Question:
What school or community programs do you believe would be helpful to increase adolescent and/or adult literacy?
Evaluator:
Maya Hinton
Introduction:
This question provided insight as to what members of the Winston-Salem community see as the most important programs and resources to promote literacy in the 21st century. After analyzing and coding all responses, we were able to determine three major themes: access, community, and skills. Each of these themes represents an area that residents feel needs additional support within the local education system. Each theme has been broken down into subcategories to give a more in-depth view of the ideas and opinions expressed by the Winston-Salem community.
Theme 1: Access
Subcategories:
Awareness + Readiness
Early education, childcare, tutoring/mentoring
Tangibles: books + technology
Findings and Interpretations:
‘Access’ was a recurring theme throughout responses, as many citizens recognized that not all learners have the opportunities and resources available to them to achieve success. The first subcategory, ‘Awareness and Readiness,’ has to do with having access to programs and resources that work to make adolescent learners aware of their options beyond secondary education. If more students are more informed about the larger implications of obtaining a post-secondary education, they may be more likely to pursue that goal. Many people suggested that providing a greater number of career fairs and college tours might be helpful. Programs such as these allow learners to be prepared for whatever path they choose. The second category, ‘early education, childcare, tutoring/mentoring’ has to do with access to pre-kindergarten education and quality early learning opportunities. Numerous studies have shown the various benefits of early education, putting students who do not have such access at a disadvantage from the very beginning. Lastly, a number of people discussed that not everyone has access to tangible resources such as books and technology.
Implications for K-12 Schools:
All students should have access to programs and resources that foster success in education, the workplace, and in life. The specific categories mentioned above remind us of the important work already happening in Winston-Salem by a group of community stakeholders know as The Forsyth Promise, who have come together to explore kindergarten readiness, high school graduation, and post-secondary completion. It is also important to note that schools and teachers should not assume all students have access to resources such as books and technology at home; therefore, it is crucial we have programs that provide and distribute them.
Theme 2: Community
Subcategories:
Community Organizations
Libraries
Volunteers
Findings and Interpretations:
The second theme that emerged was ‘community.’ Many responses mentioned that involvement of community stakeholders is a crucial aspect for promoting literacy in the 21st century. Organizations such as St. Augustine’s and the YMCA came up a lot, but what people talked about most was the role of the public library. As mentioned previously, it is wrong to assume that everyone has access to books and computers at home. However, both of these resources are provided for free at the library. Moreover, it is a space that can be used for tutoring and reading programs, although a constant concern remains for citizens who may not live near a public library and/or who lack transportation to get there. Nevertheless, these responses suggest that having a central space to congregate is key to increasing literacy. Related, another interesting takeaway from this question is that a good portion of responses have to do with giving back and being involved in the community. As a result, it was clear that volunteerism, whether in community organizations, libraries, or elsewhere, is important to increasing adolescent and adult literacy.
Implications for K-12 Schools:
Schools teaming up and getting students involved with local libraries could be a useful approach to closing the achievement gap that persists in part due to lack of access. Alternatively, while many communities are getting rid of bookmobiles, Winston-Salem has added to their collection of bookmobiles that provide access to citizens who cannot get to traditional library spaces. A recent group of students in EDU 377/677 explored this very issue by examining the use of bookmobiles in Forsyth County in 2015. Finally, K-12 schools may also want to emphasize community involvement, service learning, and volunteerism at earlier ages so more students can begin to understand the importance of giving back and helping others.
Theme 3: Skills
Subcategories:
Traditional
Reading
Writing
Math
Non-Traditional
Communication, Collaboration, Critical thinking
Technology and Information skills
Findings and Interpretations:
The final theme was ‘skills.’ As our society moves toward a view of multiple literacies as opposed to a static definition of literacy, we are more inclined to talk about literacy as an umbrella term that encompasses the mastery of various skills, knowledge, and understandings. To be literate in a more traditional sense, one must acquire strong reading, writing, and mathematical skills. However, I was struck by the number of responses pertaining to traditional literacy skills, especially reading. Many people seemed to be concerned with levels of reading proficiency and suggested programs like Pizza Hut’s Book It, book clubs, and reading programs at the library to encourage adolescent reading. Our course instructor, Dr. Alan Brown, leads one such literacy group at a local middle school.
Nontraditional skills includes three of the P21 Framework 4C’s: communication, collaboration, and critical thinking. Each of these skills were identified as necessary for success in higher education, the workplace, and life in general. Although creativity, the fourth ‘C,’ is useful, it was not mentioned by respondents as a skill that can be taught through various programs and with school and community resources. I believe this exclusion deserves further examination. Information and technology skills also fall under the non-traditional category. The ability to access information and determine whether or not something is a credible source is a crucial skill in modern society. In order to do so, it is also important that 21st century learners are well versed in navigating the tools of technology.
Implications for K-12 Schools:
The skills necessary for success in a modern society are fluid and ever-changing, and it is important to remember that the traditional literacy skills such as reading, writing, and mathematics are the basis for the more nuanced skills like interpreting information. Respondents to this question clearly believe that information and technology skills must also go hand-in-hand.
What school or community programs do you believe would be helpful to increase adolescent and/or adult literacy?
Evaluator:
Maya Hinton
Introduction:
This question provided insight as to what members of the Winston-Salem community see as the most important programs and resources to promote literacy in the 21st century. After analyzing and coding all responses, we were able to determine three major themes: access, community, and skills. Each of these themes represents an area that residents feel needs additional support within the local education system. Each theme has been broken down into subcategories to give a more in-depth view of the ideas and opinions expressed by the Winston-Salem community.
Theme 1: Access
Subcategories:
Awareness + Readiness
Early education, childcare, tutoring/mentoring
Tangibles: books + technology
Findings and Interpretations:
‘Access’ was a recurring theme throughout responses, as many citizens recognized that not all learners have the opportunities and resources available to them to achieve success. The first subcategory, ‘Awareness and Readiness,’ has to do with having access to programs and resources that work to make adolescent learners aware of their options beyond secondary education. If more students are more informed about the larger implications of obtaining a post-secondary education, they may be more likely to pursue that goal. Many people suggested that providing a greater number of career fairs and college tours might be helpful. Programs such as these allow learners to be prepared for whatever path they choose. The second category, ‘early education, childcare, tutoring/mentoring’ has to do with access to pre-kindergarten education and quality early learning opportunities. Numerous studies have shown the various benefits of early education, putting students who do not have such access at a disadvantage from the very beginning. Lastly, a number of people discussed that not everyone has access to tangible resources such as books and technology.
Implications for K-12 Schools:
All students should have access to programs and resources that foster success in education, the workplace, and in life. The specific categories mentioned above remind us of the important work already happening in Winston-Salem by a group of community stakeholders know as The Forsyth Promise, who have come together to explore kindergarten readiness, high school graduation, and post-secondary completion. It is also important to note that schools and teachers should not assume all students have access to resources such as books and technology at home; therefore, it is crucial we have programs that provide and distribute them.
Theme 2: Community
Subcategories:
Community Organizations
Libraries
Volunteers
Findings and Interpretations:
The second theme that emerged was ‘community.’ Many responses mentioned that involvement of community stakeholders is a crucial aspect for promoting literacy in the 21st century. Organizations such as St. Augustine’s and the YMCA came up a lot, but what people talked about most was the role of the public library. As mentioned previously, it is wrong to assume that everyone has access to books and computers at home. However, both of these resources are provided for free at the library. Moreover, it is a space that can be used for tutoring and reading programs, although a constant concern remains for citizens who may not live near a public library and/or who lack transportation to get there. Nevertheless, these responses suggest that having a central space to congregate is key to increasing literacy. Related, another interesting takeaway from this question is that a good portion of responses have to do with giving back and being involved in the community. As a result, it was clear that volunteerism, whether in community organizations, libraries, or elsewhere, is important to increasing adolescent and adult literacy.
Implications for K-12 Schools:
Schools teaming up and getting students involved with local libraries could be a useful approach to closing the achievement gap that persists in part due to lack of access. Alternatively, while many communities are getting rid of bookmobiles, Winston-Salem has added to their collection of bookmobiles that provide access to citizens who cannot get to traditional library spaces. A recent group of students in EDU 377/677 explored this very issue by examining the use of bookmobiles in Forsyth County in 2015. Finally, K-12 schools may also want to emphasize community involvement, service learning, and volunteerism at earlier ages so more students can begin to understand the importance of giving back and helping others.
Theme 3: Skills
Subcategories:
Traditional
Reading
Writing
Math
Non-Traditional
Communication, Collaboration, Critical thinking
Technology and Information skills
Findings and Interpretations:
The final theme was ‘skills.’ As our society moves toward a view of multiple literacies as opposed to a static definition of literacy, we are more inclined to talk about literacy as an umbrella term that encompasses the mastery of various skills, knowledge, and understandings. To be literate in a more traditional sense, one must acquire strong reading, writing, and mathematical skills. However, I was struck by the number of responses pertaining to traditional literacy skills, especially reading. Many people seemed to be concerned with levels of reading proficiency and suggested programs like Pizza Hut’s Book It, book clubs, and reading programs at the library to encourage adolescent reading. Our course instructor, Dr. Alan Brown, leads one such literacy group at a local middle school.
Nontraditional skills includes three of the P21 Framework 4C’s: communication, collaboration, and critical thinking. Each of these skills were identified as necessary for success in higher education, the workplace, and life in general. Although creativity, the fourth ‘C,’ is useful, it was not mentioned by respondents as a skill that can be taught through various programs and with school and community resources. I believe this exclusion deserves further examination. Information and technology skills also fall under the non-traditional category. The ability to access information and determine whether or not something is a credible source is a crucial skill in modern society. In order to do so, it is also important that 21st century learners are well versed in navigating the tools of technology.
Implications for K-12 Schools:
The skills necessary for success in a modern society are fluid and ever-changing, and it is important to remember that the traditional literacy skills such as reading, writing, and mathematics are the basis for the more nuanced skills like interpreting information. Respondents to this question clearly believe that information and technology skills must also go hand-in-hand.