Wow, after reading this article, I really see how literacy skills gained by students has had dramatic changes over the years. The thought that I wanted to bring up was the idea of memorization. In the beginning of the article, there is a quote about Joseph Rice observing a classroom and seeing something that I think still exists today. The teacher he observed basically pulled out a map and located several spots and then students were expected to recite from memory all the areas on the map by heart. As further explained, this is a "conglomeration of oral reciations based on rules of elocution..."
My concern isn't primarily with the technique of oral recitation, but rather with memorization and how teachers go about assessing students most of the time. Students are required to memorize facts instead of understanding facts. Is this how students should be taught? Even though gaining literacy has changed throughout the years as we learn in this article, has this changed very much? I don't think it has!
Another interesting thing that caught my interest was that in about 1892, the National Education Association's Committee of Ten said that the purpose of English as a subject was to be able to learn how to express one clearly and learning to understand others. Do you think this has changed much? We see trends throughout the article of recitation literacy, decoding and analytic literacy, but are they only trends? We go through so many phases and trying to make perfect lessons to get through to our students, but what are we lacking? There will always be criticisms, but we have to strive to break the trends that come and go in our English classrooms!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Lori Pyles: Freedom Writers
Our guest speaker, Lori Pyles, on Friday, was full of great information and inspiration. The biggest thing that stuck out to me was that this woman truly has her heart set on her students in the classroom despite the fact she is teaching in a detention center. I remember what she said specifically, she is not to correspond with her students outside the classroom, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't think of them ALL THE TIME! Those are words from a true teacher!
The many examples she gave us of students in her experience as a teacher teaching hope really touched me. The one that affected me the most was the story about her student Axl. After having her students begin writing journals, Axl, one of the least likely to open up, actually put his trust in Lori and wrote about his experience of watching his grandpa shoot his dog as a punishment for it peeing. I just really wanted to cry when I heard this. The story was very traumatic, but touching that Lori accomplished such trust with detention center students!
Another thing that really stuck out to me was how Lori explained to us that one of her students kept egging her on, calling her the "stupidest teacher," and such, but Lori brushed it aside and let the teenager do the talking. After awhile, the student showed hurt that a different teacher actually fought back. Lori then quoted Martin Luther King Jr. by saying, "In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." She is right! Just as her one story about the student who hit her--everyone made Lori the victim, but in reality, the student was the victim of such an unfair system, both educational and judicial!
I will remember a lot of her words and use them to strengthen the relationships I build with my students.
The many examples she gave us of students in her experience as a teacher teaching hope really touched me. The one that affected me the most was the story about her student Axl. After having her students begin writing journals, Axl, one of the least likely to open up, actually put his trust in Lori and wrote about his experience of watching his grandpa shoot his dog as a punishment for it peeing. I just really wanted to cry when I heard this. The story was very traumatic, but touching that Lori accomplished such trust with detention center students!
Another thing that really stuck out to me was how Lori explained to us that one of her students kept egging her on, calling her the "stupidest teacher," and such, but Lori brushed it aside and let the teenager do the talking. After awhile, the student showed hurt that a different teacher actually fought back. Lori then quoted Martin Luther King Jr. by saying, "In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." She is right! Just as her one story about the student who hit her--everyone made Lori the victim, but in reality, the student was the victim of such an unfair system, both educational and judicial!
I will remember a lot of her words and use them to strengthen the relationships I build with my students.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Journals
In Nancie Atwell's "In the Middle," chapter 8 talks about "Responding to Readers and Reading." I just love her approach on this. Basically, she keeps journals that the students keep up with on their current readings and writings. Atwell has students exchange "letters" that are written in the journals both to herself and to the students' peers. In reading some of the sample letters, the students referred to different works, so I assume that this type of assignment works well to keep the teacher in touch with all the variety of stories. I also think it is a good idea to have the student express their feelings about what they've read through writing because not only does it assess that they are keeping up with reading, but it helps them practice their writing skills.
Now, the way that Atwell responds to her students varies from person to person. It's not like she has a rubric to grade the students. On page 283, she says that "The letters I write to my kids about their reading are personal and contextual: what I say in my half of the dialogue comes from my knowledge of how a student reads and thinks, of what a student understands or needs to know." Her responses either "affirm, challenge or extend a reader's response."
So for those students who don't have such a thoughtful response, Atwell gives them the chance to elaborate through this discussion method. I just love this idea and I think it would be great to go along with independent reading or even literature circles.
Now, the way that Atwell responds to her students varies from person to person. It's not like she has a rubric to grade the students. On page 283, she says that "The letters I write to my kids about their reading are personal and contextual: what I say in my half of the dialogue comes from my knowledge of how a student reads and thinks, of what a student understands or needs to know." Her responses either "affirm, challenge or extend a reader's response."
So for those students who don't have such a thoughtful response, Atwell gives them the chance to elaborate through this discussion method. I just love this idea and I think it would be great to go along with independent reading or even literature circles.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
A New Assignment: Pick Books You Like
After reading this NY Times article, I feel pretty motivated to give my future students a choice in selecting a novel in the classroom. I think that having a unit that focuses on independent reading would be a good idea. Even before I read through this article, I felt that students feel more motivated reading a novel they get to select (I know from experience), and even in the article it says that "Literacy specialists say that giving children a say in what they read can help motivate them. “If your goal is simply to get them to read more, choice is the way to go,” said Elizabeth Birr Moje, a literacy professor at the University of Michigan."
I like how this article brought in the author of "In the Middle," Nancie Atwell! I felt like I knew what she was talking about with the minilessons due to the fact that I am reading her book!
What this article isn't very clear on is whether or not they think that choice should replace the classics completely. To me, it seems like they want students to be able to choose their own texts all year round. I don't think I agree with this. I think there should be one big assignment based on their selected novel, and then a focus on other popular classics. You can make the classics fun!
You're lucky if you even get the choice to choose your own curriculum. More and more kids are enjoying books such as Harry Potter and Twilight, but are these ok for the classroom?
I like how this article brought in the author of "In the Middle," Nancie Atwell! I felt like I knew what she was talking about with the minilessons due to the fact that I am reading her book!
What this article isn't very clear on is whether or not they think that choice should replace the classics completely. To me, it seems like they want students to be able to choose their own texts all year round. I don't think I agree with this. I think there should be one big assignment based on their selected novel, and then a focus on other popular classics. You can make the classics fun!
You're lucky if you even get the choice to choose your own curriculum. More and more kids are enjoying books such as Harry Potter and Twilight, but are these ok for the classroom?
Friday, September 11, 2009
Currently reading...
Week two is all said and done! Whew. Let me just say I have been quite the busy girl. I've already completed one novel--House of Mirth for Women's Literature and I liked it, but I didn't love it. We are moving on to Virginia Woolf and I am very excited for that! I've also been reading some poems by Walt Whitman--"Song of Myself," "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd" and "Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking" for U.S. Literature. Soon we will be moving on to Emily Dickenson.
I'm also reading the textbook called In the Middle by Nancie Atwell. So far, I've read the first three chapters (I'm getting there!), and Atwell has a lot of information for soon-to-be teachers. In the first chapter, Atwell uses a metaphor that compares her own child to students in the classroom. Basically, she taught her daughter how to set the table. After a few nights, her daughter, Anne, soon folded the napkins in a special way all on her own. Atwell gave her daughter a model (setting the table) and then Anne went beyond that model to fold the napkins. In the classroom, if you give students a model and the choice to use their own expression and creativity, they can go beyond your expectations.
What striked me the most in this chapter is that Atwell actually participates with her students when it comes to writing! I think this is great! A general assumption made by students is that the teacher assigns all this homework and such to them, but gets to go home to do nothing. The idea of participating in activities sounds great to me because I think it could really get the students motivated. (Teachers could probably reuse items they've created if they reuse lesson plans)
In chapter two, I took a look at a big list of "Twenty-One Lessons Teachers Demonstrate About Reading" and I circled the ones that stuck out to me.
#4. There is one interpretation of a text: the teacher's (or the teacher's manual's)
This can be so true!! I know I have relied on a lot of professors to diagnose meanings for me for things such as Shakespeare's sonnets and characters in books such as The Odyssey. Sometimes, I have interpreted it differently, but I base my answers, let's say, on a test, according to what information the professor has given me. So, is this how I want my classroom to work? Admittingly, somewhat I guess. There is a fine line between what is right and wrong, but I think the best part of literature is the fact that there is so much room for interpretation! We are not the authors and we do not know the specific intentions of the authors always.
#6 Student readers aren't smart or trustworthy enough to choose their own texts.
Okay, I see where this point is going. BUT. I feel that students should get to experience literature circles and independent reading during their school careers. I've always had teachers that required their approval for independent reading and I think that works. There will always be that student who doesn't take it seriously, but in my experiences, I have seen that students like choosing books on their own. I am a supporter of discovery learning and I think this type of activity is perfect for students.
#17 Teachers talk a lot about literature, but teachers don't read.
Oh really?? I cannot wait to tell my students how many novels at a time I had to read in college. I think one reason teachers become English teachers is because of a strong passion for literature or elements of literature. Reading doesn't even have to include novels. It can be anything from newspapers to ads to magazines to cereal boxes. As Atwell described in chapter one, a teacher participating in reading probably motivates the students a lot.
In chapter 3, I have to say that Atwell touched base with a very important detail. She refers to middle school students, but I think this can be applied to high school too. She says that "Confusion, bravado, restlessness, a preoccupation with peers, and the questioning of authority aren't manifestations of poor attitude; they are hallmarks of a particular time of life" (54). We must remember this. We will try our best to get past these "distractions" in the classroom, but we cannot pretend they don't exist. Atwell has examples of poetry in this chapter that students wrote in relation to their adolescence. This is a good way to recognize that we all go through it and can relate in some way. Teachers could probably participate too! Maybe I'd write about bills. Ha, ha.
I'm also reading the textbook called In the Middle by Nancie Atwell. So far, I've read the first three chapters (I'm getting there!), and Atwell has a lot of information for soon-to-be teachers. In the first chapter, Atwell uses a metaphor that compares her own child to students in the classroom. Basically, she taught her daughter how to set the table. After a few nights, her daughter, Anne, soon folded the napkins in a special way all on her own. Atwell gave her daughter a model (setting the table) and then Anne went beyond that model to fold the napkins. In the classroom, if you give students a model and the choice to use their own expression and creativity, they can go beyond your expectations.
What striked me the most in this chapter is that Atwell actually participates with her students when it comes to writing! I think this is great! A general assumption made by students is that the teacher assigns all this homework and such to them, but gets to go home to do nothing. The idea of participating in activities sounds great to me because I think it could really get the students motivated. (Teachers could probably reuse items they've created if they reuse lesson plans)
In chapter two, I took a look at a big list of "Twenty-One Lessons Teachers Demonstrate About Reading" and I circled the ones that stuck out to me.
#4. There is one interpretation of a text: the teacher's (or the teacher's manual's)
This can be so true!! I know I have relied on a lot of professors to diagnose meanings for me for things such as Shakespeare's sonnets and characters in books such as The Odyssey. Sometimes, I have interpreted it differently, but I base my answers, let's say, on a test, according to what information the professor has given me. So, is this how I want my classroom to work? Admittingly, somewhat I guess. There is a fine line between what is right and wrong, but I think the best part of literature is the fact that there is so much room for interpretation! We are not the authors and we do not know the specific intentions of the authors always.
#6 Student readers aren't smart or trustworthy enough to choose their own texts.
Okay, I see where this point is going. BUT. I feel that students should get to experience literature circles and independent reading during their school careers. I've always had teachers that required their approval for independent reading and I think that works. There will always be that student who doesn't take it seriously, but in my experiences, I have seen that students like choosing books on their own. I am a supporter of discovery learning and I think this type of activity is perfect for students.
#17 Teachers talk a lot about literature, but teachers don't read.
Oh really?? I cannot wait to tell my students how many novels at a time I had to read in college. I think one reason teachers become English teachers is because of a strong passion for literature or elements of literature. Reading doesn't even have to include novels. It can be anything from newspapers to ads to magazines to cereal boxes. As Atwell described in chapter one, a teacher participating in reading probably motivates the students a lot.
In chapter 3, I have to say that Atwell touched base with a very important detail. She refers to middle school students, but I think this can be applied to high school too. She says that "Confusion, bravado, restlessness, a preoccupation with peers, and the questioning of authority aren't manifestations of poor attitude; they are hallmarks of a particular time of life" (54). We must remember this. We will try our best to get past these "distractions" in the classroom, but we cannot pretend they don't exist. Atwell has examples of poetry in this chapter that students wrote in relation to their adolescence. This is a good way to recognize that we all go through it and can relate in some way. Teachers could probably participate too! Maybe I'd write about bills. Ha, ha.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Fall 2009!
Hello again! It's been several months since I've written, but now that school is back in session, I am going to keep up with reporting some things on here.
I had a quick summer. I took 3 summer classes and got married! Then before I knew it, I was paying my tuition for fall.
I'm taking 15 credit hours this semester and also getting ready for student teaching in the spring. I am so excited! However, I still don't know where I am being placed, but I am patiently waiting. The classes I am enrolled in are: U.S. Literature 1865-1945, Women's Literature, Teaching High School Journalism, Teaching Language and Composition, and Fieldwork Practicum. As always, it is very overwhelming for the first week of classes, but I do seriously think that I'm going to be reading A LOT. I know this is going to be a very stressful semester. Not that I am complaining! I think it is going to be a fun, educational experience, but time is the only difficulty here. The good news is that I am making the time!
I hope to share some valuable information and thoughts this semester with the materials I'm reading and the experience I get from my fieldwork. Check back shortly!
I had a quick summer. I took 3 summer classes and got married! Then before I knew it, I was paying my tuition for fall.
I'm taking 15 credit hours this semester and also getting ready for student teaching in the spring. I am so excited! However, I still don't know where I am being placed, but I am patiently waiting. The classes I am enrolled in are: U.S. Literature 1865-1945, Women's Literature, Teaching High School Journalism, Teaching Language and Composition, and Fieldwork Practicum. As always, it is very overwhelming for the first week of classes, but I do seriously think that I'm going to be reading A LOT. I know this is going to be a very stressful semester. Not that I am complaining! I think it is going to be a fun, educational experience, but time is the only difficulty here. The good news is that I am making the time!
I hope to share some valuable information and thoughts this semester with the materials I'm reading and the experience I get from my fieldwork. Check back shortly!
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