Innovative Approaches to Literacy Education - Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – Giving It Away: The Earth Day Groceries Project

By Mark Ahlness

This project is extremely close to my heart due to the fact that it involves aspect of protecting the environment. In addition, to being a trained teacher, I have also done extensive training in environmental management. In chapter 3 Mark has not only explained a very good project, but also gave a number of useful educational websites.

Ahlness commented that the idea about his project had a humble beginning but over time grew both national and international. The project has had such a huge impact on a number of school communities that it was a recipient of the Ms Rumphius Awards. Ahlness said that the idea for the project came from a summer workshop back in 1991.

The Earth Day Groceries Project involves students decorating groceries bags intended for homes. Mark’s project is a prime example of networking. Mark explained that he sent the idea of his project to websites such as Kidsphere and Ednet. Due to this exposure of his project on these websites a number of schools adopted the idea and used it. As soon as Mark received an up dated report from any one of the participants involved in the Earth Day Groceries Project, he would pass it to all the other participants. In this way all the schools would get some feedback on what the other schools were doing.

Mark admitted that he developed his school’s website and eventually the Earth Day Groceries Project’s website for the love of sharing information and not for the monetary rewards which can be gained from them. He reported that he constantly update his database with numerous reports in order to share the information with his viewers.

Mark reported that his Earth Day Groceries Project has many facets. He suggested that the project can be utilized in more than one subject areas: with an Environmental Awareness theme – in geography, art, science, social studies, etc. Ahlness highlighted the magnificent artworks that the students drew on the grocery bags. He commented that the most important idea behind the project was the messages which are written on the bags. Mark hopes that the content written on the bags would bring about some positive behavioral change towards preserving the environment.

Another valid point which Mark has made is giving credit to the author of any resources that his students used in their works. He advised that this new literacy is just as important as using good grammar in doing a paper.

Mark’s notion on literacy is captivating due to the method he used to introduce computer skills to his students. His writing brought me back to when I was first introduced to computers in 1992. Mark ingenious plan to use a cardboard box to cover the phone to prevent any one else to use it, while he and the students were using the Internet was really amusing. Mark is obviously a truly dedicated teacher who made sure his students were exposed to new information and communication technologies (ICTs).

Ahlness was very innovative in his approach in providing Internet assignments for his young students. Unfortunately the students at the school (incarcerated facility) I currently teach are not allowed to use the Internet due to security reasons. Nevertheless, I applaud Mark for his gallant effort in getting his students involved in the Internet as early as third grade. He certainly makes learning fun and interesting for his students.

Mark introduced me to Louis Schmier’s website, a professor at Valdosta State University. I found his writing to be both inspiring and encouraging. I enjoyed reading “The Classroom is not a Factory” and “Teaching and Caring”.

Mark believes that, “Teachers are in the business of providing service and building careers for others”. He really has demonstrated that teachers can make a difference in their students' lives if they provide the necessary tools needed, as in the case of exposing students to ICTs.

Mark gave an excellent example on how the Internet can be incorporated into the classroom to enhance learning as in the case of the webcam story. The webcam story is all about a camera set to take a series of films of a falcon’s eggs hatching. The students were able to view this entire phenomenon over the Internet for several days. The follow up activities after viewing the hatching of the baby eyasses were excellent reinforcement task. This included naming one of the males baby eyasses and writing stories about the bird’s first flight.

Mark ended his discussion on the power of the Internet in spreading information. He said, and I do agree with him, that “as long as teachers inspire their students by example and share their passions, students will grow to do the same”.

Innovative Approaches to Literacy Education - Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Books on Tape for Kids: A Languages Based Service – Learning Project by Gino Sangiuliano

I was most impressed with Gino Sangiulian’s article in Chapter 2 on Books on Tape for Kids. It struck me that I need to be more proactive in my community. As teachers we are truly excellent role models for our students to emulate. Therefore, in order for us to accomplish our task as facilitators of education, we have to motivate our students to perform at their highest educational level.

Sangiuliano introduced his project by giving a detailed description of one of the taping for Books on tape for Kids. The concept behind the project involved students selecting their favorite children’s books to read and recording them on cassette tapes. The tapes and new books would then be donated to children’s hospital all over the United States. In addition, the students sent along a piece of art work influenced by the particular book they have taped. Included in each packages was something special (e.g. a letter) from the creator of the tape.

Books on tape for Kids is such an enormous and phenomenal venture that I can just imagine the scope of preparation that have to be put into it to produce those wonderful tapes. Gino commented that “a project of this magnitude takes a great deal of preparation”, which I can really comprehend. This project is well worthy of the Miss Rumphius Award.

Gino explained that the Books on Tape for Kids was divided into 3 sections, literacy, technology and community. According to Gino, fluent readers are usually students who were exposed to oral reading from an early age. He further added that professional recorded books have shown to develop word recognition and story structure.

On the area of technology the author stated that Books on Tape for Kids was “initially sparked by the technology component”. One must agree that books on tapes are not really traditional. During my younger years I grew accustom of only hearing stories either read by my father or my classroom teachers. Therefore Books on Tape for Kids would be considered as relatively modern. Gino also declared that Books on Tape for Kids was also the springboard for the creation of the project’s brilliant website.

Books on Tape for Kids is without a doubt a valuable community service. The tapes were given to children at the various children’s hospitals all over the USA. For this project Sangiuliano listed a number of players: the audience, family members, creators (many teachers and students) and the recipients (children at the numerous children’s hospitals).

Once again the writer of this chapter mentioned the concept of the new literacies which are associated with the new information and communication technologies (ICTs). The new literacies would be applicable for this project due to the number of ITCs that were used to accomplish this task. Sangiuliano said that by the time most students completed schools; they would have used and shared a great deal of information due to the fact that they were exposed to these types of ICTs. Gino iterated that, “Technology instruction should be presented in a manner that allows students to apply what they learn to real-world situations”. I could not have said it better myself.

Gino stated that in addition to the students recording their story books on tapes, they also added musical instruments to enhance the quality of the tapes. Students used both songs and sound tracks to the readings to make the tapes more fun.

Sangiuliano noted that as the popularity of the Books on Tape for Kids rose, there was a high demand for them by other teachers, especially among special education and ESL teachers.

Gino was proud to announce that since the beginning of the Books on Tape for Kids, the project has seen an increased in the type of ICTs that has been utilized. He further reported that computers for many of the students are no longer a new literacy. Therefore, teachers have to be prepared to train themselves in the latest ICTs, in order to be better facilitators.

Gino also pointed out that “policy makers continue to ignore the Internet and other ICTs and omit their definitions of reading…,” he further added that if teachers are not trained to be able to deliver these new literacies, then teachers would not have carried out their duties. A big part of this change would also involve the modifying of the classrooms with the appropriate technological equipment.