The University of the People.

Instructor: Dr. Jollie Dorrell.

Course Name: EDUC-5271

Week 3:written Assignment.

INTRODUCTION

The case study on page 45 of the book written by Richards and Mckenna highlights the teacher's
failure to give clear instructions to students, use a variety of methods, and subject biasness.
(Richards &Mckenna,2003).

THE LESSON BRIEF SCENARIO

The teacher used to tell her students to hurry to do literacy activities to do art. Students got used
to that and one day was reluctant to illustrate a poem in the literacy lesson. Instead of illustrating
the poem, they were busy drawing what liked. The teacher was frustrated.

CASE STUDY ANALYSIS

Students lost interest in learning literacy but were happy to learn the art. The teacher is the focal
point person in determining how the students should behave by setting an example and by giving
clear instructions. The classroom activities designed would help the students to segregate
subjects and stir up morale in them. Students observe and easily imitate the teacher. I remember
at a certain school, we had our headteacher who never used to tuck in his shirt when coming to
work. We were surprised one day to see the grade 8 and 9 students coming without tucking in
their shirts. They imitated the headteacher.

The other problem with her was that she did not use a variety of methods to spice up the lesson.
She was not eclectic. She was monotonous in her way of teaching. Jenniffer had also a problem
of not explaining clearly the activities to learners. Students did not understand why they were
learning art or literacy.

PROPOSED SOLUTIONS

Jenniffer would have done it vice versa, such that she could have started with the poem and
ended with the art. (Richards&Mckenna,2003). Students would have first discussed the content
of the poem, read the words and relate it to their lives. This could have made it familiar to them.
Maybe students failed to grasp the meaning of the poem. Besides, she could have been
alternating visual arts with music, dance, and drama which also help students develop multiple
literacies. (Rchards&Mckenna,200).

The teacher was supposed to set clear procedures and routines to help students to transit from
one activity to another.

Understanding what her students believed in about literacy and the right types of activities that
would motivate them to learn is very cardinal in bringing the students on board. Davis (n.d)
urges teachers to realize that 'students make meaning or sense of activities within the context of
classrooms where learning takes place.'

CONCLUSION

The teacher had the desire to impart literacy skills through visual arts but valued art at the
expense of literacy which was observed in the way she taught. She was also limited in the
methods she used. Literacy could have been enhanced by music, dance, and drama to kill the
monotony of visual –arts.

REFERENCES
Davis, L.(2010).Towards a Lifetime of Literacy: The Effect of Students-Centred and Skills-
Based Reading Instruction on the Experiences of Children.New York
University.https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ910114

Richards, J. C., & McKenna, M. C. (2003). Integrating Multiple Literacies in k-8 Classrooms:
Cases, Commentaries, and Practical Applications. Retrieved from eBook Central (accessed
through LIRN)