Full Description
Innovative Approaches to Literacy in Rural Contexts highlights and explicates innovative approaches to literacy that are currently underway in rural Wyoming public schools and provides applications of those approaches to other rural schools and districts.
Each chapter addresses the unique rural contexts in which literacy work is being accomplished and describes how the rurality of that context impacts the nature of the project. With insights from teachers, literacy coaches, school principals, curriculum coordinators, and professors, this text explores context-specific case studies of modern literacy innovations in rural settings, their outcomes, the challenges posed by rurality, and the lessons gained from these experiences. The volume then demonstrates how these innovations can be applied to other rural settings and contexts. It combines research-based, theoretical perspectives with practical guidance, all aimed at fostering continuous improvement in literacy within rural public schools.
Addressing multiple levels, from individual classrooms to statewide organizations, Innovative Approaches to Literacy in Rural Contexts will be essential reading for literacy and rural education graduate courses.
Contents
Section I: Introduction 1. Rurality and its Impact on Education: An Introduction Section II: Rural Classrooms 2. Harnessing the Power of Reading and Writing Connections to Develop Student Competency with Informational Text Structures 3. Motivation and Engagement Innovation: Science and Literacy in a Rural 6th Grade Classroom 4. Rethinking Literacy Instruction: Equity, Identity, and Place in a Rural High School Section II Expert Commentary: Rural Literacies and the Question of Belonging Section III: Rural Elementary Schools 5. From Vision to Impact: Leadership's Role in Advancing a Schoolwide Literacy Learning Initiative 6. Prioritizing Hinono'eitiit: Using Graphic Organizers and Mentor Texts to Write for Authentic Audiences and Purposes 7. Designing Support for Writing Conferences in a Rural Elementary School 8. From Thin Soil to Strong Roots: Building Instructional Capacity in Rural Classrooms Section III Expert Commentary: Professional Learning that Supports Rural Elementary Teachers' Practice Section IV: Rural Secondary Schools 9. Literacy Education in Rural Contexts: Supported Teachers Supporting Reading to Support Authentic Learning 10. Disciplinary Literacy Professional Learning in a Rural High School 11. Big Piney High School: United Around Common Literacy Instructional Goals and Practices Section IV Expert Commentary: Professional Learning as Leadership Opportunity Section V: Rural Districts 12. A Valley of Contrasts: Supporting Multilingual Learner Achievement through Improvement Science 13. Meaningful Partnerships to Drive Literacy Outcomes in Rural High Schools Section V Expert Commentary: Toward a Participatory PD for Rural Schools Section VI: A Rural State 14. Providing Accessible, Innovative, and Sustainable Professional Learning: The Case of the Preschool Literacy Modules in Wyoming 15. Kindergarten through Grade Three Modules for Wyoming Teachers: 'American Indian Education for All' Section VI Expert Commentary: A Rural State: Moving Forward in a Good Way: Protocol, Sovereignty, and the Future of Indigenous Literacies in Rural Schools Section VII: Conclusion Chapter 16. Coming Full Circle: Literacy Innovations that Meet the Unique Contextual Demands of Rurality
