M3: Blog Post 3 - Leveraging Tools, Texts, and Talk in My Teaching Context

" Designing Literacy Across Spaces: Equity, Engagement, and Multi-Format Learning"

"If students can’t learn the way we teach, we must teach the way they learn.”

—Dr. Christopher Emdin

As a graduate student transitioning into education program management—and someone with a background in real estate—I have come to view learning environments through a spatial and relational lens. In real estate, staging a home invites clients to envision themselves within a space. Similarly, in education, designing learning experiences across analog and digital contexts invites students to see themselves as active participants in knowledge creation. This module’s readings challenged me to consider how literacy instruction must extend beyond the screen, embracing multi-format, culturally affirming practices that reflect students’ lived realities.

Emdin, Adjapong, and Levy (2021) critique the cultural agnosia embedded in traditional STEM instruction, advocating for reality pedagogy and hip-hop rooted teaching as tools for equity. Their Science Genius program exemplifies how students can express complex scientific ideas through rap and performance, demonstrating mastery through culturally relevant formats. This approach resonates with my commitment to designing inclusive learning experiences that honor identity, voice, and community.

Magnifico, Lammers, and Fields (2018) explore the tensions and opportunities of affinity spaces—digital communities where learners engage voluntarily around shared interests. These spaces offer rich potential for literacy development, but they also raise questions about access, authorship, and pedagogical framing. As Philip and Garcia (2013) argue, the centrality of pedagogy remains paramount: technology alone cannot transform learning; it must be guided by intentional, equity-driven teaching.

Semingson (2017) emphasizes the importance of digital literacies for young readers and writers, noting that students today engage with texts across platforms, formats, and sensory modes. To support these practices beyond the screen, educators must design activities that bridge physical and digital spaces, fostering critical inquiry, collaboration, and cross-media expression.

My experience in real estate has sharpened my awareness of systemic inequities—particularly around access to resources. In education, this translates to designing learning experiences that are flexible, inclusive, and responsive to students’ technological realities. Not all learners have reliable internet or devices, so analog options must be equally rigorous. Representation also matters: materials should reflect diverse voices and invite students to bring their full identities into the classroom.

Community Remix: Mapping Literacies Across Spaces

In my teaching context, I would assign a project called Community Remix, which invites students to explore literacy in their neighborhoods and represent it through integrated spatial storytelling.

• Analog Phase: Students conduct a neighborhood walk, documenting signs, murals, conversations, and other “texts” they encounter. They sketch, take notes, or collect artifacts.

• Digital Phase: Using tools such as Padlet or Google My Maps, students create a digital map that embeds photos, audio reflections, and hyperlinks to community resources.

• Reflection Phase: Students write or record a reflection connecting their map to course readings, discussing how literacy lives beyond the screen and within their communities.

This activity addresses tensions raised in the readings by offering low-tech entry points, honoring cultural knowledge, and assessing students on depth of inquiry rather than digital polish. It also draws on my realtor experience—encouraging students to “read” their environments as layered texts, rich with meaning and possibility.

References

Emdin, C., Adjapong, E., & Levy, I. P. (2021). On Science Genius and cultural agnosia: Reality pedagogy and/as hip-hop rooted cultural teaching in STEM education. The Educational Forum, 85(4), 391–405. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131725.2021.1957636

Magnifico, A. M., Lammers, J. C., & Fields, D. A. (2018). Affinity spaces, literacies and classrooms: Tensions and opportunities. Literacy, 52(3), 145–152. https://doi.org/10.1111/lit.12133

Philip, T., & Garcia, A. (2013). The importance of still teaching the iGeneration: New technologies and the centrality of pedagogy. Harvard Educational Review, 83(2), 300–319. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.83.2.w221368g1554u158

Semingson, P. (2017). Digital literacies for young readers and writers. Literacy Today, 35(3), 30–31. https://sunyempire.idm.oclc.org/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Ftrade-journals%2Fdigital-literacies-young-readers-writers%2Fdocview%2F1966005551%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D8067