BY: CO U R T N E Y W E B B A LV I N H I G H S C H O O L A G R I C U LT U R E S C I E N C E T E A C H E R
INCREASING LITERACY IN THE AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE CLASSROOM
H
ow can agriculture teachers help our students increase literacy across all Career and Technology Education classes? Over the summer, my school district announced an initiative to increase literacy across all curriculums. I began to think how I could incorporate this into my own classroom. I wasn’t sure what that looked like in the CTE realm, let alone in ag science courses. I knew the first step was to realize the need, not just give my students a book to read. I was going to have to invest some time to ensure this was implemented correctly. I do not have an English degree, nor do I love to write, but it is important for this generation to understand the importance of reading and writing. In whichever career field they choose, they will have to learn how to professionally communicate through emails, meeting agendas, or publications. The school district’s thought behind the initiative was realizing the need and finding a plan to help our students. Agriculture science teachers are amazing at creating innovative ways to teach hands-on skills that prepare all students to either enter the workforce or begin a postsecondary career through education. I knew incorporating some form of literacy in my classroom would be beneficial for all my students. Nevertheless, the question is how do we incorporate and emphasize it into our everyday curriculum?
2 Photos courtesy of C. Webb.
