Blog 5

 I was really excited about my literacy engagement this past week. We started on the To Kill a Mockingbird unit. To start it off, I first asked if anyone was familiar with the novel; not many were. Then I had an anticipation guide, but instead of asking them to answer the questions like a questionnaire, I decided to do a moving activity. I printed out signs, one said agree and the other said disagree. I placed one sign on the front board and the other one in the back of the classroom. I explained that I was going to read various statements. If a student agreed with the statement, they were to walk to the agree sign, and if they disagreed, they need to walk to the disagree side. I gave them the directions before they were allowed to move, and told them that if they wanted to comment, they needed to raise their hands. Once I read the first statement, numerous hands shot up! I was so excited yet astonished how each class differed in their opinions. This activity also gave me the chance to play devil’s advocate. Once I finished the last statement, I asked them to sit down and explained to them that theses statements were the norm in the 1930’s. I hate that I only allotted forty minutes for this activity! It really could have taken the entire class period!! After our introduction to To Kill a Mockingbird was over, I gave students another assignment to teach the class about specific things that was going on in the 1930’s. After they finished their research, I assigned them books. One student actually came up to me and told me they were going to read the book over the weekend! She said that all the background information was so interesting; she could not wait to start reading! I was so delighted that my activity worked!!

The joy of a graphic organizer!

       I am all for graphic organizers! I actually use them quite often in my teaching. When reading Improving Adolescent Literacy, I learned a few things. I did not realize how complex they are at first. Teachers literally have to teach students how to use them! Now, I have to admit, I have never done that! I simply explained what was on the paper and what needed to be placed in the empty parts. I also have thought about using graphic organizers for assessments; however I thought it would cause rote memorization, and students really would not learn anything, just where a word goes on a particular map.  I have to admit, this book does have some truth as to why graphic organizers as assessments are good.  The true measure of understanding is the ability other learner to construct an answer, and graphic organizers will evaluate that. The only problem I have with it is it is all too similar with matching tests. If you have students write or place one answer in a particular place, it opens the opportunity for cheating. I have actually performed an assessment where students were given a long piece of colored paper and twelve slips of paper on it. They were to match the different types of nouns to the best example. It was a very hard to watch everyone to make sure they did not cheat. When I graded them, some that I would think would not have done well did. That was mainly the reason I thought cheating was going on.

      Like I mentioned, I do like graphic organizers. Even though you should teach them, and they could be a hassle to grade and explain, I still believe they are better for some students; especially visual learners as well as kinesthetic learners.

To Read or Not to Read

While reading Readicide, by Kelly Gallagher, I become conflicted. I am an English teacher and I also teach a reading class for students who have trouble reading. In the last half of chapter 3, she talks about the way teachers give reading. She says, “I contend that teachers are setting students on the road to readicide by overteaching books. In teaching academic texts, students are drowning in a sea of sticky notes, worksheets, and quizzes.” When I read this, I was a bit confused. I know when I was growing up; this is what we did, especially in English class. Sure, I did not like most of it, but I knew that I was going to be quizzed on a certain novel, and I had to understand it in order to get a good grade on the test.

                I agree with her saying that this strategy is not proficient in helping increase a student’s love for reading; however, it is a way to make sure a student is reading. By discussions, handouts, journaling, and yes tests, teachers are able to assess whether the student understands the book or not. I think reading the book is not the problem; they can read. It’s the comprehending what they have just read.

                I think it is a great idea for students to be able to take time out of “regular classes” and read for ten to fifteen minutes a day. I think the teachers, administration, and county officers should sit down and figure a way to get this started in all schools nationwide. It should not have anything to do with their English class or any other class that teach novels.

EDRD Blog #2: Vocabulary is not Easy!!

Learning, teaching, and using new vocabulary is a hard task! As an English teacher, I know you are shocked to hear me say this, but it is true! When growing up, you learn your first words from your family and surroundings. You learn how to talk based on it. When you enter school, you learn more vocabulary from those surrounding and what is introduced to you from school. However; after a while, words tend to get repetitive. There are so many synonyms for the words one has had in their vocabulary for years! What’s wrong with using the first word someone learned?

Well, thinking like an English teacher, I know that it is important to have a vast vocabulary to communicate better verbally. But who are we, teachers, to tell kids that their way of communication is not correct. They use words that are probably not in the dictionary, but it still conveys what they want to express. I have heard lots of my students talk using slang. Some of the meanings astound me. I cannot believe someone who is thought to have a low vocabulary could create such a unique word.

Don’t get me wrong, I do believe dictionary vocabulary is important. I just do not want to accept the fact that some students are as   low as statics make us believe.

Am I a Magician?

            Let me first start by saying disciplinary literacy is a very good thing. I honestly think students will be better students if taught to read, write, and be able to comprehend different subjects. However; doing this is very time consuming. It takes a lot of planning and cooperation.  This is something county office employees and administrators do not realize. Burdening teachers with standards, testing, data, pacing guides, and many other things that just do not come to mind right now is not going to help better students’ knowledge. The government does not care about the education of young people, they want results! As long as it looks as if children are learning progressively, schools are rewarded by getting money and being left alone. As soon as a school does not show improvement on testing, the government bombards the school with “teacher workshops” in order to teach the teacher how to get students to do better on test.

            With this being said, since disciplinary literacy needs to be done, teachers need more slack! They are NOT magicians!!! They cannot wave their magic wands to make students understand how to read and write. If teachers on all subjects have to bear the burden of literacy instruction, they will need to be given the kinds of professional development that will enable them to succeed. Not just the “teacher workshops” that are held maybe twice during a teacher workday, but an actual content session that will teach the teachers how to do their job better. Normally, teachers have to sit in sessions discussing how to use tons of pacing guides, standards, and so forth. These things do not help teachers!! Pacing guides are not on the pace of students!! Administrators and county personnel have to be sensitive to teachers concerning pacing guides. County personnel need to know that teaching things on pace will be impossible, and that teachers can only teach on the pace of their students.

            I am for disciplinary literacy; however, PLEASE I BEG OF YOU, DO NOT GIVE TEACHERS MORE WORK TO DO WITH THE SAME SPEEDY DEADLINES!!! GIVE TEACHERS A BREAK!!!