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Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.

During my time at Union Elementary School, I created a mini-lesson on “The Three R’s” (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle) for Earth Day. In my lesson, I had students create piggy banks out of plastic water bottles (to teach them how to reuse used items) and make their own "Earth Day Promises" (seen below). After completing their promises, the students shared their ideas with the class so that we could all think of new ways to help our planet. These promises were displayed on the classroom windows to serve as a reminder, while also giving students a sense of accomplishment. Through this project, students communicated their goals using spoken, written, and visual language . This is an essential skill to have outside of the classroom. As children begin to form their own opinions, they must be able to communicate their feelings effectively. I want my students to connect with books, articles, visuals, online resources, and other literary tools that they find. I will introduce updated, relevant, and reliable resources to my students so that they can explore language in a multitude of ways.

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Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.

In my practicum classroom at Union Elementary School, my second grade students have been practicing cursive writing. When the students receive a new spelling list, they are given time to write these words in cursive while listening to mindfulness music. My teacher would also introduce three new capital cursive letters to the class every so often so that the students could progressively learn the whole alphabet. Cursive writing can be an effective tool for formal writing. Cursive requires extra effort and attention to detail. Students can write official-looking letters to a loved one or to someone of high importance. Cursive writing gives students the chance to practice legibility and learn how to write their signature. The students in my classroom were so excited to learn the letters in their names, so the engagement during this activity was high. Although this skill is not as prevalent in today's classrooms, I plan to make the time to teach my students cursive. By giving children new ways to visualize and write words, I believe they will be able to better integrate the spelling in their minds.

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Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.

Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the students of Union Elementary School were not able to attend any field trips. During one of the student’s guided reading texts The Dog That Dug for Dinosaurs by Shirley Raye Redmond, my co-op teacher explained to me how students used to visit the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh to explore fossils and artifacts in real-life. This would have been a great opportunity to create an extension activity for the students. The teacher could have the class produce questions prior to the trip so that they can gain new insight after exploring resources at the Museum. I believe field trips are a great opportunity for students to explore in ways that a school setting can not provide. They can find the value and purpose of literacy by exploring it hands-on. As a teacher, I want to provide my students with as many hands-on opportunities as possible. Field trips help students better understand school-taught subjects, as they give students the chance to take control of their learning and kinesthetically explore their own inquiries.

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Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.

At Union Elementary School, one of the five specials provided to students was a STEM-based program. In one of the classes I observed, the students learned how to use Google Slides. They were able to create a title slide, change the font style and color, and highlight characters. In future classes, they will begin to explore more of these tools. As classrooms become more virtual-based, learning programs such as the ones provided by Google can be a great way for students to express themselves. PowerPoints are typically used to provide information to a larger number of people. When students are familiarized with the program, the opportunities are endless. I want students to use technology in an effective manner so that their messages can reach a large population of people. They can establish a strong social presence through technological resources.

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Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.

During our STEM lessons conducted at New Wilmington Elementary School, I was able to teach a lesson on “How to Start a Garden” to a class of first graders. Because the geographical community that the students lived in was more rural, they were very knowledgeable on gardening and therefore very engaged in the activity. I read a portion of the story Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner to help students gain information on how to plan a flower. Then, I planted a flower with the class by asking for their help and had them create acrostic poems (see below). This activity required students to find new words to apply to a given topic, and there were no wrong answers! Activities such as this allow students the chance to explore what a topic means to them. Some of the students grew unique fruits or plants, which they included in their poems. In my future classroom, I want to introduce both familiar and unfamiliar topics to my classroom. Relatable topics give students a chance to expand on what they already know, but foreign topics give children the chance to explore something new.

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Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

One of my second grade students at Union Elementary wrote poems about nature, life experiences, and loss. With the help of her father, she was able to produce a poetry book of her own titled Brave Girl (as seen in the artifact below). This book brought that student purpose; she was able to express her feelings in such a unique and personable way. Reading texts that vary in structure and purpose teaches us new ways to communicate with one another. I believe that students should be well-versed in spoken, written, and visual language because all aspects are a part of everyday life. As a future educator, I want to give my students a vast amount of literary tools to express themselves, whether it be poetry, persuasive pieces, informational passages, etc. I will do this by reading several different genres, enhancing their vocabulary through meaningful lesson planning, and giving them opportunities to explore books that fit their personal preferences.