Philosophy of Disciplinary Literacy

Disciplinary literacy is when students are able to learn content-specific material as well

as the domains of literacy like speaking, reading, writing, and listening. Even though literacy can

be generalized to be used in each subject area, disciplinary literacy encourages students to learn

that subject’s particular aspects that are required to be a master in that field. For example, all

students are taught how to read, but in math students should know how to read functions, in

music students read music, and in an ELA classroom, students read literature. Even though each

subject area requires students to use reading, they all use reading quite differently.

In my discipline of ELA, if students are literate, they are able to read literature and texts

critically; write their own stories, poems, articles, etc.; engage in discussions about texts; and

listen to different opinions on the texts that we are learning. These types of literacies are very

specific to an ELA classroom because they are practicing the steps involved that masters of the

field like authors, scholars, and critics of texts utilize to be successful in their ELA-focused jobs.

Students in my ELA classroom are essentially performing these exact tasks with their peers or

individually. Of course, these literacies can be used in other subject areas because science may

require students to read articles as well, but it is specifically ELA when we are analyzing how the

author is conveying their message through word choice or metaphors as opposed to reading the

facts that are presented in the articles in a science lesson.

Students in my classroom will also be digitally literate because we will practice using a

variety of technology tools and online apps in lessons and activities. I think that it is so important

for students to utilize the technology that they are growing up with in their classrooms because it

is something that they are familiar with, so they will most likely stay engaged and interested in

what we are learning. Technology is only going to advance even further and is not going to go
anywhere in the foreseeable future so it is crucial for students to learn the proper ways to engage

with one another online and practice some tools that they can use in their regular lives outside of

school. Students should be aware of online safety with social media and reliable sources and

resources that are available for them like libraries, online museums, and tools for ease of use.

In my content area, being literate means that students are not only traditionally literate,

meaning that they are capable of reading and writing, but that they are able to navigate the digital

world as well as use content-specific literacies like understanding literature or writing different

types of texts. These are important for students to become familiar with in every field because

the job markets and upper-division schools are becoming increasingly more difficult for people

to be successful in.