In preparation for school placements, Sheffield Hallam University student teachers are expected to complete a number of tasks during pre-placement visits to their school. One of the tasks we give asks them to talk to a group of pupils about their out-of-school literacy use. This enables them to gain insights into pupils' experiences beyond the classroom and highlights opportunities to build on interests during their placements. This also provides them with an opportunity to encourage pupils to reflect on their own learning.
Design a schedule (or literacy conference) that aims to find out more about the online experiences of the pupils you teach. Here are some starting points:
What kinds of reading do you do at home?
Do you have a computer at home? If so,
Have you ever sent an email to anyone? ... Who? why? Do you know if anyone else in your house has sent one?
Do you ever play computer games? Which ones? What do you like about them?
Have you ever been on the Internet?
What kinds of websites did you visit?
Have you searched for information? What? How did you search?
