Readicide by Kelly Gallagher

Readicide:

This book is extremely powerful in the author’s views towards reading in the classroom.  The days of old textbooks and novels that were written ages ago hold little to no meaning in todays classrooms (or at least where the direction of education is heading).  My favorite section of this text was in chapter three, where the author talked about over-teaching a text.  I remember sitting in high school where we spent over a month talking about one text.  That is too much.  Expecting students to automatically understand what you want them to know and to actually achieve the same amount of learning from diverse students is impossible.  Kelly suggests that instead of having test after test and worksheet after worksheet, discussions and time to read the texts.  I know from the little experience I have had so far, that my students will not do much, if any, homework when they go home.  In order to have my students dive into such complex texts, I will need to give them the time to read it in class, in groups, as a large group, or watch a clip of the text.  Another part that I really enjoyed was how he discusses the idea of picking texts with great consideration to our students and to the points the text makes.  Obviously, there are certain books that are required by schools to be read, such as Romeo and Juliet, but the fact is: teachers need to find texts relevant to our students.  If the students actually glean something from a novel that helps them in real life, then they are more likely to become avid readers.  The author makes a really crucial point in picking out the texts, however, in that the texts should be a little more challenging then where the students are.  This will help them to reach forward and learn up to that level, through guided practice and assistance from the instructor.  My problem is how do you determine which level of student you are trying to challenge and how do you know what is too easy vs. too difficult?

Differentiated Instruction by T. Hall

Differentiated Instruction:

The article I found was written by T. Hall and he suggests that the key to success in the classroom is all about differentiated instruction.  That is the basis of which a lesson is taught that the objective can be obtained by varying levels of literacy and/or levels of academia.  I liked the way the article was set up.  It gave a definition of what differentiated instruction was, as well as giving examples based in educated and applied theory.  He also discussed how schools have used this kind of process to enable students in varying levels to succeed and learn along with their classmates.  The only issue with the differentiated instruction that was not discussed centered on the question: How to do you proceed when you need to teach toward a test?  Do you end up giving multiple tests to specific people?  An answer that would seem fitting would be to not give tests, per se, but rather give essays or other types of assessment that is broad enough that each student can answer in his or her own way.  That is one of the beauties of English Literature, the way in which a teacher can test a student’s knowledge through his or her understanding, without the pressure of a test.  What I most enjoy about the idea of differentiated instruction is the application of it in the classroom.   Where I am currently placed, there are a few students that struggle more significantly than the other students.  In order to bring this type of instruction into the classroom, I have made it a priority to allow students ample time to discuss the readings and to gather in-group discussions.  I need to work on focusing more on the Common Core State Standards, so that the concepts are brought more into focus, and not so much on testing their knowledge of the content. 

"I Read It, But I Don’t Get It" by Cris Tovani

I Read It, But I Don’t Get It:

While reading this book, I was surprised at the amount of examples that the author provides.  Looking through the entire text, there are hands on experiences that this teacher went through, which offer so much insight on what is going on in student’s minds.  The layout of the book runs smoothly and it really expands on certain issues, such as connecting the reading to other classes or materials and how to improve the student’s comprehension of reading.  As someone who used to have large problems with comprehension, I connected greatly with the students in the author’s examples.  The most interesting section to me was on connecting the content to other classes.  All the time I wondered when I would ever need math in the real world and so many students feel this same way with reading.  Literature is meant to expand the mind and encourage critical thinking, as well as creativity and imagination.  Another section that stood out was the chapter dedicated to highlighting.  I had never thought of the idea of two highlighters and sharing what you knew and didn’t know in the classroom.  The idea is genius!  I am actually thinking of making a lesson plan that involves this for my 8^th grade English class that I was just placed with.  Encouraging note taking in the right way is enormously beneficial down the road and essential for understanding the text.  My texts have notes written, highlighting, and usually a notebook full of my thoughts, questions, and moments of confusion written down to discuss and develop further.  If I can get my students to follow this example, taking notes in college and uncovering the meaning behind thick, tough texts will help my students pass through classes much easier.  One thing again that I have an issue with is the lack of CCSS that is discussed in the book.  I was hoping for more examples of how the teacher used those in helping plan the lessons.  All in all, this book is a wonderful tool to use for middle school and I am really stoked to adapt it into my classroom!

A Response-Based Approach to Reading Literature

A Response-Based Approach to Reading Literature:

This article basically calls all teachers to try a new approach to teaching literature, instead of the “banking” method.  The main idea is to bring about the student’s individual critical thinking skills by introducing a response-based approach to the reading/visualizing of a text or texts.  I enjoyed how the author, Judith Langer, gave examples of foundations for this approach, as I would have no idea where to start.  The idea of allowing my students to grow by having the ability to think, interpret, and conceptualize with encouragement in my classroom brings me happiness.  I remember specifically wanting class discussions to be more based on interpretation of circumstances in a novel, than on what the teacher wanted us to get out of the lesson.  Learning can occur more freely and exponentially when the student is allowed to interact with others through a thoughtful discussion, than when the student is forced to try and find the answer or goal the teacher is trying to get him/her to achieve or grasp.  I especially liked how multiple teachers share in my fear of not knowing when the discussion has taken a turn for the worst.  How do you know when the discussion is no longer one of a proper learning/critical thinking activity and how do you stop it or turn it back around?  Asking guided questions is a technique that I am aware of, but it would be difficult to completely throw out your entire lesson plan, because a student has taken the discussion in a different direction.  There is nothing to say that the time couldn’t be taken to finish the lesson the following day if need be, but another concern is the CCSS.  The CCSS are there to help teachers in planning a lesson plan that will allow our students to reach these standards and grow into capable adults.  If the discussion goes an entirely different direction, how do you know if the CCSS are met for that day?