Sandra Dodd

I wrote my own definition for "Language Arts" for the book I'm working
on, but then thought I should go and look at what the current
definition might be. What I found easily was lame and over-
simplified. So I went looking for what the language arts teachers
themselves are saying these days, and found this:

STANDARD 3.5 ALL STUDENTS WILL VIEW, UNDERSTAND, AND USE NONTEXTUAL
VISUAL INFORMATION .

Descriptive Statement: In the language arts literacy classroom,
students learn how to view in order
to be able to respond thoughtfully and critically to the visual
messages of both print and nonprint.
Effective viewing is essential to comprehend and respond to personal
interactions, live performances,
visual arts that involve oral and/or written language, and both print
media (graphs, charts, diagrams,
illustrations, photographs, and graphic design in books, magazines,
and newspapers) and electronic
media (television, computers, film). Students should recognize that
what they speak, hear, write, and
read contributes to the content and quality of their viewing.

=====================

So good. All the TV watching and YouTube viewing and pop-up books and
such are justifiable now (for those of you who are gathering and
reporting for the state you're in, or something).


http://www.state.nj.us/education/frameworks/lal/chapt5v.pdf

Don't read too many of those descriptions of |educational frameworks|
at once; it might make you woozy.

Sandra

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