CH 14

The chapter changed my view of technology in the classroom. I had often thought that technology overshadowed the content of a course in most cases. However, Kajder offered a different approach to the use of technology in classroom. Kajder approached technology as simulant for students’ interest. This perspective makes sense.  Often, students may think reading is boring. However, when a form of technology is applied to a reading assignment the student may be more interested in the reading itself. For example, most students are social media consumers. An instructor can use this interest by asking students to create a twitter page for a character.

Furthermore, I was intrigued by Kajder’s thoughts on blogging.  Blogging gives students their own place to express their thoughts. Their thoughts are not simply stacked in a pile with other students’ musings. This allows the student to own their writing. I also liked the idea of using a blog as a class. A great way to utilize this may be to assign a serial novel to the class. Students would be assigned a blog entry. The first student would start the story, and then each student would add to the story. After every student has posted, the blog contains a short story created by the entire class. In this instance, the technology would aid the content, not be the central focus of the assignment. I think that this is an important distinction that many educators, from my experience, may fail to realize.

I also liked the idea that technology can open students’ writing to a “real” audience. This gives the student’s writing worth. The purpose of an assignment may not only be to obtain points, but to create a piece of writing for others. I would assume that the want for acceptance of their work outside of the classroom would motivate students to work well. Also, a “real” audience from people outside of the classroom would create a third space for the student. However, making a student’s work public could upset some parents. Parents would definitely need to be aware of the nature of the assignment and give their permission. 

CH 5

I liked the concept that teachers must create an environment for good discussion. With class sizes so large, speaking out may be even more intimidating to students than ever. Therefore, having students discuss questions in groups may be a great way to combat this problem.  It is easier to speak to 3 other peers than 30. This small setting also allows students to speak more often in the conversation. Furthermore, discussing questions in groups first would also allow students time to prepare their thoughts before they presented to the class. A student may feel more comfortable speaking on a topic they have had time to develop than speaking extemporaneously on a topic. The same idea can be implemented in freewriting. A professor implemented this tactic in one of my college courses. Since the class was held in a lab, it was easy to type our thoughts about that days reading. It was easier to discuss our ideas with the class after we had time to flesh out our own thoughts.  Another way to create comfortable environment is to play the role of facilitator not judge. I have been in many classrooms where instructors ask a broad question with a specific answer in mind. If the student does not guess this answer, they may feel humiliated or jaded against the teacher. I have found that I will stop answering questions if a teacher plays the role of judge.

I also liked the idea that students needs to assume responsibility for their readings. Often I find myself even glazing over passages. If students have to interact with the text before class, they will more likely be able to discuss better. My high school English teacher gave us the discussion questions as a homework assignment with the reading. When we came to class the next day, she knew we were ready to discuss the chapters of our novel. I like this approach and think that it would be a beneficial way to keep students accountable and interacting with the text. 

Delpit Chapters

            I really liked the idea of “demanding success” from students. In high school, I had a teacher that did not allow students to fail tests. If a student failed, they would retake the test. I plan on implementing that same concept in my classroom. Students can only achieve the goals the instructor sets for them. Therefore, educators should set high goals and believe students can achieve those goals. Thus, the “no fail” policy may create this environment. Another way to create this environment would be to ensure that each student is participating. Letting students pass through semesters without voicing their opinion in class discussions is not okay. Teachers should make sure everyone is participating. If students feel like the instructor wants to hear what they have to say, the student will be more engaged.

            Furthermore, I appreciated the idea of relating content to the students’ cultural backgrounds. I found that this concept was related to the concept of third space. Students’ lives at home and school should not be entirely separated. Students can write essays about personal experiences or complete creative projects that incorporate their own interests. For example, a student could create a soundtrack for a novel with appropriate music they are interested in.

            I thought that the mention of dialects was also interesting. Students should not be forced to only read and write formally in the classroom. A fun way to experiment with this concept in an English classroom would be the practice writing for different audience. Students could use their own dialect for informal audiences, but also practice formal writing for formal audiences. 

Chapter 8

Chapter 8’s topic was very interesting to my particular interests. Coming into Olivet, I had decided on completing an ESL minor. However, once I entered an ESL classroom, I quickly realized that ESL was not the area of concentration for me. I found that the lessons were extremely standardized in nature. I was also frustrated that I could not help students or understand their discussions when they were completing activities in their first language.  Looking back, I was experiencing the same frustrations that ESL students experience in English speaking classrooms. Not knowing be able to understand a reading or class discussion would be frustrating for students just like it was frustrating for me.

Furthermore, I noticed that students spoke out in class during the Spanish speaking portion of the day, but sat silent during the English speaking portion of the day. Students were scared to use the language they were learning because they feared being wrong. With this said, it is important to develop an environment in ESL classrooms, and all classrooms for that matter, where acceptance of others’ voices is praised. If ESL students do not feel comfortable in their classrooms, they will not feel comfortable using English. If they do not use English, they are less likely to learn English. Therefore, teachers need to create a classroom environment were students feel that their voice matters, even if they may make some grammatical mistakes.

However, I liked that the authors emphasized the students’ ability to understand the content in their own language. Therefore, educators must decide if language acquisition or academic fluency is more important. While schools can teach both, it would be harder to develop each of these skills. No matter which approach is taken, an area must be sacrificed in some one. That is why ESL curriculum is problematic for schools, teachers, and, most importantly, students. 

Chapter 4

            Ellin Oliver Keene’s chapter on “The Essence of Understanding” explained a topic I had never really understood in depth, the process of understanding. As a teacher, your goal is for students to understand material. However, if the instructor does not know how to complete this task, the student will not know how to understand the content they are presented with. Therefore, I loved Keene’s idea that teachers must know how they understand in order to teach their students to understand. Teachers should be models for their students.  This shows the student that the instructor cares enough to complete an assignment and that assignment is important.

            However, I could see this being an abstract concept for students to comprehend. For example, if a student cannot understand basic concepts, how can they understand understanding? The concept seems odd and cumbersome. However, I think Keene makes a valid point that it is worth a try. Her methods could be easily integrated into reading assignments.  Students could use the text they are studying to practice different reading techniques or study a variety of different background materials about an author.

            Furthermore, Keene’s observation that students need to focus for a prolonged period of time to understand concepts is troublesome. With so much material to cover, teachers do not have large expanses of time to allow students to complete this process. Also, the lack of time affects the level of understanding the student can obtain. For example, it is faster to be able to define a concept than to analyze a concept. If teachers had less content to teach and more time in the classroom, students would be able to achieve a higher understanding of the material presented to them.

Chapter Six

            While reading chapter 6 in Beer’s textbook, I was reminded of a research paper I had written in my college writing course. The paper focused on using young adult literature in the classroom as a tool to help students explore the world and their selves. Through writing this paper, I found that young adult novels mirror the lives of the young adult reader. Lesense also touched on the “mirroring” quality of literature. To preface, I realize literature’s main purpose in the classroom is to increase the learner’s reading ability. However, as seen through my own and Lesense’s findings, literature can function as more than a tool for reading comprehension. Young adult literature has the ability to allow students to explore themselves and the world around them. Literature should be a tool that serves more than one purpose in the classroom.

            However, in order for students to explore their world, literature must be realistic. This realism may entail sex, violence, and drugs. I am not sure how I would deal with the censorship of these issues in the classroom. One possible solution would be to send permission slips home for certain books, alerting the parent what type of material the student will be studying. By knowing the adult nature of the student’s reading material, the parent would also be able to have conversation with the student about controversial topics. This would enrich the student's education by being able to learn about topics in multiple settings.

             However, it would be wrong of me to assume that each child’s parents would have these conversations at home. Therefore, it is important that students have an outlet to discuss edgy topics with an adult in a safe environment. Young adult literature provides a great outlet for students to complete that task. Also, students can explore topics they are interested in through the life of a character. They gain experience through a fictional character’s fault and learn about the nature of harsh topics. 

Chapter 3 and 16

I liked that Alvermann touched on the fact that there are multiple kinds of literacy. As I experienced in my own high school career, many times literacy is only taught in the context of academic literacy. For example, I managed to graduate high school, but am borderline technologically illiterate. I am still trying to figure out the capabilities of the iPhone I purchased two months ago. Since classes seem to focus on academic literacy, students, like me, are left life confused by common technologies. I understand that teachers only have a limited time to introduce content and that the ability to read and comprehend written text is important. (It happens to be a task I am dedicating my life to.)  However, students need to master more than one type of literacy to function in our ever-changing world. As Alvermann suggests, students today are “Digital Natives.” It might be helpful for students to use digital literacy to aid in their study of academic literacy. Projects can be made into multimedia presentations. Class discussions or journal assignments can even be turned into online blogs like this one. By incorporating other literacies into the classroom, students might be able to become academically literate faster and with more ease. Like Alevermann found, times have changed and classrooms must change also. Traditional methods of teaching are not working in many cases. Looking to teach through other literacies students are familiar with or need to know, may be a helpful solution to this growing problem.

Furthermore, Jackson and Cooper’s assertion that teachers should not have stereotypical perceptions against lower achieving students seems sadly oblivious. Each student should be viewed as having the same potential. In my classroom, I plan on not allowing any student to fail a test or paper, excluding finals or midterm exams. If a student fails a test or paper, they will complete the assignment until they pass. Students should know that they are better than failing. Also, teachers should believe their students are better than a failing grade. When students realize their potential, they will work harder to achieve a better quality of work.