FINAL SYNTHESIS BLOG POST

Before the start of this course, I had never put any thought into how I could implement literacy into my two primary content areas, math and science, nor did I think of a "text" as anything more than words in a book. This course has altered the way I view literacy and has inspired me to use what I have learned to my advantage as a math teacher. Prior to the course, implementing reading strategies into my math curriculum was not even on my radar. To me, teaching math requires creativity, the ability to show students several alternatives to understanding math concepts, and encouraging deeper thinking. I was aware of these factors before the start of this class, but here we are at week 16 and I am fully convinced that implementing literacy into the math curriculum will be the key factor in helping achieve this goal.

One of the topics that we discussed during class was the qualifying factors of a text. Before this semester, if someone asked me to read a certain text, I would go into it thinking I was going to read a book or an article. I was wrong in thinking this because now I know that a text is quite literally anything you can read or interpret. The assignment that helped me come to this realization that there are several types of texts, was the text set assignment. In doing this assignment, I was put to test of finding four types of texts that would aid me in teaching a particular math standard. I found this to be simpler than I had originally thought. It turns out that there is an abundance of texts that could be implemented into a math lesson that incorporates literacy skills. Before this assignment, I would not look at a graph and think of it as a text, nor would I think to apply reading strategies to my interpretation of it. Now, I have come to realize how much "reading" is actually done when interpreting a graph or any other math chart, and that in doing so I was applying reading strategies without really realizing it. Being aware of this now, I can prepare my students by relaying to them the before, during, and after reading stages, that Harvey Daniels and Steven Zemelman talk about in Subject Matters. For students who struggle in math, these reading strategies will help them "expand and/or alter what they know to make sense of new information" (Daniels & Zemelman, 2004, p.36). As I have mentioned before, I think it is important to have multiple approaches to math lessons to meet the needs of all students. So with this in mind, my future lesson plans will incorporate several types of texts, and I will include the introduction of reading strategies in order to optimize my student's engagement with the material.

    

This course has taught me that engagement is a huge part of learning, and getting the students engaged can be a difficult task. Math is known for teaching out of textbooks and worksheets, but students need to be actively engaging in "real world reading beyond just the textbook to learn their school subjects" (Daniels & Zemelman, 2004, p.87). With this in mind, this course has introduced me to an abundance of reading strategies, and activities that will help students engage, understand and apply reading to math concepts. My favorite strategy that I found to be most useful for me as a math teacher is the "Think Aloud" strategy. I was hesitant with this strategy at first because I found it difficult to explain how I processed the text. After several think aloud assignments and being assigned this particular strategy for my strategy lesson, I became a fan of it. I will definitely use this in my future classroom to demonstrate how to cognitively understand word problems or even articles about math concepts. Comprehending detailed word problems may be difficult, so to help make students aware of their thinking, I can demonstrate the mental strategies I use to read the text. Students will then become more aware of their thinking which leads to a better comprehension of the course material.

Unfortunately, the majority of veteran teachers do not switch up their curriculum or try new things because they are so comfortable with their lessons. I have come to learn that as a new teacher, it is okay to switch up lessons and try new things in order for my students to have the most optimal learning experience. 

(word count 757)

Thank you for such a great semester!!

PS: I am sorry the word count is over but I had a lot to say:)