Rosa Galindo

12/4/2014
Case Study
Part I: Teachers Are Teachers of Reading
At the beginning of the semester, Professor Seahorn told her class that all teachers are
teachers of literacy and that literacy is reflective in all aspects of a person's life. At first, I did not
understand what she meant by teachers are teachers of literacy, nor did I understand how exactly
literacy can impact a person's life so greatly on various levels. It was not until a few weeks into
the semester that I finally understood the depth of literacy. Literacy, at its most simplistic
definition, according to Richard Vacca, is the "ability to read and write a language with
competence (Vacca 8)." Although this is a commonly accepted definition of the term literacy, I
now know that literacy greatly exceeds its definition.
To obtain literacy, a person must develop and exercise skills that further their
understanding or interpretations of a text and its words. As was discussed on my first day in
recitation at Preston Middle School, reading does not simply pertain to written text. Reading
consists of creating meaning and understanding, whether it is the understanding and reading of a
person's body language, a picture, or a video clip gone viral on the internet. According to
Professor Seahorn, in order to read, the brain must "integrate visual, auditory, semantics, syntax,
and inferential information" so that the brain can fully comprehend the information provided
(Seahorn, 9/24/2014). This means that in order to read, the brain processes information by
decoding symbols into sounds, sounds into words, and finally words into meaning. The brain
must then become interactive and develop strong interactions so that these meanings can be
applied to visual interpretations and actions, hence allowing a person to "read" another person's
demeanor or body language, as well as a picture. This level of literacy, however is not innate, nor

does it remain constant. Literacy requires practice so that the brain can achieve meaning
effortlessly and automatically. This practice must be done repeatedly so that students' level of
comprehension can grow further each year, a concept also known as brain plasticity.
In lecture, I was taught about brain plasticity. To put it simply, brain plasticity is the
growth and development of dendrites. Dendrites transfer and store information such as data from
learned skills and experiences to other neurons in the brain. This communication is the retrieval
and storage bank between neurons. The dendrites can both increase and decrease in number,
meaning that the brain is in constant flux. For every new material or skill that is learned, more
dendrites are developed. Depending on whether or not learned material is practiced and stored in
long term memory, dendrites will continue to grow and remain present. If information is not
practiced sufficiently, it is forgotten and therefore cause a decrease of dendrites. Brain plasticity
is "the lifelong growth of the support and connecting cells that enrich the communication
between neurons (Willis 1)." As a future teacher, brain plasticity is important to me since it
rejects the idea that brain development subsides a few years after birth. Through brain plasticity,
it is evident that brain growth can occur at any age, and information can also be converted to
long-term memory at any age. With this knowledge, it is easier to understand the ideas of fixed
versus growth mindset.
As was explained to me in recitation, fixed mindset is the belief that an individual cannot
develop or improve skills or understandings of any given content area simply because they are
"not good at it." Whereas, growth mindset is the acknowledgement and attitude of an individual
whom recognizes that skills can be improved upon and comprehension can deepen. Most
importantly, fixed and growth mindsets are reflective attitudes about one's own mental ability of
acquiring and mastering skills. Several times in lab, I would work with small groups of students

and ask them to either provide me with the correct conjugation of simple verbs, pronouns and
their proper articles, and at times I would observe them form entire sentences. Although I did not
spent ample time with these students, I noticed a few trends among a certain table of all boys. At
this table, these students struggled with manipulating the Spanish language and quickly get off
task. I would often sit among them and watch them do their work, or interact with them to
answer any questions they might have had regarding the assignment. Sadly, on several occasions,
the boys simply forfeited any attempt to complete the task because they felt they did not know
the correct answer and then claimed that they were not good at Spanish. These boys
demonstrated having a fixed mindset. They felt that they were bad at Spanish, and therefore had
no desire to improve their skills. I was able to successfully walk through their difficulties and
lead them to their answers. This mindset, however, was commonly used a tool of manipulation to
see if they could get me to provide them with the proper answers.
I never did provide students with the correct answers, I would walk them through their
struggles using logical reasoning so that they could find the answer themselves. At times I would
also explain to them that with practice and study, their Spanish and comprehension of it will
improve. I feel that it is important to stress to students the nature of how practice confirms and
stores knowledge so that the students do not grow up believing they will continue to do poorly in
a subject or content area. A fixed mindset is detrimental to their learning acquisition. Further, I
feel that through growth mindset and brain plasticity, teachers are teachers of reading.
Teachers are teachers of reading and literacy in the sense that they ultimately teach their
students the language of their content area, create meanings that stem from phonetics and
symbols to form word meanings specific to the subject matter, as well as comprehend the
material in such depth that the students can apply and their cognitive skills to other subjects and

establish relations between them. The practice and review of comprehension skills helps the
brain to store the information in long-term memory that deepens the students comprehension
and literacy levels.
Part II: Application in Content Area
In order for students to get enough review and practice, students should be given the
opportunity to utilize creativity and visual tools so that the practice and review of material is not
done simply by rote memory, where material and skills are less efficiently converted to longterm memory. Cross-referencing of data [by means of diverse practices] strengthens the data
into something [the students] learned rather than just memorized (Willis 4). In order to achieve
this in my classroom, I plan on utilizing graphic organizers, various text-dependent questions,
CERC, and RAFT assignments.
Graphic Organizers
One of the graphic organizers I plan to utilize in my Spanish classes is a KWL chart.
KWL charts support multiple reading comprehension strategies by activating students prior
knowledge about a topic, setting purposes for reading, and confirming, revising, or expanding
original understandings of a topic (McLaughlin 118). I can easily and frequently use this
graphic organizer in my class at the beginning of each unit with reference to it again at the end of
each unit to review what the students have learned. For example, I will use a KWL chart at the
beginning of a Hispanic cultures unit. I will ask my students to create a KWL about any Hispanic
culture or region about which they would like to learn. I might even assign a research project so
that the students have the liberty to study a region of their choice versus being forced to research
a region about which they might not have any interest. I believe that the KWL chart allows
students to build self-confidence and become more engaged in learning. By revealing their prior

knowledge and expressing their interests, the student is able to realize that they are in control of
their growth and hence become more engaged in learning.
Another tool that I will use is a verbal visual graphic organizer. A verbal visual allows
the student to create various means of reviewing the material in a single organizer. They are
asked to write the definition of the new term or concept, they are given the opportunity to draw
an interpretation of the given term, as well as create a connection to it by providing an example
of a personal association or characteristic to the term. Through writing, drawing, and relating the
term to their own experiences, the students review the term three times in a single activity.
Regardless of their level in Spanish, I can most easily use this graphic organizer in my classroom
when introducing new vocabulary. Aside from vocabulary, I can use this verbal visual with an
advanced class for Spanish literature. I can ask students to create verbal visuals of the main idea
or moral of a short story. Not only would the students have to fill out a verbal visual, they would
have to select a term or concept that is representative and best captures the key point or theme of
the work.
Reading Comprehension Approaches
For my advanced classes I can also use the Progression of Text Dependent Questions
model. At the beginning of the year I can ask questions that are dominantly about general
understandings, key details, vocab and structure, and authors purpose. I would focus on these
types of questions since the students might not be comfortable with reading in Spanish and might
be overwhelmed with the translations more so than the deeper meaning of the text. As their
literacy skills in Spanish develop I can ask the students to answer questions regarding inferences,
opinions, arguments, and intertextual connections. I feel that by asking students to think critically
about assigned readings will further their comprehension skills and prepare them for interactions

outside of the classroom. This will ultimately teach students to think for themselves and not
accept information that is given to them for face value.
Another to reading comprehension activity I learned about this semester was CERC.
CERC is an acronym for claim, evidence, reasoning, and conclusion. Although I recall making
claims or hypotheses about texts when I was in school, I do not recall using this acronym. I feel
that CERC is a great tool for comprehension as it clearly defines the steps needed to make a
sound argument. I can use this tool in my advanced classes when asking students to write a paper
about a story that was read in class, or even a poem. What truly is great about CERC is that
CERC can be used for asking even the most basic questions. For example, in my beginning
Spanish courses, when teaching about feminine and masculine articles, I can ask students to
explain why they would use, los, versus las, as well as unos, instead of unas. I can ask
them to give a well-developed argument by using CERC. They will have to state their claim,
provide their evidence and reasoning to justify their conclusion. By having the students go
through each step of CERC, versus simply choosing an article that sounds right, the students are
reviewing the rules of Spanish grammar, further internalizing the information.
Another activity that I will be certain to use in my classes is RAFT. RAFT is an acronym
for role, audience, format, and topic. This creative approach to expressing comprehension of
subject matter is not only interesting and fun for the students, it forces the students to look at
situations in a nontraditional way (Vacca 223). By having the students complete RAFT
assignments, the students are again, developing and furthering their literacy skills by describing
or explaining a situation through a uniquely different perspective than their own. I can use this
writing activity when discussing current events in Latin America. For example, I might ask the
students to take the perspective of an endangered species in a Latin American country, or the

terrain of a soon-to-be developed area for commercialism. I look forward to using this tool and
reading students RAFTs. But more importantly, I cannot wait to be a teacher and teach literacy
in the classrooms through these various means. To teach is a huge responsibility and undertaking
that I was at first hesitant to pursue, but after observing in Preston Middle School, I cannot wait
to begin my career.

Works Cited
McLaughlin, Maureen. Content Area Reading: Teaching and Learning in an Age of Multiple
Literacies. 1st ed. Boston: Pearson, 2010. Print.
Seahorn, Janet. CSU, Fort Collins. Sept.-Oct. 2014. Lecture.
Vacca, Richard T., Jo Anne L. Vacca, and Maryann E. Mraz. Content Area Reading: Literacy
and Learning Across the Curriculum. 10th ed. New York: Pearson, 2010. Print.
Willis, Judy. Research-based Strategies to Ignite Student Learning: Insights from a Neurologist
and Classroom Teacher. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development, 2006. Print.