Readicide (and this class) has made me more aware of the need for every teacher to inspire kids to read. For years, we've all been told to incorporate reading and writing into our lessons. And I honestly thought that I was incorporating these parts but I now see that I was just incorporating pieces of writing and selections of text. I wasn't helping the kids to get what I really want them to get. Of course there are always the few that get it right off the bat. These are usually the gifted students or those that are really bright. Well, they are not the "target audience"...the reluctant readers are the target. I plan to dig deeper with those students. They are the ones that are falling through the cracks and perhaps one little old art teacher can help them find their way out of that. Who knows? It certainly can't hurt.
On page 114 Gallagher quotes Yong Zhao from "Are We Fixing the Wrong Things?" as stating that the United States' "secret weapon" is our "creative, risk-taking, can-do spirit". He goes on to say that other countries note that our attention is on "chasing" after the test scores. We need to chase after strong teaching methods, help our students become problem solvers, and inspire our students to delve deep and create! We need to move away from the factory-like quality that Gallagher (page 116) cites from Lisa Gamerman's comparison of American and Finnish schools. Teachers should be entrepreneurs! Look at all of the Americans that have pioneered great thinking in our history. How did they learn to think ahead of their time? I'd be willing to bet that it wasn't from a multiple choice test and answer sheet.
We do need to "find our way again" as Gallagher states on page 117-118. The 50/50 approach to ending Readicide is a great prescription. We can't throw the baby out with the bathwater. We must inspire learning, not instill fear in our students. The standardized tests have been so built up that the students are fearful of them. The threat of being held back in their current grade level creates this fear. Performance anxiety can be overcome by teaching the students that what they truly need is confidence, problem-solving skills, and a fertile mind. Informal assessments should be made throughout the day, each and every day. I love the clipboard with flip cards (page 194 of Improving Adolescent Literacy) for making notes about student performance and needs. In art, I keep student portfolios for the year. It is a great tool for reflecting on the work of the year. We review our lessons at the end and the students can see their progress. It is always pleasing to me when the ones that were struggling with a concept make a statement that shows their new-found understanding. Exploration is the only way for many students to get to that point. A simple shallow lesson just won't do it. I have faith in our teachers. I plan to share my wonderful books with my colleagues and as we embark on a new mission of school improvement, we will have these great new tools to help us on our journey. The process of analyzing test data and making curriculum improvements is not fun or easy but it is necessary. It will make us more focused teachers and help our students grow in the right directions. What is even better? With our help...they will learn to love learning!
Friday, July 16, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Chapter 4- Readicide
Gallagher keeps the interest of the reader, that is FOR SURE! The sweet spot is a great refresher of the spirit. Most teachers would agree that we are "called" to teach. It isn't a career that we chose to make lots of money or to gain lots of fame. The teachable moments when the students truly connect with the learning and the teacher acts as the conduit for that learning...this is the motivation behind a great teacher. My husband and I are both teachers and love to share these moments with each other over the dinner table. There is a rush that can truly be appreciated by one that has experienced it.
I love Gallagher's statement that "Lousy Classic" is an oxymoron. Oxymorons are some of my favorite jokes...like an honest politician. Okay, that might be a bit harsh, but you have to admit with all of the publicity given to the dishonest politicians in our country that this seems to be a true oxymoron. Classics are not lousy though! How would they be given the reverent title of a "classic" if they could not stand the test of time? There is such a wealth of information buried inside of each one. A teacher that has been trained to draw it out of the text is worth their weight in gold to the students. I remember a teacher named Mrs. Farnsworth from high school. She could really bring the classics to life. She gave us real life applications and there always seemed to be a moral to every story. I'm not so sure that all of today's stories have a "moral" at their center.
I plan to adopt the "Big Chunk/Little Chunk" philosophy in my art classes. Our only problem in the elementary level is the short time periods that we have with students. I plan to implement the big chunk part of this by sending home journals that include longer text selections and pages to reflect upon them. Various topics such as artists' lives, cultures, and narratives would make a nice balance of materials. These will be added to their student portfolios. At home, at their leisure, they can hopefully achieve the flow of reading that they need. In class, I will target a smaller section of the text (little chunk) and use this to help develop the connection from textual to visual literacy that I need for them to make.
I love Gallagher's statement that "Lousy Classic" is an oxymoron. Oxymorons are some of my favorite jokes...like an honest politician. Okay, that might be a bit harsh, but you have to admit with all of the publicity given to the dishonest politicians in our country that this seems to be a true oxymoron. Classics are not lousy though! How would they be given the reverent title of a "classic" if they could not stand the test of time? There is such a wealth of information buried inside of each one. A teacher that has been trained to draw it out of the text is worth their weight in gold to the students. I remember a teacher named Mrs. Farnsworth from high school. She could really bring the classics to life. She gave us real life applications and there always seemed to be a moral to every story. I'm not so sure that all of today's stories have a "moral" at their center.
I plan to adopt the "Big Chunk/Little Chunk" philosophy in my art classes. Our only problem in the elementary level is the short time periods that we have with students. I plan to implement the big chunk part of this by sending home journals that include longer text selections and pages to reflect upon them. Various topics such as artists' lives, cultures, and narratives would make a nice balance of materials. These will be added to their student portfolios. At home, at their leisure, they can hopefully achieve the flow of reading that they need. In class, I will target a smaller section of the text (little chunk) and use this to help develop the connection from textual to visual literacy that I need for them to make.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Chapter 3 Readicide by Kelly Gallagher
Chapter three begins with a girl that wishes she could read without the constant interruptions from her teacher to look at the passages that were just read. I remember feeling that way. I was usually the "off-task" student that just read ahead while the class discussed the story. Then, of course, I would be embarrassed when I didn't know where we were. I always chalked it up to my impatience but I guess I really was like Chloe and a bit bored with the constant analysis of the text. I actually read chapter three on the treadmill and got a little "lost" in it. I was amazed to see two miles had passed by so quickly while I read. I closed my book and thought about the chapter as I ran the last mile of my workout. Allowing a time to reflect on what was read is also a good idea for students.
I think reading should be viewed like exercise. When people (especially adolescents) first start, it might be reluctantly but with the addition of a comfortable environment, less interruptions, and getting into a routine, it becomes a task that is welcome. SSR or Silent Sustained Reading seems to come and go in the world of education. Like so many things, we want to put it in the day, then take it out of the day in our constant search for the right combination of teacher centered and student centered activities. Differentiating instruction is important but giving kids a routine that includes quiet one on one time with the book, article, newspaper, or other written material of their choice is one of the MOST important parts of the day. I also think it is effective for the teacher to model good reading habits. A read aloud time for the group and/or a time when the teacher sits reading but in a position where they can glance up from their book to supervise, if necessary shows the students that they care enough to read too.
The Kill-a-Reader Casserole that Gallagher lists on page 73 is fantastic. I'd like to see some recipes for Addicting-a-Reader Casseroles. Perhaps: Take one student-selected piece of literature. Place in a comfortable, calm, cool but well-lit environment. Do not stir. Quietly chill for at least twenty minutes. Signal a time to stop. Allow to sit at room temperature and become incorporated for five minutes. Share your experience amongst peers and you may just find your next "dish" to sample! =)
I think reading should be viewed like exercise. When people (especially adolescents) first start, it might be reluctantly but with the addition of a comfortable environment, less interruptions, and getting into a routine, it becomes a task that is welcome. SSR or Silent Sustained Reading seems to come and go in the world of education. Like so many things, we want to put it in the day, then take it out of the day in our constant search for the right combination of teacher centered and student centered activities. Differentiating instruction is important but giving kids a routine that includes quiet one on one time with the book, article, newspaper, or other written material of their choice is one of the MOST important parts of the day. I also think it is effective for the teacher to model good reading habits. A read aloud time for the group and/or a time when the teacher sits reading but in a position where they can glance up from their book to supervise, if necessary shows the students that they care enough to read too.
The Kill-a-Reader Casserole that Gallagher lists on page 73 is fantastic. I'd like to see some recipes for Addicting-a-Reader Casseroles. Perhaps: Take one student-selected piece of literature. Place in a comfortable, calm, cool but well-lit environment. Do not stir. Quietly chill for at least twenty minutes. Signal a time to stop. Allow to sit at room temperature and become incorporated for five minutes. Share your experience amongst peers and you may just find your next "dish" to sample! =)
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Reflecting on Chapter Two of Readicide by Kelly Gallagher
First of all, let me just say that I love Kelly Gallagher's writing style. It is so readable and engages my mind. I find myself nodding my head as if someone is sitting before me having this conversation with me. The description of being on the other side of the airplane while those on the right hand side of the plane got to experience an "amazing" view of the Grand Canyon is priceless. I have felt that same sense of wishing that I could see the view. We weren't over the Grand Canyon but I do recall being on the plane headed to Toronto and the pilot telling the passengers to look out and see the beautiful view of Niagara Falls as we passed over. Well, I did not have a chance of seeing out from where I was sitting on the aisle. I saw lots of clouds.
The illustration of the Bridge to Prison in the book is an excellent depiction of being in that same "blind" state. I did not know anything about the story of Senator Stephens from Alaska. Once I read what the background information was about, I understood. Word Poverty is a tough place to be and hard to get out of, in my opinion. If you have spent the first six years of your education absorbing vocabulary like a sponge then you are better prepared for middle and then high school. You have the foundation necessary to build upon with an advanced curriculum. However, if you have grown up in a home with little or no reading materials then you need access to materials to "catch up" as much as possible and you need INSPIRATION! Students often shut down when they realize they have a deficit in some area, especially middle school students. Middle school students can be super sensitive about their own inadequacies. In order to combat this, the techniques used to approach their vocabulary development needs to be exciting to them, something that they can feel successful with, and then they will be "hooked". The "endangered minds" of our youth in America is staggering to me. They are the ones that are going to be in the work force in the next decade. It is essential that they learn how to find information and read/comprehend that information before voting, operating machinery, or any other serious task. I can remember years and years of reading current events, recipes, magazine articles, and brain teasers. These items gave me a variety of types of reading to experience along with the fiction, non-fiction, and reference materials that the library provided. My teachers provided supplemental materials in their classrooms either at their own expense or the school's. My husband and I subscribe to various publications for ourselves and our children and rather than throwing them out or putting them into the recycling bin, we take them to our classrooms to enrich the reading lives of our students.
In my classroom, vocabulary is a big part of what I teach. Describing words for art, cultural awareness, and expressions are filled with vocabulary. We look at works of art and talk about who created it and where they lived. We discuss what life was like for the artist and how they did that particular technique. I use language arts references like nouns being a person, place, or thing and how we can use that same definition for the subject matter in a work of art. Spatial concept, geometry, and symmetry are vocabulary terms that cross over into math. I love it when they make the connection that art can incorporate all of the academic subjects and apply them into a new creation.
The illustration of the Bridge to Prison in the book is an excellent depiction of being in that same "blind" state. I did not know anything about the story of Senator Stephens from Alaska. Once I read what the background information was about, I understood. Word Poverty is a tough place to be and hard to get out of, in my opinion. If you have spent the first six years of your education absorbing vocabulary like a sponge then you are better prepared for middle and then high school. You have the foundation necessary to build upon with an advanced curriculum. However, if you have grown up in a home with little or no reading materials then you need access to materials to "catch up" as much as possible and you need INSPIRATION! Students often shut down when they realize they have a deficit in some area, especially middle school students. Middle school students can be super sensitive about their own inadequacies. In order to combat this, the techniques used to approach their vocabulary development needs to be exciting to them, something that they can feel successful with, and then they will be "hooked". The "endangered minds" of our youth in America is staggering to me. They are the ones that are going to be in the work force in the next decade. It is essential that they learn how to find information and read/comprehend that information before voting, operating machinery, or any other serious task. I can remember years and years of reading current events, recipes, magazine articles, and brain teasers. These items gave me a variety of types of reading to experience along with the fiction, non-fiction, and reference materials that the library provided. My teachers provided supplemental materials in their classrooms either at their own expense or the school's. My husband and I subscribe to various publications for ourselves and our children and rather than throwing them out or putting them into the recycling bin, we take them to our classrooms to enrich the reading lives of our students.
In my classroom, vocabulary is a big part of what I teach. Describing words for art, cultural awareness, and expressions are filled with vocabulary. We look at works of art and talk about who created it and where they lived. We discuss what life was like for the artist and how they did that particular technique. I use language arts references like nouns being a person, place, or thing and how we can use that same definition for the subject matter in a work of art. Spatial concept, geometry, and symmetry are vocabulary terms that cross over into math. I love it when they make the connection that art can incorporate all of the academic subjects and apply them into a new creation.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Chapters 1 and 2 of Improving Adolescent Literacy
My own experiences with literacy...Well, I started reading in kindergarten. I remember the Dick and Jane books that we read at school and then brought home to read our parents. I loved them. I have an older brother and I wanted to be able to read because he could read. I must say that school was fairly easy for me. I was blessed to have a mother that stayed home and helped us learn. We weren't wealthy by any stretch of the imagination but we had the basic needs and a few books to read. We went to the public library and checked out books too. I learned to read and then was ready to read to learn. I have seen so many struggling elementary students trying to read to learn when they never really finished learning to decode the words. It is sad. They fall through the cracks.
I did not LOVE reading in middle and high school. Even the coursework in college was a bit tedious to me. When I finished college, I became an avid reader. My husband even caught the reading bug from me. We have decided that we were never given the opportunity in school to choose what genre that we identified with the most. Kids need to "buy in" to the material in order to foster their interest. Now, that is not to say that textbooks, trade books, picture books, etc...should not be an everyday essential. I am just saying that it is important for teens to find a place where they can fit in the world of literary works. I think that group discussions like book talks are a fantastic way to reach adolescents. I use think, pair, share in my art classroom frequently. It is a great way to get thoughts generated. Each member of the group gets to participate in the discussion. I remember teaching at Lamar County Middle School where we ALL taught reading. I actually had a decoding group. We were an America's Choice school. Reading and literacy in general was our main focus. The kids loved the variety and pervasiveness of the Principal's Book of the Month. Every teacher had a copy and used it in their classroom throughout the month. I read to the students selections while they created artworks to go along with the narrative, or biography, or whatever genre we were studying for that month. I really enjoyed that school wide implementation of the book.
I did not LOVE reading in middle and high school. Even the coursework in college was a bit tedious to me. When I finished college, I became an avid reader. My husband even caught the reading bug from me. We have decided that we were never given the opportunity in school to choose what genre that we identified with the most. Kids need to "buy in" to the material in order to foster their interest. Now, that is not to say that textbooks, trade books, picture books, etc...should not be an everyday essential. I am just saying that it is important for teens to find a place where they can fit in the world of literary works. I think that group discussions like book talks are a fantastic way to reach adolescents. I use think, pair, share in my art classroom frequently. It is a great way to get thoughts generated. Each member of the group gets to participate in the discussion. I remember teaching at Lamar County Middle School where we ALL taught reading. I actually had a decoding group. We were an America's Choice school. Reading and literacy in general was our main focus. The kids loved the variety and pervasiveness of the Principal's Book of the Month. Every teacher had a copy and used it in their classroom throughout the month. I read to the students selections while they created artworks to go along with the narrative, or biography, or whatever genre we were studying for that month. I really enjoyed that school wide implementation of the book.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
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