Written Reflection Module 1

Alan Molina
Department of Education, Arizona State University
RDG 323: Literacy Process/Content Areas
Dr. Haddy
September 19, 2020
Written Reflection Module 1 2

What is Disciplinary Literacy and Why Does it Matter?

In the age of the internet, disciplinary literacy becomes more important than ever before

but, before I go into what exactly disciplinary literacy is and why it matters, I feel it only fair to

first explain what literacy is in the 21st century. As this will shape the context in which we

explore disciplinary literacy.

Literacy in the 21st Century is difficult to define a cohesive definition. At its core literacy

is a collection of communicative and sociocultural practices shared among communities and as a

society and technology change, so too does literacy (Definition). In this new age of information

and rapid growth, literacy is in the 21st century is, in simplest terms, the ability to adapt and gain

new information. To be able to gain a vast set of new skills in a short amount of time. Things

included in the 21st century literacy include, but are not limited to, the ability to use the internet,

social media, the context and ways different social platforms operate, the ability to research

information, understanding social and political issues, and much more. It is because 21st century

literacy is so vast that disciplinary literacy is so important today.

Disciplinary literacy is, as Dr. Shanahan put it “rather than focusing on the similarities of

literacy in the content areas, disciplinary literacy focuses on the differences,” and each and every

discipline is different (Shanahan 2). In math disciplinary literacy is the ability to evaluating the

meaning of words and symbols, and then apply logic to their meaning (Shanahan 4). In science it

is the ability to use and understand the scientific method (Shanahan 5). In history it is the ability

to understand multiple perspectives and interpretations of an event (Shanahan 8). And in English,

disciplinary literacy is the ability to interpret, analyze, and understand the underlying meaning of

a text (Shanahan 14). Each of these disciplinary literacies is important in today’s world as each

one can relate back to what it takes to be literate in the 21st century. Math allows you to
Written Reflection Module 1 3

understand the world around you, science lets you decode information and ask meaningful

questions, history gives you the context of the world, and English connects everything together.

By focusing on the differences of each subject, it provides the student with a wider set of literacy

skills, than can be more helpful than a generic literacy skill meant for everything. However,

disciplinary literacy is not something easily achieved.

There are many things that stand in the way of disciplinary literacy and education in

general. With culture, neurodiversity, and equity being three of the biggest. Culture can play a

large rule in a student’s ability to learn. There is a mindset that some students have that goes as

follows “I cannot do this well because I was born/an in this class/race,” and although completely

untrue, it puts the students in a negative midframe (Hinchman 6-7). A workaround to this

problem is to incorporate funds of knowledge (Hinchman 10-11). This is the idea that every

student has a fountain of knowledge that they can draw upon and it is up to us teachers to

incorporate this knowledge into their learning. Giving them more confidence and relating the

subject to their lives. The second issue, neurodiversity, is not a bad thing, on the contrary,

neurodiversity is something that should be accepted like any other race, gender, or religion

(Armstrong 11). The issue with neurodiversity lies with the school system, not the student. We

need to promote these students’ strengths and not focus solely on covering their weaknesses.

Last, I want to cover equity and how equal doesn’t always mean fair. Every student is different

and needs a different amount of help, after all, they are not starting from the same point. A

student from a low-income family is just as smart as a student from a high-income family, the

only difference is an “opportunity gap” (Valbrun). It is up to the school and us as teachers to

close this gap and give every student the chance to succeed. We need to distribute our resources

where they are needed. Because every child should be given a better chance in life.
Written Reflection Module 1 4

References
Armstrong, T. (2012). Neurodiversity in the classroom: Strength-based strategies to help
students with special needs succeed in school and life. Alexandria, VA USA: ASCD

Definition of Literacy in a Digital Age. (2019, November 7). Retrieved September 19, 2020,
from https://ncte.org/statement/nctes-definition-literacy-digital-age/

Hinchman, K. A., & Appleman, D. (2017). Adolescent literacies: A handbook of practice-

based research. New York: Guilford Press.
Shanahan, C. (2015). Disciplinary Literacy Strategies in Content Classes. ILA E-ssentials

Valbrun, V. (2018, July 05). Equity vs. Equality: Eliminating Opportunity Gaps in Education.
Retrieved September 19, 2020, from http://www.theinclusionsolution.me/equity-vs-
equality-eliminating-opportunity-gaps-education/