Thinking about teaching and learning

In the second chapter of Jim Burke's The English Teacher's Companion, he discusses four components of effective teaching and learning: construction, occupation, negotiation, and conversation.  Not only does he explain these four components, but he describes what each component "looks like in the English class," and gives examples of tasks and activities that encompass each of the four components.  For example, he defines construction as "not only making things but also studying how they are made and how they work."  He goes on to explain that construction can be exemplified by manipulating words to change their meaning and constructing, deconstructing, or reconstructing texts to better understand how they work and what they mean.

Burke has meaningful things to say about each of the four components, but the component that most appeals to me is negotiation.  In this component, teachers create an environment that allows students to think of the classroom as theirs.  There is a great deal of buy-in from the students, and they take ownership of their learning.  Burke states, "Negotiation challenges those teachers who see the class as 'their' class.  My students remind me that by inviting them to share and think about their lives, the English class necessarily becomes a communal space where the students assume control as they progress toward independence."  When I really thought about this particular quotation, it made me realize that English teachers have the unique ability to really get to know their students in a way that a math or science teacher doesn't.  In English class, we talk about how texts relate to our lives, and by that means, we have the opportunity to get to know our students as people, not just students.  Because of this, students have the opportunity to feel that they have control and choice, and it's up to us to foster that.

At the conclusion of this chapter, Burke suggests that readers view a movie about inspiring teachers: Dead Poet's Society, Freedom Writers, Stand and Deliver, and The First Year.  I have seen most of these films, but all before I became a teacher, and I think it would be interesting to view these movies through the eyes of a teacher.

The English Teacher's Companion...A Fitting Title

Why didn't I know about this book in 2006 when I started teaching?  One complaint I have with many professional books on education is that they are mostly theory with very little information that can be brought directly into the classroom.  I cannot make that complaint about Jim Burke's The English Teacher's Companion. He writes in a conversational tone, and I found myself relating to his comments and experiences from the very first chapter when he writes, "It's August when the dreams begin again, each one signaling summer's end and school's beginning."  He also refers to summer notes he's made as "hopeful notes of someone who believes that this year I will do it better, get it right."  When I read this, I thought "he understands me and how difficult our job can be!"  Instant credibility.

After scanning the remainder of the book, I discovered that Burke includes not only advice to new and veteran English teachers, but case studies in which he shows and explain exactly how that advice can be implemented, complete with student artifacts as evidence.  I think this book will definitely be exactly what it claims to be: a companion for English teachers.

New Semester, New Challenges, New Content

This semester, I am taking two additional courses, both of which will fuel the content of my posts over the next few months.  While my previous posts were dedicated mostly to young adult literature, posts over the next few months will be about methods of teaching secondary language arts, including posts about professional books and articles I will be reading.

Making the Shift: YA Lit 2.0

In our ever changing world, it’s important that educators stay in tune with the cutting edge technology that is available.  Many times, students are more in-tune with this technology than we adults are, and if we want to speak the same language, so to speak, we have to be on their level.  This article from Voices from the Middle, gives a multitude of ways students can share a novel they have read, like wikis, book trailers, fan sites, and podcasts.  Multimedia projects are interesting, engaging, and sometimes much more practical that breaking out the old poster board and construction paper.   I currently have students who could probably whip up a pretty impressive book trailer, complete with voice overs, music, and special effects.  If this is the capability students have, we should make the shift and make our projects and authentic assessments technologically-friendly.

But, to do that, we have to be technologically savvy.  This will be my goal in the upcoming year.  I want to be able to teach my students how to create these types of projects, not just hope they already know how.  I think that embracing technology may be one of the most challenging ideas, especially for older teachers whose idea of technology is an overhead projector.  The more we utilize technology in the classroom, the better product we will get from many kids.  If they are doing something they already enjoy, they will buy into it so much more and perhaps we will see amazing creations!

Reference:

Hayes, S (ed.). (2010). Making the shift: YA lit 2.0. Voices from the Middle. 17(4). 50-52

Sharon Draper

Sharon Draper has written a multitude of young adult and children's literature.  This prolific author has a novel that will please any reader.  Not only does she write high interest, engaging novels that students can't seem to put down, but it's clear that she is just as interested in the education behind it.  She wants kids to read her books in school, and she makes it easy for teachers to teach her novels and ensures that students get the most out of them.  Draper’s website has a multitude of student activities including discussion questions, project ideas, and cooperative group activities, all separated into parts.  In order to teach this novel, all a teacher would need to do is visit Draper’s website for more ideas for activities than she could possibly ever use. (sharondraper.com) 

I had the pleasure of seeing Ms. Draper speak at a conference a few years ago, and it was an incredible experience to watch her perform excerpts from some of her novels.  She didn't just read; she put so much passion and emotion into her delivery, it was clear that she had created these characters with love and her entire heart was with them.  She truly has a gift, and I love the fact that I can share that gift with my students.

I have not read all of her novels yet, but of those I have read, Copper Sun is my favorite.  It is the story of Amari, a happy young African girl who suddenly is taken by slave traders to be sold.  She is forced to serve a cruel teenage boy, but meets unexpected allies in her search for freedom.  This is a story of unexpected friendship, survival and hope, and the reader learns about the inhumanity that many people endured during this awful time period in American history.  

I highly recommend her novels, as they are inspirational and touching, and the stories stay with you for a long time.

(Click on the video bar in the right sidebar to see interviews other clips of Sharon Draper)

By Teens, For Teens

Recently, I was introduced to a publication called Teen Ink (www.teenink.com).  This is a monthly magazine in which students can read poetry, short stories, nonfiction articles, book reviews, and interviews written by their peers.  Because publication relies solely on contributions from teenage students, and because the contributors are teenagers, the content of the writing is very easy to relate to and engaging to high school students.  I can’t recall how many times I've chosen what I thought was a high-interest article, just to be met with groans of boredom from my students.  Before purchasing a subscription, I did a test-drive.  I copied a couple of articles from a sample edition of Teen Ink and the feedback was positive. The students said that it really mattered to them that the authors of the articles were their age; they bought into it so much more.  I was thrilled with their response to the magazine, and needless to say, I have purchased a subscription for my students!  

No Child Left Behind?

I recently read an article by Christine Weber, titled “Let’s Not Leave Advanced and Gifted Readers ‘Behind.’”  It’s interesting that educators put such a large emphasis on elevating struggling readers and improving their reading comprehension, but at the same time, risk providing enrichment for the advanced readers.  It has to be frustrating for our struggling readers to just not “get it,” but it is also frustrating for our gifted students to feel unchallenged.  One of the most enjoyable things about reading is to be exposed to ideas and characters that are thought-provoking and insightful, and to be forced to read text that is below their level is disappointing.

I am of the opinion that it is better to push the limits of the struggling readers and hope that with reading comprehension tactics, they will be able to understand the same texts as the more advanced readers, but finding time to provide that extra instruction is always a challenge.  Weber suggests the use of instructional level groups, and that “the challenging content and instruction provided to the groups that makes this an effective strategy” (58).  These instructional groups provide differentiation for different reading levels, and if novels with similar themes and concepts are utilized, students will be exposed to the same themes and ideas and can still engage in whole class discussion, using their specific books as support.

What other strategies exist that will help to solve this problem?

Reference:

Weber, C. (2010). Let’s not leave advanced and gifted readers ‘behind’. Voices from the Middle. 17(4). 56-58

Ray Bradbury and I would have been good friends...

“I still love books. Nothing a computer can do can compare to a book. You can't really put a book on the Internet. Three companies have offered to put books by me on the Net, and I said, 'If you can make something that has a nice jacket, nice paper with that nice smell, then we'll talk.' All the computer can give you is a manuscript. People don't want to read manuscripts. They want to read books. Books smell good. They look good. You can press it to your bosom. You can carry it in your pocket.” - Ray Bradbury

“You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.” - Ray Bradbury

If I were to include every quote I love by Ray Bradbury, this post would go on for pages.  I'm not the kind of person who idolizes celebrities or would even care to meet anyone famous, but I would have loved to have met Ray Bradbury.  What an insightful, thoughtful, forward thinking man he was, and he had such a fresh outlook on the world.  If there were more people in the world like him, our world would be such a better place.

I love reading Fahrenheit 451 with my students.  It is one of my all-time favorite novels, and I sort of take it personally when a student tells me he doesn't like the book or that it's boring.  I feel like shaking him and yelling, "Read it more carefully!  Think about what Bradbury is saying!  He's brilliant, and there are so many thought-provoking ideas in the story!"  If I had a captive audience and a class full of students willing to discuss it with me, I could spend an entire semester picking out and talking about the "golden lines" in the novel.  There are so many connections to our current society it's almost scary, and when people give this novel a chance, I think they really appreciate the beauty of this story. 

For those that haven't read it, Mildred is protagonist Guy Montag's wife, and she is the epitome of idiocy. She represents the non-thinking, empty-minded, simpletons that make up the bulk of society in the novel.  I warn my students "Don't be a Mildred. How would you like to live in a world of Mildreds?"

Here is a video of Ray Bradbury speaking about his love of reading and Fahrenheit 451.  He was truly an inspiration, and the world will miss him.

“Magical. Enchanting. Spellbinding. Mesmerizing.”

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is unlike any novel I've read.  It is strangely compelling, and although it is very dark, it is a love story at the same time, and it's difficult to put down.  In this story, Marco and Celia, two illusionists, are unwittingly pitted against each other in a mysterious competition.  Le Cirque des Reves, or the Circus of Dreams, is the arena for this competition.  No summary of the novel can effectively prepare the reader for this haunting, suspenseful, strange, wonderful story.

One of the most interesting aspects of the novel is the fact that it is told from many different perspectives and points of view.  At times, the story is even told in the second person, as if to draw the reader in and make him a part of the circus and feel as if he is really there.  First person and third person points of view are also present within the story, and this novel would be exemplary in a lesson on point of view.  As enticing as this novel is, it is written in a sophisticated fashion that would be appropriate for older or more advanced readers.  Struggling or reluctant readers may be turned off by the elevated style the author uses.

Check out the book trailer here:

Student choice in sharing their reading

A couple of weeks ago, I posted about students' resistance to read and write.  I completely agree that it is enjoyable to be able to just sit down and read a book without having to write about it as well, but I tell students it is important that they share what they are reading, and the best way to do this is by creating and presenting some sort of project to the class.  Of course, this is also the way I assess their progress and hold them accountable for reading.  In order to make this less painful for students is to allow them choice when deciding how they will share the novel they've read.  It's always something visual, so that other students will be drawn in, and hopefully persuaded to also read the book, and it is usually something creative and fun to create.  Some of the choices I've offered include story boards with important quotations from the novel, book trailers, collages in which students include and explain important symbols in the novel, and movie posters, to name a few.  When students listen to their classmates' presentations, I make them take notes and write down the titles of books they are interested in reading next, and this way, they have a list of novels they might read for future novel assignments or even for leisure.