Reading as a Transaction

There are many contributing factors that influence us as readers, especially influencing children learning to read.  There is the reader, the text, and the context.  All of which work together in transaction.  The reader brings about schema which influences his or her knowdlege of what they already know and bring to the text.  The text is what we choose to make meaning from.  Lastly, the context which is our surrondings that play a part to how we make meaning of a text.  It is through the interaction of these factors that create reading as a transaction. 

Take a look at the model above.  Each is working in transaction with one another.  In this model, the context has a larger influence on both the reader and the text.  Therefore, having a larger impact on comprehension. 


After class discussion, EDU 541 came up with a thought ------ why can't these change?  For example, take a look at how my model would look teaching young first graders to read.  The reader would make up the larger portion/influence on reading.  They are beginning to develop themselves as readers and bring about schema that they are still building upon.  Next, the text.  This is still important a plays a large role in reading.  What they are making meaning of and how they are able to grow as reading depending on the text.  Lastly, the context.  This is smaller due to the fact that young children are just beginning to learn to read.  They have not yet fully developed in what context they are reading, yet it still plays a role.   

Take a look at my role:

What would your model of reading as a transaction look like?  For your students?  You as a reader?

Shift Happens

There have been many shifts in the history of reading.  Throughout time many people have been involved in finding out how children learn to read and it is through research and technology that influence they way in which we teach reading today! 
Its crazy to read how the evolution of reading has changed.  For example, the cave men drew pictures, but it is through thier of the written language they were able to make meaning of this.  And now how we make meaning from just about anything we have a connection with.  I feel that the most important shift that has changed literacy is technology.
Technology has changed throughout time and it has had an impact on reading.  For example, once the printing press was invented, books became more and more available.  Today, technology is so advanced.  Ipads and the internet just from the top of my head, has become much of the way in which children and students access inforamtion and we as teachers need to change and incorporate the ever so changing world of technology into our classrooms to help our students gain access. 

What is text?

Its crazy to think about how the definition of what is a text is changing due to our technology. When I was in school text was our textbooks and the novels we were reading in class. But now, text has a whole different meaning. Technology has brought about a new definition of text, multiliteracies. Text is now anything that we are able to make meaning from. A simple picture, movie, or poem that we come in contact with daily can be a text. I love this becuase it expands our range of knowledge and brings about new experiences to our present. We are constantly involoved with text and bringing that alive in the classroom for our students is a create way to promote thier thinking. Its not just what we read but its all around us and we are connecting with text everyday! Not just when we sit and read. I want my students to access as much multiliteracies as possible to grasp on to meaning and make it thier own. This will help them become memebrs of our socity now and in the future!

Reading as a Teacher

What does it mean to read as a teacher? Before reading the excerp by Robert Fecho, I never really thought about how teachers read. As a teacher we read all the latest information about current events, theologies, and new insights in teaching. But do we ever think about what is influencing our reading? Fecho brought new thoughts to me as an educator.
First, it is so important for educators to reflect and write about the theories and practices that we incorporate into our classroooms. One point Fecho makes is that teachers do not have a lot of time to write and relect with our busy schedules and classes. But the more that you think about it the more that we should look back and write. Is what we are doing with our students really working? We need to share our voice!!!!!
Second, it is our community that influences the way in which we read. As professionals we are reading to seek out our interests and share a common thread in reading. While others throughout the school will tend to lead us to read this or that but they are not in our direct community, therefore, their impact on our reading as teachers is affected.
Lastly, we need to remember that we are reading for our students. Mostly all of what we read and do as teachers is for them!