This document discusses literacy and the Ontario language curriculum. It explores how literacy has evolved beyond traditional reading and writing to include digital literacy, media literacy, and global literacy. The curriculum emphasizes oral communication, media studies, reading, and writing across grades 1-8. Expectations include generating and organizing ideas, revising writing, and reflecting on strengths and areas for growth. Teachers are to create an infographic representing key messages of the oral language or media studies strand, including references to curriculum documents and connections to assessment, instruction, applications, and differentiation.

1. EDUC 8P20
Week 2
2014-15

2. Professional Learning
Conversations
 15 minute discussion at tables
 Follow-up question for class

3. Going Deeper
 Why this now for them?
 In other words, why use Bitstrips and Storyline at this
time for this group of students?

4. Why this? Now? For them?
 Bitstrips is appropriate app for developing persuasive
argument
 Common Core stresses argument – pressure from
school district
 Cartoon strip fit short time frame for project but still fit
persuasive argument
 Suitable for grade 5/6
 Provided both engagement and support

5. Scaffolding Instruction
 Studied persuasive strategies with students
 Watched television commercials – connected to
students’ lives
 Brainstormed possible topics
 Students worked collaboratively to gain background
knowledge on issue
 “Persuasion Map” graphic organizer

6. Literacy
 What does it mean to be literate in the 21st. Century?

7. Malala
 Print text of Malala’s speech to the UN
 YouTube clip of address to United Nations, July, 2013
 Zen Pencil version of Malala’s story
 Online petition
 E-book: Every day is Malala Day

8. Malala Yousafzai

9. Global Literacy
 The student’s ability to connect people, places,
problems, and possibilities
 Investigate the world
 Recognize perspectives
 Communicate ideas
 Take action
 http://explore.tandfonline.com/page/ah/literacy-day
(wide selection of articles on Global Literacy
available free until Oct. 10)

10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rNhZu3ttIU

11. Malala at UN: July, 2013
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rNhZu3ttIU
 As you watch, fill in viewing sheet
 Group adds to its definition of literacy

12. In addition to reading &
writing
 Visual Literacy
 Media Literacy

13. Literacy is about more than reading and
writing – it is about how we communicate
in society. It is about social practices and
relationships, about knowledge, language
and culture. Literacy ... finds its place in
our lives alongside other ways of
communicating. Indeed, literacy itself takes
many forms: on paper, on the computer
screen, on TV, on posters and signs.
Those who use literacy take it for granted –
but those who cannot use it are excluded
from much communication in today’s world.
Indeed, it is the excluded who can best
appreciate the notion of “literacy as
freedom”.
(UNESCO, Statement for the United
Nations Literacy Decade, 2003–2012;
italics added)

14. Consider…
 How might you feel about Malala’s UN address if you
were a member of the Taliban or a government official
in Pakistan?

15. Critical Literacy
 All texts are constructions
 All texts contain belief and value messages
 Each person interprets messages differently
 Texts serve different interests
 Each medium develops its own “language” in order to
position readers/viewers in certain ways

16. Other representations…
 Social media – online petitions
 Zen Pencils
 E-books

17. Aspects of Literacy
 Reading
 Writing
 Listening
 Viewing
 Representing
 Thinking critically about ideas

18. New Literacies
 Digital Literacy
 Media Literacy
 Global Literacy
Jacobs, H. (2014). Leading the New Literacies

19. Digital Literacy
 Finding resources via keyboarding, voice, and touch
technologies
 Locating the appropriate application, tool, or website to
match problem at hand
 Tagging and organizing source material for efficient
reference
 Rendering new solutions as seen in an original app
design or software platform

20. Media Literacy
 Receptive:
 Critical analysis of information and storytelling media
modalities
 Generative:
 Use media to express informational and narrative
perspectives

21. Modern Literacy
 Modern literacy is about the evolution from traditional
reading, writing, listening, and speaking to using
multiple types of print and digital media, online
communication, and collaborative structures to enable
depth in learning and knowledge for the sake of sharing
ideas and communicating in a global society. With
modern literacy, students receive and express
communication beyond the narrow use of traditional
print.
 Tribuzzi & Fisher, 2014. Leading the New Literacies, p. 25

22. The Ontario Curriculum:
Grades 1-8 - Language
 http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/la
nguage18currb.pdf
 Launched in 2006

23. Ontario Curriculum –
Language 1-8
 Oral Communication
 1.
 2.
 Media Studies
 1.
 2.
 Reading
 1.
 2.
 Writing
 1.
 2.

24. Ontario Curriculum –
Language 1-8
 Oral Communication
 1.
 2.
 Media Studies
 1.
 2.
 Reading
 1.
 2.
 Writing
 1.
 2.

25. Curriculum expectations
are mandatory.
Overall expectations
 Describe in general terms
the knowledge and skills
students are expected to
achieve by the end of each
grade
Specific expectations
 Describe the expected
knowledge and skills in
greater detail often with
specific examples
25

26. Writing
 1. Generate, gather,
and organize ideas and
information to write for
an intended purpose
and audience
 3. Use editing, proofreading,
and publishing skills and
strategies, and knowledge of
language conventions, to
correct errors, refine
expression, and present their
work effectively
 2. Draft and revise their
writing, using a variety of
informational, literary, and
graphic forms and stylistic
elements appropriate for
the purpose and audience
 4. Reflect on and identify
their strengths as writers,
areas for improvement, and
the strategies they found
most helpful at different
stages in the writing
process

27. Facebook
2004
YouTube
2005
Instagram
2010
iPads
2010
Pinterest
2011

28. Infographic
 Information to be found in Sakai:
 Syllabus Folder
 Evaluation Component of 8P20
 Assessment tool

29. Infographic:
Each teacher candidate will create an
infographic that represents key messages
related to either the Oral Language or
Media Studies strand of the Language
curriculum. Your infographic must be
comprehensive and include pertinent
references to ministry documents, how the
strand fits into the literacy program,
connections to assessment, instructional
strategies, cross-curricular applications,
differentiated instruction, etc.
Marks for Infographic: 20%
Due: Nov. 11/12
See Appendix B for assessment tool