Bringing Literacy and Creative Communication Technologies into the Science Classroom

Over the course of the Spring 2022 semester, a team of three University of Arizona student interns, Lizbeth Perez, Emily Ciszewski, and Anna Rogers, have been working to support local K-12 partner teachers of the CREATES Literacy Project in implementing literacy strategies and creative communication tools within their science lessons. The CREATES Literacy Project is a collaboration between WISE and Arizona Project WET, and it aims to increase access to culturally-responsive and place-based STEAM educational programming that helps students build competencies in critical thinking, science communication, and creative communication technologies. The project has partnered with local K-12 teachers in order to facilitate the development and implementation of STEM educational modules that integrate literacy and creative communication into science education within these schools.

The University of Arizona interns have been actively involved with local Tucson schools throughout this semester, including Flowing Wells Junior High School where they supported 7th and 8th grade science teachers, Patrick Taylor and Caitlin Brenton, in implementing their literacy-focused educational modules. From the perspective of intern Anna Rogers,

“I have loved being able to work directly in Tucson classrooms. As an environmental science student myself, I enjoy any opportunity to share my passion for the world we live in. I was fortunate enough to spend time with seventh and eighth grade students at Flowing Wells Junior High and engage with them in conducting species identification of local plants and animals. I was able to share my knowledge about native species and ask questions to spark further questioning and engagement. Watching the students increase their knowledge of the local Sonoran Desert environment first hand was a wonderful experience that I am so glad CREATES Literacy Project gave me.”

Another focus of the CREATES Literacy Project is to increase literacy and communication skills through the use of creative communication technologies. Another University of Arizona student intern, Emily Ciszewksi, shares her experience supporting the implementation of creative communication technology in the classroom. As she commented:

“It was great to be able to see how our partner teachers were able to integrate creative communication technologies, such as TikTok, into their lessons on bat conservation. The students were given the opportunity to apply the knowledge they gained from the article on bats through the use of literacy strategies such as paraphrasing and vocabulary instruction by creating videos about why we should be concerned about declining bat populations and what they can do to help. I especially enjoyed supporting the students in creating their videos by being featured in several of them to share my knowledge of bat conservation and the importance of bats to the biodiversity of the Sonoran Desert. I am really excited to further support the rest of our CREATES Literacy Project partner teachers in the implementation of their educational modules as the semester comes to an end.”

Throughout the remainder of the semester, the CREATES Literacy Project team will continue to engage with local students and teachers to assist with the implementation of STEM educational modules. Special thanks to the generous funding from the Stocker Foundation for making this program possible.