Learning Letter

I feel like I grew a lot in this class. I have had a lot of doubts as to whether or not I will make a good teacher, but have come to understand that it is a profession that takes time, dedication, research, reflection and practice. The best teachers I have chatted about my nerves and doubts with have said it took them years (even decades) to feel confident and comfortable as an educator.

The classwork was incredibly useful. The book-talk was fun and informative. I was able to read a YA book I had been interested in for along time (and in turn realized I really like YA books) and get in-depth details and ideas on books that could be valuable in the classroom, but ones I may not have time to read in the near future. As far as my own book talk goes on Wonder by R.J. Palacio, I could have been more prepared. I did not have the right handout prepared & copied and that threw off a lot of my plans for the talk. However, I feel that I presented the value of the text well. The mini-lesson was inspiring. I saw a lot of what I hope to be as a teacher in my fellow classmates, which makes me nervous come graduation & job hunting (haha) but encourages me to be better and explore new strategies. I liked being able to take a chance with a lesson's topic and teaching strategies in a low-pressure environment. I trusted my classmates would give me the constructive feedback I needed to improve and grow. The unit plan was challenging, but valuable. The thought process, research, preparation, planning and organization that needs to go into an entire unit that is meaningful learning for students is not a small undertaking. There is so much more to teaching than just Googling worksheets and handing out grades. The unit plan showed me that effective teaching starts long before the lesson is actually presented to students. On a personal note, it also showed me my continued weakness for time management...I really need to get that handled.

I enjoyed experiencing the flipped classroom model, as well. Reading about the theories, concepts and discussion for ideas before class helped solidify the ideas more clearly. Having time to process it all on my own made me more confident to share in class and seemed to keep whole class discussions moving. I really liked the reading on the value of discussion in the classroom. I am learning as I go through my practicum that students really thrive when given the chance to share their ideas. I loved the Circle of Voices. I hate being put on the spot and would appreciate the silent time to create some bullet points. I also love the idea of everyone getting a chance to speak. I hate seeing someone about to make a great point get bulldozed over by the class Chatter King/Queen. Hatful of Quotes was another favorite. I think it gives even the most unprepared student a chance to form concrete ideas on the subject. It also solidifies major themes for the class and could be super helpful for identifying key quotes in key passages. In regards to assessment, I have always favored the portfolio and was glad to see that research supports the value of them for students. I was glad to have been introduced to Freire and his ideas on student oppression and changing the way we approach presenting information. His problem-solving-problem-posing ideas encourage students to dig deeper and teachers to foster deeper discussion. It was also helpful to see two sides of the same coin. Gallagher and Tovani present differing ideas on reading, but both want to focus on encouraging students to read freely and read deeply. They both had ideas that can be beneficial in the classroom. Gallagher inspired me to make sure students have time to read and get into the flow. Tovani had great ideas on note-taking and recording ideas as we read. There are a lot of research and ideas to pour through in regards to education. I am grateful to at least have a starting point to help me improve.

I started the class really overwhelmed. Teaching felt like an unattainable goal, that goal being one I wasn't so sure I was going to be good at even with the paper in my hand. So, after the research, practice and time in a real middle school classroom I feel more aligned with my future goals. I have seen that teaching takes practice, time and preparation and does not happen overnight. I also feel better hearing from other colleagues that the too struggle, feel nervous, etc. I definitely need some polishing and more practice, but I feel more prepared to grapple with the challenges ahead.

Graphic Novels in the Classroom

I personally feel that graphic novels are a great resource in the classroom. They can be used to introduce the novel, supplement confusing parts/language use, or appeal to readers that prefer text in this format. As a slower reader, I think that having access to graphic novels would have helped me "see" the novel and gather more details without the pressure of having to read it quickly. In thinking about Readicide, adding graphic novels to the mix can add more flow and encourage genuine reading and not just going through the motions and wresting with a novel they may not particularly like.

On the flip side, the graphic novel can leave a lot out. The language is really chopped down and as a reader, we can lose a lot of appreciation and understanding of the original writing. That being said, I would use graphic novels to supplement vs taking the place of the novel. It would be an excellent vehicle to allow students to fulfill the CCSS of comparing different modes of writing and how they add to or take away from the meaning of the text. Or if the class is working on themes, the graphic novel can help highlight the meanings and scenes that occur around the theme.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTgaqVOIOfQ
I liked this video that interviewed a teacher and comic book expert on the subject of comic books (graphic novels) in the classroom. This is just a couple people's ideas on the subject, but I like that they brought in a real teacher and made a good point about appealing to imagination and how much more easily accessible and relevant graphic novels are today (movies, tv shows, etc based on graphic novels, for example). My one negative would be that they focus a lot of the benefit on boys and being appealing to boys, and girls are sort of the afterthought. Now, statistically boys do have more issues with ADD/ADHD and not liking to read, but I'd like to see what the opinions/appeal is for female students and if that even plays a role in their usefulness in the classroom.

Night by Elie Wiesel Response

Night is a powerfully written story. The detailed accounts of Wiesel's experience really stick with you, especially The Night of Broken Glass. I still remember the impact it had on me when I got to read it in high school and it came back to me after reading it again. For  me, it gave a humanness to the facts and statistics the Holocaust can be presented as in history books I am not knocking history at all...I'm just saying the personal accounts of that time always add more depth and horror to those events than textbooks. That being said, I think that this would be the best addition to any history class going over the events of WWII and a great informational text for an ELA classroom. 

Two CCSS I would use in a unit using Night would be:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.3
Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.6
Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic irony) create such effects as suspense or humor.

Night would be an excellent vehicle for discussing current world problems, as well. In Wiesel's Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech in 1986, "Human rights are being violated on every continent. More people are oppressed than free. How can one not be sensitive to their plight? Human suffering anywhere concerns men and women everywhere." This text can help students make the connection from horrific events of the past and how to improve the horrific events of today. Perhaps the Informational text unit can begin with Night and the class can work their way to a text like I am Malala. As an educator, I think that it is important that we know how to help students grapple with social justice issues no matter how long ago they occurred or how far away they are from their own front door. Texts like Night force you to empathize and recognize the horrors that have occurred at the hands of evil. 

Poe Response (Mini-Lesson Week)

In my opinion, everyone should study Poe, especially secondary students.
Poe is an accessible writer to all. What I mean by this is that his writing has its mysterious undertones, but the language is accessible and not something that will confuse younger readers the way that Shakespeare or Beowulf can. Poe is an excellent vehicle for analyzing literary texts. His writings range from short stories to poetry (and sometimes poetry within a short story).  His wide range of material provides context for CCSS such as comparing different types of texts, analyzing themes, and analyzing mood and tone. Also, considering he is a darker, more disturbed writer, Poe's "weirdness" is something that will stick in students minds better. In my experience, I remember more about Poe due to the fact that his writing style and dark themes were very different from many writers of the time.

How I would use Poe in the Classroom w/ CCSS

Cask
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.3
Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.

This short stories requires a few re-reads to analyze the themes of betrayal and how the narrator goes about confessing. The actions in the story can be analyzed to understand motive, character depth/analysis and what drove the narrators decision. 

Fall
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.

This is an excellent text for analyzing the impact of words. Specifically, Poe uses a lot of words setting the mood for a dark, dank, scary scene. The first couple of paragraphs alone can be dissected for deeper meanings, allusions and the impact of his mood-setting word choice. 

Ligeia
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.

While I don't know this story as well, it has great themes to discuss and explore such as mortality, reality vs versions of reality (ie what is the truth and what is the characters delusions w/evidence) and appearance due to his obsession with her looks. 

Some concerns with Poe, especially for younger secondary students is that some themes could be difficult to use in the classroom. For example, House of Usher has evidence of incest and most of his work references drug and alcohol use. These issues would be important to clear with administration and preface for students ahead of time. 

Mini Lesson TPA

Department of Education College of Arts, Letters and Education 312 Williamson Hall Cheney, WA   99004

TPA Lesson Plan #_1______

Course:

1. Teacher Candidate	Ashley	Date Taught	11/8/17
Cooperating Teacher		School/District
2. Subject	Reading	Field Supervisor
3. Lesson Title/Focus	Poverty	5. Length of Lesson	20 minutes
4. Grade Level	10th

6. Academic & Content Standards (Common Core/National)	CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.3 Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.
7. Learning Objective(s)	Given a reading of poverty quotes Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and watching the video Child Poverty: In Their Own Words, students will be able to analyze how particular lines of dialogue/incidents propel and reveal aspects of a character and provoke a decision by dividing into two groups and debating whether or not they agree or disagree with the quote, “Poverty doesn’t give you strength or teach you lessons about perseverance. No, poverty only teaches you how to be poor (p. 13)” and explaining their reasoning for agreeing or disagreeing.
8. Academic Language demands (vocabulary, function, syntax, discourse)	Vocabulary: Students will be informed that there are incidents of inappropriate language and racial slurs. Discourse: The central focus of this lesson is to encourage students to explore what poverty looks like, how it feels, and debating on a topic that is not addressed in the classroom very often. By adding the debate element gives students’ the chance to offer opinions on the topic of poverty, as well as exploring a stance they may not personally agree with. By using Sherman Alexie’s text as a vehicle, and not noting specific students in poverty, the discussion can stay open and impersonal. Function: Students will be able to analyze how Junior/Arnold’s dialogue and actions drive him to make the decision to leave the reservation and understand the deeper effects of poverty on a young child. Syntax: Fiction related closely to actual feelings surrounding poverty allows a class to debate the effects of poverty on students in a way that does not single any one student out.

9. Assessment

This lesson will be a modified Think-Pair-Share. There will be minimal time to think individually, therefore the focus will be more on group sharing and then whole-class discussion. Informal assessment will be conducted during the debate. Students will be assessed on their engagement, thoughtfulness of answers, and encouragement of other group members. This assessment will take place through observation and a debrief after the class is over where the teacher will note overall student engagement and note students who did not participate fully. Formal assessment will be given in the form of a two-column debating sheet. This sheet allows the smaller groups to record thoughts and ideas from each member and add more ideas if necessary. This sheet will also aid in the whole class discussion because students will have already thought their answers through enough to share.

10. Lesson Connections

Previously, students have had to analyze character development over the course of a text and how dialogue/incidents drove their motivation to make a decision. For example, in a reading of Lord of the Flies, students had to analyze how Jack’s dialogue drove other boys to engage in acts of violence.

11. Instructional Strategies/Learning Tasks to Support Learning
Learning Tasks and Strategies 1.    Share with students about personal experience and connections to poverty. Express how poverty doesn’t always “look” poor. Poverty is not often addressed in the classroom, but is an important theme from the book. Students will be given the learning objective and how they will go about reaching the end analytical goal. Students will then be read the quote from the text to ponder. 2.    Play video from YouTube and explain how everyone is effected by poverty differently and how these stressors take away from classroom engagement. 3.    Students will then be asked to name themselves off either A or B. A agrees with the quote and B disagrees. 4.    Then, the room will be divided into 2 groups, with a mix of A and B 5.    Groups 1 and 2 will be given the debate sheet and asked to take a minute to quietly think about their stance and whether or not they agree with what Junior/Arnold says about poverty. 6.    Groups 1 and 2 will then discuss their ideas and record them on their debate sheet 7.    After the small group discussion, students will be guided through a whole class discussion and students will be asked to share their responses and if they personally feel like they are really an A or a B 8.    To conclude, the teacher will ask that students be empathetic to their students and understand that sometimes what appears to be laziness is hunger, fear or insecurity about their living situation.
Teacher’s Role The teacher’s role is to ensure that students know how to unpack the issue of poverty within the text whether or not students can understand how poverty was a motivating factor for Junior/Arnold to make changes in his life. The teacher also needs to ensure that students are debating respectfully and participating in the small and large group discussion.	Students’ Role Students will be asked to analyze the effects of poverty on Junior/Arnold and how one quote can be interpreted in multiple ways. Ideally, they will see that Junior/Arnold’s decision to be better than what he has grown up in, develops over the course of the text and how he may brush it off early on as just a fact of life, but how it does, in fact, drive him to rise above his poverty.
Student Voice to Gather The teacher will ask students if they feel that they were assigned the letter that corresponds with how they really feel. Are they really and A or a B and why or why not? They will also be asked if seeing both sides of the quote helped them understand poverties central theme in the book.

12. Differentiated Instruction

Student interest should be high because it is a local author, has interesting discussion points and reveals a lot of deeper, emotional issues that many readers can connect with. If there were an ELL student in the class, I would add the closed captioning in English/their native language (depending on their learning goals and strengths). If I had a student with an IEP related to ADD, I have designed the lesson to run promptly and change from reading, discussing, writing and sharing. This should help maintain interest by adding this variety. By not asking the students to move around the room, I will accommodate any student with a disability or injury. Learning styles will be reached through group collaboration which involves listening and speaking, as well as visually through the video of the children sharing their experience.

13. Resources and Materials

Resources: Readicide by Kelley Gallagher emphasizes focusing on more meaningful parts of a book. By having students focus on the social justice issue of poverty and its effects, students gain more insight to the struggle of the main character, as well as the real life struggle for their fellow classmates. Gallagher, K. (2009). Readicide how schools are killing reading and what you can do about it. ____Portland, Me: Stenhouse. Materials: Internet Projector Debate sheets Writing utensils Copies of Sherman Alexie’s text

14. Management and Safety Issues

Students will be informed of the teacher’s attention signal before beginning to inform them that this is the sign to wrap up conversations and pay attention. Safety issues could include students dealing with poverty stress currently or in the past. These feelings could be negative and they will be informed of EWU’s counseling services if they need to unpack their personal issues with the topic further.

15. Parent & Community Connections

Students will be informed of the date, time and location that Sherman Alexie will be coming to the Spokane area and will be encouraged to see him in person.

Readicide by Kelly Gallagher Response

This was a very frustrating read. It melts my brain that we have let education come to this point. As a product of standardized testing, I can honestly say I feel a little cheated out authentic, genuine reading experiences. My honors English class teachers in high school were wonderful and let us fully absorb classics, mostly because we didn't have the added pressure of the standardized test. Yes, there was the AP test, but that was way less pressure packed. Anyway, I am incredibly turned-off of standardized tests. I understand holding educators accountable to what their students learn with valuable standards, but as was stated in the book, it creates an incredibly shallow learning experience. A child should not have to be home schooled or attend an expensive private school to have a more meaningful educational experience. So, I can rant and rave about this all day, but was inspired by Gallagher's call-to-action to stand-up for educational issues and contribute to a meaningful classroom environment. Also, I think it was very helpful to get methods to combat shallow teaching/learning. I hope that no matter what curriculum guidelines I am required to follow, that I can create meaningful experiences with the material and my students.

I particularly liked the Big Chunk/Little Chunk method. I definitely related to the frustrations of chop-chop reading where I lacked the time/ability to get into a flow only to be interrupted by a worksheet or shallow group discussion. To allow students the chance to read 1/3 of the book and then analyze a key piece, gives them a chance to get into the flow, collect thoughts and details as they go without the pressure of a worksheet, and give them a sense of accomplishment for getting through a large portion of the book. For me at least, I feel a lot better seeing my book mark move deeper and deeper into a book. I also think that this would be a more effective way to reach multiple CCSS without making the experience shallow. The unit can be designed to allow for multiple reading sessions and then thorough time to identify things like theme, author's purpose, character analysis, and seeing how characters evolve throughout the book.

I Read It, But I Don't Get It: Comprehension Strategies for Adolescent Readers

This book was incredibly eye-opening. Particularly, I identified a lot of my own reading problems. See, I love books, but I am a slow reader. What took my friends in school 15 minutes to read, took me 25. I became self-conscious and started to do "fake reading". Obviously, I didn't know I was doing something that had a term attached to it, I was just trying not to be embarrassed. In textbooks I would read the first and last section and one in the middle. This saved me time & I would fill the blanks on the sections I skipped by asking my friend or taking notes during discussions. When I discovered Cliff Notes, I don't think I read an assigned book for the rest of high school. I took excellent notes and paid close attention in class, so I still got good grades, but felt like I really missed out on the pleasure of wrestling with a classic novel or poem. Unfortunately, these habits followed me to college. Again, I paid close attention in class and took notes, but avoided actual reading. I hated that I had to re-read something 3 times when YouTube had an excellent lecture from a nice scholar kind enough to upload a 20 minute video and Google had extensive Cliff Note-esque websites. I don't exactly know where my reading went wrong. I loved majority of my teachers and honestly love school, but have been faking it til I make it for a very long time.

I think my struggles with reading speed/comprehension will make me a better teacher in the long run. Over the last year as upper division coursework doesn't allow room to fake it, I have had to struggle through my shortcomings and learn how to read again. I am very grateful to have gotten to read this book. I took away a lot of tips for my personal reading, which I think will ultimately help me model these practices for students.

In the Fix Up section I liked/utilize
1. Asking myself questions as I read
2. Write a reflection after a section or chapter.
3. Retell it...specifically to my toddler. He's not judging my comprehension and is excited to have dialogue with me. Also, I think Einstein said that if you can't teach something to a 5-year-old, then you don't totally understand it yourself. I also like to retell course work as I'm driving. I look crazy, I'm sure, but helps me organize my thoughts.
4. Adjusting my reading rate. I have been practicing speed reading to get through more faster, but also recognizing when I need to slow down and process as I read.

I think that the Why Teach Questioning sections on p. 86 was super helpful. It is another way to model critical reading of complex texts without giving up when we get stumped. Questioning while reading adds a lot of interaction and in my experience a question I jot down is usually addressed later on in the text.

What is Social Injustice? Why is it important for our classrooms?

Source: 

Washington, Ahmad R. "Addressing Social Injustice with Urban African American Young Men through Hip-Hop: Suggestions for School Counselors." Journal for Social Action in Counseling & Psychology, vol. 7, no. 1, Summer2015, pp. 101-121. EBSCOhost, ezproxy.library.ewu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=113858534&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Key Summary from the Text:
 "...funding disparities, the mass closing of urban schools, school re-segregation, and the school-to-prison pipeline - all issues that disproportionately impact students of color in very profound ways - represent legitimate civil rights and social justice violations because of the immediate and long-term social and economic ramifications they have on urban students, their families and communities."

My Thoughts:

This article discusses how school counselors can integrate hip-hop into productive conversations with urban African American students. I am personally a big fan of hip-hop, so I like to find meaningful uses for it by educators. While the article is centered around hip-hop utilization by school counselors, the information still applies directly to our own classrooms as teachers. Washington states that it is up to those within the actual school population to intervene in the inequality handed out by government officials.

Washington discusses the long history of social injustice against the POC population. Cuts to funding and limited educational opportunities take away students' power. By involving them in productive conversations about how laws, funding, and government entities run, POC students are empowered to rise above circumstances Hip-hop comes into play, because it has a history of addressing egregious social injustices against POC.  It is said to be a safe space for people to express ideas against the status quo and for listeners to gain insight into these ideas. A recent example of this was Eminem's freestyle against Donald Trump. Agree with him or not, he got his message across and addressed recent issues regarding Trump's behavior with the NFL, Puerto Rico and North Korea. By drawing parallels between literature, social injustices, and hip-hop an educator can connect to urban POC students on a more personal level. They can share that social injustices are not going unnoticed, but there has to be more action taken to correct these wrongs. While the solutions to wage gaps, discrimination and racism are not glaringly obvious, it is part of an educators job to empower their students to use their voice to call for changes.

Essentially, connecting to our students on a personal level can turn the wheels of revolution and create the future we want for every student that comes into our lives.

Pedagogy of the Opressed

 I always found school pretty easy. Take some notes, make some flash cards, pass a test, repeat. I had great relationships with my teachers and enjoyed being a part of school events. College classes have been pretty similar. Take notes, make flash cards, regurgitate information, repeat. THEN I started taking upper division courses & felt like the stupidest person in the room. Suddenly professors were probing and digging deeper into texts. Important points were made by fellow classmates that I 100% missed. Google couldn't even save me here. I often felt like a butterfly nailed to a board without a clue as to what was going on or why. What was wrong? I was wrong. Maybe not wrong, but I was very good at allowing deposited information to accumulate into my brain and not dig any deeper. Or when asked to dig deeper, faking it until I made it and hoped to never get called on. Sometimes I wonder if I was an intelligent student or just a good test taker...

According to Freire, the outdated system of the bank teller-deposit student-teacher relationship needs to be replaced. A more problem-solving/problem-posing style should take its place. This would allow students to dig deeper than their Cliff Notes and build critical-thinking skills. Problem-posing takes away the oppressor's (the current educational system) control and power. It becomes less and less of a teacher "filling" the "empty" minds of students. The teacher becomes a giver/guider. They give students the tools they need and guide them to a solution without spoon feeding. I have found that classes like those are the ones I learn the most from. I can pinpoint classes where I got a 4.0 and can't tell you one thing about the subject. I can pinpoint the classes where I barely passed or met the standards and still utilize the tools I was given and remember a lot. To me, that learning, challenging and motivating environment was how learning should take place. The professor expected a lot from us and you either rose to the occasion or you sat there mouth-breathing.

I understand the hoop jumping required to be a teacher. I just hope that in my real classroom I can be the teacher that gives/guides and does not simply deposit.

Assessing and Evaluating Student Learning-

Pro Portfolio

My goal for my classroom is to instill a growth mindset. Literature/writing can pose a lot of challenges for students. Connecting concepts, sentence structure, grammar, and understanding themes are a few examples. My hope is to create assignments that allow for multiple drafting/editing periods. I would hope to take away the pressure of having to get it right in just a few days of examples. Practice makes perfect and all that. While there are a lot of ways to evaluate student learning, I personally favor the portfolio. To me, this gives students the chance to show improvement, get creative and "show off".

For example, if I do a unit on writing research papers here would be the rough timeline and how they can add it to a portfolio:
1. Practice brainstorming with bubbles maps or lists. Give students a topic and come up with branches off the bubble. Then, allow students to write down their own topic and add branches.
2. Show examples of research paper construction that are high quality and ones that need work and how to correct them
3. Allow for research days and how to find credible sources
4. Draft their first paper
5. Peer editing/me editing
6. Chance to make changes before final paper.

I would have them start small-a few pages and grow from there. On my end, if I have them put in their first draft with edit suggestions and then their final essay, it would be easy to see the changes they made, where they improved and if they took suggestion well. This progress would be shown with any essay that we do.

I like the idea of having a journal section, chance to respond to articles and chosen stories and maybe a free reading tracker where they can earn bonuses for reading for fun. I had a teacher in middle school that had required portfolio elements (tests, papers, reflections) and then allowed us to add what we wanted in certain categories. For example, we had to either reflect on a poem we really liked or write one based off of the criteria we learned about certain types of poetry. Another optional entry was writing a short story based on what we learned about short story criteria.

To me, the portfolio allows students to stay organized and get creative. It also allows me to note progress and watch for areas where they may still struggle. This also shows performance vs regurgitation. It is easy to name characters and settings, but more challenging to analyze and express new ideas about the story. By requiring portfolio elements that emphasize mastery, analysis, and demonstrating contextual ideas, then I am moving beyond simple who, what, when, where, why questions.

Cal Expository Reading and Writing Response

I was actually surprised at how helpful this was for my own personal reading. I'm sure I got some lessons on prereading, reading and postreading, but it was pretty fuzzy. I really liked how this template broke down each piece. It helped me understand it as a reader and as an instructor.

Specifically, I liked the prereading predictions. By asking questions about what you think the reading will cover and how to turn headings into questions, it gives you a chance to grasp onto what the text is really saying. If I were to be wrong about a prediction, then it would stick in my head more because the unexpected happened. This questioning really engages you as a reader. It is active vs passive reading. I often find I need to reread sections because I was not fully engaged. Had I taken the time for some surveying and predicting, then I'd be more efficient with my reading.

I also liked how each step tied together. For example, having students connect ideas in the margins and then applying those to the summarizing stage seemed super helpful. Again, you as a reader are more engaged and you create less work for yourself later.

The standards listed in the margins were helpful to me also. At first, I was thinking that breaking down reading and writing this way seems tedious, however, the standards feel pretty intuitive and the steps in the template reflect that. If you want students to write argumentatively, then the prereading surveying, linking ideas in the margins, and gathering summary points is important to showing students how they have to back up ideas based on the text.

In the rhetoric feedback section, I liked the point about minimal marking. There is a time to be nitpicky and a time to focus on whether or not the students are grasping the bigger picture when it comes to expressing ideas on paper.

I found the sections on assessment helpful. I did not read all of them, but a few seemed like easy ways to get a sense for how the students are dealing with these reading/writing concepts. I personally favored the "No-Stakes" quiz and the Once Around (or Whip). The quiz would give me a clear sense on what concepts are clicking and what aren't. The Once Around would similarly help, and potentially help other students click with more ideas because they would hear it summarized by a peer.

Discussion as a Way of Teaching 9/25

Discussion as a Way of Teaching

Class discussions can be challenging. I think the ones I have seen totally fail, are ones where we were unprepared as a group for discussion and that the topic is too personal. It can take a while to feel comfortable in a group of strangers along with someone of authority with your final grade in their hand based on what you have to say. For example, I took a Literature of the Bible class that I totally loved. I always walked away intrigued and full of more questions. However, the whole class was silent…the whole quarter. I felt so bad for our professor, who was incredibly educated and passionate on the subject. From my standpoint, I did not know a lot about the Bible. I had a poor background and very little Sunday schooling, so I felt more like a sponge than a contributor. Small group discussions went a little better and the discussion boards were great, but there were still people very quick to be “right”. The Bible is touchy subject matter, so it was hard to argue with someone that was a minor or went to a private school on the topics at hand. It was strange that this awkward silence persisted the entirety of the quarter.

After reading the article, I found a lot of creative ways to stimulate discussion. I am excited to implement them into my future classroom. I loved the Circle of Voices. I hate being put on the spot and would appreciate the silent time to create some bullet points. I also love the idea of everyone getting a chance to speak. I hate seeing someone about to make a great point get bulldozed over by the class Chatter King/Queen. Hatful of Quotes was another favorite. I think it gives even the most unprepared student a chance to form concrete ideas on the subject. It also solidifies major themes for the class and could be super helpful for identifying key quotes in key passages. Snowballing also seemed helpful. To me, it gives students a chance to bond over ideas and find like-minded ideas among their peers. It is also a respectful way to illustrate debating. If the first two partners disagree, there is a chance the additional members will be able to see both sides and offer their ideas, as well. I think that is a great way to illustrate the value of hearing more than one opinion.