Learning Letter Reflection

We began working right away.  We each build a blog and soon had posts containing reflections and thoughts on the assigned readings.  This gave us a chance to summarize the readings and take ownership.  The first was Discussion in a Democratic Society.  This energized all of us.  We all want to have lively classrooms full of students eager to participate.  This opened my eyes to the importance of encouraging all students to speak and articulate in class.  In my practicum, I am always structuring open ended questions encouraging kids to answer and invite them into a conversation when they do.  What I am trying not to do is just say, “right!!” Or “yes” or “no’ and then move on.

 

The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts Instruction in Grades 6-12

We looked over the CCSS Standards for ELA and talked about them in class. The handout we read did not specify what or how to teach, but tells us what is possible for our kids to acquire in ELA.  I am still struggling to match learning to the standards.  The standards are few and a little vague, but I think in time it will come more naturally.  I like the part about a child’s learning being up to the creativity of the teacher and the depth of collaboration with the English department to establish a curriculum that is not “fragmented.” Creativity may be a challenge for me, being new to Language Arts. 

 

A Response-Based Approach to Reading Literature

This was a must read for a Social Studies major.  I learned that a majority of my college reading has been for discursive purposes.  Reading history, or informational texts, are mostly one point of reference.  Reading for literary purposes gives a student more than one approach.  Which means, the student has to do all the reading.  They won’t get answers to a test just looking for words.  Making readings deeper and more interesting will open “horizons.” As a teacher of English Language Arts, I would like to “begin the literary process” in all of my classes.

 

Chapter 2 of Pedegogy of the Oppressed

This reading was a real shocker to some in the class.  It talked of the banking concept approach to education where the kids are simply “receptacles” of knowledge given to them by an “authority” of information, their teacher.  The kids, in turn, just sit and listen.  They are fed all the information their oppressors want them to have to maintain the status quo.  Some in the class could not believe that somewhere in the world, there might be teaching like this.  One can see how this method of teaching could usher in oppression.  If not, perpetuate it.  This article was an excellent follow up to the first reading, Discussion in a Democratic Society. We now see how not to teach, especially ELA. 

 

Critical Pedagogy: A Look at the Major Concepts

We then looked at these concepts of critical pedagogy.  With classrooms becoming more and more diverse, I think that we as educators need to be aware of how we, and our curriculum, might be perceived by minority students, or the subculture.  English Language Arts teachers need to ask themselves before teaching a lesson, or a unit, “is this going to have a hidden curriculum?   Is it hegemonic?  Does it subordinate the subculture represented in the classroom to the dominant culture at large?  These are all questions an English teacher must take into account, if kids from non-dominant groups are to learn at the rate of their dominant culture counterparts. 

 

Critical Pedagogy and Popular Culture in an Urban Secondary English Classroom

This reading was amazing.  It was very heartening to see these disadvantaged kids do so well, in spite of financial neglect from the state.  The concept of bringing popular culture, such as music and video worked well enough for the kids to do well enough on the Advanced Placement Exam.  This suspension of traditional “multiculturalism,” in favor of critical pedagogy, went a long way in classmates sharing common conclusions based on every day experiences of each other.  I am all for doing whatever I need to do to get kids engaged.  If it requires a viewing of a YouTube video or the playing of a song, if it will get the class engaged and learning, that’s the important part.  I see all kids as capable, all kids with potential to learn.  The approach to doing so is to get them interested. 

 

Shadle teacher in hot water for distributing Blue Scholars lyrics

About this time, we talked about the local high school teacher that played “Commencement Day” to his class of seniors.  The main questions we discussed as a class is if we would play a song like that to our students, and if we saw anything wrong with it.  We talked also about the school placing the teacher on paid administrative leave while the school investigates.  I would play music in my classroom, sure, but I wouldn’t play that song.  I wouldn’t play any song with expletives in it, even for seniors.  I don’t think it’s appropriate or necessary.  There is a place for pop culture in the classroom, but I think there are plenty of other ways to explore critical pedagogy.  Talking with my group about this before coming back as a class, we all agreed we wouldn’t give that impression to seniors, an impression of hopelessness and oppression out in the real world.  The three of us felt students don’t need to hear that yet.  They’ll hear it soon after graduation.  I don’t think I would be sheltering kids by doing this, just giving them a safe haven. 

 

What is Social Justice? Why is it Important in our Classrooms

 This is where we searched for our own articles on Social Justice.  In my search, I found the definition to be “a system that promotes equity.” This is what we as teachers want for all of our students, equity.  Not equality.  Of course, we want equality but equity serves to ensure an equal opportunity for a quality education, and justice.  I researched an article on the Achievement Gap.  In it, two educators sought to bring balance to the teacher candidate program.  The reason was the achievement gap had not changed.  The flaw was university educators were favoring multiculturalism and ideologies over accountability.  The program sought to place teacher candidates in high achieving, poor, minority communities even though the trend has been to test the failure rate of such communities.  For me, Social Justice will start in my classroom.  What I can do is treat everyone equally and with respect. 

 

Thoughts on Cris Tovani's I Read it but Don't Get it

This was a very informative read for me.  In January I will begin teaching struggling readers in 9^th grade.  This book will give me plenty of ideas.  A lot of the students Tovani described in her book remind me a lot of what I went through growing up.  She has many excellent ideas in the back appendixes to get kids started. 

 

A Response to the TPA Lesson Plan Format

We talked about the TPA and all the prompts it entails.  It was explained to the class that the prompts are there for us, to be even better teachers.  I personally think some of it is redundant, like the part under “Lesson Connections.” I’ll come to accept it, eventually.  I do see the purpose of the TPA and do believe it will make us better teachers.  Even doing this three-week unit plan, I still need more practice. 

 

Response to "Readicide"

The discussion of killing reading in schools is one that we all need to do more to than just acknowledge.  It is a serious problem in our school and the class was in agreement on this.  We all intend to do our own part, or at least try.  I will try to incorporate 30 minutes every now and then.  In my practicum now, the AVID class gets only 15 minutes, hardly any time at all.  I would plan for one to last the whole hour if I can.  Reading, and having to “come up for air” is something I will try to teach.  When I teach my History class, I encourage the students to read the text when I’m done lecturing.  To read the entire chapter before answering the vocabulary in their notebook.  I try to make it interesting.  I tell them what to be looking for when they read a particular section.  I am all for bringing reading back into the classroom.

 

Assessing and Evaluating Students' Learning

For literature, I plan on testing to demonstrate knowledge of a piece of literature.  An adequate assessment should have the student be able to infer a theme or a hypothesis, to elaborate on the retelling of events, interpret a reading using pieces out of the book to explain, as well as counter-interpret a classmate’s interpretation. 

 

The Work I did:

The book talk required more than reading the book, and for good reason.  It is more than just a “book talk.” It is also a lesson idea and reference guide for colleagues.  I really benefited from hearing about the books my colleagues prepared.  Most of them I never read.  I could have done more prep work for The Great Gatsby.  I realized right after I presented that I did not expand on the teaching ideas.  I needed to suggest some themes. 

The mini-lesson I did was of a topic I hope to teach more of as time goes on.  I think Night is an important read for 9^th grade and up.  In my night group, I was assigned to do informative text and social justice.  I feel that the video, “Perils of Indifference” covered both with citing “indifferent” in the text and the word used in the video.  It was good practice to stand in front of the class and get their feedback, after they participated. 

The unit plan has been a grueling process.  Not only is there a lot of work and typing, but citing, checking sources, and proofreading.  It was the most work I had ever done on a school project.  I learned more about the book I read, and hope to get to use this unit in the future.  I think if a teacher can conceptualize all this lesson and put it together, and teach it, would fulfill a mission we all have, to teach. 

Participation:

My participation in this course has me thinking that I need time to be a teacher.  There was so much to learn, so many concepts to explore, so many pedagogical lenses to consider.  I am thinking very seriously now about diverse classrooms.  Thankfully, we are getting rigorous preparation for the edTPA.  This three-week unit plan is the busiest school project I have ever done.  I now really appreciate all the prep work that goes into teaching.  I can see the importance of continual reflection. 

All in all, a good quarter.  Not once did I access my previous blog.