Learning Outcome 1: Demonstrate a solid foundation in the arts and sciences
During my time as an undergraduate student at SUNY Cortland I was exposed to various subject matters that challenged me and opened new doors to inquiry and understanding. I found myself in classes that ranged from Irish poets to contemporary American writers to theater arts. I was also exposed to biology, earth science, psychology and pedagogy. In these classes I was asked to expand my funds of knowledge and partake in the important learning that was happening, not only within myself but my peers and my professors. I also was given the opportunity to continue to expand my educational experiences through the use elective courses. In classes like pottery, and writing for literature I discovered new ways to expand my understanding of the leaning process and how to engage with new areas of study.
In my junior year I was not only in classes learning about the art of teaching but I was completing observation hours within classrooms in communities nearby. I was able to take my learning and put it into practice almost instantly. I was able to garner an in depth understanding of pedagogy thought study and hands on experience.
Thought my studies and experiences I have come to understand how English language arts instruction is more than honing the art of writing, reading and speaking. It is helping students develop and implement critical thinking skills, analysis of discourses and how the world around them influences everything they interact with. Discourses are a way to view and understand any text, be that literature, images or videos. Discourses can be seen as a lens that is used to view the information, as a way to narrow down the focus of the reader. By developing an understanding of what a discourse is, how it is used by authors, critics and society along with how it can influence what the text represents students begin to gain skills that can be transferred far past the classroom. The important work with discourses help scaffold critical thinking skills for students. In traditional classroom settings students are asked to memorize and reiterate facts and understandings developed by the instructor. By introducing discourses and asking students to break down the world around them through structured activities, they become active learners. The critical thinking skills that come along with analysis and understanding of discourses and how they structure and influence our society create pathways for students to continue learning even after the dismissal bell rings.
As an instructor of ELA it is important to have vast funds of knowledge to pull upon to help connect abstract ideas that come hand in hand with language arts for students. I have begun to take the steps necessary to become a master learner in my time at SUNY Cortland, and by continuing down this road I will only strengthen my foundation in arts and sciences. While this continued effort can be taxing, it creates rewards that are tenfold that can be seen immediately in the classroom. By integrating a wide variety of texts by authors from all over the world that focus on subjects across the core subjects, students strengthen their ELA skills of reading and writing, as well as discourse understanding and analysis, critical thinking skills and developing connections to prior knowledge and current learning. Because I have experienced firsthand how a solid foundation in the arts and sciences has elevated my learning experience, I am determined to do the same for my students.