All of these articles were really interesting to me. They each gave me ideas for the classroom, but also made me question some current practices, that really aren’t helping students.
The article about learning how to annotate showed just how many students don’t know how to do this. In a college setting, I cannot tell you how many students I see highlighting a text, and then wondering why they did poorly on a test. In my younger years, I even did this some, until I realized that the highlighter wasn’t some magic tool that was helping me to comprehend. I had to teach myself to engage with the text differently. However, so many students have not, and unfortunately do not figure out that simply highlighting doesn’t mean you understand a text.
I really liked in this article, how they gave advice and alternatives to annotation. I feel like a lot of things we read give things to do, that will only work in the perfect, ideal school setting. But, this article did a good job of giving alternatives like the dialectical journal which will be feasible anywhere.
I really liked the approach to book groups in the “voices” article. This article really got me thinking about a classic text, which we are starting in our 12th grade English class this week. He seems to use different books based on common themes. However, I was wondering if this same type of idea or theory could be applied to The Canterbury Tales? I feel like it would be good for the students to choose one tale. I could help them based on their personalities. Then we could follow the pattern of the book groups to discuss the book as a whole. I also think that the reader’s bill of rights would be a good thing to post up on the wall in my classroom one day, to show students that they have choices when it comes to reading.
I loved the reading workshop idea. I think it’s pointless for teachers to assign stupid worksheets each night, just so the students have homework. This idea would be great for high school students, who I feel need things scheduled, because they are usually very busy. However, for my classroom, I think I would cut it down to 30 minutes, 4 nights a week. Also, instead of just checking their page number, I think that every Monday, I will take the fist 15 minutes of class to randomly select 5 students to quickly discuss their books with. I just thought it was a great idea, and I will probably use this approach in my classroom one day.
The Vacca article hit on what some of the other ones were trying to show, which is readers have to feel confidant in their abilities, or else they get frustrated. For that reason, if they need to read lower level things to improve their skills, that’s o.k. I completely agree with this. Some students just aren’t great readers, and they can really get down if they are forced to read something that is way too challenging.
The last article sums up a major issue, that collectively all of the articles were showing. For some reason, in elementary school, kids enjoy reading more. I think it is, because more teachers are incorporating the six T’s in these grades. However, in high school, students really lost their love of reading. I know I did. As high school teachers, we need to be more aware of the 6 T’s in our planning, so student can become better readers, and hopefully find that appreciation that somehow gets lost in the high school years.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Sunday, September 16, 2007
BPR CH. 3
Most school systems are really resistant to moving forward with different types of literacy. Students are so used to these different types of texts outside of school. However, often times they don’t get to work with them in school. Therefore, they might get frustrated with the traditional literature all of the time, and might be completely turned off. I found the last paragraph oh pg. 26 quite interesting. It shows that learning with these “multimodal texts” can help students who are reluctant to reading really improve, and feel better about themselves as readers, thus making them want to participate, and really engage in the act of reading more often.
This should be the ultimate goal. Having students learn the art of engaging themselves in texts should be the hopeful outcome. However, all that seems to go out the window, because of certain mandates. It really makes me wonder where the disconnect is coming from. Students need one thing, but are told that they have to do it another way. Then, in the long-run, the student is suffering. I know about NCLB, and some of the other major policies. However, I want to know how they are coming up with these great standards that aren’t working so well for every child. Are they advised by teachers? It doesn’t seem so. There is such a disconnect between how the students can be successful, and how they decision-makers think they should be successful. It just seems like these people are stuck in the past, which makes me wonder if they have been in an actual classroom as a teacher recently. If they had, it would seem that they would see how much multi-modal texts are influencing students, and how they can be a great tool in the classroom along with the traditional texts and methods. That’s the direction we’re heading in, so I really don’t understand why the decision-makers are dead-set on the past. The students are suffering from this lack of innovation. As Alvermann pointed out, it’s so ironic how we have the opportunity to really use technology, and the skills of multiliterate youth, but we are choosing to regress backwards. I guess this article made me realize that if we can find a way to merge traditional techniques, with techniques more relevant to students” lives, then we will probably be more successful in the long run.
This should be the ultimate goal. Having students learn the art of engaging themselves in texts should be the hopeful outcome. However, all that seems to go out the window, because of certain mandates. It really makes me wonder where the disconnect is coming from. Students need one thing, but are told that they have to do it another way. Then, in the long-run, the student is suffering. I know about NCLB, and some of the other major policies. However, I want to know how they are coming up with these great standards that aren’t working so well for every child. Are they advised by teachers? It doesn’t seem so. There is such a disconnect between how the students can be successful, and how they decision-makers think they should be successful. It just seems like these people are stuck in the past, which makes me wonder if they have been in an actual classroom as a teacher recently. If they had, it would seem that they would see how much multi-modal texts are influencing students, and how they can be a great tool in the classroom along with the traditional texts and methods. That’s the direction we’re heading in, so I really don’t understand why the decision-makers are dead-set on the past. The students are suffering from this lack of innovation. As Alvermann pointed out, it’s so ironic how we have the opportunity to really use technology, and the skills of multiliterate youth, but we are choosing to regress backwards. I guess this article made me realize that if we can find a way to merge traditional techniques, with techniques more relevant to students” lives, then we will probably be more successful in the long run.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
The Book Thief
I really enjoyed The Book Thief, first of all. That type of genre really does appeal to me. I like knowing the history behind a story, but also having it be fiction.
A couple of interesting thoughts happened while I was reading the story. First of all, I got some reactions from both adults and kids regarding the story. When people asked me what I was reading and I told them, they didn’t seem too thrilled. The fact that death narrated the story set people back a bit. Also, when I said that it was about a little girl’s experience in Nazi Germany, I got the look like, “been there, read that.” Even though I said it was a good book, and it was still interesting and different, I still got the feeling that people felt like they were tired of that story, because it had been done before. This was interesting to me, because I feel like these stories have become popular in the school setting, and I wonder if students want something different, because they feel like they already know that story. Although the style of this is much different, students might not give it a chance, because they think they already know what it is about.
I really thought the book was well-written as well. The foreshadowing was just enough, that it made me want to read on to find out exactly what happened. At the time, I felt like it was a little long, but after finishing it, I saw how each piece fits into place. I feel like students would really like the foreshadowing, because it’s like a movie trailer, and they want to read on, to find out exactly how it all plays out. It kept me very interested.
The only other problem I found with this book was it was very heavy. I know I cried, and I wondered how many students would really be able to handle such a novel. It was very serious, and emotional and I really feel that some students (even some 12th graders), would really have trouble with the subject matter. For that reason, I don’t’ feel that it would be good for a whole class to read.
However, some students can handle it, and I think they could really do a lot with this book. One such thing would be to not have them read the epilogue, and write their own. Without the epilogue, the reader can really take Leisel and have her experiences after the bombing go anywhere. I feel that this would be a great way for the students to creatively interact with the text.
Overall, I thought it was a great book, and I really enjoyed the story and style as a whole, when I finished it.
A couple of interesting thoughts happened while I was reading the story. First of all, I got some reactions from both adults and kids regarding the story. When people asked me what I was reading and I told them, they didn’t seem too thrilled. The fact that death narrated the story set people back a bit. Also, when I said that it was about a little girl’s experience in Nazi Germany, I got the look like, “been there, read that.” Even though I said it was a good book, and it was still interesting and different, I still got the feeling that people felt like they were tired of that story, because it had been done before. This was interesting to me, because I feel like these stories have become popular in the school setting, and I wonder if students want something different, because they feel like they already know that story. Although the style of this is much different, students might not give it a chance, because they think they already know what it is about.
I really thought the book was well-written as well. The foreshadowing was just enough, that it made me want to read on to find out exactly what happened. At the time, I felt like it was a little long, but after finishing it, I saw how each piece fits into place. I feel like students would really like the foreshadowing, because it’s like a movie trailer, and they want to read on, to find out exactly how it all plays out. It kept me very interested.
The only other problem I found with this book was it was very heavy. I know I cried, and I wondered how many students would really be able to handle such a novel. It was very serious, and emotional and I really feel that some students (even some 12th graders), would really have trouble with the subject matter. For that reason, I don’t’ feel that it would be good for a whole class to read.
However, some students can handle it, and I think they could really do a lot with this book. One such thing would be to not have them read the epilogue, and write their own. Without the epilogue, the reader can really take Leisel and have her experiences after the bombing go anywhere. I feel that this would be a great way for the students to creatively interact with the text.
Overall, I thought it was a great book, and I really enjoyed the story and style as a whole, when I finished it.
Monday, September 3, 2007
So What?
First of all, I felt that all of these responses were great. Each student thoroughly thought them out and represented their opinions well.
However, the main thing I got out of these responses is a blatant example of how each student will approach a text differently. All three got the same general idea of race, and the issues stemming from it in our society. However, from there they each expanded on the point of the poem differently.
The first writer talks about fear, and using literature to overcome it, as well as understand our differences. The second writer makes if more of a political statement, raging about the fact that we still hold prejudices. He poses questions to the reader but also to himself, as a way to understand the poem, and the obvious emotion it is causing him to feel. Finally, the last writer also talks about society as a whole, but she shows that the author is not showing anything new, but rather an old idea just in a new story. She also brings up the issue of class, which was new to the discussion.
From their word choices, such as “fear,” “political correctness,” and “hostage,” we can see that each student has approached this writing with a different lens. However, after I thought about what I had taken from the story, I realized that many of these students brought up issues I hadn’t even though of. Reading these responses really showed how differently each student thinks, and how much I can learn and help other students learn with these different perspectives.
However, the main thing I got out of these responses is a blatant example of how each student will approach a text differently. All three got the same general idea of race, and the issues stemming from it in our society. However, from there they each expanded on the point of the poem differently.
The first writer talks about fear, and using literature to overcome it, as well as understand our differences. The second writer makes if more of a political statement, raging about the fact that we still hold prejudices. He poses questions to the reader but also to himself, as a way to understand the poem, and the obvious emotion it is causing him to feel. Finally, the last writer also talks about society as a whole, but she shows that the author is not showing anything new, but rather an old idea just in a new story. She also brings up the issue of class, which was new to the discussion.
From their word choices, such as “fear,” “political correctness,” and “hostage,” we can see that each student has approached this writing with a different lens. However, after I thought about what I had taken from the story, I realized that many of these students brought up issues I hadn’t even though of. Reading these responses really showed how differently each student thinks, and how much I can learn and help other students learn with these different perspectives.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Week Two Readings
In chapter five, BPR, really made me realize that most of the discussions I have experienced have been very teacher driven. As students, I feel we grew up expecting a classroom to be run this way. Then, as we got into college, we were almost dumbfounded and “silent” when we were supposed to generate the conversation. One issue they bring up is the debate. This was an interesting one, because most teachers feel that this is such a great way to generate discussion. However, as the book mentions, there usually has to be a loser. This really made me think of an experience I had while observing last week. My CT shares her classroom with a S.S. teacher. I sat and listened as she explained her “great” idea for the kids to learn different types of governments. Here’s how it went. A group of students were assigned a government and they had to debate with other forms of governments, to prove why there’s was the best. Depending on how well they did this, one government got an A, one a B, one a C, one a D, and one an F. I sat there and watched as the teacher joked that Democracy almost always fails. I really thought this was a poor way to conduct a debate, as well as to grade. I personally would be really mad if my group did really well, but only one group was allowed to get an A, and we weren’t it. It just seemed like a prime example of how teachers feel that incorporating a “debate” into a lesson, makes it some great lesson, when in essence it can be run very poorly.
There were a lot of helpful activities in this chapter as well. I really liked the idea of students creating their own questions. I feel that first of all, it really holds students accountable for their reading. No student wants to look stupid in front of their peers. So, they will at least try to prepare questions related to the text. Also, I feel that students will want to try and have intelligent questions. If they decide not to participate, I kind-of like the idea from the online readings, where their group members will decide what to do with them if they come unprepared. A student might not care what his teacher thinks, but they do have an image to uphold in front of their peers. This activity also struck me, because it really takes students away from relying on the same old worksheet from the teacher, and helps them to begin to learn how to critically think about a text. This whole chapter really had some great ideas about helping to facilitate the skill of discussion. I mean who would have ever thought that press conferences could be such a helpful tool. This chapter, along with the M and M pages, helped me to feel like I will be able to better prepare my students for discussion, then I was, so hopefully they will feel comfortable and confidant in front of a classroom.
I haven’t had much experience, and honestly don’t feel prepared to deal with these new genre’s. Therefore, chapter six was also quite helpful. I am just not used to those types of books. However, I do feel that books like this really invite more students in to the process of reading, and help them enjoy reading a lot more which is the ultimate goal. On pg. 71, they talk about new books coming out that are really breaking the stereotypic characters. I think it would be really a good activity if the students could take one of their favorite fairy tales, stories, or novels, and tell it as if they were the character. Or, as an activity at the beginning, or end of the year (once they’ve gotten to know the students) tell it from the perspective of another classmate, to see how the story might change from a different point of view. The book also mentioned a playlist. My CT does this with her students, so I will hopefully get to see firsthand how this activity plays out in a classroom setting, which should be pretty interesting. This chapter also gave me a lot of examples of books. I know I can’t include all of them in a classroom library. However, I was wondering where you draw the line on maybe a suggested list. Can you list books under different categories, as long as they aren’t in the school?
Finally, the online reading gave some really helpful activities and lessons. They really showed how you can begin to put more responsibility into the student’s hands. It also shed light on ways to avoid things in the classroom. For example, last week, a student said he didn’t like the book he got from the library, because it wasn’t what he thought it would be by looking at it. However, I would have never thought to do an activity like the book pass, which could help you to avoid hearing the same old excuse, “but I don’t like my book.” I felt that most of the activities were quite helpful, and new to me.
There were a lot of helpful activities in this chapter as well. I really liked the idea of students creating their own questions. I feel that first of all, it really holds students accountable for their reading. No student wants to look stupid in front of their peers. So, they will at least try to prepare questions related to the text. Also, I feel that students will want to try and have intelligent questions. If they decide not to participate, I kind-of like the idea from the online readings, where their group members will decide what to do with them if they come unprepared. A student might not care what his teacher thinks, but they do have an image to uphold in front of their peers. This activity also struck me, because it really takes students away from relying on the same old worksheet from the teacher, and helps them to begin to learn how to critically think about a text. This whole chapter really had some great ideas about helping to facilitate the skill of discussion. I mean who would have ever thought that press conferences could be such a helpful tool. This chapter, along with the M and M pages, helped me to feel like I will be able to better prepare my students for discussion, then I was, so hopefully they will feel comfortable and confidant in front of a classroom.
I haven’t had much experience, and honestly don’t feel prepared to deal with these new genre’s. Therefore, chapter six was also quite helpful. I am just not used to those types of books. However, I do feel that books like this really invite more students in to the process of reading, and help them enjoy reading a lot more which is the ultimate goal. On pg. 71, they talk about new books coming out that are really breaking the stereotypic characters. I think it would be really a good activity if the students could take one of their favorite fairy tales, stories, or novels, and tell it as if they were the character. Or, as an activity at the beginning, or end of the year (once they’ve gotten to know the students) tell it from the perspective of another classmate, to see how the story might change from a different point of view. The book also mentioned a playlist. My CT does this with her students, so I will hopefully get to see firsthand how this activity plays out in a classroom setting, which should be pretty interesting. This chapter also gave me a lot of examples of books. I know I can’t include all of them in a classroom library. However, I was wondering where you draw the line on maybe a suggested list. Can you list books under different categories, as long as they aren’t in the school?
Finally, the online reading gave some really helpful activities and lessons. They really showed how you can begin to put more responsibility into the student’s hands. It also shed light on ways to avoid things in the classroom. For example, last week, a student said he didn’t like the book he got from the library, because it wasn’t what he thought it would be by looking at it. However, I would have never thought to do an activity like the book pass, which could help you to avoid hearing the same old excuse, “but I don’t like my book.” I felt that most of the activities were quite helpful, and new to me.
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