Field experiences relating to content literacy:
Observations - When I first began my student teaching experience, the classes were finishing the final third of "Summer of the Monkeys." I could pick out fairly soon who understood the text and who did not understand the text. Most of the time it simply came down to who was reading and who was not reading. "Summer of the Monkeys" is a great novel, and students from a variety of backgrounds can relate to its different aspects. Unfortunately, many of these students just did not want to read.
Interactions - Because many of my students did not want to read, I implemented a couple of strategies to make them HAVE to read. The first was a sketch project. I had the students draw out a scene from an assigned block of reading on half of a sheet of paper. On the other half, the students had to write out what was going on. This worked fairly well. All but four of the 85 or so students taking the course completed the assignment on time, and about 85 percent of the projects were acceptable. I also had the students summarize complete chapters. This didn't work quite as well. Many of the students struggled to get their ideas down on paper in a thoughtful, organized manner.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Blog #4
1. Ideas for literacy explorations
- I am very interested in the idea of providing large amounts of background material before assigning a text. My inquiry project has a focus on short, modern texts in association with the larger, regularly assigned texts. I also would like to see how fictional videos based on literary works will affect students' interest levels.
2. Response to Readicide
- Some of my ideas are similar to those mentioned in Chapter 2. The "Article of the Week" is something I was required to do in high school, and it was the basis for my plan of incorporating articles into literature studies. "Word Walls, Book Floods, and some of the other ideas are pretty good as well, even though I'm not sure they will have that much of an impact on student literacy.
3. Enduring Questions and Concerns About Content Literacy
- Will students make a connection between current articles and the literary texts?
- What do you do if students refuse to take part in a classroom discussion?
- Will audio books improve student interest?
4. Inquiry Project Progress
- Not a whole lot of progress right now. I really won't get started on it until I get into my student teacher placement.
5. Further Understanding of Reading as a Learner in My Discipline
- It is easy to understand how reading is important in my discipline. It is English/Literature after all. I believe the tough thing to understand is that English/Literature is not ALL about memorizing plots and characters and literary elements. You have to creating meaning between the text and the students' lives. Students should be able to apply the concepts discussed in the texts to the decisions and situations they encounter on a daily basis.
- I am very interested in the idea of providing large amounts of background material before assigning a text. My inquiry project has a focus on short, modern texts in association with the larger, regularly assigned texts. I also would like to see how fictional videos based on literary works will affect students' interest levels.
2. Response to Readicide
- Some of my ideas are similar to those mentioned in Chapter 2. The "Article of the Week" is something I was required to do in high school, and it was the basis for my plan of incorporating articles into literature studies. "Word Walls, Book Floods, and some of the other ideas are pretty good as well, even though I'm not sure they will have that much of an impact on student literacy.
3. Enduring Questions and Concerns About Content Literacy
- Will students make a connection between current articles and the literary texts?
- What do you do if students refuse to take part in a classroom discussion?
- Will audio books improve student interest?
4. Inquiry Project Progress
- Not a whole lot of progress right now. I really won't get started on it until I get into my student teacher placement.
5. Further Understanding of Reading as a Learner in My Discipline
- It is easy to understand how reading is important in my discipline. It is English/Literature after all. I believe the tough thing to understand is that English/Literature is not ALL about memorizing plots and characters and literary elements. You have to creating meaning between the text and the students' lives. Students should be able to apply the concepts discussed in the texts to the decisions and situations they encounter on a daily basis.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Blog #3
Response to Readicide
What is the message? The message is pretty much what I thought it was going to be: the strategies of many English/Language Arts/Literacy teachers are currently destroying students' interest in reading. Students no longer know how to read. Students no longer wish to read. Students no longer read. Period.
What is your reaction? I am not surprised in the least. For as far back as I can remember my classmates have been uninterested in diving into any text - whether it be for pleasure, school, or a combination of both. The constant vocabulary quizzes, post-chapter questions, comprehension tests, and other traditional methods of assessment drove my fellow students into a literature-less state of being. I was similar to my compatriots, but not in this way. I have always been addicted to the written word - vocabulary, short stories, novels, poetry and anything else with words. I thrived in a situation where many failed.
What are your connections to school experiences? I preface this answer with this: my answer is directly associated with English/Literature. In our reading group, I posed the following question to the other members: What is the true purpose of Literature class? I'm not sure if we truly touched on it during the few minutes we had, but I believe the answer is a combination of many possibilities. Knowledge of literature is a route to social acceptance. Having a knowledge of classic works often times diverts awkwardness during conversation. Knowledge of literature is also lends itself to the transferability of information across all disciplines. The ability to read and comprehend becomes easier. The ability to regurgitate facts becomes easier. The ability to improve grades and understandings becomes easier. Having an understanding of the structure of different literary works has a direct correlation to an improvement in writing skills. Sentences become easier to write. Subject verb agreement becomes second nature. The flow of writing becomes natural.
What are ways you now understand will help students read more effectively in your discipline? I believe this concept is directly related to differentiated instruction. Sure, vocabulary quizzes and post-chapter questions are a way to assess, but so are storyboards and acting sessions. Teachers must find a way to connect each student to the text, whether it be by having the student listen, speak, draw, or act.
What is the message? The message is pretty much what I thought it was going to be: the strategies of many English/Language Arts/Literacy teachers are currently destroying students' interest in reading. Students no longer know how to read. Students no longer wish to read. Students no longer read. Period.
What is your reaction? I am not surprised in the least. For as far back as I can remember my classmates have been uninterested in diving into any text - whether it be for pleasure, school, or a combination of both. The constant vocabulary quizzes, post-chapter questions, comprehension tests, and other traditional methods of assessment drove my fellow students into a literature-less state of being. I was similar to my compatriots, but not in this way. I have always been addicted to the written word - vocabulary, short stories, novels, poetry and anything else with words. I thrived in a situation where many failed.
What are your connections to school experiences? I preface this answer with this: my answer is directly associated with English/Literature. In our reading group, I posed the following question to the other members: What is the true purpose of Literature class? I'm not sure if we truly touched on it during the few minutes we had, but I believe the answer is a combination of many possibilities. Knowledge of literature is a route to social acceptance. Having a knowledge of classic works often times diverts awkwardness during conversation. Knowledge of literature is also lends itself to the transferability of information across all disciplines. The ability to read and comprehend becomes easier. The ability to regurgitate facts becomes easier. The ability to improve grades and understandings becomes easier. Having an understanding of the structure of different literary works has a direct correlation to an improvement in writing skills. Sentences become easier to write. Subject verb agreement becomes second nature. The flow of writing becomes natural.
What are ways you now understand will help students read more effectively in your discipline? I believe this concept is directly related to differentiated instruction. Sure, vocabulary quizzes and post-chapter questions are a way to assess, but so are storyboards and acting sessions. Teachers must find a way to connect each student to the text, whether it be by having the student listen, speak, draw, or act.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)