GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY
SOLUTION: REA 550 GCU Creating a Positive Learning Environment Essay
SOLUTION: REA 550 GCU Creating a Positive Learning Environment Essay.
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Running head: ENVIRONMENT
Creating a Positive Literacy Environment
Breanna Mitchell
Grand Canyon University: REA 550
sh
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October 21, 2020
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ENVIRONMENT
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Creating a Positive Literacy Environment
A literacy-rich environment is one that emphasizes reading, writing, and communicating
of all levels. In education, creating a positive literacy environment is an essential task for
educators of all age levels to encourage and promote the development of these skills. Among the
responsibilities of creating a literacy-rich environment, it is also vital for educators to implement
and maintain student engagement and motivation. Students who are engaged in the learning
process will put more effort; therefore, they will experience more positive emotions toward
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learning to increase their motivation (Stephens, 2015). Not only does this help improve academic
learning, but it also controls behavioral learning as well. Students who are engaged and
motivated are more likely to stay on task avoiding any negative behavioral actions. Overall, it is
vital for educators to plan and implement opportunities to increase student motivation and
engagement. The more opportunities that are present for them to utilize in the literacy
environment, the more positive outcome it will have for the development of essential literacy
skills.
Education is rapidly evolving; therefore, it is essential to be providing a variety of
literacy materials to reach students of all academic levels and backgrounds. Providing a variety
of digital and print materials will help increase student engagement and motivation because their
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interests are being captured, while providing them choices (Reading Rockets, 2015). Having
multiple text materials available for students will also help increase their digital literacy
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development to prepare them for society. The younger students are exposed to various media and
digital prints, the more successfully they will be able to navigate technology, keeping them
engaged in learning. Nevertheless, with various resources being provided to students, clear
expectations and routines need to be established for effective usage. Educators can even
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ENVIRONMENT
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collaborate with students to establish rules and procedures for handling technology and print
resources in the classroom. The collaboration among educators and students allows students to
know their boundaries, what resources are available to them, and the extent of their usage to
increase their motivation and engagement to learn.
With technology evolving and its increasing complexity, it is essential for educators to
understand how to integrate technology in appropriate and effective ways to enhance instruction.
For many educators, this can be a daunting task. Nevertheless, having the necessary supports will
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ease the transition of integrating technology. Depending on the grade and school type educators
teach in, a variety of digital technologies may be available such as Chromebooks, iPads, tablets,
Smart Board, Elmo, etc. Together, we’d collaborate weekly to evaluate what resources are
available and how they can be integrated effectively into instruction. This is also largely
dependent on the age level of students so they are using technology appropriately and safely. For
example, educators can integrate Smart Boards into instruction by providing interactive reading
and writing opportunities, or even listening to stories and completing a comprehension activity.
If a classroom has its own set of Chromebooks, students can use these during literacy centers to
work on key literacy skills like letters/sounds, rhyming, reading pattern books, etc. For older
grades, this could look like using digital technology as a way of assessing student work like
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portfolios or even videos. Integrating digital literacies is an effective strategy in contributing to a
positive literacy environment.
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Another effective strategy for promoting individual and collaborative learning among the
literacy environment is to plan and implement literacy groups. Students of all academic levels
should be placed in a group that targets specific skills need for their development. Educators can
even place a few of the higher performing students in with students at grade level to help
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ENVIRONMENT
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challenge them. During group time, educators should be providing activities that allow students
to grow, as well as collaborate with their peers. Doing so will help students challenge themselves
individually, as well as cooperatively learn from each other (Nordell, 2017). For example, this
could be partner reading a story together, or facilitating discussions about making predictions,
comprehension, etc. When students are provided opportunities to target specific learning skills to
individually excel, as well as collaborate with their peers, the more beneficial it will be for
developing key literacy skills for their academic career.
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Understanding students’ developmental, behavioral, and academic levels is essential to
incorporating effective literacy instruction. For young learners such as kindergarteners, a variety
of strategies can be used to implement literacy. One strategy educators can use are the use of
digital technologies such as a smart board or Chromebooks for interactive reading and writing
activities. Not only will using these digital technologies capture their interests, but it will help
increase engagement, motivation, and help them become digitally literate. These factors
contribute to a positive literacy environment as students engage in intentionally selected literacy
materials to aid their development. Another strategy educators can use to contribute to the
literacy environment are anchor charts. Anchor charts are visually pleasing, can be created using
collaboration, and contribute to students’ reading, writing and communication development.
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Creating anchor charts allows students to contribute to the greater whole of the classroom
environment, while being able to reference these charts for future learning. It also helps build
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their confidence whenever they need to refer the chart.
Establishing routines is an essential aspect of creating a positive literacy environment.
Designing a classroom environment that is effective must include routines for students to be
successful. The routines can range from classroom procedures, routines of accessing materials,
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ENVIRONMENT
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and even learning routines such as learning partners when facilitating discussions. When routines
and procedures are clearly established, students are aware of the expectations which can lead to
increased engagement and motivation (Lynch, 2020). Not only can this increase their
engagement, but it also helps limit the amount of negative behavioral actions that could take
away from contributing to a positive classroom environment. For example, clear routines and
procedures should be set for literacy centers as this is the time for educators to meet with small
groups to target specific skills. Clear routines allow for students to work on key literacy skills
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independently, while staying engaged and motivated throughout the entire duration. When the
whole group understands these procedures, it contributes to an environment that is welcoming,
safe, and inviting to learn.
As a reading specialist, advocating for diverse classroom and school environments is
essential for the success of all educational stakeholders. Supporting and adhering to culturally
responsive instruction will simultaneously promote diverse, rich instruction while also tending to
Christian Worldviews. Culturally responsive instruction is a pedagogical approach recognizes
and utilizes students’ cultural backgrounds and abilities in all aspects of learning (Burnham,
2020). Reading specialists must support school environments by making sure a variety of
resources are available that meet students’ cultural and academic needs. This is vital for inclusion
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as instruction is designed to promote equity, strengthen students’ sense of identity, and to
increase collaboration. It is also essential to support schools to provide authentic learning
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experiences that can activate students’ prior knowledge. When students can connect their
individual experiences to their learning, they will feel supported and more engaged to learn.
Lastly, supporting schools and classrooms must require educators to build meaningful
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ENVIRONMENT
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relationships with their students. Strong relationships build a form of trust, which increases an
inclusive atmosphere of a classroom and overall school environment.
Schools and communities of all types house students of various cultural backgrounds;
therefore, as the reading specialist, it is essential to be advocating for equity among students at
the school, district, and community level. To make sure students are being prepared for success,
students should have access to resources for their academic development (Barrett, 2018). In
schools and districts, this means having access to materials to meet their needs, and being
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provided fair opportunities to learn and excel. For equity among the community, supporting local
libraries and community educational nights can help ensure student success. It is vital students
are bridging the gap between school and their community to be successful. This can only be done
if collaboration and equity is encouraged and utilized among educational stakeholders and the
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community.
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ENVIRONMENT
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References
Barrett, L. (2018, October 02). 20 ways to bring more equity to your literacy instruction.
Retrieved from https://www.weareteachers.com/equity-literacy/
Burnham, K. (2020, July 31). Culturally responsive teaching: 5 strategies for educators.
Retrieved from https://www.northeastern.edu/graduate/blog/culturally-responsiveteaching-strategies/
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Lynch, E. (2020). Elements of a literacy-rich 21st century classroom. Retrieved
from https://www.sadlier.com/school/ela-blog/3-elements-of-a-literacy-rich-classroomenvironment
Nordell, S. (2017, October 3). Benefits of group work. Retrieved
from https://teachingcenter.wustl.edu/resources/active-learning/group-work-inclass/benefits-of-group-work/
Reading Rockets. (2015, August 31). Literacy-rich environments. Retrieved from
https://www.readingrockets.org/article/literacy-rich-environments
Stephens, T. (2015). Encouraging positive student engagements and motivation: Tips for
teachers. Pearson Education. Retrieved from https://www.pearsoned.com/education-
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blog/encouraging-positive-student-engagement-and-motivation-tips-for-teachers/
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Running head: CFE C
Clinical Field Experience C
Breanna Mitchell
Grand Canyon University: REA 550
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October 28, 2020
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CFE C
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Clinical Field Experience C
For this field experience, I implemented my digital literacy lesson plan that
featured Heidi Songs to help teach and reinforce sight words to my kindergarten students. Their
independent work included identifying and highlighting sight words, featured in Heidi Songs, in
an emergent reader text.
Utilizing digital technology comes naturally as the technology that’s available to me at
my school district is similar to what I used in my undergraduate studies. Even as an educator,
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using technology keeps me engaged for teaching the instruction and is visually appealing. With
technology rapidly advancing, there are so many resources that can be incorporated into
instruction. For teaching literacy digitally, it also helps students develop their digital literacy
skills to prepare them for society. Students learn how to navigate technology while learning
essential skills. Overall, teaching digital literacies is a normality for me and how I implement
instruction. We are living in a technological society and students should be provided with
resources, materials, and content that utilizes digital technology while learning essential skills.
Utilizing the smart board to project Heidi Songs had an impact on other literacy aspects
of the lesson. Visual aspects of literacy were enhanced as the words were displayed in a bright
manner and students used hand gestures/motions to represent and spell each word. Not only were
Th
they appealing visually, but it reinforced textual literacy by encouraging directionality of spelling
and writing words. Heidi Songs reinforces correct letter formation and directionality through
learners.
sh
music and movement, which helps increase engagement and reach visual, aural, and kinesthetic
As I reflect on the effectiveness of the lesson, it went very well. I noticed that when I
incorporate more technology and use it in various ways, student engagement is higher than when
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CFE C
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I do not. During the guided portion of the lesson when students built sight words via whole
group, I noticed that some of my emerging learners struggled to stay at the pace we were
building. For future implementations, I would take this as an opportunity to remediate in a small
group with these students. Each student learns at their own pace, and this can be especially
difficult for emerging learners who have not mastered their letters and sounds yet. For the
independent practice, students demonstrated their understanding of the sight words we learned
by highlighting the ones they read. I even had above grade-level students work in pairs with
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emerging learners to help build their confidence and support their learning.
For my future professional practice, utilizing digital technology can meet the needs of my
diverse learners in my classroom. To implement technology effectively, it is essential to align the
digital resources to the standards. From here, designing digital literacy instruction can be carried
out to meet all students’ needs visually, kinesthetically, and aurally. Depending on the skills that
are being targeted, for example, digital reading instruction can be used which can meet diverse
academic levels. Overall, researching resources and materials to integrate into digital literacy
lessons is most beneficial when meeting the needs of diverse learners. I can use this information
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to guide my instructional decisions with future groups of students.
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Running head: CREATING A POSITIVE LITERACY ENVIRONMENT BENCHMARK
CREATING A POSITIVE LITERACY ENVIRONMENT BENCHMARK
Cheresa Gilzean
Grand Canyon University: REA 550
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4/21/2021
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CREATING A POSITIVE LITERACY ENVIRONMENT
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CREATING A POSITIVE LITERACY ENVIRONMENT
A bell rings, signally the start of 6th period. John, who at one point was a reluctant
learner and a student with severe behavior issues, enters my classroom. He greets me with a
smile, takes his seat, and immediately beings to log into his Chromebook to start his first
assignment of the day. He’s working on completing a social emotional learning (SEL) daily
check in assignment in which he is able to draw out how he feels and will later be able to share it
with his classmates. After the SEL assignment is completed, John remains seated and quiet
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waiting for the next prompt which is to complete a short four question warm up assignment
about the Mayan calendar. He not only successfully completes it, but is able to participate by
sharing evidence for correct answers. What has just occurred in order for a student such as John
to show a desire to want to learn? Motivation. John has been intrinsically motivated to want to
engage appropriately in the classroom. From the time John enters the room, he has had several
occasions to positively interact with his environment. He walks in, he greets me. I greet him
back with a smile welcoming him into my classroom. Once he is in the room, he has a routine in
which he knows he must follow, log into his Chromebook and complete a simple SEL activity,
“Draw out (digitally) how are you feeling” John takes pleasure in this as he is able to draw or
select a funny image about his day as well as look at his classmates’ drawings. With these few
actions in place, it helps maintain a positive yet exciting environment that preps the students to
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want to become an active participant with their learning. Because of this, John feels more
comfortable not only completing his work, but raising his hand to answer questions correctly.
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Without motivation, there cannot be authentic engagement. Likewise, without engagement, there
is no motivation or desire to want to learn. It is one of the main jobs that teachers each day are
responsible for. Motivation. According to dictionary.com the definition of motivation is, “the act
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CREATING A POSITIVE LITERACY ENVIRONMENT
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or an instance of motivating, or providing with a reason to act in a certain way (Dictionary.com
2021). Throughout this essay, strategic steps will be discussed that support student engagement
through the use of digital resources.
Because our educational settings have changed, educators must now seek to provide
meaningful and intentional ways to implement student collaboration in a digital world. One of
my most favored student applications that lends itself tremendously to student collaboration is
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Zoom Breakout rooms. Zoom, a video conferencing platform, allows for teachers and students to
connect with each other virtually through video conferences. The teacher can also create
“breakout rooms” and assign students to them so that the students can work together to
collaborate on a shared topic or idea. One of my favorite activities that I love to use in my
classroom is one that I actually learned from my mentor teacher this year. I observed her placing
students in their breakout rooms with no more than 3 students to a group. She then created one
multi google slide presentation in which each group has their own slide that they type responses
into. Students are given an engaging thought-provoking text as well as an open-ended question
or prompt and encouraged to discuss their ideas and place them in their assigned slide. The
responses were easily shared as she had them do a “Virtual gallery walk” to look at their
classmates’ slides. Because of this strategy, students were able to feel comfortable with
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collaborating with each other while producing quality work.
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While there are a plethora of educational websites and apps available to parents, schools,
students, and teachers, It is always necessary to ensure the quality and validity of the program
prior to using it (Bolden, 2019). In order for digital technologies to be deemed appropriate, safe
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CREATING A POSITIVE LITERACY ENVIRONMENT
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and effective, I would help conduct trainings to use literary platforms for all teachers and staff. I
feel that training allows teachers to grasp an understanding of how the program can be properly
utilized in the classroom. Trainings during PLCs, webinars, or face to face in socially distant
areas. At these trainings, teachers will be given the “who is the program for, what does it
do/measure, when can it be used, where can it be used, why use it, and how to use the program.
Teachers should also be given the opportunity to see the program through the lens of a student.
This means the teacher thoroughly tests out the program by viewing it in the format that a
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student would in order to anticipate possible issues that may present themselves with students.
Researching the program can also prevent exposing your student a program or website they are
not mentally or emotionally prepared for. For an example, suppose a teacher shows a video that
she has not previewed. She is reading about skateboarding and feels she’d like to show
something cool and quick that hooks the students before reading. Unbeknownst, she plays a
video of a skateboarder that contains foul language or drug usage and has now exposed her
students to something they may not have been ready for. In a case like this, I would advise the
teacher to always be prepared by first practice using or viewing any form of technology and
providing students with routines to be used in class.
In order to promote a positive literacy environment, I believe teachers must create solid
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routines, incorporate silent reading time, and create a welcoming environment. As stated earlier,
one reason John was motivated and engaged was because he had routines. He knew exactly what
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to do, when to do it, and how to do it. Students, even adults, need specific instructions and
routines to become successful experts at what they are doing. Giving students routines creates a
predictable outcome for them and helps them be able to focus on the new concept they are
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CREATING A POSITIVE LITERACY ENVIRONMENT
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acquiring (Edutopia, 2019). Routines take out the guessing and lack of structure in a literary
classroom. Anytime any new concept, skill, or action is presented in class, it must be preceded
with a routine of how to do it. This routine should be revisited every day until it becomes natural
for students. Allowing the students to select their own text from a variety of books in your
classroom can open up a love for reading even in the most reluctant reader. Keeping classroom
libraries clearly labeled, neatly stocked, and seasonally rotated, makes reading more attractive
for students (Stiles L., 2016). Having a class library that is neatly stocked and rotated will allow
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the students to feel as though, no matter what, there is always a book available that appeals to
their interests. Labeling the books by genre and level help make book selection and browsing
quicker. In the beginning of the year, prior to deeply diving into independent reading, I would
create a short survey asking students what the types of things are they are interested in. This
survey will be used to help me discuss the diverse populations we have in our classrooms with
stakeholders as well as know exactly what to pray for so that I can better serve my students.
Exposing my students to societal issues through text and allowing them ways to solve world
issues would be another way I would create a culturally responsive classroom. Lastly, in order to
maintain a positive literary environment is to design it to be welcoming. The classroom should
be a place of inclusivity which means no matter the background or need, all students should feel
welcomed. Physical characteristics of a classroom that support inclusivity is furniture grouping,
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organization, decoration, and color scheme. (ASD Whole Child Bloggers, 2011). Desks should
be arranged in a way that easily allows for collaboration. A new trend in many classrooms is
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flexible seating which allows students to sit comfortably on nontraditional school furniture like
medicine balls and couches for the purpose of allowing them to focus and concentrate. Anchors
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CREATING A POSITIVE LITERACY ENVIRONMENT
of support and motivational posters also help students process information while maintaining a
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level of confidence in themselves and work.
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6
CREATING A POSITIVE LITERACY ENVIRONMENT
References
ASCD Whole Child Bloggers by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers. (2011, August 18). Designing a
Classroom for Inclusive Learning. Whole Child Education.
http://www.wholechildeducation.org/blog/designing-a-classroom-for-inclusive-learning.
Bolden, F. (2019, October 11). Technology in the Classroom: What is Digital Literacy?
TeachHUB. https://www.teachhub.com/technology-in-theclassroom/2019/10/technology-in-the-classroom-what-is-digital-literacy/.
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Edutopia, 2019 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9ynlPs_NTM
Dictionary.com 2021 Motivation. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/motivation.
Heron-Hruby, A., Trent, B., & Stiles, L. (2016). Creating a Dynamic Classroom Library: A
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Visual-Media, Learning Commons Approach. Kentucky English Bulletin, 65(2), 26–33.
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Running head: CFE C
Clinical Field Experience C
Breanna Mitchell
Grand Canyon University: REA 550
sh
Th
October 28, 2020
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CFE C
2
Clinical Field Experience C
For this field experience, I implemented my digital literacy lesson plan that
featured Heidi Songs to help teach and reinforce sight words to my kindergarten students. Their
independent work included identifying and highlighting sight words, featured in Heidi Songs, in
an emergent reader text.
Utilizing digital technology comes naturally as the technology that’s available to me at
my school district is similar to what I used in my undergraduate studies. Even as an educator,
is
ar stu
ed d
vi y re
aC s
o
ou urc
rs e
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m
using technology keeps me engaged for teaching the instruction and is visually appealing. With
technology rapidly advancing, there are so many resources that can be incorporated into
instruction. For teaching literacy digitally, it also helps students develop their digital literacy
skills to prepare them for society. Students learn how to navigate technology while learning
essential skills. Overall, teaching digital literacies is a normality for me and how I implement
instruction. We are living in a technological society and students should be provided with
resources, materials, and content that utilizes digital technology while learning essential skills.
Utilizing the smart board to project Heidi Songs had an impact on other literacy aspects
of the lesson. Visual aspects of literacy were enhanced as the words were displayed in a bright
manner and students used hand gestures/motions to represent and spell each word. Not only were
Th
they appealing visually, but it reinforced textual literacy by encouraging directionality of spelling
and writing words. Heidi Songs reinforces correct letter formation and directionality through
learners.
sh
music and movement, which helps increase engagement and reach visual, aural, and kinesthetic
As I reflect on the effectiveness of the lesson, it went very well. I noticed that when I
incorporate more technology and use it in various ways, student engagement is higher than when
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CFE C
3
I do not. During the guided portion of the lesson when students built sight words via whole
group, I noticed that some of my emerging learners struggled to stay at the pace we were
building. For future implementations, I would take this as an opportunity to remediate in a small
group with these students. Each student learns at their own pace, and this can be especially
difficult for emerging learners who have not mastered their letters and sounds yet. For the
independent practice, students demonstrated their understanding of the sight words we learned
by highlighting the ones they read. I even had above grade-level students work in pairs with
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emerging learners to help build their confidence and support their learning.
For my future professional practice, utilizing digital technology can meet the needs of my
diverse learners in my classroom. To implement technology effectively, it is essential to align the
digital resources to the standards. From here, designing digital literacy instruction can be carried
out to meet all students’ needs visually, kinesthetically, and aurally. Depending on the skills that
are being targeted, for example, digital reading instruction can be used which can meet diverse
academic levels. Overall, researching resources and materials to integrate into digital literacy
lessons is most beneficial when meeting the needs of diverse learners. I can use this information
sh
Th
to guide my instructional decisions with future groups of students.
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Running head: CREATING LITERACY ENVIRONMENTS
Creating Literacy Environments
Cheresa Gilzean
Grand Canyon University: REA 550
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3/23/2021
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1
CREATING LITERACY ENVIRONMENTS
2
Creating Literacy Environments
As we cope with our ever-changing world, it is important that we as educators quickly
adapt to the literary needs of our students. Literary needs of our students consist of providing
opportunities to engage with texts through “Listening, reading, writing, and speaking” (About
The Author TeachThought Staff TeachThought is an organization dedicated to innovation in
education through the growth of outstanding teachers., 2017). Students are able to do this if they
are immersed in literary enriched environments. Because our educational settings have changed
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from physical face-to-face settings to a virtual setting, Educators must now create engaging
literary environments.
Because we are in a pandemic, I now use Nearpod, an interactive educational platform
that makes literacy engaging in my class. With Nearpod, I am able to create interactive slides the
students can work on whole group, small groups, and independently on. Nearpod allows me to
play videos, upload texts, assign quizzes, take students on virtual tours, post discussions on an
interactive board and so much more. My favorite activity is the “draw” activity that enables
students to draw out their ideas based upon the questions I give them. I typically Zoom in with
my at home and in person students simultaneously and start my Nearpod lesson with this. I
always ask a Social Emotional Learning question like, “draw how you are feeling today.”
According to, “Classrooms with warm teacher-child relationships support deep learning and
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positive emotional development among students” (Schonert-Reichl, K. (2017). By incorporating
SEL questions, I am able to get a quick emotional check prior to teaching my lesson. This helps
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me know exactly how to make my students feel comfortable and how to present it. We also share
our photos online with the class so we can see how everyone is doing and it helps the at home
students connect with my in-person students.
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CREATING LITERACY ENVIRONMENTS
3
Again, due to being in a pandemic, our students are not allowed to sit close to each other, so I
often use breakout rooms. With Zoom breakout rooms, I can assign students into small groups
where they are able to read, highlight, take notes, and discuss a text I’ve given them through their
Nearpod, digital textbook, or google document. Of these ways, I love using google slides
because it enables me to share an entire document with the class so students can work together
on the same slide. Everyone working in the same document, but separate slides allow us to see
each other’s work (almost like a gallery walk). Notes are typically given on the slide, or sent to
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students through google classroom, digital hub where students can receive assignments and
notifications regarding classwork.
I believe that in order for students to be immersed in a literacy rich environment, I must
provide my students with an array of books to choose from. I typically organize my books into
book baskets and label them according to the genre they belong to. I also love to display picture
books on the top of my shelf because it draws the students to the bookshelf. Researching novels
that are popular and appropriate among my student age group has also helped me in selecting the
best quality for books for my class Library. I also use Sora Library. Sora is a digital library that
enables students to read books online. Student digitally browse selections and genres, can
preview a text, check out a book, check it back in, or place it on hold if it is not available.
By using these types of platforms, resources, and strategies, students are able to receive
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the social interaction as well as develop self-motivating skills they need in order to be successful
in literacy. Without these types of literacy environments, students may not be able to reap the
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benefits of individual and collaborative learning. For example, when I allow my students to
respond to an open-ended question, they are able to, “reflect on their own thinking as well as
prepare for small group and whole group collaboration.” (Puntambekar, 1999). Students can
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CREATING LITERACY ENVIRONMENTS
share individual writing while their classmates and ask clarifying questions. While this is
happening, they are learning multiple skills of social communication. Volunteering to share
information also gives students a sense of pride especially when their classmates verbalize that
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they enjoy their writing.
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4
CREATING LITERACY ENVIRONMENTS
References
About The Author TeachThought Staff TeachThought is an organization dedicated to innovation
in education through the growth of outstanding teachers. (2017, August 30). The
Elements Of A Literacy-Rich Classroom Environment. TeachThought.
https://www.teachthought.com/literacy/the-elements-of-a-literacy-rich-classroomenvironment/.
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Schonert-Reichl, K. (2017). Social and Emotional Learning and Teachers. The Future of Children,
27(1), 137-155. Retrieved March 23, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/44219025
Puntambekar, S. (1999). An integrated approach to individual and collaborative learning in a
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web-based learning environment.
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Running head: ENVIRONMENT
Creating a Positive Literacy Environment
Breanna Mitchell
Grand Canyon University: REA 550
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October 21, 2020
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ENVIRONMENT
2
Creating a Positive Literacy Environment
A literacy-rich environment is one that emphasizes reading, writing, and communicating
of all levels. In education, creating a positive literacy environment is an essential task for
educators of all age levels to encourage and promote the development of these skills. Among the
responsibilities of creating a literacy-rich environment, it is also vital for educators to implement
and maintain student engagement and motivation. Students who are engaged in the learning
process will put more effort; therefore, they will experience more positive emotions toward
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learning to increase their motivation (Stephens, 2015). Not only does this help improve academic
learning, but it also controls behavioral learning as well. Students who are engaged and
motivated are more likely to stay on task avoiding any negative behavioral actions. Overall, it is
vital for educators to plan and implement opportunities to increase student motivation and
engagement. The more opportunities that are present for them to utilize in the literacy
environment, the more positive outcome it will have for the development of essential literacy
skills.
Education is rapidly evolving; therefore, it is essential to be providing a variety of
literacy materials to reach students of all academic levels and backgrounds. Providing a variety
of digital and print materials will help increase student engagement and motivation because their
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interests are being captured, while providing them choices (Reading Rockets, 2015). Having
multiple text materials available for students will also help increase their digital literacy
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development to prepare them for society. The younger students are exposed to various media and
digital prints, the more successfully they will be able to navigate technology, keeping them
engaged in learning. Nevertheless, with various resources being provided to students, clear
expectations and routines need to be established for effective usage. Educators can even
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ENVIRONMENT
3
collaborate with students to establish rules and procedures for handling technology and print
resources in the classroom. The collaboration among educators and students allows students to
know their boundaries, what resources are available to them, and the extent of their usage to
increase their motivation and engagement to learn.
With technology evolving and its increasing complexity, it is essential for educators to
understand how to integrate technology in appropriate and effective ways to enhance instruction.
For many educators, this can be a daunting task. Nevertheless, having the necessary supports will
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ease the transition of integrating technology. Depending on the grade and school type educators
teach in, a variety of digital technologies may be available such as Chromebooks, iPads, tablets,
Smart Board, Elmo, etc. Together, we’d collaborate weekly to evaluate what resources are
available and how they can be integrated effectively into instruction. This is also largely
dependent on the age level of students so they are using technology appropriately and safely. For
example, educators can integrate Smart Boards into instruction by providing interactive reading
and writing opportunities, or even listening to stories and completing a comprehension activity.
If a classroom has its own set of Chromebooks, students can use these during literacy centers to
work on key literacy skills like letters/sounds, rhyming, reading pattern books, etc. For older
grades, this could look like using digital technology as a way of assessing student work like
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portfolios or even videos. Integrating digital literacies is an effective strategy in contributing to a
positive literacy environment.
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Another effective strategy for promoting individual and collaborative learning among the
literacy environment is to plan and implement literacy groups. Students of all academic levels
should be placed in a group that targets specific skills need for their development. Educators can
even place a few of the higher performing students in with students at grade level to help
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ENVIRONMENT
4
challenge them. During group time, educators should be providing activities that allow students
to grow, as well as collaborate with their peers. Doing so will help students challenge themselves
individually, as well as cooperatively learn from each other (Nordell, 2017). For example, this
could be partner reading a story together, or facilitating discussions about making predictions,
comprehension, etc. When students are provided opportunities to target specific learning skills to
individually excel, as well as collaborate with their peers, the more beneficial it will be for
developing key literacy skills for their academic career.
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Understanding students’ developmental, behavioral, and academic levels is essential to
incorporating effective literacy instruction. For young learners such as kindergarteners, a variety
of strategies can be used to implement literacy. One strategy educators can use are the use of
digital technologies such as a smart board or Chromebooks for interactive reading and writing
activities. Not only will using these digital technologies capture their interests, but it will help
increase engagement, motivation, and help them become digitally literate. These factors
contribute to a positive literacy environment as students engage in intentionally selected literacy
materials to aid their development. Another strategy educators can use to contribute to the
literacy environment are anchor charts. Anchor charts are visually pleasing, can be created using
collaboration, and contribute to students’ reading, writing and communication development.
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Creating anchor charts allows students to contribute to the greater whole of the classroom
environment, while being able to reference these charts for future learning. It also helps build
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their confidence whenever they need to refer the chart.
Establishing routines is an essential aspect of creating a positive literacy environment.
Designing a classroom environment that is effective must include routines for students to be
successful. The routines can range from classroom procedures, routines of accessing materials,
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ENVIRONMENT
5
and even learning routines such as learning partners when facilitating discussions. When routines
and procedures are clearly established, students are aware of the expectations which can lead to
increased engagement and motivation (Lynch, 2020). Not only can this increase their
engagement, but it also helps limit the amount of negative behavioral actions that could take
away from contributing to a positive classroom environment. For example, clear routines and
procedures should be set for literacy centers as this is the time for educators to meet with small
groups to target specific skills. Clear routines allow for students to work on key literacy skills
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independently, while staying engaged and motivated throughout the entire duration. When the
whole group understands these procedures, it contributes to an environment that is welcoming,
safe, and inviting to learn.
As a reading specialist, advocating for diverse classroom and school environments is
essential for the success of all educational stakeholders. Supporting and adhering to culturally
responsive instruction will simultaneously promote diverse, rich instruction while also tending to
Christian Worldviews. Culturally responsive instruction is a pedagogical approach recognizes
and utilizes students’ cultural backgrounds and abilities in all aspects of learning (Burnham,
2020). Reading specialists must support school environments by making sure a variety of
resources are available that meet students’ cultural and academic needs. This is vital for inclusion
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as instruction is designed to promote equity, strengthen students’ sense of identity, and to
increase collaboration. It is also essential to support schools to provide authentic learning
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experiences that can activate students’ prior knowledge. When students can connect their
individual experiences to their learning, they will feel supported and more engaged to learn.
Lastly, supporting schools and classrooms must require educators to build meaningful
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ENVIRONMENT
6
relationships with their students. Strong relationships build a form of trust, which increases an
inclusive atmosphere of a classroom and overall school environment.
Schools and communities of all types house students of various cultural backgrounds;
therefore, as the reading specialist, it is essential to be advocating for equity among students at
the school, district, and community level. To make sure students are being prepared for success,
students should have access to resources for their academic development (Barrett, 2018). In
schools and districts, this means having access to materials to meet their needs, and being
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provided fair opportunities to learn and excel. For equity among the community, supporting local
libraries and community educational nights can help ensure student success. It is vital students
are bridging the gap between school and their community to be successful. This can only be done
if collaboration and equity is encouraged and utilized among educational stakeholders and the
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community.
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ENVIRONMENT
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References
Barrett, L. (2018, October 02). 20 ways to bring more equity to your literacy instruction.
Retrieved from https://www.weareteachers.com/equity-literacy/
Burnham, K. (2020, July 31). Culturally responsive teaching: 5 strategies for educators.
Retrieved from https://www.northeastern.edu/graduate/blog/culturally-responsiveteaching-strategies/
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Lynch, E. (2020). Elements of a literacy-rich 21st century classroom. Retrieved
from https://www.sadlier.com/school/ela-blog/3-elements-of-a-literacy-rich-classroomenvironment
Nordell, S. (2017, October 3). Benefits of group work. Retrieved
from https://teachingcenter.wustl.edu/resources/active-learning/group-work-inclass/benefits-of-group-work/
Reading Rockets. (2015, August 31). Literacy-rich environments. Retrieved from
https://www.readingrockets.org/article/literacy-rich-environments
Stephens, T. (2015). Encouraging positive student engagements and motivation: Tips for
teachers. Pearson Education. Retrieved from https://www.pearsoned.com/education-
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blog/encouraging-positive-student-engagement-and-motivation-tips-for-teachers/
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Running head: CFE C
Clinical Field Experience C
Breanna Mitchell
Grand Canyon University: REA 550
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October 28, 2020
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CFE C
2
Clinical Field Experience C
For this field experience, I implemented my digital literacy lesson plan that
featured Heidi Songs to help teach and reinforce sight words to my kindergarten students. Their
independent work included identifying and highlighting sight words, featured in Heidi Songs, in
an emergent reader text.
Utilizing digital technology comes naturally as the technology that’s available to me at
my school district is similar to what I used in my undergraduate studies. Even as an educator,
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using technology keeps me engaged for teaching the instruction and is visually appealing. With
technology rapidly advancing, there are so many resources that can be incorporated into
instruction. For teaching literacy digitally, it also helps students develop their digital literacy
skills to prepare them for society. Students learn how to navigate technology while learning
essential skills. Overall, teaching digital literacies is a normality for me and how I implement
instruction. We are living in a technological society and students should be provided with
resources, materials, and content that utilizes digital technology while learning essential skills.
Utilizing the smart board to project Heidi Songs had an impact on other literacy aspects
of the lesson. Visual aspects of literacy were enhanced as the words were displayed in a bright
manner and students used hand gestures/motions to represent and spell each word. Not only were
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they appealing visually, but it reinforced textual literacy by encouraging directionality of spelling
and writing words. Heidi Songs reinforces correct letter formation and directionality through
learners.
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music and movement, which helps increase engagement and reach visual, aural, and kinesthetic
As I reflect on the effectiveness of the lesson, it went very well. I noticed that when I
incorporate more technology and use it in various ways, student engagement is higher than when
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CFE C
3
I do not. During the guided portion of the lesson when students built sight words via whole
group, I noticed that some of my emerging learners struggled to stay at the pace we were
building. For future implementations, I would take this as an opportunity to remediate in a small
group with these students. Each student learns at their own pace, and this can be especially
difficult for emerging learners who have not mastered their letters and sounds yet. For the
independent practice, students demonstrated their understanding of the sight words we learned
by highlighting the ones they read. I even had above grade-level students work in pairs with
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emerging learners to help build their confidence and support their learning.
For my future professional practice, utilizing digital technology can meet the needs of my
diverse learners in my classroom. To implement technology effectively, it is essential to align the
digital resources to the standards. From here, designing digital literacy instruction can be carried
out to meet all students’ needs visually, kinesthetically, and aurally. Depending on the skills that
are being targeted, for example, digital reading instruction can be used which can meet diverse
academic levels. Overall, researching resources and materials to integrate into digital literacy
lessons is most beneficial when meeting the needs of diverse learners. I can use this information
sh
Th
to guide my instructional decisions with future groups of students.
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Running head: CREATING A POSITIVE LITERACY ENVIRONMENT BENCHMARK
CREATING A POSITIVE LITERACY ENVIRONMENT BENCHMARK
Cheresa Gilzean
Grand Canyon University: REA 550
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4/21/2021
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1
CREATING A POSITIVE LITERACY ENVIRONMENT
2
CREATING A POSITIVE LITERACY ENVIRONMENT
A bell rings, signally the start of 6th period. John, who at one point was a reluctant
learner and a student with severe behavior issues, enters my classroom. He greets me with a
smile, takes his seat, and immediately beings to log into his Chromebook to start his first
assignment of the day. He’s working on completing a social emotional learning (SEL) daily
check in assignment in which he is able to draw out how he feels and will later be able to share it
with his classmates. After the SEL assignment is completed, John remains seated and quiet
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waiting for the next prompt which is to complete a short four question warm up assignment
about the Mayan calendar. He not only successfully completes it, but is able to participate by
sharing evidence for correct answers. What has just occurred in order for a student such as John
to show a desire to want to learn? Motivation. John has been intrinsically motivated to want to
engage appropriately in the classroom. From the time John enters the room, he has had several
occasions to positively interact with his environment. He walks in, he greets me. I greet him
back with a smile welcoming him into my classroom. Once he is in the room, he has a routine in
which he knows he must follow, log into his Chromebook and complete a simple SEL activity,
“Draw out (digitally) how are you feeling” John takes pleasure in this as he is able to draw or
select a funny image about his day as well as look at his classmates’ drawings. With these few
actions in place, it helps maintain a positive yet exciting environment that preps the students to
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want to become an active participant with their learning. Because of this, John feels more
comfortable not only completing his work, but raising his hand to answer questions correctly.
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Without motivation, there cannot be authentic engagement. Likewise, without engagement, there
is no motivation or desire to want to learn. It is one of the main jobs that teachers each day are
responsible for. Motivation. According to dictionary.com the definition of motivation is, “the act
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CREATING A POSITIVE LITERACY ENVIRONMENT
3
or an instance of motivating, or providing with a reason to act in a certain way (Dictionary.com
2021). Throughout this essay, strategic steps will be discussed that support student engagement
through the use of digital resources.
Because our educational settings have changed, educators must now seek to provide
meaningful and intentional ways to implement student collaboration in a digital world. One of
my most favored student applications that lends itself tremendously to student collaboration is
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Zoom Breakout rooms. Zoom, a video conferencing platform, allows for teachers and students to
connect with each other virtually through video conferences. The teacher can also create
“breakout rooms” and assign students to them so that the students can work together to
collaborate on a shared topic or idea. One of my favorite activities that I love to use in my
classroom is one that I actually learned from my mentor teacher this year. I observed her placing
students in their breakout rooms with no more than 3 students to a group. She then created one
multi google slide presentation in which each group has their own slide that they type responses
into. Students are given an engaging thought-provoking text as well as an open-ended question
or prompt and encouraged to discuss their ideas and place them in their assigned slide. The
responses were easily shared as she had them do a “Virtual gallery walk” to look at their
classmates’ slides. Because of this strategy, students were able to feel comfortable with
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collaborating with each other while producing quality work.
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While there are a plethora of educational websites and apps available to parents, schools,
students, and teachers, It is always necessary to ensure the quality and validity of the program
prior to using it (Bolden, 2019). In order for digital technologies to be deemed appropriate, safe
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CREATING A POSITIVE LITERACY ENVIRONMENT
4
and effective, I would help conduct trainings to use literary platforms for all teachers and staff. I
feel that training allows teachers to grasp an understanding of how the program can be properly
utilized in the classroom. Trainings during PLCs, webinars, or face to face in socially distant
areas. At these trainings, teachers will be given the “who is the program for, what does it
do/measure, when can it be used, where can it be used, why use it, and how to use the program.
Teachers should also be given the opportunity to see the program through the lens of a student.
This means the teacher thoroughly tests out the program by viewing it in the format that a
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student would in order to anticipate possible issues that may present themselves with students.
Researching the program can also prevent exposing your student a program or website they are
not mentally or emotionally prepared for. For an example, suppose a teacher shows a video that
she has not previewed. She is reading about skateboarding and feels she’d like to show
something cool and quick that hooks the students before reading. Unbeknownst, she plays a
video of a skateboarder that contains foul language or drug usage and has now exposed her
students to something they may not have been ready for. In a case like this, I would advise the
teacher to always be prepared by first practice using or viewing any form of technology and
providing students with routines to be used in class.
In order to promote a positive literacy environment, I believe teachers must create solid
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routines, incorporate silent reading time, and create a welcoming environment. As stated earlier,
one reason John was motivated and engaged was because he had routines. He knew exactly what
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to do, when to do it, and how to do it. Students, even adults, need specific instructions and
routines to become successful experts at what they are doing. Giving students routines creates a
predictable outcome for them and helps them be able to focus on the new concept they are
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CREATING A POSITIVE LITERACY ENVIRONMENT
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acquiring (Edutopia, 2019). Routines take out the guessing and lack of structure in a literary
classroom. Anytime any new concept, skill, or action is presented in class, it must be preceded
with a routine of how to do it. This routine should be revisited every day until it becomes natural
for students. Allowing the students to select their own text from a variety of books in your
classroom can open up a love for reading even in the most reluctant reader. Keeping classroom
libraries clearly labeled, neatly stocked, and seasonally rotated, makes reading more attractive
for students (Stiles L., 2016). Having a class library that is neatly stocked and rotated will allow
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the students to feel as though, no matter what, there is always a book available that appeals to
their interests. Labeling the books by genre and level help make book selection and browsing
quicker. In the beginning of the year, prior to deeply diving into independent reading, I would
create a short survey asking students what the types of things are they are interested in. This
survey will be used to help me discuss the diverse populations we have in our classrooms with
stakeholders as well as know exactly what to pray for so that I can better serve my students.
Exposing my students to societal issues through text and allowing them ways to solve world
issues would be another way I would create a culturally responsive classroom. Lastly, in order to
maintain a positive literary environment is to design it to be welcoming. The classroom should
be a place of inclusivity which means no matter the background or need, all students should feel
welcomed. Physical characteristics of a classroom that support inclusivity is furniture grouping,
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organization, decoration, and color scheme. (ASD Whole Child Bloggers, 2011). Desks should
be arranged in a way that easily allows for collaboration. A new trend in many classrooms is
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flexible seating which allows students to sit comfortably on nontraditional school furniture like
medicine balls and couches for the purpose of allowing them to focus and concentrate. Anchors
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CREATING A POSITIVE LITERACY ENVIRONMENT
of support and motivational posters also help students process information while maintaining a
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level of confidence in themselves and work.
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CREATING A POSITIVE LITERACY ENVIRONMENT
References
ASCD Whole Child Bloggers by ASCD Whole Child Bloggers. (2011, August 18). Designing a
Classroom for Inclusive Learning. Whole Child Education.
http://www.wholechildeducation.org/blog/designing-a-classroom-for-inclusive-learning.
Bolden, F. (2019, October 11). Technology in the Classroom: What is Digital Literacy?
TeachHUB. https://www.teachhub.com/technology-in-theclassroom/2019/10/technology-in-the-classroom-what-is-digital-literacy/.
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Edutopia, 2019 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9ynlPs_NTM
Dictionary.com 2021 Motivation. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/motivation.
Heron-Hruby, A., Trent, B., & Stiles, L. (2016). Creating a Dynamic Classroom Library: A
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Visual-Media, Learning Commons Approach. Kentucky English Bulletin, 65(2), 26–33.
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Running head: CFE C
Clinical Field Experience C
Breanna Mitchell
Grand Canyon University: REA 550
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October 28, 2020
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CFE C
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Clinical Field Experience C
For this field experience, I implemented my digital literacy lesson plan that
featured Heidi Songs to help teach and reinforce sight words to my kindergarten students. Their
independent work included identifying and highlighting sight words, featured in Heidi Songs, in
an emergent reader text.
Utilizing digital technology comes naturally as the technology that’s available to me at
my school district is similar to what I used in my undergraduate studies. Even as an educator,
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using technology keeps me engaged for teaching the instruction and is visually appealing. With
technology rapidly advancing, there are so many resources that can be incorporated into
instruction. For teaching literacy digitally, it also helps students develop their digital literacy
skills to prepare them for society. Students learn how to navigate technology while learning
essential skills. Overall, teaching digital literacies is a normality for me and how I implement
instruction. We are living in a technological society and students should be provided with
resources, materials, and content that utilizes digital technology while learning essential skills.
Utilizing the smart board to project Heidi Songs had an impact on other literacy aspects
of the lesson. Visual aspects of literacy were enhanced as the words were displayed in a bright
manner and students used hand gestures/motions to represent and spell each word. Not only were
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they appealing visually, but it reinforced textual literacy by encouraging directionality of spelling
and writing words. Heidi Songs reinforces correct letter formation and directionality through
learners.
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music and movement, which helps increase engagement and reach visual, aural, and kinesthetic
As I reflect on the effectiveness of the lesson, it went very well. I noticed that when I
incorporate more technology and use it in various ways, student engagement is higher than when
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CFE C
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I do not. During the guided portion of the lesson when students built sight words via whole
group, I noticed that some of my emerging learners struggled to stay at the pace we were
building. For future implementations, I would take this as an opportunity to remediate in a small
group with these students. Each student learns at their own pace, and this can be especially
difficult for emerging learners who have not mastered their letters and sounds yet. For the
independent practice, students demonstrated their understanding of the sight words we learned
by highlighting the ones they read. I even had above grade-level students work in pairs with
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emerging learners to help build their confidence and support their learning.
For my future professional practice, utilizing digital technology can meet the needs of my
diverse learners in my classroom. To implement technology effectively, it is essential to align the
digital resources to the standards. From here, designing digital literacy instruction can be carried
out to meet all students’ needs visually, kinesthetically, and aurally. Depending on the skills that
are being targeted, for example, digital reading instruction can be used which can meet diverse
academic levels. Overall, researching resources and materials to integrate into digital literacy
lessons is most beneficial when meeting the needs of diverse learners. I can use this information
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to guide my instructional decisions with future groups of students.
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Running head: CREATING LITERACY ENVIRONMENTS
Creating Literacy Environments
Cheresa Gilzean
Grand Canyon University: REA 550
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3/23/2021
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CREATING LITERACY ENVIRONMENTS
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Creating Literacy Environments
As we cope with our ever-changing world, it is important that we as educators quickly
adapt to the literary needs of our students. Literary needs of our students consist of providing
opportunities to engage with texts through “Listening, reading, writing, and speaking” (About
The Author TeachThought Staff TeachThought is an organization dedicated to innovation in
education through the growth of outstanding teachers., 2017). Students are able to do this if they
are immersed in literary enriched environments. Because our educational settings have changed
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from physical face-to-face settings to a virtual setting, Educators must now create engaging
literary environments.
Because we are in a pandemic, I now use Nearpod, an interactive educational platform
that makes literacy engaging in my class. With Nearpod, I am able to create interactive slides the
students can work on whole group, small groups, and independently on. Nearpod allows me to
play videos, upload texts, assign quizzes, take students on virtual tours, post discussions on an
interactive board and so much more. My favorite activity is the “draw” activity that enables
students to draw out their ideas based upon the questions I give them. I typically Zoom in with
my at home and in person students simultaneously and start my Nearpod lesson with this. I
always ask a Social Emotional Learning question like, “draw how you are feeling today.”
According to, “Classrooms with warm teacher-child relationships support deep learning and
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positive emotional development among students” (Schonert-Reichl, K. (2017). By incorporating
SEL questions, I am able to get a quick emotional check prior to teaching my lesson. This helps
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me know exactly how to make my students feel comfortable and how to present it. We also share
our photos online with the class so we can see how everyone is doing and it helps the at home
students connect with my in-person students.
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CREATING LITERACY ENVIRONMENTS
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Again, due to being in a pandemic, our students are not allowed to sit close to each other, so I
often use breakout rooms. With Zoom breakout rooms, I can assign students into small groups
where they are able to read, highlight, take notes, and discuss a text I’ve given them through their
Nearpod, digital textbook, or google document. Of these ways, I love using google slides
because it enables me to share an entire document with the class so students can work together
on the same slide. Everyone working in the same document, but separate slides allow us to see
each other’s work (almost like a gallery walk). Notes are typically given on the slide, or sent to
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students through google classroom, digital hub where students can receive assignments and
notifications regarding classwork.
I believe that in order for students to be immersed in a literacy rich environment, I must
provide my students with an array of books to choose from. I typically organize my books into
book baskets and label them according to the genre they belong to. I also love to display picture
books on the top of my shelf because it draws the students to the bookshelf. Researching novels
that are popular and appropriate among my student age group has also helped me in selecting the
best quality for books for my class Library. I also use Sora Library. Sora is a digital library that
enables students to read books online. Student digitally browse selections and genres, can
preview a text, check out a book, check it back in, or place it on hold if it is not available.
By using these types of platforms, resources, and strategies, students are able to receive
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the social interaction as well as develop self-motivating skills they need in order to be successful
in literacy. Without these types of literacy environments, students may not be able to reap the
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benefits of individual and collaborative learning. For example, when I allow my students to
respond to an open-ended question, they are able to, “reflect on their own thinking as well as
prepare for small group and whole group collaboration.” (Puntambekar, 1999). Students can
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CREATING LITERACY ENVIRONMENTS
share individual writing while their classmates and ask clarifying questions. While this is
happening, they are learning multiple skills of social communication. Volunteering to share
information also gives students a sense of pride especially when their classmates verbalize that
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they enjoy their writing.
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CREATING LITERACY ENVIRONMENTS
References
About The Author TeachThought Staff TeachThought is an organization dedicated to innovation
in education through the growth of outstanding teachers. (2017, August 30). The
Elements Of A Literacy-Rich Classroom Environment. TeachThought.
https://www.teachthought.com/literacy/the-elements-of-a-literacy-rich-classroomenvironment/.
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Schonert-Reichl, K. (2017). Social and Emotional Learning and Teachers. The Future of Children,
27(1), 137-155. Retrieved March 23, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/44219025
Puntambekar, S. (1999). An integrated approach to individual and collaborative learning in a
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web-based learning environment.
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SOLUTION: REA 550 GCU Creating a Positive Learning Environment Essay