Sunday, November 25, 2007
Donors Choose
To any teacher looking to add supplies to his/her classroom, I highly recommend using Donors Choose. I've had two proposals funded so far this school year and it's only November. They've revamped their site and are now working to fund projects in all 50-states!
Ramping Down
As most of you know, I was hired last year to teach reading-based English courses, in D.C. Public Schools, using the America's Choice model (RampUp to Literacy). If you know anything about this program, and you are an educator, you probably feel the same way I do in terms of relativity to education. D.C.P.S., for some reason, chose to use only the ninth-grade curricula system-wide, meaning that all middle school students enrolled in a RU course will take the same course in both eighth and ninth grades.
Whose bright idea was that?!
The curricula uses three different subject areas in its one-size-fits-all reading program: Dilemmas of Youth, Migration Stories and Endangered Species. In my opinion, the first unit was interesting -- it offered stories and novels to which the students in my school could relate. The lessons, however, were not really applicable to what ninth grade students should be learning. Sure, there are KWL charts and Venn diagrams in their text books that are useful for students of any age; however, these lessons are to be taught in such a way that is insulting to the children.
RampUp was originally thought to be the "miracle" program that was going to raise reading scores for students who are two-to-three years below reading level. Last year, in my three sections of RU, I had maybe a handful of students who only fell two-to-three years below reading level; the rest of my students were significantly lower than that. Although my students have difficulty reading, they understand the level at which these books are written -- cartoon characters depict reading strategies! Trying to explain to students that they are not stupid, despite their childish texts is a very daunting job, I must say.
This year, when school began, I more or less decided that I was not going to RampUp unless I absolutely had to. I played the game of securing a classroom (which I am losing tomorrow while they make repairs to it) on the second floor, away from all of the chaos and most administrators. I, then, went through all resources I have access to and devised a reading list for my students. This reading list did not include any of the RU texts like A Family Apart, Wolves, When I was Young in the Mountains, Monster, etc. We started off the year reading the John Steinbeck novel, The Pearl and are about to start Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart.
I use the novels in correlation with the Elements of Literature text and find that the short stories in those books, as well as the novels provide students with an adequate education. At least reading these things makes me feel like I'm actually teaching ninth graders instead of babysitting children at a public library round-circle read. I have incorporated reading projects that include books like Our America, The Last Thing First, The Pact/We Beat the Street, Monster, Living up the Street, and all of the Bluford Series books. These projects allow students to read additional novels independently and complete writing-based projects on what they read. I give all of my students a packet with character charts, plot charts, character interaction questionnaires and setting charts. Then, they use the information gathered for their packets to either write a book report, create a new character and re-write a chapter in the text, or alter the ending of the story.
Comparing this year to last, I see a very big difference in how interested the students are in their assignments. I still use the structure of the RU program, as that is the only good thing I could salvage from RampUp. In my opinion, it is vital that teachers use texts being used across the country, and incorporate as many reading strategies as possible when teaching those texts. Otherwise, the students suffer by completing high school level courses reading elementary and middle school level books.
This year, D.C.'s new chancellor did not resign the contract with America's Choice, thus giving teachers who want to teach more opportunity to do so. We are no longer in the intensive RU model, which means I actually have the freedom to do what I please in my classes. I think it's vital that teachers who work with struggling readers work hard to incorporate as many reading strategies into their lessons as possible.
As educators, we should think about how to impact students to the highest capacity without discouraging them.
Any suggestions in regard to texts, assignments or anything education related are certainly welcome!
Whose bright idea was that?!
The curricula uses three different subject areas in its one-size-fits-all reading program: Dilemmas of Youth, Migration Stories and Endangered Species. In my opinion, the first unit was interesting -- it offered stories and novels to which the students in my school could relate. The lessons, however, were not really applicable to what ninth grade students should be learning. Sure, there are KWL charts and Venn diagrams in their text books that are useful for students of any age; however, these lessons are to be taught in such a way that is insulting to the children.
RampUp was originally thought to be the "miracle" program that was going to raise reading scores for students who are two-to-three years below reading level. Last year, in my three sections of RU, I had maybe a handful of students who only fell two-to-three years below reading level; the rest of my students were significantly lower than that. Although my students have difficulty reading, they understand the level at which these books are written -- cartoon characters depict reading strategies! Trying to explain to students that they are not stupid, despite their childish texts is a very daunting job, I must say.
This year, when school began, I more or less decided that I was not going to RampUp unless I absolutely had to. I played the game of securing a classroom (which I am losing tomorrow while they make repairs to it) on the second floor, away from all of the chaos and most administrators. I, then, went through all resources I have access to and devised a reading list for my students. This reading list did not include any of the RU texts like A Family Apart, Wolves, When I was Young in the Mountains, Monster, etc. We started off the year reading the John Steinbeck novel, The Pearl and are about to start Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart.
I use the novels in correlation with the Elements of Literature text and find that the short stories in those books, as well as the novels provide students with an adequate education. At least reading these things makes me feel like I'm actually teaching ninth graders instead of babysitting children at a public library round-circle read. I have incorporated reading projects that include books like Our America, The Last Thing First, The Pact/We Beat the Street, Monster, Living up the Street, and all of the Bluford Series books. These projects allow students to read additional novels independently and complete writing-based projects on what they read. I give all of my students a packet with character charts, plot charts, character interaction questionnaires and setting charts. Then, they use the information gathered for their packets to either write a book report, create a new character and re-write a chapter in the text, or alter the ending of the story.
Comparing this year to last, I see a very big difference in how interested the students are in their assignments. I still use the structure of the RU program, as that is the only good thing I could salvage from RampUp. In my opinion, it is vital that teachers use texts being used across the country, and incorporate as many reading strategies as possible when teaching those texts. Otherwise, the students suffer by completing high school level courses reading elementary and middle school level books.
This year, D.C.'s new chancellor did not resign the contract with America's Choice, thus giving teachers who want to teach more opportunity to do so. We are no longer in the intensive RU model, which means I actually have the freedom to do what I please in my classes. I think it's vital that teachers who work with struggling readers work hard to incorporate as many reading strategies into their lessons as possible.
As educators, we should think about how to impact students to the highest capacity without discouraging them.
Any suggestions in regard to texts, assignments or anything education related are certainly welcome!
Monday, November 19, 2007
Can't Read... Now What?
This year, I have had some great opportunities to utilize critical literacy skills in my classroom. Stacked with exceptional students, I have had the pleasure of observing students as they read aloud, and also by administering diagnostics. Because of the methods of testing used, I have learned a great deal about where my students are in terms of their abilities to read a text and comprehend what has been read.
One of my exceptional students tested at about a first grade reading level. Because of this, I searched through all texts I have on literacy development and tried to find other literacies that she could master. That's when it clicked! This student was able to recall almost any information dictated to her through speech; photographic images also helped her understand a story. As a result of this revelation, I was able to spend some one-on-one time reading aloud with her and asking questions to find out how well she understood any given text.
When she was put into a cluster, I discussed this with her case manager. I think that oftentimes, when working in a school *desperately* trying to meet AYP, teachers sometimes overlook the various ways one can be literate. I was fortunate to be reminded of best practice methodologies centering on literacy development early. Because of this, I have been able to alter lessons to include the various critical literacies in which students may excel.
One of my exceptional students tested at about a first grade reading level. Because of this, I searched through all texts I have on literacy development and tried to find other literacies that she could master. That's when it clicked! This student was able to recall almost any information dictated to her through speech; photographic images also helped her understand a story. As a result of this revelation, I was able to spend some one-on-one time reading aloud with her and asking questions to find out how well she understood any given text.
When she was put into a cluster, I discussed this with her case manager. I think that oftentimes, when working in a school *desperately* trying to meet AYP, teachers sometimes overlook the various ways one can be literate. I was fortunate to be reminded of best practice methodologies centering on literacy development early. Because of this, I have been able to alter lessons to include the various critical literacies in which students may excel.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Upcoming Projects
The first advisory is coming to a close and I, unfortunately, have not updated this site as much as I'd hoped to. This is something I will try to fix in the near future. I am still working with my school to unblock this site so that my students can start their own blogs. This is a project that I really want to get started on and am trying desperately to begin, so if anyone has any suggestions on how to do such a thing, I'd really appreciate it!
As the advisory comes to a close, my students and I are finishing their first in-class read aloud novel: The Pearl by John Steinbeck. While I realize this text is not on a ninth-grade reading level, it is fairly easy to get through and works as a means to build the students' confidence. I plan on finishing the book by Wednesday, next week and will give my students an exam on it. Following this text, I am hoping to read Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe as a class novel. (This will not be until mid-late November.) Additionally, I am supplementing the reading with the grammar lessons and those lessons related to literary device offered in the Elements of Literature text. No Ramping Up as of yet.
The projects that I plan on having students complete center on their multiple intelligences -- I plan to have my students work on a class-wide magazine project, complete with articles, drawings and word games. Once this is complete, I want my students to work collaboratively to create audio that coincides with their magazines. I feel that these projects will help my students gain confidence in various concepts centering on literacy and will try my hardest to post assignments. (Not only these ones, but others that my kiddos have completed)
As the advisory comes to a close, my students and I are finishing their first in-class read aloud novel: The Pearl by John Steinbeck. While I realize this text is not on a ninth-grade reading level, it is fairly easy to get through and works as a means to build the students' confidence. I plan on finishing the book by Wednesday, next week and will give my students an exam on it. Following this text, I am hoping to read Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe as a class novel. (This will not be until mid-late November.) Additionally, I am supplementing the reading with the grammar lessons and those lessons related to literary device offered in the Elements of Literature text. No Ramping Up as of yet.
The projects that I plan on having students complete center on their multiple intelligences -- I plan to have my students work on a class-wide magazine project, complete with articles, drawings and word games. Once this is complete, I want my students to work collaboratively to create audio that coincides with their magazines. I feel that these projects will help my students gain confidence in various concepts centering on literacy and will try my hardest to post assignments. (Not only these ones, but others that my kiddos have completed)
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
When have you felt violated?
It's back to the grind and the kids are seemingly getting into things pretty well. I decided to start off the school year the same I started last year, by conducting interviews and having my kids fill out surveys. These opportunities give the children a chance to know one another; they also give me the opportunity to get to know information about each of them. Unfortunately, on Wednesday (Aug 29), somebody broke into a locked cabinet in my classroom and stole from me. I felt terrible, but I'm fortunate enough to have an amazing staff and the *best* kids east of the river at my school because both of the aforementioned parties were incredibly supportive. Per the suggestion of a very respected professor at AU, I assigned my students a five-paragraph essay discussing a time in their lives when they have felt violated. My kids wrote great essays, and I plan to post some of the best ones on here soon (I decided best by content and not necessarily grammar).
I look forward to any feedback you have and/or any suggestions for 9th grade English class projects.
I look forward to any feedback you have and/or any suggestions for 9th grade English class projects.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Writing a Conversation
Today, with my RU classes, I decided to throw out our normal warm-up of Independent Reading and replace it with a current event article, followed by a written conversation response. The sustained silent reading (SSR) that is supposed to begin the class has not been working well lately; my students have been restless and it seems to take a bit longer to start the class than it once did. So, this morning, I printed out an article from the Washington Post and made enough copies for my students. I organized my students into groups and they began to read the article -- some groups read aloud while others read silently. Once the students completed their reading, they were given a handout where the first student to write responds to the article in any way he/she chooses. Then, the next student reads the first response and writes his/her own in response to the previous one. This routine continued until the worksheet circled each group twice (3-4 students were in a group).
At first I was worried that this task would cause more chaos, but in the end, I was pleased with the outcome. Some students, who do not normally participate in the classroom conversation portion of the class were able to jot down their thoughts and ideas. And, the assignment set the precedent for writing, which is an activity that takes up the majority of class time. Now, I am thinking of ways to modify this task to make it run more smoothly, and then adapt it to give students a chance to add more of their thoughts and original ideas. I can't wait to see how this experiment of mine turns out!
At first I was worried that this task would cause more chaos, but in the end, I was pleased with the outcome. Some students, who do not normally participate in the classroom conversation portion of the class were able to jot down their thoughts and ideas. And, the assignment set the precedent for writing, which is an activity that takes up the majority of class time. Now, I am thinking of ways to modify this task to make it run more smoothly, and then adapt it to give students a chance to add more of their thoughts and original ideas. I can't wait to see how this experiment of mine turns out!
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Critical Literacy in Action
I have been doing a great deal of reflection in terms of incorporating technology into my classroom. The information and insight gained throughout this semester has helped put some things into perspective for me, especially when it comes to technology integration and how it can relate to literacy. I have been thinking about how I can incorporate such things into my classroom, as podcasts and blogging sites; but at this time, I don't think it's really possible. However, I plan on taking the knowledge I've gained in this class to infuse my future students' minds with how they can build upon their skill sets by creating blogs and podcasts. This is definitely an area I plan to explore in the future as a high school teacher!
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
What is Critical Literacy?
Vivian Vasquez’s, “Our Way: Using the Everyday to Create a Critical Literacy Curriculum” made me think of some of the ways I can incorporate creativity into the classroom, and how I can use that creativity to fuel classroom conversations on issues such as gender, race, age, etc.
I liked the idea of using artwork as a means to evaluate literacy skills. In my classes, I try to give students opportunities to incorporate drawings into their writing assignments; I feel this adds an element of confidence for those who struggle with reading and excel artistically. Another element I have used in my classes that encourage creativity (to keep me from having my students produce what they think I am looking for) was a process drama assignment. I originally was introduced to this idea in one of Brec Cooke’s classes and took the activity into my classroom.
When a day is approaching where class periods will be shortened, I divide my classes into groups and assign each group a chapter or certain number of pages. From that chapter/page selection, the group selects an incident to act out in front of the class. Their actions and words to not need to represent what a character says/does verbatim – they merely need to be their interpretation. I have had great success using this concept in my classroom with the Walter Dean Myers text, Monster; Harper Lee’s, To Kill A Mockingbird and Gary Soto’s, Living Up the Street (“Being Stupid”).
In addition to using process drama activities to help student understanding, I used an activity where students wrote a letter to a character in Monster. The main stipulation was that the letter had to be written using newspaper clippings. I felt this activity had students reading and writing throughout the project. It was a messy assignment, and I eventually permitted them to include hand-written words, but my students did a great job and were all proud of their work.
I liked the idea of using artwork as a means to evaluate literacy skills. In my classes, I try to give students opportunities to incorporate drawings into their writing assignments; I feel this adds an element of confidence for those who struggle with reading and excel artistically. Another element I have used in my classes that encourage creativity (to keep me from having my students produce what they think I am looking for) was a process drama assignment. I originally was introduced to this idea in one of Brec Cooke’s classes and took the activity into my classroom.
When a day is approaching where class periods will be shortened, I divide my classes into groups and assign each group a chapter or certain number of pages. From that chapter/page selection, the group selects an incident to act out in front of the class. Their actions and words to not need to represent what a character says/does verbatim – they merely need to be their interpretation. I have had great success using this concept in my classroom with the Walter Dean Myers text, Monster; Harper Lee’s, To Kill A Mockingbird and Gary Soto’s, Living Up the Street (“Being Stupid”).
In addition to using process drama activities to help student understanding, I used an activity where students wrote a letter to a character in Monster. The main stipulation was that the letter had to be written using newspaper clippings. I felt this activity had students reading and writing throughout the project. It was a messy assignment, and I eventually permitted them to include hand-written words, but my students did a great job and were all proud of their work.
I’ve found these types of activities help students better understand the textual inferences to social justices and inequalities in the story at hand. They also help to build confidence; with this in mind, I must wonder why school districts, like D.C. Public Schools, choose to follow rigid curricula, which offer a “one-size-fits-all” solution to improving literacy levels. It almost seems counterproductive, in the sense that students are not gaining the knowledge and understanding they truly need to progress in the fields of literacy and education. Instead, it seems like they should take all literacy components into consideration and come up with the curriculum that allows students to learn and understand in a variety of ways. I believe some would call that differentiating instruction… what a novel idea!?
Classroom Cultures
The article by Hilary Janks asked a probing question that resonated with me throughout the reading. In the “Access” section of her article, Janks asks, “How does one provide access to dominant forms, while at the same time valuing and promoting the diverse languages and literacies of our students and in the broader society?”
This question made me think about the importance of encouraging students to use their primary discourses in the classroom. This type of activity permits students to learn from one another in more ways than they realize. Additionally, this type of freedom in the classroom can help the teacher learn more about his/her students and how they learn best.
As I read this article, I tried to think of ways I can incorporate the culture of my students into my classroom, while still instilling in them the concepts of our readings and the importance of proper grammar. Because I teach English, I feel I have a great deal of flexibility in this area. One activity that I used with my students, which incorporated some of their primary discourse, centered on the tone, mood and voice of a story we were reading.
In order to introduce the characters into a classroom discussion, I posted two charts on the chalkboard. The first chart, titled, “MY VOICE” displayed three columns: At home, at school, with friends. This chart demonstrated to the students the number of ways they communicate with others depending on who they are talking to and the subject being discussed. The second chart contained a list of characters and their voices in different settings in the text.
I tried to incorporate my students’ thoughts and actions into the text by using their chart as an example. This also provided students the opportunity to share with one another how they communicate at home; and I had a better understanding of what some of their slang meant, which was beneficial for me!
I feel that Janks made a great point in her article about the use of dominant languages and discourse. I feel that by coming up with creative ideas that give students a chance to share their cultures and thoughts with each other and their teachers, a more positive learning environment will be demonstrated.
This question made me think about the importance of encouraging students to use their primary discourses in the classroom. This type of activity permits students to learn from one another in more ways than they realize. Additionally, this type of freedom in the classroom can help the teacher learn more about his/her students and how they learn best.
As I read this article, I tried to think of ways I can incorporate the culture of my students into my classroom, while still instilling in them the concepts of our readings and the importance of proper grammar. Because I teach English, I feel I have a great deal of flexibility in this area. One activity that I used with my students, which incorporated some of their primary discourse, centered on the tone, mood and voice of a story we were reading.
In order to introduce the characters into a classroom discussion, I posted two charts on the chalkboard. The first chart, titled, “MY VOICE” displayed three columns: At home, at school, with friends. This chart demonstrated to the students the number of ways they communicate with others depending on who they are talking to and the subject being discussed. The second chart contained a list of characters and their voices in different settings in the text.
I tried to incorporate my students’ thoughts and actions into the text by using their chart as an example. This also provided students the opportunity to share with one another how they communicate at home; and I had a better understanding of what some of their slang meant, which was beneficial for me!
I feel that Janks made a great point in her article about the use of dominant languages and discourse. I feel that by coming up with creative ideas that give students a chance to share their cultures and thoughts with each other and their teachers, a more positive learning environment will be demonstrated.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Exponential Teaching
The article titled, "Teaching to the Fourth Power" demonstrated the importance of incorporating a variety of ideas into a lesson, as well as the vitality of differentiating instruction. The four T's: Transmission, transaction, transmediation and transformation are able to provide new teachers, like myself with some ideas on how to better instruct a diverse group of learners. I think this article can be a powerful piece of information when dealing with education, because it points out the many roles teachers must play in the classroom in order to be effective. It seems as though sometimes, it is easy for people to get caught up in the monotony of attending school everyday to "teach"; but some people lose track of why they are there and forget to instruct students to the best of their abilities.
In my opinion, it is vital that teachers carry out each role they are to play both inside and outside the classroom. I feel that the knowledge and understanding of multiple intelligence plays a key role in any lesson planning, and I try to take that into consideration when planning a class-project. One example of a recent project assigned to my non-RampUp English I class was a magazine project. Currently, we are reading Harper Lee's, To Kill A Mockingbird. As a result, I wanted to give students a chance to be creative with their big project (which is due next week). Students are to write a number of articles, analyze an art or musical selection of their choice (from the 1930s), draw a certain amount of pictures, etc. The assignment was created to help students who do not always test well, but have strong talents in other areas. (Some of my students' drawing abilities are absolutely amazing and I do try to incorporate that into projects when given the chance.)
This article helped further my knowledge on the importance of differentiating instruction. I already see, on a daily basis, how important it is to showcase a variety of both student and teacher strengths. This article just made me think more about the last blog entry I submitted, which centered on the curriculum I teach; and how I feel it fails to include as many forms of evaluations and skills testing as possible. Perhaps this article should be distributed to more than just teachers sometimes...
In my opinion, it is vital that teachers carry out each role they are to play both inside and outside the classroom. I feel that the knowledge and understanding of multiple intelligence plays a key role in any lesson planning, and I try to take that into consideration when planning a class-project. One example of a recent project assigned to my non-RampUp English I class was a magazine project. Currently, we are reading Harper Lee's, To Kill A Mockingbird. As a result, I wanted to give students a chance to be creative with their big project (which is due next week). Students are to write a number of articles, analyze an art or musical selection of their choice (from the 1930s), draw a certain amount of pictures, etc. The assignment was created to help students who do not always test well, but have strong talents in other areas. (Some of my students' drawing abilities are absolutely amazing and I do try to incorporate that into projects when given the chance.)
This article helped further my knowledge on the importance of differentiating instruction. I already see, on a daily basis, how important it is to showcase a variety of both student and teacher strengths. This article just made me think more about the last blog entry I submitted, which centered on the curriculum I teach; and how I feel it fails to include as many forms of evaluations and skills testing as possible. Perhaps this article should be distributed to more than just teachers sometimes...
Thursday, March 1, 2007
I have a dream...
An everyday text that was recently introduced to my students centered on Martin Luther King Jr's, "I Have a Dream" speech. First, I had my students complete a popcorn reading, and their enthusiasm was more than amazing. Then, we collectively listened to a recording of MLK giving his speech.
The assignment that followed had each student writing his/her own dream. Their words were moving and I plan on taking pictures of their essays to post on here by the end of the week. I was able to relate this assignment to the reading because of the way the students were able to connect to a text and use what they were given to communicate their own personal dreams. Some students wrote about dreams they have regarding their lives, while others discussed dreams similar to those of MLK. It was an amazing experience to see my students compare their thoughts with those of such a respected historical figure.
The assignment that followed had each student writing his/her own dream. Their words were moving and I plan on taking pictures of their essays to post on here by the end of the week. I was able to relate this assignment to the reading because of the way the students were able to connect to a text and use what they were given to communicate their own personal dreams. Some students wrote about dreams they have regarding their lives, while others discussed dreams similar to those of MLK. It was an amazing experience to see my students compare their thoughts with those of such a respected historical figure.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Is violence an everyday text?
The more I read about critical literacy, the more I try to think of ideas that I can take into my classroom. Teaching students whose reading levels range from 3rd grade to 8th, I feel it is important to demonstrate the different ways each student can be literate. After completing this week's reading, and reflecting on everything that has happened in my school, I began to think of another way to have students demonstrate their literacies based on incidents that have recently taken place.
As most know, Anacostia SHS is not the safest place to attend school; security is not as tight as it could be and therefore, several fights break out daily. Last week, however, was one particular day where fights ran rampant. With student concerns centering on boundary struggles and quarrels between various neighborhood affiliations broke out, we were forced to hold our students in the classroom for an extended period of time. I looked at these incidents as an opportunity to have my students reflect on their lives and what they witness daily. This opportunity led to my students completing a task where they pulled the text we are currently reading in with (what I consider to be) the everyday text of school violence.
Gary Soto's Living Up the Street provides students with a number of short stories involving Gary and his friends (during their adolescent years) committing crimes and destructive acts. Because these short stories are able to hold my students' attention, I decided to use a writing prompt to help them pull their thoughts and feelings about the in-school violence as it relates to a text, thus having them tie two different types of observed literacies together.
As a result, I came up with the following prompt: Select a character from the story we read today. Think about how this character would fit in at Anacostia SHS. What kind of student would this character be and how would he react to the chain of events that have been happening recently?
While the violence that happens during school hours may not, per se, be considered a text; I feel it falls under the category (in a supporting position) because it supports many articles written about the school and S.E., DC area in general. In addition, it's something that my students are exposed to daily and are rarely given a chance to openly reflect on such a thing. Because I teach in a very rigid curriculum, they are not oftentimes given the option to discuss such instances; however, I try to incorporate things they are both interested in and exposed to in my daily lessons, whether it be through our closing activity or in their homework packets.
As most know, Anacostia SHS is not the safest place to attend school; security is not as tight as it could be and therefore, several fights break out daily. Last week, however, was one particular day where fights ran rampant. With student concerns centering on boundary struggles and quarrels between various neighborhood affiliations broke out, we were forced to hold our students in the classroom for an extended period of time. I looked at these incidents as an opportunity to have my students reflect on their lives and what they witness daily. This opportunity led to my students completing a task where they pulled the text we are currently reading in with (what I consider to be) the everyday text of school violence.
Gary Soto's Living Up the Street provides students with a number of short stories involving Gary and his friends (during their adolescent years) committing crimes and destructive acts. Because these short stories are able to hold my students' attention, I decided to use a writing prompt to help them pull their thoughts and feelings about the in-school violence as it relates to a text, thus having them tie two different types of observed literacies together.
As a result, I came up with the following prompt: Select a character from the story we read today. Think about how this character would fit in at Anacostia SHS. What kind of student would this character be and how would he react to the chain of events that have been happening recently?
While the violence that happens during school hours may not, per se, be considered a text; I feel it falls under the category (in a supporting position) because it supports many articles written about the school and S.E., DC area in general. In addition, it's something that my students are exposed to daily and are rarely given a chance to openly reflect on such a thing. Because I teach in a very rigid curriculum, they are not oftentimes given the option to discuss such instances; however, I try to incorporate things they are both interested in and exposed to in my daily lessons, whether it be through our closing activity or in their homework packets.
Thursday, February 1, 2007
Luke & Freebody's Four Resource Model
Upon reading about Luke & Freebody's Four Resource Model, I realized that their theories on literacy center on the fact that being literate involves the ability to link a group of strategies related to areas including citizenship, technology, reading, cultural diversity and communication practices. One area of the Four Resource Model that I feel helps educators is the fact that it encompasses a variety of literary components, such as teacher-centered instruction and vocabulary development.
The four items represented in the model include: Code breaker, text user, text participant and text analyst. In order to properly administer this method of literacy education, it is vital to understand the complexities of each category.
The code breaker asks the question, "How do I crack this code?" and involves the reader's ability to decode; as well as the reader's utilization of grammar and phonics. The second section of the model includes the text participant; this answers the question, "What does this mean to me?" Included in this section are activities that allow students to relate to any given text they read. Thirdly, is the text user, which centers on answering the question, "What do I do with this text?" -- this question is important, for it allows students to explore the idea of voice and the roles involved in the text at hand. Last, is the fourth section of the model, the text analyst. The text analyst works to answer: "What does this text do to me?" This portion of the Four Resource Model allows students to create their ideas of how they can relate and infer concepts from different types of texts.
In order for my students to improve their literacy skills, I work with them using each of the methods listed above. An example of a text analyst activity that I have used this school year includes a newspaper activity that I had them complete: Each student was given a section of the Washington Post and was asked to select a picture and an [unrelated] article. I, then, took all of the collected pictures and articles and redistributed throughout the class, having each student write a story that related to the picture; and, draw a picture that described the article. This assignment gave each student a fair bit of flexibility and creativity; in addition, it allowed me to evaluate their abilities to analyze. When they were complete, I had each student write a reflection on why they chose to draw their particular picture/write their particular story.
When introducing the ideas of both the text user and the text participant, I allow students to reflect on a text discussed in class. I give them time to write down their personal connections, as well as how they are able to relate to the suggested audience of a text. I feel this helps them when they create their own papers, for they gain a better understanding of their voice and its importance.
In my classroom, I use a variety of methods to introduce an in-class reading assignment; sometimes I conduct a read aloud. Other times, I have students do a 'popcorn reading' where I implement the rules of the SP3 model. (Students have to read either a Sentence, Paragraph, Page or Passage; it's their choice.) I feel that by having them read aloud, and then later write a response, I can grasp which areas need refined; thus enabling me to assist my students in the most effective way.
I feel that by implementing Luke & Freebody's Four Resource Model in the classroom, I can help my students improve their literacy skills by showing them the number of methods they can use to help them understand any given text.
The four items represented in the model include: Code breaker, text user, text participant and text analyst. In order to properly administer this method of literacy education, it is vital to understand the complexities of each category.
The code breaker asks the question, "How do I crack this code?" and involves the reader's ability to decode; as well as the reader's utilization of grammar and phonics. The second section of the model includes the text participant; this answers the question, "What does this mean to me?" Included in this section are activities that allow students to relate to any given text they read. Thirdly, is the text user, which centers on answering the question, "What do I do with this text?" -- this question is important, for it allows students to explore the idea of voice and the roles involved in the text at hand. Last, is the fourth section of the model, the text analyst. The text analyst works to answer: "What does this text do to me?" This portion of the Four Resource Model allows students to create their ideas of how they can relate and infer concepts from different types of texts.
In order for my students to improve their literacy skills, I work with them using each of the methods listed above. An example of a text analyst activity that I have used this school year includes a newspaper activity that I had them complete: Each student was given a section of the Washington Post and was asked to select a picture and an [unrelated] article. I, then, took all of the collected pictures and articles and redistributed throughout the class, having each student write a story that related to the picture; and, draw a picture that described the article. This assignment gave each student a fair bit of flexibility and creativity; in addition, it allowed me to evaluate their abilities to analyze. When they were complete, I had each student write a reflection on why they chose to draw their particular picture/write their particular story.
When introducing the ideas of both the text user and the text participant, I allow students to reflect on a text discussed in class. I give them time to write down their personal connections, as well as how they are able to relate to the suggested audience of a text. I feel this helps them when they create their own papers, for they gain a better understanding of their voice and its importance.
In my classroom, I use a variety of methods to introduce an in-class reading assignment; sometimes I conduct a read aloud. Other times, I have students do a 'popcorn reading' where I implement the rules of the SP3 model. (Students have to read either a Sentence, Paragraph, Page or Passage; it's their choice.) I feel that by having them read aloud, and then later write a response, I can grasp which areas need refined; thus enabling me to assist my students in the most effective way.
I feel that by implementing Luke & Freebody's Four Resource Model in the classroom, I can help my students improve their literacy skills by showing them the number of methods they can use to help them understand any given text.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Jan 25: Introductory Literacy Blog
After browsing through the text on the Critical Literacies Blog, I came to understand more about the importance of critical literacy and how it helps to engage thought among both children and adults. After reading the post titled, "Street Art", I began to think about some of the artwork put together by some of my students. While the blog entry centered on artwork in Granada, it made me think about how important it is for educators to infuse art in the classroom.
As an English teacher, I feel I can incorporate student strenghts through different forms of literacy into my Literacy Development classes. I believe that I can easily achieve this goal by incorporating such art activities into our daily review of reading strategies. Because the curriculum I teach does not allow for extreme amounts of flexibility, I regularly make handouts to ensure my students grasp certain concepts centering on reading strategies. One of the reading strategies I have to model for my students involves creating images while reading. In order to ensure the students are creating images, I have a handout that asks them to draw their interpretation of a section in the text being read for that day.
After reading Jackie's post, I began to think of how I can incorporate my student's artwork into the classroom as a way to show a different angle of literacy. In order to effectively show that my students, while sometimes cannot dictate their ideas through speech and/or writing, can prove their literacy skills through artwork. As a result of reading her short blog entry and looking at the picture, I have begun to think of an activity that I can use to proudly display an uncommonly used artifact that demonstrates a student's knowledge of what he/she just finished reading.
I am thinking of assigning a project that will allow students to each draw a scene from a story we read collaboratively or select an article we read together and draw their interpretations of it -- once this is complete, I can post all of the drawings on the wall in the order of the story (through assigning different scenes to different students). This collage of student work will be used to showcase some of the student strengths that are not commonly seen.
I will post pictures once I have come up with lessons to complete this idea...
As an English teacher, I feel I can incorporate student strenghts through different forms of literacy into my Literacy Development classes. I believe that I can easily achieve this goal by incorporating such art activities into our daily review of reading strategies. Because the curriculum I teach does not allow for extreme amounts of flexibility, I regularly make handouts to ensure my students grasp certain concepts centering on reading strategies. One of the reading strategies I have to model for my students involves creating images while reading. In order to ensure the students are creating images, I have a handout that asks them to draw their interpretation of a section in the text being read for that day.
After reading Jackie's post, I began to think of how I can incorporate my student's artwork into the classroom as a way to show a different angle of literacy. In order to effectively show that my students, while sometimes cannot dictate their ideas through speech and/or writing, can prove their literacy skills through artwork. As a result of reading her short blog entry and looking at the picture, I have begun to think of an activity that I can use to proudly display an uncommonly used artifact that demonstrates a student's knowledge of what he/she just finished reading.
I am thinking of assigning a project that will allow students to each draw a scene from a story we read collaboratively or select an article we read together and draw their interpretations of it -- once this is complete, I can post all of the drawings on the wall in the order of the story (through assigning different scenes to different students). This collage of student work will be used to showcase some of the student strengths that are not commonly seen.
I will post pictures once I have come up with lessons to complete this idea...
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