Course Reflections

As we conclude this course on Emergent Literacy, I had the opportunity to take away a vast amount of knowledge and information about the subject due to the very nature of this course. Exposure to fellow colleagues’ internet blogs offered a wealth of rewarding, stimulating information just by reading all the unique and personal views on the subject as it pertains to the field of education. The diversified library of blogs that became my internet classroom, allowed me to obtain some great ideas and teaching techniques that I might implement in my own classroom. Acquired, useful knowledge came from reading fellow teachers’ posted personal experiences and from the vast variety of professional articles that many posted on their blog page.

In the classroom, we read articles for discussion, and were able to share information on the major areas of Emergent Literacy ranging from such topics as Phonological Awareness, Vocabulary, Word Study, Differentiation, Oral Language, and more with our rich and analytical group discussions. Since my fellow students all work in different schools, and teach different grade levels, we have had many different experiences to bring to the table and share as it relates to this major concept in literacy. Reading articles that focused on the current research and trends in emergent literacy gave me the opportunity to keep abreast on tools and techniques in teaching reading to the elementary student. Initiatives which promote Literacy are imperative to the first grade reading teacher; and the interaction within the graduate program and with the blogs of my fellow peers afforded me the awareness necessary to maintain the highest standards in teaching the young reader.

This course gave me new insights into the world of reading and solidified many of my beliefs and knowledge about teaching reading to children. It made me realize the importance of the little positive stimulants necessary to expose children to as they acquire language. Far too often we take for granted some of the simple ways in which we can allow children to explore their world and develop language. This course exposed me to innovative theorists that I had not learned much about in the past; such as Friedrich Froebel, Marie Clay, John Dewey, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Johann Pestalozzi. It was interesting to learn their philosophies and their contributions to both emergent literacy and education as a whole. As we concluded the last few classes of this program with our lesson Plan presentations, I was fortunate to obtain many new ideas and activities that I can implement in my own classroom with my students to engage them and teach them current emergent literacy concepts.

As teachers, we need to continually evolve with the recommended trends and technology to adequately teach literacy in the classroom. Our continued growth as educators depends on our own drive to keep current with research and findings on the topic. It is important that we maintain access to the many journal articles that are published daily and evaluate what seems to work best and utilize positive techniques when teaching. Success in emergent literacy is determined by the progress and development of the student. All available avenues that bring literacy success to our students are vital to the teacher. The literacy blog created through this graduate program has been a wonderful tool to share positive ideas, post research developments, listen to fellow colleagues in education, and ultimately promote literacy.