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Tomorrow's illiterate will not be the man who can't read; he will be the man who has
not learned how to learn." - Alvin Toffler



Globalisation and the increasing use of digital technology have had great affect on
workplaces and working lives and consequently on the literate practices necessary
to succeed in the workplace. (Anstey & Bull, 2009)
























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Reflection entry 12: Implementing literacy in the Science classroom

The development of modern day technology is a commonly discussed movement in
relation to its effects on teaching pedagogies. Though this weeks modules, I have
identified a strong debate for change in literacy across all key learning areas (KLAs),
to reflect the multimodal and multilingual nature of todays society, to achieve optimal
student engagement and learning outcomes. (Cope & Kalantzis, 2012)

Through globalisation and the development of digital technology, society has
become exposed to a range of literacies and its practices. This inturn requires new
understanding and meaning making of multiliteracies to be considered literate and
knowledgeable in todays society. As the world continues to advance in many ways,
teachers and students need to understand the impact this has on changing literacies
in order to prepare them to be responsive to current and future developments.
(Anstey & Bull, 2009)

Leading up to my first experience delivering lessons as a pre-service teacher I feel it
is important to explore the implementation of literacies in my context being Year 9
Science at an all boys, private, Christian Brothers high school. The class consists
predominantly of students with a Caucasian background and middle to high
socioeconomic status. My mentor teacher has told me that they are heavily
interested in sports and engage well in hands on activities. As a pre-service teacher,
without previous lesson plans and set ways of teaching, I am able to develop my
teaching pedagogies to promote stronger curriculum connection between science
and literacies through the use of modern modalities in the classroom.

Reflecting on this topic has lead me to this question:
How will I adapt my teaching pedagogy to effectively complement modern society
and improve literacies in the Year 9 Science classroom?




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DISCUSSION BETWEEN TWO YEAR 9 MALE STUDENTS AND MYSELF
Me: What are you favourite topics in science?
Student 1: I like learning about about the environment because I live near a national
park and like to surf.
Student 2: I like doing any subject that we get to do cool experiments in. Oh, and
when we learn about the body.
Me: How do you like your teacher to present the work to you? For example, do you
like reading from the textbook and making notes, discussions, experiments, etc.?
Student 1: Definitely experiments and when we get to use the computers.
Student 2: Yeah, reading the textbook and making notes is so boring. Class
discussions are good and when we get to cut and paste diagrams and draw charts
and stuff.


EMAIL CONVERSATION
Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2014 09:12:13
From: gemmabrown06@hotmail.com
To: MENTOR TEACHER
Subject: Implementing Multiliteracies in the Year 7 Science Class

Dear Mr Foster,

For the Year 9 assignment I would like to address the Australian Curriculum
Outcomes:
Select and use appropriate equipment, including digital technologies, to
systematically and accurately collect and record data (ACSIS166)
Ecosystems consist of communities of interdependent organisms and abiotic
components of the environment; matter and energy flow through these
systems (ACSSU176) (ACARA, 2014)

The Essential Learnings Unit of Study I am undertaking through my University
Course is focusing on why literacy is important and how to approach the
implementation of literacies today. I would like to make a connection between

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literacy pedagogy and current environmental issues, using multimodalities and
multilingualism to engage the boys. I have noticed over the past week of observation
they respond well when they can link the in class topic with current issues of society
or relate them to their own lives. I also have discussed with various students about
how they prefer information presented to them, the general consensus being that
they prefer discussion and hands on learning using modern technology.

I would like them to split into groups of 4 and select one environmental issue in
which they can relate to or are interested in. They will research the issue and
produce a short video discussing it and its implications. They will also have to
present a report on their findings.
Issues they may choose:
Climate change
Waterway health
Waste management
Urbanisation
Endangered or invasive species

I believe this will help deeper their understanding of the link between science and
everyday life and improve ongoing thinking and learning to increase public
participation. (Anstey & Bull, 2009) It also involves multiple modes of literacies and
the video enables them to use oral and social languages, and allows creativity in the
presentation of their findings. I would like to implement critical and authentic literacy
pedagogy to best suit the needs of the class and I believe the assignment will
achieve this.
Do you support this curriculum connection? Are we able to have access to the
Information Technologies room next week?
I would also like to discuss conflicting pedagogies with you sometime this week if
possible.
Kind regards,

Gemma Brown

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Pre-service teacher
Charles Darwin University



Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2014 12:35:15
From: MENTOR TEACHER
To: gemmabrown06@hotmail.com
Subject: RE: Implementing Multiliteracies in the Year 7 Science Class

Hi Gemma,

I think this is a great idea for the Year 9 Science assignment and something that this
class will enjoy completing. If you speak to the IT department you can book the room
as required.

If you put together a short essay discussing pedagogical approaches we will discuss
how you will apply this knowledge when teaching the Year 9 boys.

Kind regards,

Mr Foster
MENTOR TEACHER


The notion of a teacher guiding students through a course of study has more
contemporary relevance than the content driven, drill and skill, approaches that
characterised schooling until the last few decades of the 1900s. (House of
Representatives Standing Committee on Education and Training, 2002)
As teachers, we have the ability to present the obligatory content set out by the
curriculum in an engaging and creative way that is appropriate for each context we
face. It is the responsibility of the teachers to separate the recognisable link between
the curriculum and pedagogy.
The first established pedagogy of the nineteenth century was that of a didactic
nature. Didactic literacy pedagogy reflects a formal, structured and fact based

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practice that focuses on students ability to regurgitate correct reading and writing
skills. It holds a strong link between the curriculum and the formal delivery of the
required content, with the main tool used to deliver the content being the textbook.
(Cope & Kalantzis, 2012 p. 63-90) This approach does not provide students with the
ability to develop critical thinking, self-expression or meaning-making skills as the
implementation of the content relies heavily on copying, repeating, and memorising.

In the early twentieth century, a movement towards an authentic approach to literacy
pedagogy enabled a change from a teacher directed practice to controlled student
centred learning. Authentic literacy pedagogy encourages exploration of reading and
writing within the students interests and of personally meaningful subjects. (Cope &
Kalantzis, 2012 p.95-112) This allows the teaching of literacy in the classroom to
generate motivation as it appeals to students interests and develops critical thinking
skills as they relate their work to real life. A continued process of language learning
is absorbed as students learn to create meaning of whole language compared to the
reading for one meaning nature of didactic learning. (Cope & Kalantzis, 2012 p.95-
112)

Due to the development of technology, communication and social situations
advanced and therefore the need for a multiliterate workforce and society called for a
parallel in pedagogy growth. The functional and critical literacy pedagogies
addressed this increased complexity in the way literacy is used in modern society.

Functional literacy pedagogy explores the components and structure of various
literary genres we are presented with in reality and understand their purpose and the
authors social intentions. (Cope & Kalantzis, 2012 p.129) This allows students to
understand how authors use various genres to communicate meanings that
resonates and relates to the audience personally. The understanding of the function
of literacy in society creates continued learning and meaning making as valued
public participants are able to deconstruct various text types.

Critical literacy pedagogy recognises the diversity in perspectives, interests and
experiences in the classroom and allows for a creative social outlet for the

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understanding and critiquing of real world issues. By enabling students to voice their
own opinions and thoughts regarding a certain topic, they develop problem solving
and critical thinking skills, which are essential for continued learning and
understanding of societal issues. It deeply studies the use of pop culture and new
media as a tool to prepare students for continued advanced in technology and social
platforms, which therefore creates the multiliteracies, we are presented with in
modern day society. By exploring the use of new media to create literacy such as,
websites, blogs, social media and videos, the students are able to express realistic
versions of the issue being analysed. (Cope & Kalantzis, 2012 p. 155)

In conclusion, literacy pedagogies have grown and evolved due to the need to reflect
societal needs and progression in economy and technology, in order to produce
successful, knowledgeable and literate citizens. This has caused a shift from teacher
centred learning of words and their correct meaning to a more subjective approach
to literacy with the student relating the curriculum with real world problems, modern
modes of communication and personally meaningful learning.

Reflection: How will I implement the literacy pedagogies in my context?
When I reflect on this weeks investigation into the development of various
pedagogies, I feel I have grasped a better understanding of the importance of
literacy development not only for successful schooling as set by the curriculum but to
produce literate citizens in an ever evolving society. This reflects how a
contemporary approach to literacy is required to produce continued language
learning in students, and in my context being a Year 9 Science class of all male
students.

Research into the engagement of male adolescent students in the classroom
supported the findings of my discussions with both the Year 9 students and also Mr
Foster.

A need for systematic change in schooling which brings schooling closer to the
outside world for adolescent males. (Slade & Trent, 2001)


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When discussing with students their preferred method of learning, without hesitation
they told me they preferred interactive and practical modes of delivery. These
methods of delivery enable oral, written, visual and audible, tangible and spatial
means of communication within the classroom, which inturn involves social
interaction, understanding of varying perspectives and critical problem solving skills.

I believe the most effective literacy pedagogies to introduce to this context is a
mixture of authentic, functional and critical approaches. The personally meaningful
ability of the authentic pedagogy to generate motivation and interest on a topic of
student choice and the outcome of the ability to perceive social intentions of various
genres of literacy learnt through a functional approach enables students to digest
scientific literature and reproduce an authentic and applicable version of it.

However, I think the fundamental key to addressing the engagement of the male
students in a literary sense would be to explore the new media and multiliteracies
commonly used in society to communicate, learn and critically evaluate information
through critical literacy pedagogies. This provides the students with the ability to
dissect and understand evolving modes of literacy and actively participate in the
social platforms and medias relatable to their everyday lives. This is why I have
chosen a video for the assignment task.

I believe the assignment task I will set the students will allow for personal interest,
multiliteracy learning, improving individual means of communication and
understanding the social purpose of language and literacies. The investigation also
indicates to me that a didactic approach to literacy is not going to generate and
maintain student engagement or prepare them for life outside of the school yard due
to the structured and formal nature of the approach being; copy, repeat, memorise
and apply. Hence, I will develop my approach to literacy in the science classroom as
a more contemporary and subjective approach.


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References
Anstey, M. & Bull, G. (2009). Teaching and Learning Multiliteracies: Changing
times, changing literacies. Kensington Gardens, South Australia, Australia:
Australian Literacy Educators' Association.
Australian Curriculum, Assessing and Reporting Authority (2014, 01 01).
Australian Curriculum Year 9 Science. Retrieved 04 03, 2014 from Australian
Curriculum:
http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Year9?a=S&c=1&c=2&c=3&c=4&c=5
&c=6&c=7&p=1&p=2&p=3&layout=1
Cope, B. &. Kalantzis, M. (2012). Literacies. New York: Cambridge University
Press.
Slade, M. & Trent, F. (2001). Declining rates of achievement and retention:
Perceptions of Adolescent Males . Adelaide: Flinders University.
House of Representatives Standing Committee on Education and Training
(2002). Boys: Getting it right. The Parliment of the Commonwealth of
Australia. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.