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. 

Chapter Ten

My grandfather retired from Caterpillar about ten years ago. Towards the end of his career, he developed a branch of the human resources department that focused on working with schools to help prepare students for the workforce. Through this process, he found that many teachers and administration employees were reluctant to participate in the program. This reluctance to teach students skills that are not necessarily related to the academic realm is still an epidemic today. Before I enter tyrannical rant mode, I would like to make a disclaimer. I firmly believe, like Burke, that every student should have an academic basis for their education. Standards are important. Students should be able to comprehend and analysis text at their grade level. Students should be able to utilize correct grammar and math skills. However, those are not the only abilities a student should have. Standards should be the foundation of the structure of education, not the entire fortress.

I really enjoyed Burke’s exploration of “skills needed for the ‘flat’ world.” While reading, it occurred to me that these “skills” do not have to be taught separately from basic academic standards. They can be taught at the same time. For example, students can complete a project about the background information from the Enlightenment period in groups. Therefore, the students will learn course material while gaining “collaborator” skills. The skills a student needs to obtain during their educational career do not have to be segregated. Standards can be taught alongside other important skills. It is the standardized tests that carry a negative connotation, not the standards themselves. Standards are an important basis for education, but the must not be the only focus of educational professionals. Students should also have the opportunity to gain skills like the list Burke describes. 

Chapter One

Initially, I was intrigued by the title of chapter 1 in our textbook, “The Measure of Our Success.” My mind first wandered to the subject of standardized test scores and, unfortunately, that was where the mind of author Kylene Beers wandered also. The ideal that the success of a teacher should be measured solely on a list of test scores is ridiculous. As Beers touched upon, there are more important qualities that the teacher brings to the classrooms than the ability to meet AYP. I was drawn to the field education because I wanted to help prepare students for success in the “real world.” However, this success does not find its foundation in the ability to pass a state test. Education cannot be minimized to a list of standards. How do you measure civic duty or the ability to work within a certain amount of time? If schools only focus on “the standards,” students will be left a victim of the public educational system. They will graduate with a standard, or in many cases below standard, diploma.

Also, I was interested in Beers’s discussion of the lack of “creative thinking” in the classroom. The ability to produce a product from knowledge gained in the classroom is an important skill. Learning facts does not constitute an adequate education, students must be able to use the information they have learned. However, like many other important aspects of education, there is not a score for “creative thinking” on state standardized tests. If a teacher focuses on an important skill that cannot be measured by a test score, they are not successful. This governmental logic is faulty, constrictive, and counterproductive. In short, if a teacher is seen as unsuccessful due to their ability to provide an above standard education, students will ultimately suffer from standardized tests, not excel. 

About Me

My name is Shayla Hancock and I have a passion for literature! When I was in middle school, my parents would often ground me from reading to encourage me to complete my chores. God has called me to share this passion with my future students. Not only do I love English, but I also enjoy spending time with my family. I live with my older sister Shannon and younger sister Lexie in Pekin, IL with our parents, Trina and Randy. I look forward to learning more in this class to aid me in my educational pursuits!