Artifact 4

Artifact Four

Multigenre Project. This artifact was completed as a requirement for RE 5130, Teaching the Language Arts. It includes my multigenre project and pictures of the actual project.

Context

This artifact demonstrates my ability to create a multigenre project and understand the underlying purpose of completing a project such as this one in my classroom. The multigenre project was designed to give students insight into the world of multigenre writing. Often times children become only familiar with narrative story writing. Introducing a multigenre writing project into a classroom, allows students to explore the various writing genres.

The multigenre project also required a substantial amount of research and reading about the topic that I selected. By conducting research, students of all ages are introduced to the research process. With the information that the students learn, they then work to design multiple writing genres that reflect the knowledge that they have gained from the research. Combining research, reading, and writing allows students to explore topics that they personally find interesting. This motivates students to want to learn and hopefully become life-long learners.

Another aspect of the multigenre project that I found valuable is that it can be used across several grades and literacy levels. A first grade teacher could implement a multigenre writing project into her classroom that focuses upon a science unit that they are studying. On the other end of the spectrum, a middle school teacher could also use this type of project to meet objectives in his or her curriculum. Multigenre writing can be adapted to all ages and also all learning styles. If a student is a kinesthetic learner, he or she may physically create a project that is more hands-on in nature. If another student is more of a visual learner, he or she might decide to design a scrapbook with the different genres of writing. Also learners of varying literacy levels can enjoy multigenre projects. Students can work to the best of their ability to design a project that fits their interests and levels.

Following the completion of my multigenre project, I incorporated this idea into my own classroom. My third grade students completed a research project on a famous American. Each student designed a poster with different genres of writing including a biography, timeline, pictures and captions, and a graphic organizer that described his or her accomplishments. My students enjoyed this research project and the freedom to research topics that they found interesting. They gained a lot of knowledge from this project and became familiar with the different genres of writing that the world has to offer.

Alignment

In completing this research project, the following International Reading Association (IRA) Standards were met:

Standard 2. Instructional Strategies and Curriculum Materials. Candidates use a wide range of instructional practices, approaches, methods, and curriculum materials to support reading and writing instruction.

This artifact demonstrates my ability to use a wide range of instructional practices, approaches, methods, and materials to support reading and writing instruction through a multigenre project. The multigenre project gave my students the opportunity to select ideas or topics specific to their interest and learning styles. Students then used fiction and nonfiction books, Internet resources, pictures and captions, other genres in order to learn more about the person they selected to research. By conducting a lot of research about their topic, my students became inspired to create different genres besides the writing genres that they are familiar with.

Standard 4. Creating a Literate Environment. Candidates create a literate environment that fosters reading and writing by integrating foundational knowledge, use of instructional practices, approaches and methods, curriculum materials, and the appropriate use of assessments.

This artifact demonstrates my ability to use my students’ interests, reading abilities, and backgrounds to become engaged with daily reading and writing activities. Using students’ interests and specific abilities gives students an opportunity to select specific reading and writing activities that appeal to them. The multigenre project specifically inspires students to learn about the different options that reading and writing can offer to them. When students find specific genres that interest them, the amount of motivation that they have in regards to literacy increases dramatically.