Sharing Community Service Literacy Learning Through Visual Storytelling

On May 9, 2024, four year-two teacher candidates presented at Celebrate Teaching and Learning, an annual celebration of learning event designed to "honour our collective efforts in pursuit of MRU's vision to provide meaningful and engaging learning opportunities that drive individual transformation and societal benefit" (Celebrate Teaching and Learning). Congratulations to teacher candidates Reggie San Jose, Malaika Kibonge, Elina Mogan, and Jessica Cuillerier who presented with faculty members Bonnie Caldwell and Jodi Nickel.

“As a speaker, I was able to share my field placement experience and advocate the importance of supporting children how to read through evidenced-based and structured literacy resources.” - Reggie San Jose

The teacher candidates shared their experiences as literacy tutors in local elementary schools. Supporting young readers was a requirement during the field experience of two courses:
EDUC 2371: Language Development and Literacy
EDUC 2103: Teaching Language Arts

Both courses have a Community Service Learning designation because of the way teacher candidates “contribute knowledge and skills toward developing sustainable solutions for community organizations.”

The course assignment culminated with a visual storytelling showcase on April 11, 2024 when teacher candidates told the stories of their learning to colleagues and community members.

At the Celebrate Teaching and Learning event, the teacher candidates celebrated the impact of the tutoring experience as a High Impact Practice. Through supporting readers, they were able to apply course concepts and deepen understanding of the research supporting their practice through dialogue with their instructor and peers. The visual storytelling provided a creative opportunity for them to showcase their learning to an authentic audience. Congratulations on the inspiring presentation!