Adolescent Literacy By Laura Robb Summary

After viewing Laura Robb’s webcast I found that I agree with her multilayered definition of adolescent literacy. Laura Robb defines adolescent literacy into two parts: Part 1 looks at the word literacy and includes the ability to read, to write, to communicate, to learn, to speak, to think, and apply these to skills to the use of the computer, internet, and all kinds of media as we live in the 21st century; and part 2 reviews the word adolescent to include children who are emerging from childhood to adulthood and asking themselves the questions “who am I” and “where do I fit into this world”, hence these students are in the process of searching for self (“Teacher Talks: Free Webast on Adolescent Literacy with Laura Robb Thursday, March 3,

I was disappointed to learn that Robb noted adolescents resistance to writing to prompts and texts that are chosen for them both of which are prevalent in the textbook I have been using (2011). Robb discusses how writing about reading is catalyst for improving comprehension and the significance of choice when students are asked to write (2011). Robb also clarifies two terms that are prevalent in the teaching of literacy, anchor text and mentor text (2011). An anchor text is a short text that is used to model reading in which the teacher is able to model inferences and connections to themes, etc. through various strategies such as think alouds (where the teacher shares his or her reading process) (2011). A mentor text is a text used for teaching writing, usually a professional piece of writing that is deconstructed to analyze the writer’s use of craft and structure to communicate their ideas (2011). Robb also discusses the topic of genre and how she had her own classroom library divide into genre instead of the dewey decimal system (2011). She also embeds genre into the discussion of how it is a road map for the writer when used as a mentor text; the student starts with the mentor text but brings themselves into their own writing within the genre (2011). Robb notes that she has found that fantasy and realistic fiction are both genres that adolescents respond to in reading and writing (2011). From her discussion of the all of the elements within the webcast but specifically the use of genre, mentor texts, and anchor texts that I was able to revisit what I want and need to do to supplement my current textbook and assist my students in meeting their grade level standards and prepare them to be career and college ready in the 21st