This course was a great start to my continuation of my education and I have definitely benefitted greatly from all the great articles that we have read. The additional views that I have read from all of my course-mates was so beneficial. This course has definitely changed my philosophy about teaching reading and my view on how literacy is obtained. In my undergraduate courses we aren’t really taught what reading really is until you are in the classroom. After participating in this course I am taking away so many wonderful suggestions and ideas that I have encountered over these past eight weeks. Two articles that stood out were Applegate & Applegate’s Peter Effect as well as Anderson’s Role of the reader’s schema in comprehension, learning and memory. Andersons article reminded me how the schema theory can be applied in a practical teaching environment. The Peter Effect focused on the importance of teachers being a positive example of being enthusiastic about reading. After reading the Peter Effect article I thought about my practices even outside of the classroom and how I stress at home reading a book with my daughter every night.
Over these past eight weeks my thinking about the reading process has changed and it also has reminded me what it means to be a part of the process of making children literate. As a teacher I am often so busy through the day with teaching and giving assessments that I forget that these children come into my classroom sometimes not knowing anything or remembering anything. As their teacher I need to teach them the very basics of how to become a successful reader. At the end of the year it really does not matter if the students can pass an assessment if they have not learned the process of how to read.
A concept that I am walking away is the knowledge of schema. In my setting it is common that my students come in with little background knowledge. I forget sometimes that they all don’t have the benefit of a solid background of knowledge that I was afforded as a young learner.
One thing that I have already incorporated in my classroom that I have taken from this course is to be my students reading role model. I have been encouraging them more and I have seen a difference in my students. I have a little girl or is on the lower reading level that has really had a boost of confidence and wants to read more. She had asked to read with me and also wanted to read to the class. She accomplished this task and did an amazing job, something that may not have happened if I had not taken this course and been more mindful of my modeling.
Theory to Practice 