Cross Curriculum Creativity

Blog Post 1 – 1.15.12

So many of the readings were about cross curriculum reading, and I couldn’t agree more!  There is too much literacy to be covered in one Language Arts class, reading and writing should be spread across the board.   I remember in my own high school math class we read some really funny play about calculus – it was hilarious and I totally loved it!  Whether I end up as a math or English teacher, I will go out of my way to include reading and writing.

I loved in the Content Area Literacy Case Study how the author went into detail about the various exercises the Case Study’s teacher, John, used.  The little handouts were even included.  That is just a perfect resource to have as a future teacher and I make a point to save all of the valuable handouts I can because I don’t know how many perfect and original ideas I can come up with on my own once I have been teaching for how ever many years.

In Reading Across the Curriculum, I loved the quote: “More middle school students are able and willing to access these materials when they are written at different reading and interest levels and when the writing style is engaging” (pg 182).  I have already started collecting various young adult literature so that when I become a Middle School teacher, of whatever subject, I will have fully stocked bookshelves.  I couldn’t agree more with all of these articles about reading in every class, and encouraging students to read outside the classroom as well.

I was discussing with some of my peers last week about how broad of a term “literacy” is these days.  We see it as more than just being able to read and write, but all forms of expressing and communicating.  As teachers, we need to demonstrate this to our students so that they see reading blogs and following silly new stories is still improving their literacy skills and introducing them to different forms and styles of writing.  I loved the R.A.F.T. assignment (Content Area Literacy Case Study) and how there were so many different Forms of writing that the students could perfect through that.

All in all, I loved each of the articles we were assigned to read, but I am just really in love with the reading and writing in subjects besides English.  If I do end up being a mathematics teacher, I want my students to be all about reading different types of writings and do research reports on the history and content of the mathematical principles.  I admire teachers who are able to seamlessly achieve this so much and I hope that I will one-day fall amongst those ranks.