8:1 Thoughtful Literacy

Where did I find this word?

I found this term in the Ikpeze and Boyd article, Web-based inquiry learning:  Facilitating thoughtful literacy with WebQuests.


The authors state that "reading instruction and assessment increasingly requires students to demonstrate a more thoughtful literacy and flexible understanding of text through explanation, discussion, reflection, and connections between text and the real world (Ikpeze & Boyd, 2007, p. 644).


So I asked myself, "what is thoughtful literacy?"

What is the definition of this word?

The authors never offer a definitive definition of thoughtful literacy, but throughout the text, they describe the characteristics of what they believe thoughtful literacy to be.


As I understand it, thoughtful literacy goes beyond the basics such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing to application of the text to real world situations.

Thoughtful literacy is described as:

-  Using information from text and responding thoughtfully and critically to it.
-  Using various technologies to plan and design effective learning environments and experiences for students.
-  The skills, insights, and strategic knowledge required to successfully exploit the technologies.
-  Enables learners to process information using a variety of complex thinking skills.
-  Makes connections between what is rad and hte real world.
-  Authentic.
(Ikpeze & Boyd, 2007, p. 644-650)

What is my familiarity with this word?

Before reading about thoughtful literacy in this article, I had no prior knowledge of it.

Do I want to know this word well? Why?

I am very intrigued by this word.  i like the notion of thoughtful literacy.  I realize not all text lends itself to being critically responded to, but much content area text for students is the type of text that thoughtful literacy brings to mind.

Teaching students to be mindful and critical of what they are reading will be a major goal in my future classrooms.  I want my students to be inquisitive, interested, motivated, and emotional about what they're reading.  I want their learning to vbe authnetic and ot connect to their ou-of-school lives.

Do I want others to know this word well?  Why?

I feel like this concept vcan be a powerful motivational tool in classrooms that teachers shlould know about.  the be thougtful and criically responseive to anothers words can be a very powerful equalizer.  Just becuase someone wrote something in a book doesn't necessarily make that somehting ture.  Student can question many things about a text, and they should.

References

Ikpeze, C.H. & Boyd, F.B. (2007).  Web-based inquiry learning:  Facilitating thoughful literacy with
     WebQuests.  International Reading Association, 60 (7.5) 644-654.