Literacy learning in context

The stars aligned? Karma? According to my favorite TV character, Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, "There are no coincidences." BUT I just read Jeffrey Wilhelm's article in the April, 2009 edition of Middle Ground, "Change We Can Believe in: Real Literacy for Real Learning," and then checked out Tom Jenkin's post about Scratch (by the way, Tom is one of the 21st Century Teacher Leaders for the MSP2 project and host of the MSP2 Ning).

Wilhelm reminds us that learning occurs in context. I learned how to use wikis, not from a lecture or a textbook, but because I was participating in some projects that used wikis as a collaboration and project development tool. How did I learn to read the Washington DC Metro map or the Boston MBTA schedule? Yup...because I had to get from point A to point B. AND I developed fluency in riding the systems (relying less and less on the maps) the more I rode the Metro or the T. Hmmm....why do we forget these things about how WE learn when it comes to teaching kids??

Wilhelm does an excellent job of bringing us back to center on this topic, with a focus on literacy. Regardless of how one defines literacy, the fact is, teaching the skills to organize, choose correct vocabulary, effective sentence structure, etc. can only be effective when it's done in context.

Some middle school math and science teachers are fortunate to be teaching in teams where language arts teachers collaborate in curriculum development and instructional design. Other schools have literacy coaches that work with subject matter/discipline focused teachers who feel ill-equipped to incorporate literacy learning in their math or science curriculum. For those who must rely on outside resources, here are some resources:

"Tutors in Print Form: Using Study Guides to Develop Multiple Litera...." This article by Karen Wood, describes and gives examples of some concrete, practical strategies.
How to Teach Reading When You're Not a Reading Teacher
Instructional Strategies for Teaching Content Vocabulary
Strategic Reading: Guiding Students to Lifelong Literacy
The Bibliography of Integrated Curriculum. A bibliography of sites and resources.

Finally, consider using this site as a place to talk with others and glean ideas about literacy in the math and science classroom.