s Schools.”
Our studies have included:
• Critical Literacy
• Culture of Poverty
• Culturally Responsive
Teaching & Culturally
Sustaining Pedagogy
• Deficit Thinking
•
•
•
•
•
Diversity
Instruction
Literacy
Leadership
Multiliteracies
•
•
•
•
New Literacies
Participatory Culture
Social Identities
Special Populations
(e.g., English Language
Learners, Students with

Taking a Stand Project
As we near the end of our
time together, I ask you to put
into practice what you have
learning about literacy
, instruction, and leadership in
the 21st century.
More specifically, I ask you to
use what you have learned to
effect change in your school
(or district). As part of this
project, you will be asked to
engage in the same cycle of
action-reflection-learning that
is common to 21st century
literacy teachers and leaders.
On the following slides, full
details of this project are
provided.

Overview
Take a Stand
Reflect
Create
Portfolio
Step-by-Step

Take a Stand
Effecting Change in Today’s Schools

The Goal of Contemporary
Literacy & Content Area Literacy Instruction:
Fostering the
multiple literacies
that are now recognized as
foundational for personal and
professional success
in today’s world

Read Choice
Articles on
BlackBoard
Read. Think. Act.
Use our coursework to effect change in your
school. Find a need. Take action. Gather
Evidence.
NOTE: I am always available to help you think
through this step. Call me any time.
Identify Need
& Act
Gather
Evidence
of the
Effects of
Your
Action

Taking a Stand: Examples
• Mentoring one teacher through
his first use of VoiceThread in a
social studies lesson
• Accompanying a novice teacher
on her first home visit and
facilitating her post-visit
reflection
• Leading the grade level team in
planning a scientific unit of study
that uses Web 2.0 technology
• Helping a student teacher to
identify a set of culturallyrelevant texts to use in his
upcoming solo lesson
• Conducting “Book Club”
lunchtime meetings for middle
school students to discuss graphic
novels
• Arranging for a professional
blogger to guest-lecture in classes
on the subject of “writing” blogs
for a career
• Collaborating with the school
librarian to reorganize part of the
library into a “learning commons”
space
• Writing and submitting a grant for
a class set of e-readers and
assorted texts

Gathering Evidence: Examples
• Students’ / Teachers’
Comments
• Circulation Figures for Books
or “Hits” on Websites
• Photographs of Redesigned
/ Improved Spaces
• Video Clip of QuestionAnswer Period at End of
Guest Lecture
• Survey / Interview
Responses
• Students’ Work / Scores
• Completed Lesson Plans /
Units of Study
• Project Logbook (daily
entries detailing your own
experiences and thoughts)
• Audio Records or Transcripts
of Book Club Discussions
• Observation of Student
Teacher’s Lesson

Reflect
Learning from Experience

Reflecting On Experience & Learning
What went really
well during my
“take a stand”
activity? What
were the
strengths of my
literacy
leadership
practice?
What did not go
as well or was
challenging?
What aspects of
my literacy
leadership
practice might
benefit from
further
development?
If I were to “Take a Stand” again, what
would I do differently? Why? What
would I do the same? Why?
Note: This step is intended to support your
thinking. No formal products are
expected, although notes of your thinking may
prove useful as you create your portfolio.
What did I learn
about “Literacy as
Situated
Practice?”
What did I learn
about “21st
Century Literacy
Instruction?”
What did I learn
about “Literacy in
the Face of Deictic
Technological and
Social Trends?”
What did I learn
about “21st
Century Literacy
Leadership?”
Moving Forward: What will I do
tomorrow, next week, next
month, and so on as a result of this
experience? How will I teach literacy
in today’s schools in the future? How
will I effect change in my school in
the future?

Create Portfolio
Sharing Your Expertise

For
(1)Complex
(2)Effecting
Change
the
final
product, you are asked
to create a portfolio.
(3)Participatory
(4)IdentityMaking
(5)Learning
This portfolio showcases
not only your Taking a
Stand activity but also
A Portfolio in 5 Sections
your
thinking
learning.
and

Literacy is Complex
Section
Today, our understandings of literacy and text have
broadened. We recognize that literacy is more than reading
and writing printed text. It is “multiliteracies” and “texts.”
Artifacts
Rationale
Provide 1 artifact that
demonstrates how your Taking
a Stand activity embodies this
aspect of literacy.
Provide a brief explanation to
help us understand your
thinking and learning.
1

Literacy is Effecting Change
Section
2
Today, we recognize that literacy is effecting change.
Humans engage in literacy practices in order to effect change
in their environments (or to accomplish other goals).
Artifacts
Rationale
Provide 2 artifacts that
demonstrate how your Taking a
Stand activity embodies this
aspect of literacy.
Provide a brief explanation to
help us understand your
thinking and learning.

Literacy is Participatory
Section
Today, we recognize that literacy is participatory. During
literacy events, humans interact
(e.g., respond, collaborate, persuade, teach) with other
humans. It’s all about us!
Artifacts
Rationale
Provide 2 artifacts that
demonstrate how your Taking a
Stand activity embodies this
aspect of literacy.
Provide a brief explanation to
help us understand your
thinking and learning.
3

Literacy is Identity-Making
Section
Today, we recognize that literacy is identity-making: “the words
and interactions being the tools we use to construct who we can
be [and who others are] in this community” (Bomer &
Bomer, 2001, p.23). Through our literacy practices, we create
“possible identities” and “shared worlds.”
Artifacts
Rationale
Provide 1 artifact that
demonstrates how your Taking
a Stand activity embodies this
aspect of literacy.
Provide a brief explanation to
help us understand your
thinking and learning.
4

Literacy is Learning
Section
5
Today, we recognize that literacy is constantly changing, and
teachers’ definitions and practices must change to reflect our new
understandings and practices. We must continuously revise our views
of literacy and adjust our teaching foci, as well as use tools and
instructional practices to prepare students for their futures. We must
learn across our careers.
Artifacts
Rationale
Provide 1 artifact that
demonstrates how your Taking
a Stand activity embodies this
aspect of literacy.
Provide a brief explanation to
help us understand your
thinking and learning.

Artifact
Artifacts are pieces of evidence that you have
gathered. Examples include (but are not
limited to) student work, summary report of
survey results, lesson plan, and audio/video
excerpts.
Key Terms
Rationale
Rationales are brief explanations. They may
be written or oral (audio- or video-taped).
They may or may not include direct quotations
of course-related materials.
Taking a Stand Activity
Activity refers to all of the work related to this
project, such as your readings, actions, and
reflection.

Identity
Identity refers to “self-understandings” or the ways
in which people “tell themselves and then try to
act as though they are who they say they are”
(Holland et al., 1998, p. 3). It also implicates telling
stories about other people (i.e., identity-making).
Key Terms
Thinking
Thinking refers to the sense you are making of our
course concepts and readings, your own ideas, and
your ongoing questions or challenges. This will
include paraphrases or direct quotations of courserelated materials.
Learning
Learning refers to the insights you’ve had about
literacy and instruction in today’s schools, as well
as about our course-related materials. The insights
may embody new knowledge, deepened or
broadened knowledge, or confirmation of existing
knowledge.

THE PROCESS
» Select Your Media
» Add Your Artifacts
» Add Your Rationales
» Add Scaffoldings and
Navigational Aids
(e.g., headings, subheadings, s
ection
dividers, paths, graphics) as
needed
» Ensure Access (for instructor
and classmates)
» Submit Portfolio (see next
slide)
•
•
•
•
Media
Powerpoint or Prezi
Presentation
Word Document
GoogleSite, Wiki, or
Webpage
LiveBinder, Dropr, or
Silk Digital Portfolio
Note: I am open to other media as well.
If you have a different form that you
would like to use, please contact me for
approval before proceeding.

SUBMIT IT
» BlackBoard
» Course Documents
» “Submit Take a Stand Projects Here”

?
How will my project be
evaluated?
Let’s Talk About It!

This project is
worth up to 68
points.
Feedback Form
I will use the
criteria listed on
the following slides
to evaluate your
work.
Project feedback will consist of a “Feedback Form” with my
judgments for each criterion, as well as qualitative comments.

Completeness [4 points]
• Uses an “approved” medium
• Includes all “required” components
– 5 sections = 7 artifacts, 7 rationales
• Includes navigational aids and graphics that
support readers/viewers’ comprehension
• Includes a “cover” page or slide with orienting
information (i.e., names of creators, project
title, date, course name/number)
• Includes a complete “References” [not “Works
Cited”] section

Taking a Stand Activity [10 points]
• Shares enough information (through artifacts
and rationales) to understand how course
member(s) chose to “take a stand”
• Is situated in the local school (or district)
• Involves literacy/instruction in the 21st century
• Is likely to improve local literacy instructional
practices and/or climate/environment

Artifacts [15 points]
• Demonstrate how the Taking a Stand activity
embodies the targeted aspect of literacy
• Provide evidence of significant thinking and
reflection about literacy/instruction/leadership
in the 21st century
– Demonstrate substantive understanding of course
materials and concepts
• Are comprehensible (e.g., highresolution, clear, and centered photographs)

Rationales [30 points]
• Are brief, concise
• Explain how artifact reflects the targeted aspect of
literacy
• Help us to understand your thinking and learning
• Provide evidence of significant thinking and
reflection about literacy/instruction/leadership in
the 21st century
– Demonstrate substantive understanding of course
materials and concepts
– Include content from numerous course materials and
course topics
– Include sufficient detail

Conventions [9 points]
• Demonstrates thoughtful attention to
audience (e.g., logical organization, precise
use of language)
• Strategically uses the affordances of the
selected media to support communication
• Error-free (i.e., conforms to all professional
standards of written academic English)
• Accurately and appropriately recognizes
others’ work (i.e., citations and references)

TIPS FOR SUCCESS
Making the Most of the Project

Be Systematic.
• Do the activity and collect
evidence.
• Gather and review all
evidence at once.
• Review course
readings, experiences, and
materials.
• Reflect.
• Sort evidence into groups
(that potentially correspond
each porfolio section).
• For each group, consider
each “artifact” in light of
the “artifact” evaluation
criteria and select those
that best fulfill the criteria.
• Draft the rationales. Check
rationales against the
“rationales” evaluation
criteria and make any
needed revisions.
• Create and “polish” the
portfolio. Check against
evaluation criteria, and
finalize portfolio. Submit.

Collaborate.
• If already working with
others:
– Split the Taking a Stand activity
and evidence gathering.
– Work together to sort and
select artifacts.
– Talk over the rationales with
each other.
– Split the work of drafting the
rationales and portfolio and
checking/revising them per
evaluation criteria.
– Designate 1 person to submit
portfolio (and ensure instructor
and all classmates have access
to portfolio).
• Whether or not working
with others:
– Ask for colleagues to
evaluate portfolio and
provide feedback
– Talk through thinking with
colleagues
– Send a section of the
portfolio to instructor for
formative feedback.
– Ask someone to check for
and correct errors in
conventions.

Be resourceful.
• Schedule time to work.
• Spread project out over
time.
• Seek support from others.
– Google for tutorials or
technical assistance.
– Call instructor with
questions or to talk over
thinking.
– Send one section to
instructor for formative
feedback.
• Refer to this
PowerPoint.
– Offers guidance about
what to include, how to
organize project, and
how project will be
graded.
Keep in mind that this project is
designed to support the
processing and application of
course content. There are no
tricks involved – projects which
follow the directions in this
presentation will receive full credit –
and I am always available to help.

Model 
NOTE: This is the first time
this project has been used in
this course. Consequently, a
completed example of this
project is not available.
However, other supports
exist, such as (a) explicit
directions [in this PPT], (b)
instructor assistance [via
phone, e-mail, or video
conference], and (c) explicit
evaluation criteria [in this
PPT].

In Conclusion…
“All children arrive at school understanding
and able to engage in only a subset of these
literacy activities; school is meant to ensure
that they all leave with a complete set.”
(Valdes et al., 2005, p. 144)

I care
about you!
Call or e-mail me with
concerns, questions, suggesti
on, and/or for help.
336-676-4250
nmmarti2@uncg.edu