Originally posted on Big Ideas in Education
I have the opportunity to be part of an amazing inquiry in SCDSB that is looking at the learning environment as the ‘Third Teacher’. We are looking at how well-designed innovative spaces can be harnessed to help students optimize their learning potential.
I am particularly interested in how library and classroom design enhances literacy and math proficiency. However, especially reading.
The ability for students to be able to read is perhaps the most important thing that students need to be able to do. Reading is the foundation of all other literacies. If students are not able to read, then they will not able to demonstrate literacy in multiple areas that will lead to real choice and the ability to think critically within the world. I tried to show that in this diagram – with reading as the foundation for other literacies, and the ability to think critically, make good choices, and achieve personal success.
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| Deborah McCallum |
I believe that the physical set-up of the classroom can have a significant impact on how we implement strategies that promote reading success. Based on the new document from the Ministry of Ontario: The Third Teacher:
According to this document, there are 4 roles of the Literate Learner:
- Meaning Maker
- Code User
- Text User
- Text Analyzer
With these 4 roles in mind, I want to know how my learning environment can support literate behaviours? How can the Third Teacher help students to effectively manage texts in appropriate ways and help students to become literate learners?
Based on this document, I created a checklist of some of the things that we need to think of to support our existing instructional strategies that create literate learners. In this checklist, I also added culturally relevant symbols to this checklist. Culturally relevant symbols (without cultural appropriation) that help reinforce the mandates of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and promote FNMI perspectives on literacy and learning.
Further, I would ask questions pertaining to how this environment provides effective feedback toward our learners. I would want this feedback to promote literacy skills for my students. If students don't have reading proficiency, then this will affect everything.
I am very curious to see and learn about examples of learning spaces that promote literate learners, and that can also be created on a lean budget.
What design features have you found to work well in your learning space?
Deborah McCallum
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