“The more places you’ll go…”

Chapter 10

This chapter was short and to the point- which I liked! and it made a lot of sense to me. I feel like the strategies talked about in this chapter are being used more and more. Over the last three years I have observed 5 teachers and only the more recent two strayed away from the traditional testing and assessment.  The use of rubrics for writing assignments and tests have grown a ton and I can see how helpful they would be- also, the use of take-home tests, which I think are more challenging sometimes and also allow more students to show what they really know. I thought the suggestion Daniels and Zemelmen made about having the kids help create the rubric was pretty creative too.

Another idea that struck me was the fact that kids will only do exactly what was asked of them on regular tests- no more. I always thought this was strange but last semester my SBE couldn’t stress that enough. I made a handout for the class with some discussion questions I wanted them to fill out before we got started and my SBE made me revise it a hundred times until the directions were clear and obvious- he said vague directions only lead to vague answers, which I think would be the same on an essay test.

One of the limitations on traditional tests and writing was the fact that the reward was external and really didn’t connect the student or spark any motivation to achieve- outside of grades. I feel like this idea is bigger than they mentioned. Even here at Fisher there is someone in every class who is stressing more about how many points everything is than the value they will get from the assignment, and students get really mad (understandably) when they aren’t graded because they are used to so much pressure being put on that letter or number.

Ideas that Support Goals

• Concentrate on bigger ideas and make essays fun (pg 256)
• Obtain responses that reflect the value added rather than just present knowledge (pg 259)
• Help students learn from previous efforts (pg 260)
• Involve kids in creating their own learning (pg 263)
• Help create lifelong learners by teaching them HOW TO learn (chapter 11&12)
• Make reading relatable and relevent (chapter 11&12)

–> I will be posting to my Wiki from now on- I just haven’t quite figured it all out yet and wanted to make sure I had this done in time so this should be my last blog here.

It’s like break didn’t even happen! But thats okay- so, anyway, the Daniels and Zemelman reading was pretty interesting and applicable. The Key strategies for helping readers on page 236 were so practical and when I think back to math, science, and even english class- I wished someone had used even one of these strategies and I might have been more successful. I’m the person that didn’t realize that a reflecting panel was a mirror, like on pg. 234 and if my 1oth grade chemistry teacher had modeled how to read the book, I might have learned something.

The interesting thing about the recommendation from research chapter is the focus on teenage students- where I would think reading problems would prove to be more difficult to overcome. Like, they say you should learn a language when your young – same idea.

Another strategy that I might actually use myself is the self-monitoring one because the idea to use a sticky note to remember where you got lost- instead of what you understood- would be more helpful when you get to class.

The main thing I pulled from this chapter was the idea of providing explicit explanations of the thinking processes involved in being a solid reader. Whether its in modeling, or sharing or developing active reading strategies- kids, at least I know I, need to be shown how to - more than once and in more than one way.

This is kind of like the dictoglos idea- even though it was a reading that you read aloud, it models how you might work through and retain what you have read on your own as well. It also provides an opportunity for note taking practice and by sharing our reconstructions of the story, we were able to learn tricks and strategies from each other.

Finally, I thought the major conclusions on page 252 really laid it out clearly- I thought number 5 was pretty impressive, which says that at least half of what kids read should be self-selected. That should tell you something too. Overall, very applicable ideas- to teaching and learning.

The webquest was….a little bit tedious- HOWEVER, I saved all the sites to my favorites because I could definitely see how useful they could be. There are so many resources out there that you don’t even realize that could really be all the difference in your teaching and learning! I was really impressed by the variety of sites that were there! I thought the assignment was kind of rigid but at the same time, I’m not sure if I would have delved into those sites as much if it weren’t for the assignment so it’s like that. very cool

I know we were just supposed to blog on the webquests, but I also finished my mini lessons. First, I want to say that I am a little confused- maybe it’s because of my topic but I really hope I did what we were supposed to be because I lost focus a few times. Secondly, I want to mention that after I was finished (whether or not I did them well!) I not only realized how seamlessly you could incorporate one of these strategies (which always seemed like the weird part about the literacy strategies- will there be enough time!) but also how much more it brought to the lesson, any one of those mini lessons would make it more..substantial, I think is the word or they upgraded it!

First, I want to start out by saying that the Four Freedoms week ended up being pretty cool, I attended several of the conferences and got at least something out of everything. The July ’64 movie was especially powerful, probably because it was so close to home. I had heard about the race riots in Rochester but the documentary really made it real and gave some insight into the issues and conditions that still exist today. I also went to the What about Hate Speech? which talked about the things we say intentionally and unintentionally that can be hateful and discriminatory.  I think that everyone should have been required to go to at least one because if I hadn’t had it as an assignment in some of my classes, I might not have taken advantage of them. Anyway….

 The Antsey and Bull reading talks about picture books, (which makes sense seeing as how our assignment is to find one!) and I have to say that I really learned a lot. I was with some friends who are in elementary ed when I read the assignment to find a picture book and when I told them about it, they laughed and asked why on earth adolescence would use picture books!? I was wondering the same thing.

Chapter 4 explains clearly how picture books today are much more than they might seem. Post-Modern picture books are purposefully constructed with several different meanings available in them and as Anstey and Bull explain, they are “the ideal setting for agreements and contradictions to occur between written and illustrative text and for contesting discourses to be set up” – This includes all the elements of problem posing, controversy, debate and analysis which is central to Social Studies. Pictures books are more than their words, they are also about reading the pictures and about understanding that there is more than one way to view them. As they mentioned, since picture books reflect the changing times and culture as well- they would be a good place to explore the issues of society through out time. I couldn’t help but think of the Little Black Sambo and Maus: A survivor’s Tale which could maybe both be examined this way.

Chapter 5 ties right into the use of picture books because it talks about the different semiotic systems and how they can be manipulated to make different meanings. Learning how to interpret semiotic systems is important, I would think, especially in today’s overwhelmingly visual world. The study of both the still and moving image will help to foster an understanding of how all images are worth investigating when consuming text because they can carry a lot of meaning that you might otherwise miss.  In Table 7, I liked how they took simple and seemingly meaningless images and analyzed how they could potentially be interpreted. It makes you think of how differently we could each be taking in the world around us and the texts and images we encounter.

Studying picture books and images involved digging deeper than we would usually, considering the intention or purpose, the semiotic systems, narratives, meanings, and issues of society. It’s problem posing and critical pedagogy, all things we have been discussing- and it also breaks up the types of texts we and our students encounter reaching out to more learning styles and expanding our literacy skills. Cool- It will be interesting to see what kinds of picture books everyone comes up with!!

The Frankenstein exhibit was an interesting idea- the way that one piece of literature could spark so much controversy and be incorporated into so many disciplines, is really unique. The panel approached the questions and issues from different scientific, technological, psychological, sociological, and ethical perspectives. It was a real life example of how through examining literature, we can open up a whole new world of learning.

The way that each person got something so different and meaningful out of the text really says a lot about the book itself but also proves as a perfect example of how one tool could be manipulated to get the most out of it in learning.

When we talked about the presentations, It made me think about how important little things are when you are in front of an audience. For instance, having a strong voice and speaking more spontaneously capture the audiences attention better, also the importance of eye contact when speaking. All the responses and presentations were good, (and if I could remember more about the book, I would have gotten more out of it) but the way they presented really made all the difference in the end. I was zoning out a lot and got antsy during it but overall it was a different experience. I definitely think the quiet, inactive listening, however, put us all in like a trans – making the transition into class more difficult than usual. I know I was ready for a nap  afterwards. It was cool.

I liked the ideas of both the reading workships and the book clubs. They seem as though they may be a lot of work for a new teacher to construct because they require a lot of time and materials, and cooperation on the part of the students. The idea of creating life-long learners in the classroom though- makes perfect sense. Why send them out in the world hoping that they might pick up a book and read it? Why not get them started here and now? Allowing that independent and responsible learning to take place, I think, would put a lot of the learning in the students control and if it were me, it would make me more motivated get involved because I would feel like I was being trusted with my own learning. Mini-lessons also make sense, and I think keeping them short, to the point, and connected would help the student to really understand their roles in the workshop or book club. Many times if a student knows that the lesson is short and that they are expected to use what they just learned, they listen and retain. At least that was the case in my learning, the immediacy of the information made me really try to grasp it.

I really liked the book club idea the most, maybe because it is something that I would really want to do as a student. I also think that in Social Studies, this could easily accomplish a lot and there are a lot of choices for book clubs, like the example D&Z gave. Having a “Book Club Portfolio” seems really beneficial, with the individuals work and effort included in the assessment as well as a culminating group assessment. The books would make history come alive for a lot of kids, by connecting a character or story to the real events. Would you want to pick books all from one time period but different perspectives in order to stay within a unit? or would you want to choose books from throughout history to create a timeline of events- or maybe a theme? I wonder what would be the most organized, beneficial and connected to the class material. There is a lot of thought that goes into this kind of thing- but I think once you’ve worked it all out, it can prove to be a useful and meaningful tool over and over again.

Doing the self- assessment was interesting. I had to be honest with myself and really ask myself, “What have you learned?” Through writing the self-assessment I realized how important it could be to really think about where you stand in your learning. Without honestly looking back and determining your progress, you can’t know what to do next. Should you review? Challenge yourself? Explore? Ask questions? All of this is part of the process of learning, I think, and part of the process of reading.

Since everything we have done in class has been a tool that we could use in our future classrooms, I thought about this assessment. Having students create their own self assessment could be one of the most useful resources. I couldn’t help but be honest in my assessment,and I think that high school students would be too and it would give you a real, authentic assessment of where your class is as a teacher.

The requirement was 1-3 pages, and at first I was thinking that was kind of a lot. I thought a few paragraphs would suffice, but when I got writing, I realize that I had learned so much about skills and literacy and myself as a teacher and as a student, that three pages was easy- almost too few.

Cool.

I watched the  ”tour of the forgotten state” first and took the poverty quiz. The short short video made a huge impact- when they did the budgeting calculation, it made me so anxious. As an individual waitress I make more than what is considered the poverty line for a family of four- and I thought I was having trouble paying for rent, groceries, my car, books and tuition. I can’t imagine feeding a family of four with the same amount and it makes you realize how and why people make the choices they make. It also makes you consider more carefully the background from which your students might come from. All of the readings are related to these unfortunate poverty statistics because access to education is tragically based on the community you come from.

“I Stand Here Ironing”

I flew through this narrative and the emotion behind it made it’s realities come to life. In this brief exploration of a mother and her daughter, this women confronts the issues of poverty, abandonment, inequalities, choices, lack of opportunity and the struggles involved in overcoming adversity and oppression. The daughter she depicted was the first born of I believe five children and as a result suffered indifference, instability and poverty. This story illustrates the impact of socioeconomic status on a child’s success and makes you think about the factors that affect each child before he or she even enters the classroom and when the classroom only reflects the conditions at home, what opportunities are we really giving them? It was interesting to me that this girl found inspiration in comedy and on stage, and I think that also sheds light on how one small connection made with a student can open up a world of difference for them, with the right guidance.

“Rigor + Support = Success”

I liked the blunt, straight forwardness of this. Everything about the ideas of AVID makes sense; “They don’t need charity, but opportunity” If there is anything that I have benefited from most, it was certain teachers who held high expectations for me. If a teacher believed in me and supported me through the difficult and rigorous work, I began to believe in myself. In a low-income neighborhood, I would think that having teachers who believe in you is even more influential. This article believes that with this equation for education kids can overcome adversity and rise above poverty and inequity. It’s a refreshing take…if only all kids had access to this kind of program of support.

“The Flat Earth and Education: How America’s Commitment to Equity will Determine our Future” 

For my block I placement, I was placed at Victor High School, a fairly affluent and booming town with high taxes and a majority of white middle class students. Victor is a great school with several A.P. programs and a real focus on community and achievement- their motto “striving for excellence” couldn’t be more true. I was involved in a 12th grade economics class on Thursday which I was reminded of during these readings.

The economics class went over the basics- capital, resources, entrepreneurship, etc. and during all this the teacher made it a point to emphasis how wealthy we are as a nation, how much better we are than others and how opportunity and equality are at the forefront of all our endeavors. She stressed personal responsibility for achievement and gave the “you can do anything you put your mind to” speech. All the while, each student was sitting in front of his or her own computer, dressed in their homecoming attire, with their ipods on the floor and their cell phones secretly sending messages under the table. This teacher had a smart-board. Every student had his or her own book and had tons of support throughout the school and community. For these kids- everything that teacher said rang true, they had witnessed nothing to the contrary and had no reason to question anything of the information she had.

This, to me, is tangible evidence of the inequity in today’s education. While one community has all the funding and resources necessary for each individuals success and for successful completion of high stakes test- another community, only but 20 minutes away, is composed of a majority of minority students, struggling to adapt to these standards without the much needed resources and quality teachers necessary. The American creed that was so easily repeated by the teacher at Victor, is a seemingly unattainable ideal.

The “Flat Earth..” reading I think summarizes how unequal our education system is. We institute high stakes testing in order to ensure equality of education, except we forget to provide the “little things” like textbooks, teachers, safety, funding, opportunity. It’s as though we (by we, I mean the government…) have set kids up to fail but have somehow avoided the blame for it. I thought it was really interesting that the highest predictor of student achievement was teacher quality- it really makes you realize the impact that could potentially be made- maybe with a rigor/support/success strategy. Who knows- all that is truely known is that change is crucial.

Note: I don’t know if I did the vocab tree correctly- the math example in the book confused me for some reason, however, the guide-o-rama seemed pretty cool. I didn’t have very much trouble with understanding the reading but I could definitely imagine how useful this might be in keeping kids focused and on track- especially in a textbook.

McCourt

I am in group 3 of the Teacher Man readings so I read the section starting at “Donkey on a Thistle.” I might be clueless  but I’m not sure what Donkey on a thistle means…if anyone can enlighten me on this, I would really appreciate it! Especially since I found out that it was his second choice for the title of the book besides, obviously, Teacher Man. Anyway, reading was so easy, I lost track of time (which is rare when I’m doing homework!) and found myself reaching page 179 and promising myself that I would go back and read the whole book when I had time. His tone and style of writing is so charming and inviting. He is just another lost, immature, bumbling teacher- with insecurities, big ideas, uncertainties and a love for the classroom. You can’t help but relate to him and feel for him, even in his most foolish moments. I especially enjoyed the story of the 29 black girls on their field trip to the movies with the “snowman about to melt.” I’m not exactly sure what was going on in the end of the reading with him in Dublin at the Protestant college, failing to obtain his doctorate but it was all the while entertaining. I admired him in this book because he is honest and it seems to me that he belongs in the schools- not moving up and out, but center stage in the classroom- where it all happens.

Brown, Kozol (and Diane Rehm)

I was nervous when someone told me how long the podcast was- not because I didn’t want to do it but because I know that I have a tendency to travel to somewhere in space when  I’m listening to things for long periods of time (especially with a voice like Diane Rehm’s) So, I came up with a plan to listen to it in 3- 10 minute sections or so. I got into it though, and knowing some about Kozol’s background and hearing so much about NCLB got me interested and I listened to it straight through- twice (overkill but I wanted to make sure I was actually listening.) I have never agreed with NCLB, when I was first introduced to it I didn’t like the sounds of it and the more that I got to know it’s unfortunate details- the more I grew to hate it. The refreshing part of the radio show was the manner in which these men debated on the topic- respectfully and intelligently. They were clear and made very vivid points. When they disagreed it was diplomatic almost but still assertive. NCLB takes away a teachers ability to be creative and encourage authentic, quality learning which as Kozol briefly mentions is one of the most important aspects to a classroom. “The ultimate things that count the most in the success of a child is the quality and high moral of the teacher in the classroom and the number of children she has to teach”  The only argument for NCLB seemed to be equality of education and measured improvement but anyone in the classroom knows that the last thing to determine these two things is a high stakes test. One thing I noticed was that Dan Brown always told stories- almost unnecessarily but eh, it’s all good. I also was really annoyed at the whole private school discussion, according to Brown and Kozol, they are exempt from NCLB (because they don’t need the funding) and they have small class sizes which tells me that still, with all this “concern” for quality of education, only the wealthiest are receiving the type of education everyone deserves and NCLB is further stripping quality teachers and life-long learning from the public schools because it is causing the wealthy to just create a different school, leaving the rest behind.

I liked Chapter 4- in general, I like the Daniels and Zemelman book as a whole because they expose you to the problem, like standards or textbooks, but then- unlike a great too many sources, they provide you with real life examples of how to deal with the problems. Chapter 4 discussed the what and how’s of incorporating outside reading material into the classroom and how important it is to create a balance of literacy resources for kids so they don’t get bored! and so that they can “make the information readable and memorable”

I really got into the idea of the classroom library too, ideas like that are generally associated with English classes but after going over the 150 different effective reading sources that were gifted to us at the end of the chapter- I realize that it’s a very real idea for all subject areas. I think back to my old classrooms a lot when I read this and wonder why they didn’t do this! If only they had- I might not have learned how to forge my mom’s signiture to leave early. I just hope that there is still some room left in the classroom after standards, tests, and mandated goals, for activities like this.

My favorite teacher throughout all of my middle and high school years was my 8th grade social studies teacher Mr. Rovet. I went to a school where it was easy to blend in and become another “brick in the wall” and I started out as the prime example of a name-less students in my huge classes. Mr. Rovet attempted to get to know me, I felt like he cared about me and that prompted me to want to do the best I could in his class. His was the only one I raised my hand in at all and I chose seats in the front of the classroom. I participated in awesome group projects and felt like I belonged amongst my classmates. I even got into trouble for talking too much a few times. I feel in love with his class and his subject and now I want to be a Social Studies teacher. – I think that sums up chapter 7 pretty well.

Overall, I think chapter 4 and 7 discuss the need for support. Kids needs support in reading- outside of a textbook. We need to support their individuality and allow them to choose some of their learning and have control over what they read. They also need social support- to feel safe, engaged and important. If I could describe any class as these three things, I would be describing a successful classroom.