Autobiographical Roadmaps: Pre-service Teachers’ Divergent Paths from Learning to Teaching to Learning Tracy Botzer Margaret Guajardo Tamie Pratt-Fartro, PhD University of Mary Washington College of Education

Session Overview Context of teaching and learning with autobiographical roadmaps Diverse perspectives of teacher and student Authentic classroom experiences and examples Creation of initial personal roadmap Application to specific content areas in higher education Issues and implications

Conceptual Framework for Autobiographical Reflection Background Literacy Development Identity Pre-service Pedagogy “the most important pages we must learn to read and write are the pages of our own lives” (Wolpow, 2004, p. 8) In-service Pedagogy Wolpow, R. (2004). The pages from our lives. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 48(1), 6-9.

Purposes for Engaging Students in Autobiographical Work Promotes self-awareness ▫Relationship between individual’s background and literacy development Engages students in reflective learning ▫Offers understanding of relationship with literacy  Strengths and weaknesses  Influences  Significant experiences Learn about individual differences through sharing ▫Diversity among paths to literacy

Initial Roadmap Assignment First assignment; EDCI 509: Adolescent Language and Literacy Due in 3 rd class; physical or virtual (not PowerPoint) Create a personal ‘literacy history roadmap’ of your literacy development from past to present ▫significant experiences and influences Write a narrative reflection extracting an emerging theme or two; include impacts on literacy instruction Present roadmap to peers

Physical Literacy Autobiographical Roadmap Literal approach Utilized brainstorming ▫Earliest memories ▫Influences ▫Strengths ▫Roadblocks ▫My literacy today Reflection ▫Relevance to classroom instruction

Virtual Literacy Autobiography Roadmap Virtual Approach Utilized Brainstorming Memory Work Prezi Experimentation Prezi

Creating Your Own Roadmap Earliest Experience of Being Literate: ▫Inspirations, tools, in/out-of school, perceptions Later Experiences of Being Literate: ▫Perceptions, types of literacy, frustrations, models Literate Today: ▫Uses of literacy, influences, perceptions Create the Roadmap: ▫Symbols (stop/caution signs, roadblocks, lights) ▫Visuals (clipart, photos, descriptive short text)

Pondering Emerging Themes Identifying a Theme (not a summary): ▫What message is being sent regarding your literacy development? ▫What examples best support this message? ▫What/Who influenced you the most and why? ▫How might this roadmap influenced you to become a teacher and why? ▫How might this exercise impact your literacy instruction in PK-12 settings? ▫How could such an experience be beneficial to adolescent learners?

Implications for Teaching and Learning Pre-service teachers’ identities impact their in- service practice: ▫Pedagogical choices related to literacy ▫Personal choices related to self as reader/writer ▫Professional choices related to PD ▫Accepting opportunities for mentorship and leadership ▫Student advocacy ▫Duration in profession ▫Others?

Cross-Curricular Applications Student Benefits: ▫Understand that ‘learner’ is a contextualized term ▫Unearth beliefs which shape identities ▫Facilitates deeper understanding of students’ appreciation for sociocultural, economic, ethnic, and familial diversity Instructor Benefits: ▫Deeper understanding of individual learner ▫Learning preferences, needs and purposes for field of study All: ▫Builds a positive classroom culture

Contact Information Tracy Botzer Margaret Guajardo Tamie Pratt-Fartro, PhD