Running Header: Philosophy of Disciplinary Literacy Final Reflection 1

Philosophy of Disciplinary Literacy Final Reflection

Megan Harmon

Arizona State University

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What does it mean for students to be literate in History?

Literacy in History

Literacy is “a collection of communicative and socio-cultural practices shared among

communities that are interconnected, dynamic, and malleable” (Witte, 2019). 21st century

literacy still includes these aspects but has changed from basic reading and writing to encompass

many more skills such as digital literacy. Other skills include creativity, design, collaboration,

exploration, and analytical skills (Morris 2018). Literacy is taught to students to enable them to

be “able to read complex text independently and proficiently” (Fisher and Frey, 2012).

Literacy differs between each content and basic literacy is used within all subjects.

However, there is no specific strategy that is used within each discipline. This is in part due to

each discipline focusing on different comprehension of text. Because of this, it is crucial to

implement disciplinary literacy which is “an emphasis on the knowledge and abilities possessed

by those who create, communicate, and use knowledge within the disciplines” (Shanahan and

Shanahan, 2012).

Educators within each discipline have the knowledge to comprehend the text within their

classroom and they are expected to teach this skill to the students. This is important because “the

ability to comprehend written texts is not a static or fixed ability, but rather one involves a

dynamic relationship between the demands of texts and the prior knowledge and goals of

readers” (Lee & Spratley, n.d). When using disciplinary literacy students learn to use literacy to

engage in goals and practices that are unique to each separate discipline. Brozo stated the

importance of this knowledge saying, “It is further believed that these strategies will increase

engagement in reading and learning, improve literacy skills and abilities, and lead to greater
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knowledge acquisition” (Brozo, Moorman, Meyer, & Stewart, 2013), This is done by teaching

the unique tools that are used by the experts within the discipline.

Being literate in history includes a students ability to read, write, and use critical thinking

skills in regards to the past. This encompasses many different types of texts such as prints,

graphics, and social media. By teaching historical literacy students are able to learn a range of

abilities and understanding that is required to grasp the nature of history. This involves providing

students with the opportunity to “do history”. A main theme in historical education is that

students need a firm grasp of the past to be a good citizen. This is not just memorization of dates

and places but providing students with the tools to make sense of the past. Students need to know

the right questions to ask when studying the past. For example instead of asking when an event

happened, asking what else was taking place at the time of the event and determining if they hold

a connection.

Cross Campus Support and Integration of Literacy and Other Disciplines

History is a perfect subject to pair with any discipline because no matter what is being

taught there is an aspect of history that can be learned. Working in teams disciplines can come

together to create meaningful and lasting lessons. When a lesson is taught cross-curricular it

prompts students to make connections between the disciplines and assists in cementing the

information for the student.

Literacy can be used at every point in a history lesson. There are amazing tools and

sources that provide students with more than just dates and places but also about the people and

the context of an event. This can be done using various forms of sources found online from

videos about an event to primary sources from the event. Integrating other disciplines can easily
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be done as mentioned before, any topic has a historical context that can be linked. Such as the

idea of gravity being linked to the Scientific Revolution.

Differentiation and Diverse Learners

Within each school, there is a diverse group of students. Each student is different,

including how they learn and what they need to be successful. Schools’ curriculum is mainly

focused on basic literacy but that does not help students in every subject. There are many

teachers that encourage new teachers to focus on workplace literacy because they believe the

students will not go to college. (Collins, 2016). Historical literacy when taught correctly can be

used by every student no matter what their future may entail because they are learning

collaboration and critical thinking skills that will be useful anywhere. Students that have a

disability are included in this group. Disabilities are often seen putting the student at a

disadvantage. However these students are able to learn historical literacy as well they may just

need differentiated lessons to ensure they understand the literacies.

History is a great subject that can easily be adapted for any type of learner. One use of

differentiation that is common is to allow students to choose their own question about a historical

topic and allow them the freedom to research their question. Students that have disabilities are

also able to become historically literate because the subject does not have one correct answer to

every question. By allowing all students to dig into the past they are able to come up with their

own conclusions as to why an event took place and the lasting impact we see to this day.

Highly Effective Literacy Practices in History, Materials, and Resources

One highly effective literacy practice is writing to learn. The short term benefits to using

writing to learn is that “Students are able to take small pieces of content and analyze it for

patterns and connections” (Writing, n.d.). Another major benefit is that both students and
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teachers are able to visually see how well the information is being understood and where more

assistance is needed to grasp key concepts. Long term benefits include students developing

critical thinking skills. Organization, summary, and analysis of content are also learned and

become easier for students to use which produces better understanding. Students also become

better at writing to communicate their thinking and learning.

Using this practice in a history class is beneficial for the students for the exact reasons

listed above. Students are able to think critically about the past and are able to make connections

to the present when using their writing as they organize and analyze the materials. Resources for

this are available to help students organize their thoughts and the material being learned so they

can write without worrying about a standard outline. One way this strategy can be used is to

introduce a famous person. Students choose a historical figure, and prepare an introduction for

this person. This can be done in a variety of ways, one of which is to have students make an

introduction for their chosen figure as a guest speaker at a historical event and have them

introduce the person.

Personal Reflection

This semester has been challenging for a number of reasons many of which have had to

do with learning in an online environment and adjusting to the new normal in schools. One

aspect of having the class online is that it provided me with the opportunity to learn about

countless online resources that can be used to help students. I also enjoyed the opportunity of

creating an asynchronous lesson as those seem to be what will be used in the future as online

school becomes more normal. The collaboration of an interdisciplinary team was so beneficial.

This class was the first one where I learned that lessons can and should be cross-curricular which

matched amazingly well with my internship as that is how the honors classes were taught. As I
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learned the benefits of having an interdisciplinary lesson I decided that I would implement these

types of lessons into my classroom as much as possible.

I learned that literacy is more than just being able to read and write but also to be

digitally, socially, and historically literate. Disciplinary literacy is crucial to teach to students

because a basic knowledge of literacy can only do so much. Discipline specific literacy teaches

students how to be successful in each subject. Now that I understand the difference between

basic literacy and discipline literacy I will ensure that I teach historical literacy to my students so

they can be successful in the class and as they leave school.

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References:

Brozo, W. G., Moorman, G., Meyer, C., & Stewart, T. (2013). Content Area Reading and

Disciplinary Literacy. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 56(5), 353-357.

doi:10.1002/JAAL.153

Collins, K., & Ferri, B. (2016). Literacy Education and Disability Studies: Reenvisioning

Struggling Students. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 60(1), 7-12. Retrieved

September 28, 2020, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/44011343

Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2012). Engaging the adolescent learner: Setting the stage for

21stcentury learning. International Literacy Association.

Fisher_and_frey_january_2012.pdf

Lee, C. D., & Spratley, A. (n.d.). The Challenges of Adolescent Literacy. Reading in the

Disciplines, 2-18. Retrieved September 5, 2020, from https://production-

carnegie.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/88/05/880559fd-afb1-49ad-af0e-

e10c8a94d366/ccny_report_2010_tta_lee.pdf

Morris, W. (2018, September 22). Why it is Important to be Digitally Literate in the 21st

Century. Retrieved September 27, 2020, from https://medium.com/literate-schools/why-

it-is-important-to-be-digitally-literate-in-the-21st-century-583000ac8fc0

Shanahan, T., & Shanahan, C. (2012). What Is Disciplinary Literacy and Why Does It

Matter? Topics In Language Disorders, 32(1), 7-18.

doi:10.1097/TLD.0b013e318244557a

Witte, S., Bass, B., O’Bryne, I.W., Price-Denis, D., & Sibberson, F. (2019). Definition of

Literacy in a Digital Age. Retrieved September 27, 2020, from

https://ncte.org/statement/nctes-definition-literacy-digital-age/
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Writing Across the Curriculum. (n.d.). 1(08). Michigan Department of Education.

Retrieved November 29, 2020, from

https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/SSWAC_225020_7.pdf