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=Teaching Context in English Language Arts through Visual Media=

Context is everything. It is integral to reading and writing and most everything else we do. And students have lost sight of what that means. We live in a world where a good chunk of our information is given in bites with no regard to it's larger context or it's taken out of context purposefully. Consider something like CNN news. It's one of the most popular places to get news, on tv or online. The stories and headlines are so short and trite, it is clear much is left out - to anyone who has the context to recognize it. But if information has always been given to you in headlines and news-bites, how would you even know?

Modern, abstract media can play a much larger role than a teaser or fun way to make English class seem more relevant. Students need to understand the larger picture of context and how to know when they are off or need more information. The struggle students face when attempting to write anything analytical stems from their lack of understanding the larger context of literature. Much of their struggle is simply having nothing to say. By becoming critical thinkers, they will naturally become more critical writers. The activities from the session and the resources here are designed to teach students how to question and add depth to their writing.

This Wiki contains resources from my session conducted at the Abydos Learning Annual Conference Spring 2012 in Dallas, Texas.

If you have further questions or need to reach me, please send me an email. holly.durham@springbranchisd.com