Time to do some catch up!

Rather than writing a whole bunch of different posts, I decided it might be just best to sum up the last month in a single LONG post that discusses what I have been learning.

Nonfiction Discussion

When we talked about nonfiction we talked about graphic organizers.  I'm not terribly enthusiastic about graphic organizers.  I mean they certainly have their uses.  I use them now to organize my thoughts or sometimes to draw up a picture for other people.  As a student I hated being told to use a graphic organizer.  They didn't seem purposeful to me and often filled like busy work.  Our discussion reminded me of something that I learned in Dean's class- Graphic organizers are a tool that you want students to have in their tool box.  It's good to have students do them at times so that when they want another way to do something they have it. I think using them needs to be scaffolded with the explanation that the student is doing them so they can later use it (or not use it) at their discretion.

  Also, in relation to nonfiction, one of my favorite science classes made us find a science article and summarize it every week.  I think teaching students to find interesting articles in the news on topics they would like to talk about is a good idea.

Picture Books

   It has been a blessing to be at BYU where several of the professors focus on methods for teaching from picture books.  Pictures books are such great teaching tools because they cover fiction and nonfiction, they use visuals, they are really short and sometimes quite long, and their use of language is incredible.  I loved the picture book that was all about perspectives.  I thought that was really cool.  Furthermore, I think picture books are a project that students can do in the classroom together as they do "writing to read".  I hope to use authors like Tomie DePaola, Patricia Polacco, and Dr. Seuss as works that my students can read and learn language and storytelling from.  AH!! That is something I haven't talked about in any journals.  I love storytelling.  I love people who are effective storytellers.  That can only be learned from other people who are good at it.  Picture books often have good storytelling elements.

Shakespeare is my homeboy

Oh wait, Cecil is my homeboy :).  Either way, Shakespeare is something I've been thinking about a lot.  I liked the teaching ideas were fun.  I think the biggest problem with Shakespeare has less to do with effective activities and more with sufficient time and scaffolding.  Fun projects are great for for student's learning and retention, but only after they understand the story.  Jordan and I have briefly discussed how much need there is for performances which student can watch.  Shakespeare is profound in performance; but its usually a muddle in the text book.  I rarely understood Shakespeare in the classroom.  I still think he is very difficult to read as a college student.  I don't think its a good idea to give students the text and say go read this whole thing.  I'm not sure I would ever have any students other than perhaps an AP class read the whole play (and then only perhaps).  Learning doesn't happen when it is that frustrating.

  One solution might be to have the class divided into pairs or even possibly on their own translate a small portion of the play and then read the classes translation together.  Before they could do that they would need some scaffolding, but at least I think they would have a chance to get into interpreting some text.  The next time they approached Shakespeare they would feel a little more confident that they could read and understand some with work.  I also think I would spend a bit of time on sharing summaries of plays with students.  Especially if I was in middle school or a freshman class I would do simple summaries of Shakespeare texts coming up.  That way by the time they got to do fun acting and performing arts activities they wouldn't have to spend all their time on interpreting text, but more on enjoying their performance.

Writing About Literature

   I do think that writing about what one reads is one of the singularly most important ways to remember and interact with texts.  Of course, you need to have read well and have good questions leading your writing.  But I also recognize that the reason I feel this way is that a lot of my best learning is based on what I write and not what I hear and see.  But I recognize that other students will not necessarily have the same learning styles and abilities.

Just some thoughts.

RoAR- Authentic Discussion

2 RoARs in One!!

How do you set up a successful discussion?
I really liked the ideas we read from Johannessen about sparking conversations through controversy.  Controversy is great because people often have opinions about those topics.  Even more importantly, students can be taught about persuasive and respectful rhetoric and good rules of common courtesy for participating in a discussion.  Another good topic starter that Johannessen talks about are conversations where there is no right answer. Sometimes I think teachers kill conversation in the classroom because they ask questions that everyone already knows the answer to and doesn't have anything more to say about.  Finally, I think the community has to be laid out before any of this happens.  Going back to our beginning discussions for this class, if the community isn't safe I don't care what topic you use, your students will not participate (or at least not all of them if they feel endangered.

RoAR for Beach Ch. 5- Young Adult Literature

I'm looking forward to taking 420 because I have a lot of catching up to do in the YA Lit field.  I've read a fair amount, but not a lot of recent stories.

I particularly like this quote on p.93:

"texts can be used as a catalyst for bringing troubling issues to the surface where they can be discussed with caring adults."

I think this statement informs me on how I might approach using graphic novels.  Using texts that I feel are questionable can still facilitate my goal as an English teacher - to help students discover and develop their own value systems.  I think I am a caring adult and I hope that students would feel comfortable talking to me.  More importantly I hope that I could help students talk to the adults in their lives about what they are reading and vice-versa.  At the same time, I recognize that there is unfortunately a lack of communication which puts great responsibility on me as a teacher to properly address difficult materials in the classroom.  If parents ignore this type of education, I don't think it should be the teacher's responsibility.  But if parents won't do it, I don't want to ignore the teaching of values and the "hard talks" in the classroom.

RoAR for Graphic Novels Day

Robyn Seglem and Shelbie Witte's article "You Gotta See It to Believe It" is an excellent summary and rationale for teaching visual literacy in the classroom.  Being able to read an advertisement and understand how the visual images work with rhetorical devices is particularly important.
Looking over Graphic Novels the other day in class has invited me to a return to a personal value question that I thought I had previously resolved.  I'm a little more liberal in what questionable or objectionable material I permit in the literature I read.  I'm more strict about movies because images stick with me.  I was fine with some violence/sexual content in books because I couldn't see it and I could easily move past it.  Blake shared a Batman graphic novel.  Suddenly I was approached by scenes that I could have read about but felt uncomfortable looking at.
As a person, I realize I am more sensitive than some, but how do I reach out to students who may so easily attach to things that I may not only feel uncomfortable but dislike?
I really dislike scary stories- zombies and the like- I wouldn't want them in my own home library.  But does that mean I should keep them from my school library?  I tend to think that no, but there is a part of my morals that needs to be worked out.  Especially since I think learning and understanding visual literacy is important.

Myths and Fables

 Myths and Fables

In reflection of my own experience with Myths and Fables- the words have always been in my mind the bottom end of fiction.  I think it’s the label.  Myth and Fables have always seemed to me stories set aside very far from reality.  But wherever I got that definition, in reading Beach, I realized I was mistaken.  Myths and Fables are rich in relation to life- especially in understanding historical context.  Myths and Fables really do set up basic elements of stories, they give us the archetypal characters and themes.  More importantly, they are often short and very direct making them an easy classroom reading activity to teach.  I think just doing this simple reading has made me appreciate what I once thought was silly.
P.S. My Disney Cartoon Archetype is Prince Charming.


My Teaching Idea: Using Tomie dePaola's Retelling of "The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush"
Grade: 10th
Read the book together.
Discuss the common mythic storyline in which a mission is assigned by a greater being to test a character.
Many of these missions explain something in the world.  The images in the book enrich us in the culture of the native americans.  
Many myths and fables are public domain that can be downloaded for free. Group students together and have each group read a different fable.  Students can then create a dramatic retelling of the story (i.e. readers theater or performance), a children's book, a movie script, or comic book/graphic novel. This project would take a few days, but would allow students to explore their talents - and each day you could read a new fable with the students and talk about an Archetype.

Short Story Response

I thought Jago's article was rather enlightening.  It helped me to think about Plot in a new way.  Perhaps one of the important ways was Freytag's Pyramid. . .but that wasn't new to me.  I've seen the Pyramid in every English class since sometime in elementary or middle school.  What came to me in thinking about plot was more about how Short Stories often have the power to draw the reader in and get them quickly into experiencing "flow".  If a year started off with a short stories unit that wasn't too bogged down in sucking details dry out of a short story, then such a unit could be useful in engendering reading endurance.  I think after a class has read several short stories with high "tellability" that sucks readers in then, on a 3rd or 4th you start to tease out one or two details to help students build there ability to follow "rules of notice".  I think in the case of reading, especially at the beginning of the year, less is more when it comes to learning.  Students will appreciate short to the point stories that they can discuss and get more out of them than if they jumped straight to something hard and long.  In time, their reading stamina will grow and more won't seem like so much more.

RoAR Journal - Response to Lenses

After our discussion on literary theory, how would you incorporate literary lenses into your teaching?
   Lenses are great . . . but I think some lenses are easier teased out of different texts.  For example, if I want to teach about the lens of feminism, I woud like to start students out on texts that are clearly feminist pieces - like "The Awakening".  Once they understand the lens, then I think they can tease it out of whatever they are reading, if they should so desire.
   Other techniques I would use for talking about lenses is to talk about persuasive and opinion pieces.  In opinions and persuasive articles, the writers are often wearing some shade of lens.  Comparing two pieces about the same topic with different view points can help us see how lenses shade our view of the world.  If we want to argue against one particular group, we should first understand their lens.  If we want others to understand our view, we should understand other lenses.  If we want to be individuals who mediate between lenses, then we need to understand all the strengths and weaknesses of each lens.
   Understanding lenses helps us outside of the classroom and students need to know that.  They need to know that a business deal is made by people who are shaded by different facts and opinions and ideas.  Understanding those "lenses" can help students communicate in a business deal.  In the family we wear different lenses and to come to understand each other we have to find the common ground in those lenses.   The applications can be very wide spread to benefit all students lives.

RoAR for Monday 10/17 Beach 8 Gallagher 3

To answer a few of the questions from reading.
Beach, Ch. 8
1. How do we help students acquire knowledge of genre conventions?
   I think this answer is simple- use the variety of genres in the classroom and at times compare and contrast the elements of the different genres.

2. In what ways can you model ways that students can connect common features of text and transfer this knowledge to other encounters with that genre?

   Modeling comes as we use genres and examples of the genres that break with the common form.  The way to transfer that knowledge is to teach Genre's as sets of guidelines rather than rules.

4. Why do we need to consider students' prior knowledge as we work with genres?
    Students have experience with a variety of genres- starting with one they are familiar with, a movie perhaps, and talking about it's conventions allows us to move to another topic, like the short story, and start on common ground aspects of the genre like Plot, Characters, Setting, etc.  If they can recognize that they already have knowledge, students will be more confident that they can learn and connect with new material.

Gallagher, Ch. 3

3. What is the "chop, chop curriculum" and how can we find a balance between teaching the standards and enjoying real literary experiences?
   "chop, chop curriculum" is the teaching of a book in so many parts that it students are taken from the flow and lose the whole picture by analyzing every little thing.  It is damaging because students feel like the text has been killed.  Or, from personal experience, I feel like over analyzing books bit by bit can make the student feel like they are missing things, when really they got the point and just don't want to say that it's obvious.
   I think Gallagher suggests a good balance - have time for students to study literary works and fun reads. When reading something difficult, tackle it, but don't address every single possible little thing you could get out of the book- just pick a few points and don't go on about them for too long.
   One idea that I think would be good is to build students stamina little by little.  Start with a fun short story or article(s) that the teacher spends time reading.  Allow students some free time to experience their own reading flow.  Ask for basic reflections- opinions about the book without requiring analysis.  Then, as time moves, read more difficult works out loud, and assign some to read and then discuss first opinions, then for deeper meaning. When going into deeper things just keep it simple and rejoice in a few details rather than every literary significance possible.  If you want to cover more aspects, do it through supplementary texts or other vehicles.

Roar Journal for 10/14

Roar Journal for 10/14
In "Teaching Literature to Adolescents" in chapters 4 and 9 there is a discussion about teaching the classics and using different perspectives.  I thought it was insightful, especially in its idea that teachers should introduce the different perspectives to their students and also to let the students know they can become part of the argumentative voice for what should be in the canon of literature.  While I know I was introduced to the different perspectives and asked to view literature through various lenses, I couldn't see the bigger picture.  I didn't know there were whole journals devoted to critically applying lenses to literature to learn about what the words are trying to say.  Nor, did I realize how much literature was informing our society, it's norms, and it's changes.  And when I say literature, I don't mean just the canon; I have become increasingly more aware of the influences of all types of writing in our society.  Television and movie screen writing, radio and podcast writing, news and political campaign writing, are all forms of reading and writing we participate in that change our society.  For better or worse, Occupy Wall Street is writing a story, Obama's 2008 campaign was very much a story, television programs like Modern Family, Glee, Psych, and Big Bang Theory write other ideas into our society as well.  Being aware how we are written into society is important.  Since most students will not be writers and rather consumers who become literate in these different modes, it's incredibly important to teach students how they can interact with a variety of texts through different lenses, through their own ideology, and through other types of critical thinking.  The most important reason they may be given for reading the classics is so that they can develop that talent through critiques of the classics - not because they necessarily will read the classics for the rest of their life- but because the skills they learn in reading the classics will inform the rest of their interactions with the texts of today.

RoAR Share #1

I posted to a conversation on English Companion Ning:

http://englishcompanion.ning.com/group/teachingreadinginmiddleandhighschool/forum/topics/7th-grade-read-alouds

Two Thoughts:

1) Getting students interested in specific books is great!  In reality, we all read a lot more than just the most popular Young Adult Literature and the Classics.  We read the news, blogs, facebook, and magazines to name just a few sources.  Reading aloud to your students from a variety of sources can help them see that reading skills are important across the broad spectrum.

2) Also, there is a way you can kill a few birds with one stone.  In Jeff Anderson's book "Mechanically Inclined" he talks about using a variety of texts to teach grammar.  From the lists of books that have been suggested you can take passages that you think are very effective in performing various functions.  You can read the passage with the students and ask them what the author does well.  In the context of many passages you can address all sorts of grammar, imagery, and other topics and help students see what good writing is.  As you help them see the good things in the passages they will naturally be interested in reading the books you share passages from.  More importantly they will start to find the joy in experiencing books.

It was interesting to see this person who was suddenly teaching Language Arts after teaching four years of science.  I think I sometimes take for granted the training I have received at BYU.  There is such a wealth of knowledge that has informed me on my own hopes for teaching.  While I haven't received a response at this moment, I am hoping that these ideas are helpful to this teacher.  I hope that I can also clearly remember the things I have learned when I start teaching my own classes.

RoAR/DEAR for 9/14

9/14

Respond to Quote for Roar

Theodore Sizer-

“The measure of the worth of a society is how it treats its weakest and most vulnerable citizens.”

            As a teacher this means we have to find ways to involve students; especially those who struggle.  If I am a teacher, who is going to model good values for society, I need to show students that I value them all, even the students who the classroom doesn’t.  It means connecting with students early on.  Letting them feel comfortable in the classroom, while raising them to a higher standard.  Giving them work that they can handle, and work that causes them to ask questions- but they have to feel safe to answer questions.  New students, if weak and vulnerable, DO NOT NEED THIS LABEL.  They should be made to feel strong and recognized for the strengths that are already inherent within them.  I think talking with the class and getting to know them, taking notes about them and observing who they are, joking around and having a little fun, but also gaining respect by asking them to do work.  I think students need to feel loved.  They also expect discipline.  So learn discipline.

RoAR/Dear for 9/12

9/12

What I have discovered about myself as a reader and how that impacts my future classroom.  Where do I struggle?  What’s easy for me?

It’s really easy for me to see where books have their value.  It’s really easy for me to see that gaining a love of reading has blessed my life in so so so many ways . . . my education and knowledge wouldn’t be the same without my love for reading and my ability to be introspective.  I think this will help my classroom in that I will be able to model for them how to introspectively search out the things they are reading and reflect upon how what they read means to them.

However, I do struggle, now, when I’m so busy, to just read for fun.  I don’t make extra reading enough of a priority. . .at least when it comes to novels.  For example, I do read the news a lot, I read a lot of school materials, which I continue to practice the same skills on.  But I don’t read a lot of extra literature to help me be more involved in the literary cannon.  I’ve not read enough children’s literature to keep me up to date on what would be good for my students.  I feel that if I don’t get to work on some of these things- I’ll connect with students on the things I know, but be unaware how to spark interest in things that would be more interesting to them.

RoAR/DEAR for 9/9

What is your opinion of using media in the English Language Arts Curriculum

    I think it is a fantastic idea.  Especially if you can inspire students to learn to love reading and storytelling through other mediums.  English Language Arts is based around themes and ideas and the power to express them.  Media is a major form of expressing these things and students need to know how to navigate and work in the media world to promote their ideas.  The better our students are educated, the better these tools can be used for good purposes in the world.  In the meantime, students may discover that media is still based in strong reading, writing, and analytical skills that they can gain by participating in class and being well read throughout their lives.

How comfortable are you with media literacy?  Why?

    I'm very comfortable with the idea of it.  I've grown up in love with computers and their powers.  I like using a computer and I love the multimedia nature of our world.  I fully embrace the power to communicate with pictures, sounds, and words.  I think our understanding is greatly enhanced when we are learning through all the senses.   I have been comfortable using the computer since a very young age and therefor find no qualms personally about using it with students.  However, I recognize that there will be challenges.  Not all students will have access to the tools I'd like to think they would have (some may not even have computers).  Some students will be computer illiterate and would have a steep learning curve to accomplish some tasks.  And I may find resistance from parents- but I am very comfortable with communication and know that my work will all fit into the curriculum in ways which I can share with the parent.  I can also explain the pros and cons of promoting media literacy in the classroom and in the world.

One idea that intrigues you:
    I love NPR.   I grew up listening to it in my Dad's car or on long vacations we would spend at least an hour or two a day listening to something on NPR.  From NPR I learned to love the power of good oral presentation.  I am very interested in using clips from NPR to first inspire my students to want to learn more about the world around them and secondly as a model for podcasts.  I once did a podcast for a teacher and it was a lot of fun.  Apple's Garageband makes creating and recording a podcast very simple and accessible I think to my students.  Besides it is also something that I could easily have the materials to do in the classroom.

RoAR #2 from 9/7

How are the students I'll teach different from me?
    Students are different because they want to be different.  Teachers in my generation who tried too hard to "fit in" got shunned like kids who tried too hard to "fit into" new social groups.  I suppose there will always be these generational distances.  Being aware - educating myself on the topics of interest to my students is good - gut ultimately students respect teachers who are confident in themselves and in their own ideas.  Students who like their teachers ask their teacher's for the teacher's own opinions and thoughts.  Teachers who try to hard to give their ideas get shunned.
   Students will benefit when they tell me their interests and not when I try to define their interests.  I should spend time the 1st day of school telling students about my parents allowing us to discover and explore lots of different activities so we could discover our own interests and talents.  I think Miller does a real good job of showing teachers how they, through a students survey can discover their students interests.

RoAR Post 1- Why I am a Reader

The truth to why I reads sparks from my childhood.  My parents for some odd reason thought it was a good idea to read to there children.  I was the first and so I got lots of reading attention in the old brown rocking chair.  My mom and dad would sit and read books to me by Dr. Seuss, Patricia Polacco, Tomie dePaola, and others.  As I got a little older they read Johnny Tremain, The Mouse and the Motorcycle, and The Trumpet Swan to me.  And as I learned to read I myself delved into The Boxcar Children, Encyclopedia Brown, and later the Redwall series.  I loved books and would stay up until one in the morning reading to my hearts content.  As I got older my love of reading was replaced by other activities- soccer, piano, guitar, girls, and computer related activities.  But I still loved to read here and there.  As the years have passed and I have become more busy, it's been increasingly hard to find time to read as I would like to.  However, the reason I remain a reader is because books really are fascinating.  They are filled with knowledge and wisdom and they can tickle our senses.  Even though I am a busy person, I consider it important to be well read.  I have observed that the most successful people in our society are readers- they are well read and well educated because they do read.  I believe in that type of education.  I believe that there is a lack of appreciation for reading and that should the next generations not learn to read, we will be headed for a world of trouble.  So I continue to read so that one day I can help my students fall in love with books and see their value.