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Articles 1 - 23 of 23

Full-Text Articles in Education

Hook’D On Ebonics And Black Texts: Enacting An Engaged Pedagogy In An 11th Grade Ela Classroom, Teaira Mcmurtry Phd Jan 2023

Hook’D On Ebonics And Black Texts: Enacting An Engaged Pedagogy In An 11th Grade Ela Classroom, Teaira Mcmurtry Phd

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

In this article, the author discusses the process of creating an engaged pedagogy (hooks, 1994), one that prioritized authentic, engaging, and equally rigorous engagement activities that were ongoing preparation for standardized tests and embedded in core ELA instruction. These learning experiences were not only academically necessary, but they were also integral in developing positive racial identity. The author shares three ways to amplify reading instruction that prepares students for skill-based standardized tests and beyond.


Engaging Students And Teaching Life Skills Through Community Collaboration, Kim Stein Jan 2023

Engaging Students And Teaching Life Skills Through Community Collaboration, Kim Stein

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

Collaboration with the Youth First Program of Saginaw increased students' engagement in eleventh-grade English. Students bonded with community partners, their teacher, and their peers in new ways which produced an environment of mutual respect and deeper learning. Students engaged in a debate project which garnered recognition from school administrators and community members, who were influenced to enact positive changes for the school community.


A Restorative Justice Book Club For Secondary Classrooms, Mary M. Mcconnaha Jan 2023

A Restorative Justice Book Club For Secondary Classrooms, Mary M. Mcconnaha

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

Schools face several challenges in creating meaningful community relationships, and the breakdown of these relationships causes harm to students, teachers, and administrators. Many schools have turned to restorative justice practices as a way to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline, reduce discipline referrals, increase graduation rate, and strengthen the school community (Evans & Lester, 2013; Winn et al., 2019; Weaver and Swank, 2020). However, Winn (2013, 2018) and others have proposed that the principles of restorative justice can be embedded into the English Language Arts curriculum. In this paper, I describe a restorative justice book club unit for early adolescents that is …


Wakanda: Opening The High School Classroom To Afrofuturism, Carrie M. Mattern Jan 2023

Wakanda: Opening The High School Classroom To Afrofuturism, Carrie M. Mattern

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

Afrofuturism has a solid place in high school classrooms thanks to the current work of Ryan Coogler, but also to those who have been in this work for decades including the Mother of Afrofuturism herself, Octavia Butler, adrienne maree brown, dream hampton, and a litany of Black poets and artists. This article leaps inside an Afrofuturistic unit curated for high school seniors with feedback and insight from their teachers and also the students who buckled up for a journey through time, space, and place.


Enacting Disciplinary Literacy Instruction: Essential Practices In Action, Darin B. Stockdill, Stacie B. Woodward Jun 2022

Enacting Disciplinary Literacy Instruction: Essential Practices In Action, Darin B. Stockdill, Stacie B. Woodward

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

In this paper, we will explore elements of the Essential Instructional Practices for Disciplinary Literacy: Grades 6-12 , a statewide initiative in Michigan designed to support exactly this kind of teaching. In particular, we will discuss key instructional implications of the Essential Practices for both social studies and ELA instruction and highlight important commonalities and distinctions across these two content areas. We provide concrete examples of these practices in action as we share activities and reflections from a curricular project we undertook with US History and ELA teachers called Equitable Futures. In this initiative, teachers engaged their students in inquiry-driven …


Graphic Novels For Multimodal Learning: Equity For English Learners, Katherine Suender, Susan Piazza Jul 2021

Graphic Novels For Multimodal Learning: Equity For English Learners, Katherine Suender, Susan Piazza

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

This article provides a synthesis of current research and theory that makes a case for using graphic novels to improve adolescent literacy achievement through multimodal, equitable learning opportunities for English learners (ELs) while meeting the required English Learner Proficiency Standards (ELPS). Supported by multimodal theory and culturally responsive teaching (CRT) approaches, research shows that graphic novels are inspirational teaching tools for adolescent ELs to engage more deeply with reading and writing. Specific recommendations for classroom use of graphic novels include a focus on a) motivation and engagement, b) discussions, c) visual information, and d) multimodal composition. Educators can make use …


Culturally Responsive Language Arts Teaching: Refiguring Curriculum With Counternarratives, Claire A. Breiholz, Rebecca Smith Jul 2021

Culturally Responsive Language Arts Teaching: Refiguring Curriculum With Counternarratives, Claire A. Breiholz, Rebecca Smith

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

This paper offers culturally responsive teaching methods for secondary English Language Arts educators to reform curriculum to honor and integrate counternarratives. We provide a sample Herstory unit plan framework for teachers to use as a model for revisioning curriculum to better meet the needs of all students. We offer examples of both traditional canonical and contemporary texts teachers can use to teach counternarratives.


Book Clubs In A Pandemic: Student Choice And Flexible Pedagogies As We Learned More About Ourselves And The World, Naitnaphit Limlamai Jan 2021

Book Clubs In A Pandemic: Student Choice And Flexible Pedagogies As We Learned More About Ourselves And The World, Naitnaphit Limlamai

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

Abstract: In this narrative, the author relays the experience of meeting virtually with two small book clubs, one sixth grade and one eighth grade, during the 2020-2021 school year. Meeting over Zoom, choosing books to read, and creating their own community, the members of the book club explore three major themes in their time together talking about books: connecting reading and writing, learning more about themselves, and building understandings about the world. Weaving the book club members’ voices with her own pedagogical decision-making, the author illustrates new ways to think about teaching as she centers student choice and flexible pedagogies.


Where's My Happy Ending? Fostering Empathy Through Conversations About Anxiety And Depression In Young Adult Literature, Kathleen Deakin, Gloria Eastman Nov 2019

Where's My Happy Ending? Fostering Empathy Through Conversations About Anxiety And Depression In Young Adult Literature, Kathleen Deakin, Gloria Eastman

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

The authors advocate for the use of text sets to initiate conversations about anxiety and depression in the Secondary classroom.


Exploring Privilege With Young Adult Literature, Stefani Boutelier Nov 2019

Exploring Privilege With Young Adult Literature, Stefani Boutelier

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

It is imperative to utilize Young Adult (YA) literature themes to transfer deeper ideologies. This article layers I am Alfonso Jones, a YA graphic novel, by Tony Medina to frame the exploration of privilege during a literature unit in a secondary ELA classroom. Teachers can facilitate understanding of such an often overused, yet misunderstood phrase, through multiple means (e.g., conversation protocols, performance assessment). The topics examined in this article supports a praxis model of moving critical pedagogy and equity literacy theories to the forefront of one’s teaching by including student voice, incorporating relationship building, and building important conversation skills to …


Yellow Pads And The Return Of The Writer, Gregory Shafer Nov 2019

Yellow Pads And The Return Of The Writer, Gregory Shafer

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

No abstract provided.


Using Inquiry In Teacher Professional Learning To Build Efficacy For Writing Instruction, Jacqueline B. Koonce, Melissa Brooks-Yip, Kathleen Gibson Nov 2019

Using Inquiry In Teacher Professional Learning To Build Efficacy For Writing Instruction, Jacqueline B. Koonce, Melissa Brooks-Yip, Kathleen Gibson

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

Whitacre (2019) and Curtis (2017) found that participants’ efficacy impacted their writing instruction and ability to engage students. We share our experiences with a professional development program aimed to improve teacher efficacy and literacy of elementary teachers. In this professional learning network, the Study of Early Literacy (SOEL), a higher percentage of teachers reported to a Hanover Research survey that they felt less confident in teaching writing than other areas of literacy. To address this need, one of the authors developed a subgroup to specifically address the teaching of writing with an inquiry-based action research component. Most of the teachers …


College, Career, And Community Writer’S Program (C3wp) Data-Driven Reports Of Literacy Growth, Kathy J. Kurtze Apr 2019

College, Career, And Community Writer’S Program (C3wp) Data-Driven Reports Of Literacy Growth, Kathy J. Kurtze

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

Through the implementation of mini-units in from the C3WP, a teacher demonstrates that routine argument writing leads to great gains in argument writing literacy.


Coming To Terms With College Writing, Tyler Judd Apr 2019

Coming To Terms With College Writing, Tyler Judd

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

The task of defining college writing is one that will more than likely never find a definitive end. As writing teachers it is important to understand what the future for our students holds, but for those college-bound students it can often be hard to predict. With new resources such as Joseph Harris’ Rewriting: How to do Things With Texts, and National Writing Project’s College, Career, and Community Writers Program teachers can be sure they are guiding that population of students toward a successful academic future. This piece explores some of the specific resources and tools that I have found most …


Building An Earnest And Amicable Argument Culture In The Secondary Classroom, Dave Stuart Jr. Apr 2019

Building An Earnest And Amicable Argument Culture In The Secondary Classroom, Dave Stuart Jr.

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

How do we build collaborative, positive argument cultures in secondary classrooms? In this article, the author walks through two methods for doing this. First, the author describes the use of organized sentence templates for making collaborative argument more accessible to students. Second, the author lays out a method for facilitating whole-class, argumentative discussions: pop-up debate. Classroom examples are provided to illustrate the concepts.


Imagination And Empathy: Reframing U.S.-Mexico Border Crossing Narratives, Briana Asmus, Emma Antel Aug 2018

Imagination And Empathy: Reframing U.S.-Mexico Border Crossing Narratives, Briana Asmus, Emma Antel

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

Empathy is an emotional state that allows us to feel what another person is feeling, but can it be taught? This article argues that while we may not be able to teach empathy itself, teachers can try to expand the imaginations of students through the use of young adult literature about border crossing. The intent is to help students who have not experienced border crossing becoming more empathetic toward those who have. By exploring how border crossing narratives challenge dominant misconceptions formed on deficit narratives, and by offering critically-relevant resources grounded in YA texts about border crossing, we will argue …


Scholastic Liberation: Schools' Impact On African American Academic Achievement, Aaron M. Johnson Aug 2018

Scholastic Liberation: Schools' Impact On African American Academic Achievement, Aaron M. Johnson

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

This article addresses some of the factors that contribute to low achievement observed in African American students. It is common that either schools or school districts are unable to fix the problem or they are unaware about how the beliefs and attitudes about African American students can contribute to their low performance in school. Furthermore, this article encourages school institutions to examine themselves and change school environments to align to the identities of African American students. African American students must be liberated from negative assumptions about them and to do that, individuals and the institution of school as a whole, …


A Wood Comes Toward Dunsinane: The Synthesis Of Traditional And Constructivist Methodologies, Randall L. Kaplan May 2017

A Wood Comes Toward Dunsinane: The Synthesis Of Traditional And Constructivist Methodologies, Randall L. Kaplan

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

Education professionals now favor Constructivist and project-based strategies for learning over Traditional methods, which include such frowned upon practices as rote memorization and recitation. The Constructivist approach is being taken to its natural apex by educators like Larry Rosenstock who have created Constructivist utopias such as High Tech High in San Diego, the school put under the microscope in the 2015 documentary film Most Likely to Succeed. Project-based, experiential units of study are effective, exciting, and edifying for both students and teachers. They promise to prepare students for the type of world they will inhabit, a world whose economy …


Of Lizards And Language, Bernadette Gongora May 2017

Of Lizards And Language, Bernadette Gongora

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

No abstract provided.


Why “Correcting” African American Language Speakers Is Counterproductive, Alice Lee May 2017

Why “Correcting” African American Language Speakers Is Counterproductive, Alice Lee

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

In this article, I address the topic of AAL usage in the classroom, particularly the line of thinking that assumes “correcting” the language is what will “set students up for success” in the future. By providing some abbreviated information on how children acquire language, I explain how AAL “correction” is actually counterproductive for student “success”—in both language acquisition and learning. Additionally, I will offer practical suggestions for how AAL can be incorporated in curriculum and instruction.


The International Baccalaureate Learner Profile: A Social Justice Framework In The English Language Arts Classroom, Kristin Sovis, Sarah Pancost May 2017

The International Baccalaureate Learner Profile: A Social Justice Framework In The English Language Arts Classroom, Kristin Sovis, Sarah Pancost

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

“The International Baccalaureate Learner Profile: A Social Justice Framework in the English Language Arts Classroom," highlights the story of an expert secondary ELA teacher as she navigates the political climate in the wake of the 2016 presidential election. Through narrative, classroom anecdote, and pedagogical reflection, this story offers readers an authentic portrait of the complex decisions that face teachers as we navigate tenuous political terrain in our classrooms. Central to this story is the International Baccalaureate (IB) Learner Profile (LP), which is the framework from which this teacher operates: the IB LP serves as both the anchor and guide for …


Using Visible Thinking Routines To Teach About The Impact Of Colonialism On Race Within The Language Arts Classroom, Carol Kelly May 2017

Using Visible Thinking Routines To Teach About The Impact Of Colonialism On Race Within The Language Arts Classroom, Carol Kelly

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

Particularly within Language Arts, the curriculum has historically been based around the classics of Literature, which are heavily dominated by wealthy white men. Finding suitable materials to teach from, whilst still providing the background knowledge of the traditional canon, is a challenge to effective teaching about diversity. I am aware that I come from a culture of whiteness, and this makes me wary of my own biases when teaching about cultural diversity. When approaching this topic I have drawn upon a variety of resources, and this paper will use a mixture of academic research, teaching materials, and self study to …


Using Mentor Texts To Teach Nonfiction Writing To Third Graders, Melissa A. Israel Jan 2008

Using Mentor Texts To Teach Nonfiction Writing To Third Graders, Melissa A. Israel

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

No abstract provided.