I know that my literacy will never finish developing. If we simply mean reading and writing skills, there will always be another word to define and better syntax styles. If we mean literacy in my discipline, then I know that my literacy is one among many. Becoming an expert in my field of literacy is a never-ending learning journey. 

Narratives have power, and writing can be empowering. My literacy experiences created room for empathy, confidence, and communication, but not everyone has the same positive associations with their literacy journey. When I teach, I hope to empower students through narratives that help process their worlds or validate their experiences. I want to model critical literacy skills that my students can utilize across their academic disciplines and personal lives. Teaching critical literacy skills, such as rhetoric, helps develop students’ voices so they can push back against a world that tells them who they should be while they’re still figuring out who they want to be. 

I don’t know if this rant will answer the question, but It’s what came to mind...so yea. It’s never a level playing field. What I mean is, teachers, make assumptions about the literacy capabilities of students all the time. Just because they can read a novel doesn’t mean they can read a biology textbook with the same ease. Just because a student can write notes doesn’t mean they know how to construct a research paper. Conversations between peers are different than teacher and student conversations because students feel pressured to “talk up” which may affect confidence or communication. Just because a student can’t explain something in “academic” language doesn’t always mean they’re not listening or learning. Active listening and cohesive speaking are skills most teachers expect with little instruction. Each discipline has a responsibility to teach literacy. Learning reading and writing from a Language Arts teacher doesn’t mean you know how to read and write across the disciplines. I mean, it helps to have the basics, but it still requires expansion. 

I know my own literacy is very minimal and it takes a lot of effort to get me to read, but once I'm hooked, I'm really in it. I lack interest because of how much of a visual learner I am. 

I know that in the math field it is important to know how to do word problems, obviously, but it's also important to tie in all of the equations into a physical peeve so they know how to apply the math equation in real life scenarios. 

There are different ways all people communicate and some other prefer to discuss through other means. Some visual, some verbal, and some both. All forms of interaction is important to discuss about and use.

My journey with literacy was heavily influenced by my family and my classes. My family loves to read and so I grew up being really encouraged to read and with a lot of access and help. However I found in school that so often we were asked to read so much that I got overwhelmed and ended reading nothing. I stopped reading for fun sometime during high school and didn't start again until YEARS after college. And it breaks my heart to think I didn't do something I enjoyed for that long because I required to read so much for school that it lost its fun.

For this reason I think I will try to make my lessons less reading heavy. I realize how much privilege I had coming from a well educated english speaking family and I still found a lot of reading to be overwhelming. (Can't imagine how students manage if they are for example dyslexic or an english language learner.) I think it's important to give information in a variety of formats and to not put a huge amount of homework and learning as the responsibility of students outside the classroom- because that just isn't realistic.

I think with any exchange between students/teachers/texts the most important thing is that students find the information relevant and valuable. If they don't see why they should be learning it, I doubt it will stick with them very well.

I don't think I could do a proper assessment of my own literacy, but I feel like it's developed almost as significantly in adulthood  as a child (maybe I didn't acquire a language, but more nuanced developments definitely happened somewhere along the way!) I know that I like to be challenged and I feel as though I can come to understand most texts given enough time and perseverance.

I don't really mean for my first answer to come across as a qualitative analysis about myself in particular - I believe that to be true of most people. That's why I want to teach. I  believe that we all learn as a result of the same biological processes and that our developmental capabilities are all more equal than conventional wisdom might suggest. The times in which I've been surprised by my own ZPD have led me to believe that students can all be pushed in similar ways, and that the key to getting there is motivation.  

From my experience working for PhDs, I can tell you that they have a tendency to either talk above your knowledge level or to underestimate you and over-explain simple concepts. Generally speaking, academics who are not taught to teach seem to be less aware of how to assess their subordinates' expertise and tend to use language that they themselves are comfortable with without considering their audience. When acknowledging the knowledge gap shared between colleagues of differing levels education, the latter parties may also tend towards condescension, which stifles the learning process. I guess I could say that working with scientists has provided me with a lot of examples of how <I>not</I> to teach.

This feels related to the second question. I think close reading is still important. Although a certain amount of assigned (homework) reading is going to be necessary in a history class, I can mitigate the potential resistance to that by using regular small discussion and presentation groups that will (hopefully) encourage doing the reading, absorbing the ideas of others, and reconciling them with their own. I also want to plan some kind of check-in system with my classes where I can find out, possibly on a biweekly basis, what is working and what isn't, in order to alter any of my lessons to better fit how my students are responding.

 
What research-based literacy approaches and strategies will you use to develop each learner’s ability to read, write, speak, view, and listen in order to increase student success within your discipline?  I will use strategies such as socratic seminars and fishbowl discussions as these exercises help students develop reading, writing, speaking, and listening abilities. They give students opportunities to use and listen to others use the language they are learning surrounding the things we are learning and books we are reading which in turn deepens their understanding.

For one, I want to encourage my students to utilize different tools and resources to support their learning. In my math schooling, it felt like certain teachers would discourage using calculators so we'd develop more mental math skills. Though I understand the benefits of having a certain degree of mental math competency, I also want to recognize that most folks exist with a calculator in their pockets (cellphones) these days. Therefore, I think a key aspect of math literacy should be focused on how to utilize different math tools efficiently and in ways that connect to real life scenarios and skills. I want to make math learning a hands on activity when possible to get students engaged in the curriculum tactically and collaboratively. I also would love to utilize horizontal learning whenever possible to I can collaborate with other teachers in different disciplines and connect student learning to other classes.
What research-based literacy approaches and strategies will you use to develop each learner’s ability to read, write, speak, view, and listen in order to increase student success within your discipline?

I think there's many different strategies I envision using but I think it'll likely depend on my students needs and will likely need to change and adapt frequently.  I hope to provide students with ample options and choices of how they can engage in the materials so students with different learning styles can be served. For that, I think it's important to provide as much visual representation of math as possible and to get students talking with each other about the material. I hope to use modeling mathematical speaking, reading, and writing to my students often and routinely and facilitate activities that normalize the practice such as daily note taking, small group led discussions, and occasional reading assignments built to expand knowledge on how math shows up in our everyday lives but also grandiose and mystifying ways.

I'm not really sure how to answer this question. I know literacy in ELA is a skill. Like learning to read in grade school, you have to learn how to read both academically (and creatively). Just like learning how to write your letters, you have to learn how to write academically (and creatively). 
Literacy in Literature means you read like a detective, decoding both the text's explicit and implicit meanings. Literacy in Literature also requires some form of meaningful text production, a carefully crafted synthesis of analysis, sources, and syntax.

 Definitely reading critically and writing academically. I don't think students receive enough aid or instruction in developing these two skills. The ability to read or write does not equate to literacy skills in a discipline. I would like to avoid making assumptions about my students' abilities. Presupposing student ability may create learning disparities in the classroom or, worse, encourage students to believe they're lacking or not smart enough for school. 

So far, I've only read about modeling, graphic organizers, and read-alouds. I'd use variations of these three strategies to help students build the critical skills needed for Literature Literacy. Hopefully, students will realize that some of the skills they cultivate in ELA will transfer across disciplines and later serve them in their personal and professional lives. 

Students understand that they'll have to read a lot of boring, old books coming into secondary ELA. Some students may even believe literacy isn't for them because of previous experiences with reading or writing. Although students are advancing to the next grade level, they may not have achieved equal reading or writing skills.  

I'd modify my literacy instruction by offering neurodivergent aids, designing a UDL curriculum, constructing a grading contract, and offering alternative reading texts. My goal is to create an equitable ELA classroom that strives to subvert damaging approaches to, or philosophies of, learning such as neurotypical, ableist, and culturally Westernized. 

Through feedback, observation, and communication, I'd begin learning individual needs. Incorporating needs into my curriculum would look like a diverse reading list, visual aids for neurodivergent students, a flexible grading approach, previously agreed-upon etiquette, and allowing students to read translations or audiobooks. If needed, I'd also like to look into possibly translating instructions/assignments. 

Students will be at various levels in their literacy, but generally by the time students get to high school, they should have a solid foundation of reading and writing skills, an understanding of grammar, critical thinking skills, and should likely have some learning strategies that work best for them (even if they don't realize they have strategies).

How will you modify your literacy instruction to build on what they know and address what they need?

After assessment of student knowledge, I would modify my literacy instruction by utilizing universal design strategies in my lesson plans. If we are reading a particularly difficult text, I would offer supports and utilize shared reading, guiding questions, and group discussions to enhance student understanding as appropriate.

How will you identify ways to address students’ individual needs, including students from culturally or linguistically diverse backgrounds, when planning instruction?

I would identify individual needs through reading and writing assessments and open communication with students. Part of building a community is getting to know one another, so in that process, I will also be able to identify individual needs. I would also include language supports for ELL students in my curriculum. Free apps like Readlang that translates digital words into the language students are most comfortable with and finding translations of common texts can also support their comprehension of the text.

Students need a sense of community in the classroom. It is so important for them to feel comfortable with their teacher and with one another. Building a community creates a positive environment that allows students to feel safe to make mistakes, be authentic, and be a responsible member of their community. In ELA, students often share their writing, thoughts opinions, and then give one another feedback, which can be a difficult process. I know that I’m a very private writer and my own worst critic so it can be painful to have someone else critique my work. Building a sense of community helps create a more low-stakes environment where students can feel more comfortable sharing and offering critiques in a respectful manner. Which brings me to creating (as a class) class norms, these are an important part of building that sense of community so that everyone knows and understands what is expected of them. 

I assume that this question refers to students at the grade level that I have set out to teach, in which case students would presumably have some exposure to general science, physics and biology. This will of course vary from student to student depending on a multitude of factors including their previous performance and that of their teachers, school resources and location. I would expect students to have been acquainted with the scientific method and the process by which theories become accepted by the scientific community: ie, how scientists come to believe what they believe. As far as general literacy and its relationship to scientific literacy, I would suspect that students had an idea of how these concepts relate to one another, but I don't know if they could put into words how. Maybe students would have an understanding of what it means to be literate and would notice that they were more scientifically articulate than they once were, but I don't know that they would describe their progression using the same terms that we do.

Perhaps the primary role of a secondary science teacher is to simplify primary sources so that they are consumable to those not as well versed in the disciplines. In my mind, modification of literacy instruction is not independent of the general teaching strategy. Scientific research is conducted and published by scientists, those who exhibit the highest levels of expertise in their fields. Primary literature is published for an audience of fellow scientists, so it does not tend to mince words. Libraries worth of textbooks are dedicated to compiling and repackaging this information to be more  accessible to a wider audience. It is important to assess the class directly and to make inferences regarding grade level and standard curriculum. For instance, an AP biology class requires less translation from primary sources and will either cover a higher quantity or more challenging material than a standard 9th or 10th grade course. Establishing a baseline consensus of class knowledge is crucial at the beginning of the course, so that an educator can appropriately construct upon previous knowledge without wasting valuable time rehashing old information. 

This strategy again is subjective to the classroom, dependent upon its cultural and linguistic heterogeneity. As with the previous question, I believe the appropriate approach is via assessment and by getting to know students as individuals. It would be incorrect to assume that a classroom is more culturally or linguistically varied based on the appearance of the students and one should be wary of assigning universal attitudes and preferences to students according to their backgrounds. One way to make Biology more universally accessible is by acknowledging its implementation as a reinforcement for cultural and racial hegemony in the, particularly in the United States, and by striving to correct those errors by highlighting ways in which the principles of biology actually undermine the established hegemonic social order. 

Students are are already well aware that mathematics uses symbols to indicate meaning and that knowing those symbols is required to be successful in math.  Math has a lot of rules and it can be a lot to remember. Math build upon previous knowledge as one advances. 

I think that it's important to make it clear to students that steps that they take and individual bits that they learn are only fractions to a whole and just building blocks to a better understanding.  I think students would benefit from learning math more like one learns a foreign language. There are a lot of similarities in the two.

Math is one of the more universal languages luckily, but language boundaries can still be difficult. I think providing students with alternate perspectives and approaches to the same problem provides them a better understanding. Each problem solution is it own proof.  As long as the steps along the way are logical, you should be able to reach a correct answer despite the steps you choose to take. There are alternate methods to learning and there are alternate methods to solving problems.  The more we explore them, the more students can be reached.