Module III

Objectives:
At the end of the chapter, the students should have:
A. developed understanding on social literacy
B. explained the roles of teachers in teaching social skills to children
C. discussed and examine issues in social literacy

Social Literacy

Social literacy is the development of social skills in a social setting, which helps
people to communicate in a respectful manner, as well as becoming involved in
a community. This type of literacy helps to “manage play props and roles,
support emotional well-being among participants, and facilitate collaboration” (Journal of
Research in Childhood Education). It’s very important that when in a classroom, the students
understand the norms and expected behaviors of one another so that they can build cooperation
amongst each other, as well as positive social dispositions.
Social Literacy is a student’s successful performance and understanding of social
Skills, organizational skills, and communication skills. It is the student’s ability to connect
effectively with those around them.
Social literacy, from the perspective of the social-cultural theory, is more than the ability
to read and write, and more than mastering literacy skills. Children can
learn literacy through social interaction between themselves and children and/or adults in or
outside school.

The Role of social literacy in the school

Social literacy is so crucial in a persons’ success. The ability to communicate and voice opinions
and thoughts, as well as listening to opinions and thoughts of others, is essential in learning.
Firmly grasping social cues and norms is extremely beneficial.

Social Responsibility of Teachers in social literacy

 It is a teacher's responsibility to provide a nurturing and welcoming learning environment
for all her students, and to take seriously the position of influence that she is in. A teacher can
influence what her students talk about, how they think and what they become. Social
responsibility demands that a teacher not only cares about her students; she must understand how
she fits into her community.

Equity
Not all students learn the same way or at the same rate, but they all deserve the same
chances to learn and succeed. A student with a learning disability may require extra attention
than a student without a disability. It may require extra steps for a gay, lesbian, bisexual, or
transgendered student to feel safe, included and supported. Equity does not mean that all students
are treated the same; equity means that all students are treated fairly, inclusively, and
respectfully. The teacher should provide equitable opportunities for all students to develop their
individual abilities, regardless of culture, socio-economic class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or
faith.
Unbiased Teaching
A teacher's personal opinions must be kept out of the classroom. Politics and religion can
be discussed in general terms, but the teacher should never skew lessons to promote her own
beliefs. Students must be presented with objective information so that they can amass the tools
and knowledge to form their own decisions and think independently.
Social Policy in Schools
A teacher sees first-hand how economic situations can affect a student's well-being and
performance. A student from a low-income family may be less likely to participate in
extracurricular activities, and may have poorer grades than a fellow student from a higher-
income family. As an advocate of student success, it is a teacher's responsibility to do what he
can to improve conditions, whether by raising concerns to the principal, speaking to parents,
coordinating school programs, or participating in social activism in his community.
Social Education
It is not enough for a teacher to be aware of social justice issues; she also should discuss
these issues with her students. Timely domestic and international topics — including the
inequitable distribution of wealth and power, marginalized populations, gender and social
inequality, the environment, and social services — should be talked about in a safe, open-minded
environment. These discussions will promote tolerance and unbiased thinking in students.
The Student's Social Responsibility
 Education and a student's social responsibility may vary based on the location, culture,
area of study and type of school. Students should consider several factors while interacting with
people outside a school setting. Social responsibility can also be seen as considering proper
conduct and behavior around classmates to ensure they have a pleasant learning environment.
Environmental Improvement
Technology and general business should improve the economy and the lives of others
without excessive detriment to the environment. The University of Michigan Business School
teaches MBA students to not deplete natural resources. A lack of concern for the environment --
such as running a production plant that contributes to air or water pollution -- will adversely
affect the human and animal population. Based on a student's role and education, the student
must be willing to deploy alternative methods to improve society without adversely harming the
environment.
Social Tolerance
Students will interact with people from different backgrounds. Social interaction is an
effective method for learning about different types of individuals and gaining understanding,
respect and tolerance for each other. Tolerance for one another's differences improves society as
a whole. Being a student does not necessarily mean you must agree with people who are
different from you, but tolerance and respect are necessary so students from diverse
socioeconomic backgrounds, faiths or ethnicities can work toward one goal, collectively.
Community Service
Some schools define an act of social responsibility as performing community service. For
example, the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center suggests students
promote health care by participating in violence-reduction talks in urban communities and aiding
homeless and high school anti-violence programs. SUNY students also perform public speaking
at women's shelters. Community service enriches a student's experience and practice based on
the major she has chosen.
Types of social skills that must be mastered for a child to be socially adept.
1. Greeting. It is an act of communication in which human beings intentionally make
their presence known to each other, to show attention to, and to suggest a type of
relationship (usually cordial) or social status (formal or informal) between individuals
or groups of people coming in contact with each other.
2. Initiating conversation- in order to carry on conversation, a child must be able to
initiate, maintain and close conversation appropriately. This requires good listening
and attention skills, as well as the ability to take turns and probe for missing
information.
 3. Understanding the listener-once a conversation is initiated, it has to be maintained. In
order to do that, it is important to understand the audience one is talking to.
4. Empathizing. Teacher empathy is the degree to which an instructor works to deeply
understand students' personal and social situations, to feel care and concern in
response to students' positive and negative emotions, and to respond compassionately
without losing the focus on student learning
5. Reading social cues. Social cues are verbal or non-verbal signals expressed through
the face, body, voice, motion (and more) and guide conversations as well as other
social interactions by influencing our impressions of and responses to others.
6. Previewing/planning refers to conversation that requires the individual to preview or
think a about what effect the words or actions may bring to the listener.
7. Problem-solving- problems and conflicts are part of social interactions. Conflicts
cannot be avoided and are often necessary to “clear the air”. Turning a conflict from a
“win-lose” situation to a “win-win” is the best way to resolve conflict. This requires
negotiation and compromise, give and take that results in a situation where all parties
can live with and help maintain friendships.
8. Apologizing-Everyone makes social mistakes at one time or another. A person with
good social skills is confident enough to make a sincere apology for the error.
Apologizing is a sign of humble and mature character when one commits mistakes.

The Importance of Social Dimensions of Education

The social dimension of education goes far beyond interpersonal relationships and
developing the social skills which will support students throughout their lives. Education itself
supports the social system; it supports its citizens' collective ideals and goals. On one hand,
education advocates consensus in social thought and cooperation. On the other hand, education
encourages people to examine the places where a society may need improvement. Social science
theories related to education provide a helpful framework for examining the social dimension
and its meaning.

Types of social skills in the classroom

Builds School-Community Relationships
A school is an integral part of the community. What is taught in a classroom affects
students, their parents, teachers, staff, and leaks out into the rest of the community. Acceptable
behavior in the school must also translate into acceptable behavior in the community, and vice
versa. To give the social dimension meaning, schools should work with their community to
develop programs that involve students with their community, and to develop programs that
involve community members with the school.
Reduces Social Inequality
Social dimension meaning extends beyond classroom boundaries. To diminish social
inequality in the outside world, educators must provide equal opportunities for all students inside
school walls. Education is intended to level opportunities for vulnerable groups - including
students with disabilities, students of lower socio-economic statuses, and students belonging to
minority groups - by addressing these inequities. By developing policies and applying extra
effort where it is needed, all students can be given a fair chance for success.

Supports the Diversity of Learners

Not all students have the same backgrounds, the same beliefs or the same life goals.
Education needs to be flexible and take diversity into account. As suggested by social science
theories related to education, teachers should make an effort to find out what students know
before teaching, and then draw on this prior knowledge during lessons. It's the teacher's
responsibility to make lessons as socially relevant as possible, linking together society at large
with the classroom environment.

Engage

1. Collect and paste photos of the people you want to include in your family tree.
2. Tell how important each member to you by writing a positive value which you valued
most.
Place answer beside the picture.
 As a future teacher, list five ways on how to strengthen /improve the social skills of your
students.
Write answer on the space below.

If you were a parent at this time, what would you teach your children on social literacy.
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SOCIAL LITERACY IN EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT

Social Literacy is a student’s successful performance and understanding

of social Skills, organizational skills, and communication skills. It is the
student’s ability to connect effectively with those around them. ... We
play so many roles every day and we socially need to understand how to
play those roles appropriately.

When we interact with others, the context in which our actions take place plays a
major role in our behavior. This means that our understanding of objects, words,
emotions, and social cues may differ depending on where we encounter them. Here, we
explain how context affects daily mental processes, ranging from how people see things
to how they behave with others. Then, we present the social context network model. This
model explains how people process contextual cues when they interact, through the
 activity of the frontal, temporal, and insular brain regions. Next, we show that when those
brain areas are affected by some diseases, patients find it hard to process contextual cues.
Finally, we describe new ways to explore social behavior through brain recordings in
daily situations.
Role of Parents in Social Literacy
Parents typically play the major role in teaching children social skills. Parents can
directly teach social skills by modeling, role-playing, and providing opportunities for
their child to rehearse and practice new skills.
Parents can provide unique encouragement for children in their recognition and
valuing of children's early achievements in, for example, using books, reading,
understanding logos, and writing. ... They deliberately teach their pre-
school children some aspects of literacy.
Studies show that children whose parents are involved show greater social and
emotional development (Allen & Daly, 2002), including more resilience to stress, greater
life satisfaction, greater self-direction and self- control, greater social adjustment, greater
mental health and more supportive relationships. Additional Readings:

Role of Teachers in Social Literacy

It is a teacher's responsibility to provide a nurturing and welcoming learning

environment for all her students, and to take seriously the position of influence that she is
in. ... Social responsibility demands that a teacher not only cares about her students; she
must understand how she fits into her community.

A wide range of social conditions can affect the way kids learn. A report, The Social
Context of Education, examines those conditions and how they've changed over the last few
decades. ... Yet social factors outside the schools greatly influence educators' ability to fulfill this
mission.
Social background can be measured in terms of parents' socioeconomic status or income.
Diversity among students can optimize the learning environment in a school. Yet differences
among students can also increase challenges in meeting the needs of all children.
Family background is the kind of family you come from and the kind of education you have
had. It can also refer to such things as your social and racial origins, your financial status, or the
type of work experience that you have.
Differences in schools is an analysis of the social context of education must examine differences
in school environments across low- and high-poverty schools. Research demonstrates that
student performance is strongly related to the educational backgrounds and aspirations of other
students in a school.
Resource equity refers to the allocation and use of resources (people, time, and money) to create
student experiences that enable all children.

Evaluation
1. As a pre-service teacher, list ways how to teach your students to be socially
acceptable in terms of the following:
1. dress-
a.
b.
c.
2. behavior
a.
b.
c.