Connecting through Composition: Critical Intersections in Middle School Multimodal Writing

University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. May 2019. Major: Education, Curriculum and Instruction. Advisor: Cynthia Lewis. 1 computer file (PDF); viii, 228 pages.Classroom writing practices exist in a complex social environment where students present identities to each other through the texts they create and their interactions (Pandya, Z., 2015; Dyson, 2018; Snaza & Lensmire, 2006). Recognizing this complexity, writing practices in schools have changed over time. Practices have shifted from a traditional focus on technical skills of writing, to a writing workshop model, emphasizing student choice of topics and opportunities to share. Critical writing pedagogy emerged in response to the workshop model’s perspective of students bringing a single identity to a neutral writing process. However, traditional writing practices are pervasive in schools and there is a need for research that draws attention to classrooms where teachers implement critical writing pedagogy (Furman, 2017). This yearlong critical ethnographic study describes seventh grade students’ writing processes at the intersection of critical writing pedagogy and multimodality, and considers how students’ social identities as writers and peer relations around writing are mediated by literacy practices within the classroom. Drawing on mediated discourse analysis (MDA) (Scollon & Scollon, 2004; Norris & Jones, 2005) to examine moment-to-moment actions and interactions, this study traces a routine journal writing practice where students regularly enter into critical dialogue. An analysis focused on resemiotization (Norris & Jones, 2005) highlights how students’ learning and interactions shift throughout this classroom practice. In addition, this study utilizes trajectories and timescales (Scollon & Scollon, 2004) to look at how two literacy events draw on this journal practice in similar ways while unfolding differently in relation to the specific surroundings of each moment. Finally, this study draws on MDA’s view of agency to consider the ways the classroom teacher navigates intersecting discourses in order to implement these critical and multimodal writing practices in the classroom. This work has implications for how we view writing practices and students as they engage in composing and sharing. It calls for a view of students as writers who are making choices about when and how they write and engage in dialogue based on the complex surroundings of a moment. This view shifts attention away from an idea that students either have or lack abilities and instead focuses on the possibilities of teachers to create and reflect on spaces where students choose to engage in meaningful writing and dialogue

Annotated Bibliography of Research in the Teaching of English

Since 2003, RTE has published the annual “Annotated Bibliography of Research in the Teaching of English,” and we are proud to share these curated and annotated citations once again. The goal of the annual bibliography is to offer a synthesis of the research published in the area of English language arts within the past year that may be of interest to RTE readers. Abstracted citations and those featured in the “Other Related Research” sections were published, either in print or online, between June 2019 and June 2020. The bibliography is divided into nine subject area sections. A three-person team of scholars with diverse research interests and background experiences in preK–16 educational settings reviewed and selected the manuscripts for each section using library databases and leading empirical journals. Each team abstracted significant contributions to the body of peer-reviewed studies that addressed the current research questions and concerns in their topic area

GED7847-02.Approaches to Lit Instr Elem.F17.Rollag Yoon,Stephanie

This two part course focuses on literacy practices for the elementary reader and writer in a 21st century environment. Part one focuses on knowledge of literacy practices. Part two focuses on systems used in the school and classroom to create literate environments that foster reading and writing. Participants will observe, analyze, engage, and co-teach in the elementary classroom. Thirty focused clinical experience hours are required between the two courses. Recommended prerequisite: GED 7867 Corequisite: This course is required to be taken in the same term with the 4-credit course GED 7846 - Teaching Literacy in the Elementary School K-6

GED7847-01.Teaching Literacy Elem, Part 2.Sp19.Rollag Yoon,Stephanie

This hybrid course is designed for literacy teacher candidates invested in using digital tools to amplify their writing pedagogy in the classroom. This course is framed by philosophies of multimodal composition, connected learning, and critical literacy. Connected Learning is an approach to learning that asserts that relevant and meaningful learning happens when a learner has a personal interest or passion they are pursuing. It aims to connect and create pathways between school, home, and community learning environments. Critical Literacy is a theory used to investigate how texts and language are socially constructed and not neutral. Critical Literacy offers ways of locating, analyzing, deconstructing, and reconstructing texts

Building Open Pedagogy in Community Colleges

This qualitative study examines open pedagogy as a critical instructional strategy in online community college settings to increase opportunities for authentic interactions that support student persistence. Discourse analysis was used to understand how community college students (n=78) perceive and connect with different aspects of open pedagogy activities. The study's findings underscore the students' awareness of their audience in online settings, their value of collaborative efforts to design digital materials, and the significance of acknowledging the digital learning context. Despite many students choosing to share their work publicly, challenges related to sharing work publicly were illuminated across reflective questionnaire responses. To address these issues, the study recommends enhancing media literacy, providing group collaboration options, and emphasizing institutional support. Further research should explore the influence of social media experiences and AI tools on the public sharing of open pedagogy activities. Ultimately, by embracing open pedagogy in online learning contexts while considering individual student identities and perceptions, community college settings can enhance online interactions, engagement, and student persistence.