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