In the article titled, The Book Trailer: Engaging Teens Through Technology, Sara Kajder made a point that I have thought about at length, but have never been able to say, “When we expand our idea of what counts as valued communications, we value our students.” (Kadjer, 2008) In reading it, it seems so simple, but then why is it so hard to believe. Education is a field that is constantly changing, and in the beginning it seemed that teachers had the knowledge and students had to simply tap into that knowledge in whichever ways said teacher made it accessible for them. Throughout constant inventions and reinventions of the education system that idea has changed, in theory, but not always in practice. With technology advancing and dizzying rates, sometimes the tools used to educate change fast than teachers know how to use them…and that is simply unacceptable. If, as teachers, we continue to value only the core facets of traditional education, that we are sending the message that innovation, creativity, and independent learning are simply unnecessary. While technology may seem to get in the way sometimes (students accessing AIM from their phones during a lecture, focusing more on MySpace than literature, etc.) we should do everything possible to incorporate the skills our students have into the curriculum, and applaud them for the abilities they have in fields that, sometimes, they grasp much fast than we do.
Kajder, S (2008).The book trailer: Teaching teens through technology. Educational Leadership. Vol. 65.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Fostering Good Readers and Writers
Book Trailers
“These students are reading and writing, but in modes and media that are different from the print literacies valued in schools. Classrooms that value these 21st-century literacies provide students with opportunities to create, think critically, genuinely collaborate with participants around the globe, and communicate through a variety of modes and media” (Kajder, 2008, p.1).
It is amazing how we seem to push the traditional means of reading and writing in schools. Book trailers as an alternative means of engaging students in the reading and writing process will definitely work in my classroom. Kajder has definitely found a “hook” to capture the interest of these students. Most of my students seem to be more technologically inclined than I am. These students are waiting to be reached in a medium that is familiar to them. I often complain about the lack of creativity from my students, technology is a means to bring student-creativity back in the classroom. The only set back I foresee in some schools is the lack of computers for students to accomplish these goals. All hope is not lost because students can collaborate with their peers and create their projects. The book trailers could also be completed from home or the library. Once the teacher provides a model of what is required then students can always work outside of the class.
Kajder, S. (2008). The book trailer: engaging teens through technologies. Educational Leadership 65 (6), pp. 1-4.
Literature Circles
“You can have a written conversation while sitting side by side in real time, passing notes back and forth, or in letter form, where writers send “mail” for readers to answer when they get time” (Daniels, 2006, p.14).
I happen to use literature circles in my classroom. I also assign different roles for each student in the group; this is my way of making sure that everyone participates. I do not give students a standard worksheet or prompts of what they should write or talk about, but I allow them to explore the novel and put their ideas on post-its. I do like the idea of writing little notes to each other. I think this strategy is an excellent means to get reluctant and reserved students to participate in their group. I will expand this strategy to other areas of my English class. I also like the idea of creating a partnership with students and having them write about what they do and don’t understand about the lesson. This is a terrific way to assess student-understanding as I read or have students share their notes. What a great way to keep students engaged!
Daniels, H. (2006). What’s the next best thing with literature circles?. Voices from the Middle 13 (4), pp. 10-15.
“These students are reading and writing, but in modes and media that are different from the print literacies valued in schools. Classrooms that value these 21st-century literacies provide students with opportunities to create, think critically, genuinely collaborate with participants around the globe, and communicate through a variety of modes and media” (Kajder, 2008, p.1).
It is amazing how we seem to push the traditional means of reading and writing in schools. Book trailers as an alternative means of engaging students in the reading and writing process will definitely work in my classroom. Kajder has definitely found a “hook” to capture the interest of these students. Most of my students seem to be more technologically inclined than I am. These students are waiting to be reached in a medium that is familiar to them. I often complain about the lack of creativity from my students, technology is a means to bring student-creativity back in the classroom. The only set back I foresee in some schools is the lack of computers for students to accomplish these goals. All hope is not lost because students can collaborate with their peers and create their projects. The book trailers could also be completed from home or the library. Once the teacher provides a model of what is required then students can always work outside of the class.
Kajder, S. (2008). The book trailer: engaging teens through technologies. Educational Leadership 65 (6), pp. 1-4.
Literature Circles
“You can have a written conversation while sitting side by side in real time, passing notes back and forth, or in letter form, where writers send “mail” for readers to answer when they get time” (Daniels, 2006, p.14).
I happen to use literature circles in my classroom. I also assign different roles for each student in the group; this is my way of making sure that everyone participates. I do not give students a standard worksheet or prompts of what they should write or talk about, but I allow them to explore the novel and put their ideas on post-its. I do like the idea of writing little notes to each other. I think this strategy is an excellent means to get reluctant and reserved students to participate in their group. I will expand this strategy to other areas of my English class. I also like the idea of creating a partnership with students and having them write about what they do and don’t understand about the lesson. This is a terrific way to assess student-understanding as I read or have students share their notes. What a great way to keep students engaged!
Daniels, H. (2006). What’s the next best thing with literature circles?. Voices from the Middle 13 (4), pp. 10-15.
Newmark: Navigating between YA & Classic Lit
Although I am still a firm believer in teaching classic literature to adolescents, I have seen my students yearn for a “mirror” to better understand their lives, and classic literature, unless explicitly tied to other texts, cannot provide this “mirror” for urban adolescents to explore their identities and the communities to which they belong. Gibbons et al. (2006) argues that Young Adult literature is, in fact, the mirror students long for, and finds that “part of the problem, as most teachers are fully aware, is that the classics are often too distant from our students’ experiences or the reading level is too difficult” (Kaywell in Gibbons et al., 2006, p. 56). When students do not read at grade level and we ask them to analyze a text that is levels above—and too far from their own lives—are we asking something unreasonable of our students? Perhaps.
Yet, “part of the problem of students’ dislike of classic literature may—I’m hedging here—lie in outmoded and uninspiring methods of teaching that literature (Hipple, 1996, p. 16). If we choose classic texts that are at or near our students’ reading level, and we manage to develop lessons that evoke thought and feeling, that allow for reflection and interaction with peers, perhaps, the teaching of classic literature can be saved. Its purpose will be two-fold: students will learn to work within a community to problem-solve, to ask for help, to teach one another, and students will learn to value “windows” to people, cultures, and language other than their own.
In a unit on Romeo and Juliet, my students adapted scenes to contemporary settings, and to do this, they had to understand and appreciate Shakespearian language—they had to “translate” his language into their own and to navigate the similarities and differences. They saw the usefulness of each discourse and learned to travel between two vastly different times and people. Not only did they have a ball developing and performing their plays, they also learned the value and purpose of multiple discourses. Although they had difficulty reading the play at certain points, when working as a group, they took to the challenge. Furthermore, what appeared as “vastly different” people became as real and relevant to them as characters from their own lives.
Teaching Romeo and Juliet was not all fun and games. When we were not role-playing, there was some moaning and groaning, especially because we read the play slowly and they began to lose interest over time. Next year, I would pair it with Street Love by Walter Dean Myers, and in doing so, my students will once again be able to connect their own lives, their own language, to that of Shakespeare. They will come to see that poetry is poetry, no matter what century it is written in. I think the key to reviving classic literature is to ensure that students are involved in authentic and “inspiring” projects while also providing that “mirror” adolescents so desperately need in their search for the self.
References
Gibbons, L. C., Dail, J. S. & Stallworth, B. J. (Summer, 2006). Young adult literature in the English
curriculum today: Classroom teachers speak out. The Alan review, 33 (3), 53-61.
Hipple, T. (March, 1996). It's the THAT, teacher. English journal, 86 (3), 15-17.
Yet, “part of the problem of students’ dislike of classic literature may—I’m hedging here—lie in outmoded and uninspiring methods of teaching that literature (Hipple, 1996, p. 16). If we choose classic texts that are at or near our students’ reading level, and we manage to develop lessons that evoke thought and feeling, that allow for reflection and interaction with peers, perhaps, the teaching of classic literature can be saved. Its purpose will be two-fold: students will learn to work within a community to problem-solve, to ask for help, to teach one another, and students will learn to value “windows” to people, cultures, and language other than their own.
In a unit on Romeo and Juliet, my students adapted scenes to contemporary settings, and to do this, they had to understand and appreciate Shakespearian language—they had to “translate” his language into their own and to navigate the similarities and differences. They saw the usefulness of each discourse and learned to travel between two vastly different times and people. Not only did they have a ball developing and performing their plays, they also learned the value and purpose of multiple discourses. Although they had difficulty reading the play at certain points, when working as a group, they took to the challenge. Furthermore, what appeared as “vastly different” people became as real and relevant to them as characters from their own lives.
Teaching Romeo and Juliet was not all fun and games. When we were not role-playing, there was some moaning and groaning, especially because we read the play slowly and they began to lose interest over time. Next year, I would pair it with Street Love by Walter Dean Myers, and in doing so, my students will once again be able to connect their own lives, their own language, to that of Shakespeare. They will come to see that poetry is poetry, no matter what century it is written in. I think the key to reviving classic literature is to ensure that students are involved in authentic and “inspiring” projects while also providing that “mirror” adolescents so desperately need in their search for the self.
References
Gibbons, L. C., Dail, J. S. & Stallworth, B. J. (Summer, 2006). Young adult literature in the English
curriculum today: Classroom teachers speak out. The Alan review, 33 (3), 53-61.
Hipple, T. (March, 1996). It's the THAT, teacher. English journal, 86 (3), 15-17.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Book Trailers and Literature Circles, gee I've got a lot to learn--Jeannine Green
About Book Trailers
Throughout the process, I guide students in how to ensure their product conveys their intended meaning. I teach multimodal composition—ways of working with multiple modes to create a rich compelling product…. Once they have a clear plan for their trailers, students receive written “entrance tickets” for the computer lab. Instructional time within the lab, or in the classroom if we’re lucky enough to gain access to a cart of laptops, is not about where to point and click. This is not because I believe that our students are digital natives (Prensky, 2001) who already know the tools and will be successful with the taks because it involves a computer. It is because our planning leads students to…focus on content as opposed to bells and whistles. (Kajder, 2008, p. 13)
Kajder, S. (2008). The book trailer: Engaging teens through technologies. Educational
Leadership: 65 (6), 1-4
The process this Kajder’s quote speaks of is the process of creating book trailers. Initially when I learned about the process of creating a book trailer as a form of giving a book talk, I thought of it simply as a way to utilize computer technology; hence, I thought it was simply a gimmick. Kajder says that the usage of the computer is not the objective of the lesson; instead, the idea is to help students have an alternate way to present the take away message about a book they have read or to give their inner thoughts about a book. I am among those teachers who complain about the lack of access to technology my students have. Kajder says in essence that the meat of the work of the book trailer project occurs away from technology. Technology becomes the minor end process.
As I look as Kajder’s preparation process for the book trailer, I recognize multiple entry points to touch on those items required by the New York State Performance Standards for English Language Arts. Likewise, I can imagine how engaged the students will be in building a blueprint for the final result while improving writing skills, reading skills and persuasive skills. This preparation process for the final book trailer project can actually be thought of as a disguise for the hard part of the job without students realizing it since ultimately their focus is on the final end product. It’s like walking up a demanding hill not thinking about the journey itself but what you expect to find at the top. It’s the thought of the top that makes the journey less daunting.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
About Literature Circles
In the early days, Literature Circles were promoted…as a kind of if-you-build-it-they-will-come proposition. If you trained the groups properly, kids would do the reading….We now realize that peer-led reading groups need much more than a good launching; they require constant coaching and training by a very active teacher who uses minilessons and debriefings to help kids hone skills…. (Daniels, 2006, p. 13)
Daniels, H. (2006). What’s the next big thing with literature circles. Voices from the Middle
13(4) 10-15.
As a new teacher, I am still learning how to design literature circles for my tenth grade English classes. What I take away from Daniels’ quote is that the learning process of how to utilize literature circles effectively is continual. Learning how to function in a literature circle is not something that is understood instantly and can thus function on its own. It is a continual work in progress for the students and for the teacher. Visiting a You Tube video of how literature circles work, what struck me the most was the outrageous comments written beneath this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SykNmAFrFY4). At first I was angered by the comments then I realized as I read these comments that there is an assumption that people (teachers) should know everything they need to know by the time they reach the classroom. This made me think that there is this belief that learning is stagnant, that it reaches one specific point and from there it does not go any further. I realize that I initially suffered from this same sort of thinking as a first year teacher. I believed that once I taught a lesson, or a unit, then the lesson was learned for life; therefore, I never needed to revisit it. My goal was to just cover as much stuff as possible. I have since learned to drop this thinking. Likewise, I think literature circles need room for expansion and exploration.
Response to Readings" Sophia is too liberal
Suzanne M. Kauer explores the issue of censoring adolescent literature. Her position seeks to invite and encourage parental involvement while maintaining that certain literature is simply too imporant to remove from the classroom. She attempts to reconcile the families' belief systems with her desire to teach literature. I take this quote very seriously because I often find myself pushing the envelope with some of the texts that I read aloud in the classroom. She writes:
"A book in which an adolescent hires a prostitute would definitely fall under the category of "not part of Mormon values."
I find the balance between literary merit and smut to be precarious because I read Henry Miller, Anais Nin, and such for both. I have to realize that my love of certain literature does not translate into a middle school classroom, but the reality is that of the greatest works of literature, sex, sexuality, human development, love, regret, and despair are always present. That is the attitude that I take with me into the classrooms. I understand, and agree with Kauer that we must "concede that parents have a right to decide what their children will or will not read." Moreover, Kauer notes that the "dark side of humanity" is important for adolescent readers to experience. I think parents should be involved with their child's education, but I would have to argue that teachers should be the judges of what is taught in the classroom, ultimately. It is easier for me to argue this from my position, though, because my experience with parental involvement is nearly nonexistent. Yet, for those parents that want to stand at a schoolboard meeting and argue against Catcher, (Ulysses, Tropic of Cancer, and "Howl"), I say its a relevant and important debate to have over literature; it speaks to the ultimtae lesson that I hope my students would learn: texts, in historical contexts particularly, have power, a power to change the way people think in a certain time period or culture. I am resisting the urge to enter into a discussion of the canon vis-à-vis Guillory or Greene because I do not think it is a teacher's responsibility to defend the literary canon to a parent nor do we often control what is in our secondary curriculum let alone what students face once they enter college. Despite my similar concerns to Kauer, I think she is right to pose an alternative and reflect on the question: Why do we choose to teach certain texts in the classroom?
"A book in which an adolescent hires a prostitute would definitely fall under the category of "not part of Mormon values."
I find the balance between literary merit and smut to be precarious because I read Henry Miller, Anais Nin, and such for both. I have to realize that my love of certain literature does not translate into a middle school classroom, but the reality is that of the greatest works of literature, sex, sexuality, human development, love, regret, and despair are always present. That is the attitude that I take with me into the classrooms. I understand, and agree with Kauer that we must "concede that parents have a right to decide what their children will or will not read." Moreover, Kauer notes that the "dark side of humanity" is important for adolescent readers to experience. I think parents should be involved with their child's education, but I would have to argue that teachers should be the judges of what is taught in the classroom, ultimately. It is easier for me to argue this from my position, though, because my experience with parental involvement is nearly nonexistent. Yet, for those parents that want to stand at a schoolboard meeting and argue against Catcher, (Ulysses, Tropic of Cancer, and "Howl"), I say its a relevant and important debate to have over literature; it speaks to the ultimtae lesson that I hope my students would learn: texts, in historical contexts particularly, have power, a power to change the way people think in a certain time period or culture. I am resisting the urge to enter into a discussion of the canon vis-à-vis Guillory or Greene because I do not think it is a teacher's responsibility to defend the literary canon to a parent nor do we often control what is in our secondary curriculum let alone what students face once they enter college. Despite my similar concerns to Kauer, I think she is right to pose an alternative and reflect on the question: Why do we choose to teach certain texts in the classroom?
Writing as a "Communicative Act"
“Writers who have real audiences listening and responding to their writing learn firsthand how writing is a communicative act; they learn to take responsibility for their words, to defend and modify them based on reactions from the real people sitting around them.”
I must admit that blogs seem to be supplanting older methods of introducing writing in the classroom. Such an activity could be invaluable to the growth of a student in terms of stimulating learning, and notably writing, beyond an academic setting. My one concern is that it would be dangerous to tell students that writing is a “communicative act.” While I fully understand the point that Kadjer is trying to make in saying that students take a more active role in the writing process if they feel valued, I am not sure that it is beneficial to think of writing as a “communicative act.” Surely students take responsibility for their words and learn to defend their statements, but my fear in treating writing as an act of communication is that students will provide personal opinions based on impulse rather than justifying the answer with textual support or other evidence. Without constant monitoring of a blog, students will have free reign to write as they please. I suppose that through direct instruction, students will learn how to compose well-written responses. In any event, it takes a highly motivated group to run an efficient blog that demands students to work on the craft of writing. The majority of blogs that I see on the web deal almost exclusively with personal reflection and venting societal, political, or economic concerns. To successfully transition students from these kinds of blogs to perhaps a more structured blog, provided within the English class, it would be important to teach students the importance of defending arguments based on rational explanation derived from sources rather than allow them the freedom to speak their minds without justifying statements with direct evidence.
Kajder, S. (2008). The book trailer: engaging teens through technologies. Educational Leadership 65(6).
“All trailers have to include the title of the book, the author’s name, and a presentation that is both authentic to the text and that works to ‘hook’ readers. I also require students to submit their trailers with a piece of writing that explores the choices they made, with an analysis of the book that shows they made decisions on the basis of the text, and not just by using the aspects of technology that would best captivate an audience.”
This notion of a “hook” reminded me of thesis statements. This process of getting students to captivate an audience could provide vital insight into understanding how to formulate effective thesis statements, which is incredibly difficult to teach adults let alone teens. As for the piece of writing that students must submit, I feel that if this assignment is framed in the proper light, most students will invest the time and energy in ensuring its completion. That is to say, if the teacher makes this writing task seem like a laborious process rather than one that is meant to supplement the book trailer, students are likely to become displeased with the assignment. My advice for introducing this assignment is to tell students that they are architects of a master plan and they must provide the blueprint for future architects. In getting them to explore the choices they make, I would ask them write a kind of manual in documenting each and every step leading up to the book trailer. Not only would this be more enjoyable for the students, but it would solidify in their minds that they have mastered the process of making a book trailer.
Kadjer, S.B. (2007). Unleashing potential with emerging technologies. In K. Beers, R.E. Probst, and L. Rief (eds.), Adolescent literacy: turning promise into practice (213-229). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
I must admit that blogs seem to be supplanting older methods of introducing writing in the classroom. Such an activity could be invaluable to the growth of a student in terms of stimulating learning, and notably writing, beyond an academic setting. My one concern is that it would be dangerous to tell students that writing is a “communicative act.” While I fully understand the point that Kadjer is trying to make in saying that students take a more active role in the writing process if they feel valued, I am not sure that it is beneficial to think of writing as a “communicative act.” Surely students take responsibility for their words and learn to defend their statements, but my fear in treating writing as an act of communication is that students will provide personal opinions based on impulse rather than justifying the answer with textual support or other evidence. Without constant monitoring of a blog, students will have free reign to write as they please. I suppose that through direct instruction, students will learn how to compose well-written responses. In any event, it takes a highly motivated group to run an efficient blog that demands students to work on the craft of writing. The majority of blogs that I see on the web deal almost exclusively with personal reflection and venting societal, political, or economic concerns. To successfully transition students from these kinds of blogs to perhaps a more structured blog, provided within the English class, it would be important to teach students the importance of defending arguments based on rational explanation derived from sources rather than allow them the freedom to speak their minds without justifying statements with direct evidence.
Kajder, S. (2008). The book trailer: engaging teens through technologies. Educational Leadership 65(6).
“All trailers have to include the title of the book, the author’s name, and a presentation that is both authentic to the text and that works to ‘hook’ readers. I also require students to submit their trailers with a piece of writing that explores the choices they made, with an analysis of the book that shows they made decisions on the basis of the text, and not just by using the aspects of technology that would best captivate an audience.”
This notion of a “hook” reminded me of thesis statements. This process of getting students to captivate an audience could provide vital insight into understanding how to formulate effective thesis statements, which is incredibly difficult to teach adults let alone teens. As for the piece of writing that students must submit, I feel that if this assignment is framed in the proper light, most students will invest the time and energy in ensuring its completion. That is to say, if the teacher makes this writing task seem like a laborious process rather than one that is meant to supplement the book trailer, students are likely to become displeased with the assignment. My advice for introducing this assignment is to tell students that they are architects of a master plan and they must provide the blueprint for future architects. In getting them to explore the choices they make, I would ask them write a kind of manual in documenting each and every step leading up to the book trailer. Not only would this be more enjoyable for the students, but it would solidify in their minds that they have mastered the process of making a book trailer.
Kadjer, S.B. (2007). Unleashing potential with emerging technologies. In K. Beers, R.E. Probst, and L. Rief (eds.), Adolescent literacy: turning promise into practice (213-229). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
The Sometimes Hidden Power in Book Trailers and Audiobooks
“Having students create trailers instead of giving traditional presentations opens up the modes and media students can use to communicate. Students can use images, motion or special effects, a recorded soundtrack, and print text to share their thinking, their interpretations, and their critiques of the books they read.”
One of the key skills that can be developed in English class is communication. By giving students the opportunity to create book trailers, communication is emphasized in multiple modes. As an English teacher, I want my students to be proficient in communicating in a variety of ways. The use of book trailers not only enables the classroom environment to be more engaging and interactive but also calls upon students to demonstrate several skills. In addition to developing their communication skills, students also will inevitably access their creative, critical, and independent thinking skills when producing a book trailer. Students essentially have to identify key aspects of literature, piece together the aspects in somewhat cohesive ways, and accompany the aspects with images, sounds, and text to capture the interests of others. If students were simply asked to interpret or analyze novels that they read, there would likely be some resistance and the activity may not fully access the students’ thinking. However, with a book trailer, it is possible that students will be so interested in the dynamism of the activity that they will not be as resistant to the process and will freely access their creative and critical thinking skills without being entirely aware of it. In short, this technology would allow for students to expand their creative, critical, and independent thinking skills while communicating with their peers in multiple modes.
Kajder, S. (2008). The book trailer: engaging teens through technologies. Educational Leadership, 65(6), 20.
“Students should be able to listen and find the magic of interpretation as actors read aloud or participate in dramatizations based on the finest young adult literature.”
Audiobooks can be highly effective in classrooms because reading is modeled for students and the emotions of characters are on display. I found that an audiobook for Romeo and Juliet was especially effective because it enabled students to better understand Shakespeare’s language and to improve their pronunciation skills. Also, allowing students to focus on the actions of characters rather than the language helped to clarify difficult moments in the plot. Overall, I feel that students felt more comfortable with reading Shakespeare after they were repeatedly exposed to the language.
However, I have also found that the pacing in other audiobooks is too fast for students and does not allow them to fully process the reading. After realizing that an audiobook for The Color of Water had fast pacing, did not follow the exact words of the text, and, at times, omitted large passages of the text, I used it only in a supplementary way. In fact, I have never fully replaced my reading and my students’ readings of a text with an audiobook because I want students to improve their own reading skills and not rely on the readings of others. Thus, I typically use audiobooks in a supplementary way. Interestingly, I found that since the audiobook for The Color of Water omitted large passages, I could use this as a learning tool to question my students as to why certain passages were left out. I wanted students to recognize that the audiobook was focusing on main ideas and discarding some of the smaller details, and I had students look at a chapter and identify the main ideas and then observe whether or not the audiobook focused on the same pieces of information.
Weiss, M.J. (2008). The sounds of stories. The Alan Review, 35(3), 79.
One of the key skills that can be developed in English class is communication. By giving students the opportunity to create book trailers, communication is emphasized in multiple modes. As an English teacher, I want my students to be proficient in communicating in a variety of ways. The use of book trailers not only enables the classroom environment to be more engaging and interactive but also calls upon students to demonstrate several skills. In addition to developing their communication skills, students also will inevitably access their creative, critical, and independent thinking skills when producing a book trailer. Students essentially have to identify key aspects of literature, piece together the aspects in somewhat cohesive ways, and accompany the aspects with images, sounds, and text to capture the interests of others. If students were simply asked to interpret or analyze novels that they read, there would likely be some resistance and the activity may not fully access the students’ thinking. However, with a book trailer, it is possible that students will be so interested in the dynamism of the activity that they will not be as resistant to the process and will freely access their creative and critical thinking skills without being entirely aware of it. In short, this technology would allow for students to expand their creative, critical, and independent thinking skills while communicating with their peers in multiple modes.
Kajder, S. (2008). The book trailer: engaging teens through technologies. Educational Leadership, 65(6), 20.
“Students should be able to listen and find the magic of interpretation as actors read aloud or participate in dramatizations based on the finest young adult literature.”
Audiobooks can be highly effective in classrooms because reading is modeled for students and the emotions of characters are on display. I found that an audiobook for Romeo and Juliet was especially effective because it enabled students to better understand Shakespeare’s language and to improve their pronunciation skills. Also, allowing students to focus on the actions of characters rather than the language helped to clarify difficult moments in the plot. Overall, I feel that students felt more comfortable with reading Shakespeare after they were repeatedly exposed to the language.
However, I have also found that the pacing in other audiobooks is too fast for students and does not allow them to fully process the reading. After realizing that an audiobook for The Color of Water had fast pacing, did not follow the exact words of the text, and, at times, omitted large passages of the text, I used it only in a supplementary way. In fact, I have never fully replaced my reading and my students’ readings of a text with an audiobook because I want students to improve their own reading skills and not rely on the readings of others. Thus, I typically use audiobooks in a supplementary way. Interestingly, I found that since the audiobook for The Color of Water omitted large passages, I could use this as a learning tool to question my students as to why certain passages were left out. I wanted students to recognize that the audiobook was focusing on main ideas and discarding some of the smaller details, and I had students look at a chapter and identify the main ideas and then observe whether or not the audiobook focused on the same pieces of information.
Weiss, M.J. (2008). The sounds of stories. The Alan Review, 35(3), 79.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
"So much of what we've done in bringing technology into the classroom has been about speed. Emergent technology use is different. It requires time spent deeply considering the instructional value added by new tools and time spent crafting instruction that puts content and instructional goals ahead of teaching the technology."
-Sara Kadjer, "Unleashing Potential with Emergent Technologies"
As I have reflected on the use of technology in the classroom, I have considered it a way to do some aspects of traditional teaching in a faster way. My primary goal for using technology in the classroom would be to teach them technological literacy. Kadjer is arguing that this is a very common view, but that the opposite is in fact true. Educational technology should help students better achieve the learning outcomes of the class, not simply be a skill unto itself. Technological skills aren't going to mean much to students if they don't have a sense of what they can be used for and why they should be. In other, technology shouldn't just be adopted because it can be; a teacher really needs to think on its long-term utility before adopting it.
"'Classic' literature circles have used sets of novels, and this has certainly been a way to help kids find authors and genres of fiction. But since lit. circles are essentially well-structured collaborative learning applied to reading, the model is just as powerful and effective for non-fiction texts."
-Harvey Daniels, "What's the Next Big Thing with Literature Circles?"
I'm trying to figure out a way to use more non-fiction in my curriculum, as I think it is a genre underutilized by most English teachers. Daniels seems to agree with me. I wish I knew more non-fiction texts that would work well in a high school setting, and I definitely wish I knew how to get my hands on more class sets. Some of the books he mentioned in the article could be very useful.
-Sara Kadjer, "Unleashing Potential with Emergent Technologies"
As I have reflected on the use of technology in the classroom, I have considered it a way to do some aspects of traditional teaching in a faster way. My primary goal for using technology in the classroom would be to teach them technological literacy. Kadjer is arguing that this is a very common view, but that the opposite is in fact true. Educational technology should help students better achieve the learning outcomes of the class, not simply be a skill unto itself. Technological skills aren't going to mean much to students if they don't have a sense of what they can be used for and why they should be. In other, technology shouldn't just be adopted because it can be; a teacher really needs to think on its long-term utility before adopting it.
"'Classic' literature circles have used sets of novels, and this has certainly been a way to help kids find authors and genres of fiction. But since lit. circles are essentially well-structured collaborative learning applied to reading, the model is just as powerful and effective for non-fiction texts."
-Harvey Daniels, "What's the Next Big Thing with Literature Circles?"
I'm trying to figure out a way to use more non-fiction in my curriculum, as I think it is a genre underutilized by most English teachers. Daniels seems to agree with me. I wish I knew more non-fiction texts that would work well in a high school setting, and I definitely wish I knew how to get my hands on more class sets. Some of the books he mentioned in the article could be very useful.
fear and loathing in los clases
"Just like writing a traditional book report, developing trailers requires prewriting. Students read. They write first drafts. They storyboard those images that will best drive the narrative of the trailer. They plan for transitions and effects. They received peer review. They revise.
- Sara Kajder, Educational Leadership
This sounds all well and good, but "just like writing a traditional book report," I think there's a good chance that I'll lose a lot of students during the writing process. Many of my students will not begin most of their assignments. Some of them will care enough to write a first draft. Thus far, only one of them in a year and most of a summer, has ever written a second draft of something. The fact that he wrote a second draft was fantastic, but there was really no writing process involved. Aside from a few spelling mistakes I corrected that he rewrote, the first and second drafts were virtually the same thing. There was no "process," no editing, no rethinking through it. Though I think the book trailer will go over much better with students than asking them to write a traditional report, I don't actually know that my students will be willing to take the time and put in the effort to complete them, or for that matter, to even start them. I need a way to motivate them before all that goes into making a book trailer can happen.
"By most accounts, literature circles have been a valuable addition to many kids' school experience, helping to grow more self-sustaining lifelong readers."
This sounds all well and good, but "just like writing a traditional book report," I think there's a good chance that I'll lose a lot of students during the writing process. Many of my students will not begin most of their assignments. Some of them will care enough to write a first draft. Thus far, only one of them in a year and most of a summer, has ever written a second draft of something. The fact that he wrote a second draft was fantastic, but there was really no writing process involved. Aside from a few spelling mistakes I corrected that he rewrote, the first and second drafts were virtually the same thing. There was no "process," no editing, no rethinking through it. Though I think the book trailer will go over much better with students than asking them to write a traditional report, I don't actually know that my students will be willing to take the time and put in the effort to complete them, or for that matter, to even start them. I need a way to motivate them before all that goes into making a book trailer can happen.
"By most accounts, literature circles have been a valuable addition to many kids' school experience, helping to grow more self-sustaining lifelong readers."
- Harvey Daniels, What's the Next Big thing with Literature Circles?
I think this quote has a lot of truth to it. The more a teacher can encourage student-led reading, the more a student will continue to read on his/her own. I also love the idea of having students reading together in class, but not a core novel. My concern is that because I have a transient population of students, that even if they are doing the right thing when I ask them to, none of them will be on nearly the same page as their literature circle at the same time. I am unsure how to conduct such a group when I might have a student leave before he/she finishes the book. Do I ask this student to write a report on what he/she has read of the book? Also, what do I do for students who refuse to read and consistently put their heads down during reading time? I want to help students grow into these self-sustaining lifelong readers, but I don't know that literature circles are the way to go for my situation.
A Luddite Speaks
I. Creative Use of Technology
"It's as if our instincts lead us to take what we've done in the past and reproduce the process using different tools to create the same product" (Kajder, 2008, p. 210).
Guilty as charged! I've used computers in my classroom, but mostly as glorified typewriters and occasionally for research. It's how I use computers, and so it makes sense that I'd bring into my classroom those applications (all two of them) with which I'm most comfortable. What Kadjer's article doesn't acknowledge is that not every teacher is as tech-savvy as she is, that some of us became English majors because we fell in love with the very low-tech idea that we could create entire worlds by making black marks on a blank sheet of paper. I very much want to engage my students in the study and appreciation of language and literature—and firmly believe that that could best be accomplished through the use of technology—but I don't feel confident in my ability to lead them in those endeavors. I broke out into a cold sweat when I read Kadjer's articles. It all seems so daunting, but I suppose I'll have to take it one application at a time.
Kadjer, S.B. (2007). Unleashing potential with emerging technologies. In K. Beers, R.E. Probst, and L. Rief (eds.), Adolescent literacy: turning promise into practice (213-229). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
II. The Sounds of Stories
"Letting students read aloud from their favorite books, emphasizing dramatic techniques and interpretation, is a practical way to develop fluency, listening skills, and oral interpretation (Weiss, 2008, p. 79)."
My mom loves books on tape—it's how she "reads" books these days—but I'm proof that the auditory learner gene doesn't get passed down through the mother. I cannot, for the life of me, make it through an audiobook. (I've tried now three times with Stargirl.) My frustration with audiobooks, instead of making me right them off as a pedagogical tool, has made me more appreciative of how varied the learning styles, preferences, and intelligences of my students are. Despite my antipathy for audiobooks, I had fully intended to use audiobooks in my classroom but had viewed them mostly as options for lower-level readers. Reading Weiss's article, it occurred to me that audiobook performances might be a good way to model for all my students what fluent, lively reading sounds like. Instead of having the audiobook be an end in itself, listening to the performance could be used to prepare students for doing their own recording of books (as was suggested by Professor King) or to turn books into "scripts" that could then be "performed" rather than read. I know that my students are always filled with dread at the prospect of hearing a poor reader read a selection from a shared text. Emphasizing the performative aspects of reading may make reading more appealing to a lot of my students—and may increase their fluency in the process.
Weiss, M. J. (2008). The sounds of stories. The ALAN Review, 35(3), 79-81.
"It's as if our instincts lead us to take what we've done in the past and reproduce the process using different tools to create the same product" (Kajder, 2008, p. 210).
Guilty as charged! I've used computers in my classroom, but mostly as glorified typewriters and occasionally for research. It's how I use computers, and so it makes sense that I'd bring into my classroom those applications (all two of them) with which I'm most comfortable. What Kadjer's article doesn't acknowledge is that not every teacher is as tech-savvy as she is, that some of us became English majors because we fell in love with the very low-tech idea that we could create entire worlds by making black marks on a blank sheet of paper. I very much want to engage my students in the study and appreciation of language and literature—and firmly believe that that could best be accomplished through the use of technology—but I don't feel confident in my ability to lead them in those endeavors. I broke out into a cold sweat when I read Kadjer's articles. It all seems so daunting, but I suppose I'll have to take it one application at a time.
Kadjer, S.B. (2007). Unleashing potential with emerging technologies. In K. Beers, R.E. Probst, and L. Rief (eds.), Adolescent literacy: turning promise into practice (213-229). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
II. The Sounds of Stories
"Letting students read aloud from their favorite books, emphasizing dramatic techniques and interpretation, is a practical way to develop fluency, listening skills, and oral interpretation (Weiss, 2008, p. 79)."
My mom loves books on tape—it's how she "reads" books these days—but I'm proof that the auditory learner gene doesn't get passed down through the mother. I cannot, for the life of me, make it through an audiobook. (I've tried now three times with Stargirl.) My frustration with audiobooks, instead of making me right them off as a pedagogical tool, has made me more appreciative of how varied the learning styles, preferences, and intelligences of my students are. Despite my antipathy for audiobooks, I had fully intended to use audiobooks in my classroom but had viewed them mostly as options for lower-level readers. Reading Weiss's article, it occurred to me that audiobook performances might be a good way to model for all my students what fluent, lively reading sounds like. Instead of having the audiobook be an end in itself, listening to the performance could be used to prepare students for doing their own recording of books (as was suggested by Professor King) or to turn books into "scripts" that could then be "performed" rather than read. I know that my students are always filled with dread at the prospect of hearing a poor reader read a selection from a shared text. Emphasizing the performative aspects of reading may make reading more appealing to a lot of my students—and may increase their fluency in the process.
Weiss, M. J. (2008). The sounds of stories. The ALAN Review, 35(3), 79-81.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Book Trailers and Literature Circles
I. Book Trailers
"'This is different because school is something better than the place where I just feel dumb. This place sees me as a reader and a writer in the ways that I get something from'" (Kajder, 2008),
It's true; I picked the obvious "feel good teacher" quote from Sara Kajder's The Book Trailer: Engaging Teens through Technologies. But I didn't do it for sentimental purposes, but rather because I think it really illuminates an idea that I've been mulling around for a couple of weeks--students like to do "things", and they don't necessarily see reading, talking, and writing as "things". Recently, I looked into the benefits of what was once known as vocational training and is now known as CTE (career and technical education). CTE curriculums have been updated for the times; in fact, creating a book trailer, with the software and editing skills required, might now be considered central to a CTE course. I speak of this because I think its important that students feel, despite what we as adults already know, that they are taking something tangible away from school. A student may see engagement in a book trailer project as working towards developing a skill that s/he could use in a job setting, all the while, being "tricked" into summarizing and reflecting on works of literature. This action, that with planning can be both technically active and ELA relevant, can counter students' feelings of school being a place to "feel dumb". School should, I think, be less about feeling, and more about doing.
Kajder, S. (2008). The book trailer: engaging teens through technologies. Educational
Leadership, 65(6).
II. Literature Circles
"You can have a written conversation while sitting side by side in real time, passing notes back and forth, or in letter form, where writers send 'mail' for readers to answer when they get time" (Daniels, 2006, p. 10).
While I have seen teachers employ strategies that ask students to write back and forth with them about a book, it never occurred to me to put students to writing one another about a book. In one of my classes, I spent a significant amount of time trying to get a group of very bright, but very distracted, girls to stop passing notes. This strategy might provide an answer that involves less fruitless fighting on my part, and actual student engagement during class. Perhaps pairs of students could have a dedicated notebook, or packet designed for the project, in which they pass notes back and forth regarding a text. This would allow for teachers to monitor and grade the dialogue. I really love the idea; it's so simple and obvious--I know it would appeal to students, and it offers teachers lots of opportunities for differentiation.
Daniels, H. (2006). What's the next big thing with literature circles?. Voices from the Middle,
13(4), pp. 10-15.
"'This is different because school is something better than the place where I just feel dumb. This place sees me as a reader and a writer in the ways that I get something from'" (Kajder, 2008),
It's true; I picked the obvious "feel good teacher" quote from Sara Kajder's The Book Trailer: Engaging Teens through Technologies. But I didn't do it for sentimental purposes, but rather because I think it really illuminates an idea that I've been mulling around for a couple of weeks--students like to do "things", and they don't necessarily see reading, talking, and writing as "things". Recently, I looked into the benefits of what was once known as vocational training and is now known as CTE (career and technical education). CTE curriculums have been updated for the times; in fact, creating a book trailer, with the software and editing skills required, might now be considered central to a CTE course. I speak of this because I think its important that students feel, despite what we as adults already know, that they are taking something tangible away from school. A student may see engagement in a book trailer project as working towards developing a skill that s/he could use in a job setting, all the while, being "tricked" into summarizing and reflecting on works of literature. This action, that with planning can be both technically active and ELA relevant, can counter students' feelings of school being a place to "feel dumb". School should, I think, be less about feeling, and more about doing.
Kajder, S. (2008). The book trailer: engaging teens through technologies. Educational
Leadership, 65(6).
II. Literature Circles
"You can have a written conversation while sitting side by side in real time, passing notes back and forth, or in letter form, where writers send 'mail' for readers to answer when they get time" (Daniels, 2006, p. 10).
While I have seen teachers employ strategies that ask students to write back and forth with them about a book, it never occurred to me to put students to writing one another about a book. In one of my classes, I spent a significant amount of time trying to get a group of very bright, but very distracted, girls to stop passing notes. This strategy might provide an answer that involves less fruitless fighting on my part, and actual student engagement during class. Perhaps pairs of students could have a dedicated notebook, or packet designed for the project, in which they pass notes back and forth regarding a text. This would allow for teachers to monitor and grade the dialogue. I really love the idea; it's so simple and obvious--I know it would appeal to students, and it offers teachers lots of opportunities for differentiation.
Daniels, H. (2006). What's the next big thing with literature circles?. Voices from the Middle,
13(4), pp. 10-15.
Book Trailers & Audiobooks
I. Book Trailers
“These students are reading and writing, but in modes and media that are different from the print literacies valued in school.” (Kajder, 2008)
I really think there is something to be said for the idea of having students engage in ‘alternative’ means of reading and writing because I feel that students will naturally be more interested and therefore more involved in the process of learning and expanding their knowledge. Kajder has found a way to boost academic achievement and excitement, through book trailers, podcasts and Internet discussions. The article points out how students are able to introduce their own interests in the class, which I think is necessary for students to feel invested in what they are doing in the classroom. As well, the benefit of having students learn how to create book trailers reaches beyond the classroom in the sense that students are learning valuable skills that they can take out in the real world and potentially use on a job or in college. The introduction and use of something like book trailers is in some ways necessary in order to keep students current with the trends of work and education life.
How one (that is, a teacher) is able to go about making all the components that Kajder discusses come together when there are 150 students involved in the process is mind-blowing. At one point Kajder writes: “students will work together to award three trailers with the highest honor—a place on the class’s weekly podcast, which is broadcast from the class’s password-protected Web site,” and all I can think is how, how, how, does this happen. A weekly podcast, award ceremony, and password-protected Web site…just a once a month podcast seems like a lot, let alone everything else mentioned. I would imagine however it was a process to get to the point of having so many technology components going at once, and so as a still new teacher with little experience with technology, I need to think about taking baby, not giant, steps towards integrating technology into my instruction.
Kajder, S. (2008). The book trailer: engaging teens through technologies. Educational Leadership 65(6).
II. Audiobooks
“Today we are blessed with audiobooks. Students should be able to listen and find the magic of interpretation as actors read aloud or participate in dramatizations…” (Weiss, 2008)
My Ah!Ha! moment while reading “The Sounds of Stories” came when my eyes crossed the above quotation. This moment was more of an ‘Ah! Ha! I can’t believe the writer is saying this,’ rather than a ‘this guy is genius’ moment. I am not sure if I stand alone in my belief that audiobooks, in fact, are not a blessing, but I’m willing to go ahead and say it. My experience, as a learner and listener to of audiobooks, has been less than satisfying. I find them difficult to follow, unless perhaps you were driving cross-country, and not nearly as rewarding as reading. This perhaps speaks to the kind of learner that I am and my preferences. Regarding the notion of “the magic of interpretation,” well, I’ve yet to have had that experience. The actors that I’ve listened to have been more boring than magical, and the different voices that they try to assume in a story are distracting and sometimes a bit laughable.
All that said, I do believe that as a teacher, because remember, I’ve been speaking a listener/learner, I could utilize audiobooks in valuable and meaningful ways. For example, audiobooks could be used for those students with disabilities that might require the type of learning that audiobooks provide, or perhaps even for reluctant readers, audiobooks could be a segue into literature. I do think audiobooks can be a nice compliment to a text, and perhaps could be used if there were portions of a class novel that students were struggling with, an audiobook could be used to try and help with students’ understanding. As well, as Weiss noted, audiobooks can be used constructively to help students with their listening skills. All and all, I am for audiobooks as a teacher and the uses it can have in the classroom, but as a listener, I will stick to the page.
Weiss, M. J. (2008) The sounds of stories. The Alan Review, 35(3), 79-81.
“These students are reading and writing, but in modes and media that are different from the print literacies valued in school.” (Kajder, 2008)
I really think there is something to be said for the idea of having students engage in ‘alternative’ means of reading and writing because I feel that students will naturally be more interested and therefore more involved in the process of learning and expanding their knowledge. Kajder has found a way to boost academic achievement and excitement, through book trailers, podcasts and Internet discussions. The article points out how students are able to introduce their own interests in the class, which I think is necessary for students to feel invested in what they are doing in the classroom. As well, the benefit of having students learn how to create book trailers reaches beyond the classroom in the sense that students are learning valuable skills that they can take out in the real world and potentially use on a job or in college. The introduction and use of something like book trailers is in some ways necessary in order to keep students current with the trends of work and education life.
How one (that is, a teacher) is able to go about making all the components that Kajder discusses come together when there are 150 students involved in the process is mind-blowing. At one point Kajder writes: “students will work together to award three trailers with the highest honor—a place on the class’s weekly podcast, which is broadcast from the class’s password-protected Web site,” and all I can think is how, how, how, does this happen. A weekly podcast, award ceremony, and password-protected Web site…just a once a month podcast seems like a lot, let alone everything else mentioned. I would imagine however it was a process to get to the point of having so many technology components going at once, and so as a still new teacher with little experience with technology, I need to think about taking baby, not giant, steps towards integrating technology into my instruction.
Kajder, S. (2008). The book trailer: engaging teens through technologies. Educational Leadership 65(6).
II. Audiobooks
“Today we are blessed with audiobooks. Students should be able to listen and find the magic of interpretation as actors read aloud or participate in dramatizations…” (Weiss, 2008)
My Ah!Ha! moment while reading “The Sounds of Stories” came when my eyes crossed the above quotation. This moment was more of an ‘Ah! Ha! I can’t believe the writer is saying this,’ rather than a ‘this guy is genius’ moment. I am not sure if I stand alone in my belief that audiobooks, in fact, are not a blessing, but I’m willing to go ahead and say it. My experience, as a learner and listener to of audiobooks, has been less than satisfying. I find them difficult to follow, unless perhaps you were driving cross-country, and not nearly as rewarding as reading. This perhaps speaks to the kind of learner that I am and my preferences. Regarding the notion of “the magic of interpretation,” well, I’ve yet to have had that experience. The actors that I’ve listened to have been more boring than magical, and the different voices that they try to assume in a story are distracting and sometimes a bit laughable.
All that said, I do believe that as a teacher, because remember, I’ve been speaking a listener/learner, I could utilize audiobooks in valuable and meaningful ways. For example, audiobooks could be used for those students with disabilities that might require the type of learning that audiobooks provide, or perhaps even for reluctant readers, audiobooks could be a segue into literature. I do think audiobooks can be a nice compliment to a text, and perhaps could be used if there were portions of a class novel that students were struggling with, an audiobook could be used to try and help with students’ understanding. As well, as Weiss noted, audiobooks can be used constructively to help students with their listening skills. All and all, I am for audiobooks as a teacher and the uses it can have in the classroom, but as a listener, I will stick to the page.
Weiss, M. J. (2008) The sounds of stories. The Alan Review, 35(3), 79-81.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
To Technologize or Not
"School is about fitting things into tight little boxes that you measure with a test. You can't do that and use these tools." (Kadjer, 2008)
"I stopped doing anything 'cause it wasn't going anywhere and I didn't see myself in any of it."
(Kadjer, 2007)
By "these tools," this student is referring to blogs. This student dislikes writing in school because it is so structured, and a pencil and paper is very limiting. When he goes home, he writes and writes, putting up his own blog, and adds pictures, music, whatever. While I firmly believe that a student's learning and writing must be well grounded in the fundamentals, it is highly important that teachers become more aware of other modes of writing out there in the world of the internet. There are more than just pretty little paragraphs being crafted, there are little movies, links, pictures, sounds, music, etc. With some assistance, students can create multimedia experiences on any subject under the sun. Why wouldn't a teacher want that for their classroom? As the second quote suggests, if they cannot see themselves in what we're doing in the classroom, they will not be engaged. Giving them something to do, something that can be seen, creates a feeling of being able to change something, maybe even the world.
Students are writing and reading blogs from all over the country and the earth. The possibility that someone from another place will read something that you created from your mind, is quite alluring. Essential in this idea is, according to Kadjer, that we must speak to the kids in order to know where to look. We cannot just use computers, typing up papers and looking on websites for understanding, and simply call it high-tech work. We must talk with them, find out what they are looking at, what trends there are, and then explore. They are up on the trends, and what they are interested in will dictate where things are going- they are the audience and the creators; we owe it to them to listen.
Kadjer, S.B. (2008). Educational leadership: Reaching the reluctant learner, March 2008, vol. 65, number 6. The book trailer: engaging teens through technologies.
Kadjer, S.B. (2007). Unleashing potential with emerging technologies. In K. Beers, R.E. Probst, and L. Rief (eds.), Adolescent literacy: turning promise into practice (p213-229). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann
"I stopped doing anything 'cause it wasn't going anywhere and I didn't see myself in any of it."
(Kadjer, 2007)
By "these tools," this student is referring to blogs. This student dislikes writing in school because it is so structured, and a pencil and paper is very limiting. When he goes home, he writes and writes, putting up his own blog, and adds pictures, music, whatever. While I firmly believe that a student's learning and writing must be well grounded in the fundamentals, it is highly important that teachers become more aware of other modes of writing out there in the world of the internet. There are more than just pretty little paragraphs being crafted, there are little movies, links, pictures, sounds, music, etc. With some assistance, students can create multimedia experiences on any subject under the sun. Why wouldn't a teacher want that for their classroom? As the second quote suggests, if they cannot see themselves in what we're doing in the classroom, they will not be engaged. Giving them something to do, something that can be seen, creates a feeling of being able to change something, maybe even the world.
Students are writing and reading blogs from all over the country and the earth. The possibility that someone from another place will read something that you created from your mind, is quite alluring. Essential in this idea is, according to Kadjer, that we must speak to the kids in order to know where to look. We cannot just use computers, typing up papers and looking on websites for understanding, and simply call it high-tech work. We must talk with them, find out what they are looking at, what trends there are, and then explore. They are up on the trends, and what they are interested in will dictate where things are going- they are the audience and the creators; we owe it to them to listen.
Kadjer, S.B. (2008). Educational leadership: Reaching the reluctant learner, March 2008, vol. 65, number 6. The book trailer: engaging teens through technologies.
Kadjer, S.B. (2007). Unleashing potential with emerging technologies. In K. Beers, R.E. Probst, and L. Rief (eds.), Adolescent literacy: turning promise into practice (p213-229). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann
Monday, July 21, 2008
Central WebQuest
(Sidenote: I got this link at a base for tons of webquests. Here is the link-http://www.asu.edu/clas/english/englished/yalit/webquest.htm)
This webquest includes not only an interactive page, but features a summary, bio of the author, a reading quiz, and other related links. The page is colorful and allows you to navigate through the different facets of the book. I think by teaching the kids powerpoint, you can build to learning/teaching to create a webquest/site like this one. With the navigational capabilities of the site, as well as its visual appeal, I think it speaks well for the students' understanding of the book.
JDonohue
This webquest includes not only an interactive page, but features a summary, bio of the author, a reading quiz, and other related links. The page is colorful and allows you to navigate through the different facets of the book. I think by teaching the kids powerpoint, you can build to learning/teaching to create a webquest/site like this one. With the navigational capabilities of the site, as well as its visual appeal, I think it speaks well for the students' understanding of the book.
JDonohue
Lord of the Flies Webquest Review
The Lord of the Flies webquest I found (http://www.longwood.k12.ny.us/lhs/
teach/webq/lmasterjohnlord/index.html) is one of the better webquests I have seen for this book. What I like about webquests in general is that they allow for students to take charge of what their activities and products, and they are open for varying creative responses. The longwood quest asks students to do three things, create a survival manual with a map of their island, choose and make a poster of a shell to be used as a symbol of the group, and create a human rights poster detailing the rules and rights of everyone on the island. I would do this webquest as a group project, because it is ready-made for differentiation. It can easily be differentiated for student learning styles and abilities.
The survival manual allows for a lot of creativity because students use their imagination to chose which tools they find on their crashed plane. The shell poster allows students to display their artwork, and encourages them to thinking about symbols and subtle meaning. The human rights poster is a great idea. It sends them to Amnesty International websites, and touches on the heart of the book, which is how human beings treat each other. This higher-level task encourages students to make text-to-world connections and think critically about why the author chose this subject.
teach/webq/lmasterjohnlord/index.html) is one of the better webquests I have seen for this book. What I like about webquests in general is that they allow for students to take charge of what their activities and products, and they are open for varying creative responses. The longwood quest asks students to do three things, create a survival manual with a map of their island, choose and make a poster of a shell to be used as a symbol of the group, and create a human rights poster detailing the rules and rights of everyone on the island. I would do this webquest as a group project, because it is ready-made for differentiation. It can easily be differentiated for student learning styles and abilities.
The survival manual allows for a lot of creativity because students use their imagination to chose which tools they find on their crashed plane. The shell poster allows students to display their artwork, and encourages them to thinking about symbols and subtle meaning. The human rights poster is a great idea. It sends them to Amnesty International websites, and touches on the heart of the book, which is how human beings treat each other. This higher-level task encourages students to make text-to-world connections and think critically about why the author chose this subject.
Friday, July 18, 2008
9th Grade Webquests
As I approached this posting, I was very excited to begin searching the web for interactive webquests that would help my students engage the various texts we read throughout the year. I felt that this medium would offer a great way for them to use a forum they are comfortable with and interested in to better understand ELA content material. Yet as I continued to search the web, I must say I found myself disappointed with the overall quality of the webquests I encountered. While there were plenty to choose from, most seemed to be pretty basic and followed the same generic formula. With so much technology and possibility out there, I was surprised that I did not find more interactive sites that included video and audio components that would engage more students and help differentiate instruction for all types of learners. It appears as if the medium is still developing, and hopefully there will be a great number of more involved websites once this next generation of internet savvy teachers makes its way onto the internet. All that being said, however, I have no doubt that the webquest genre will continue to evolve into a valuable teaching tool that will greatly supplement classroom instruction. Throughout my search, I was able to find several sites that I found both engaging and informative. Here is a list of the best webquests I found for some of the books I studied with my 9th grade students this past year:
The Outsiders by SE Hinton:
http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/library/crc/webquest/OutsidersWebQuest/
- offers an interesting task & great pictures from the movie to engage student interest
The Odyssey by Homer:
http://www.janaedwards.com/odyssey.html
- very interactive…includes the full-text, games, picture-book version of the story, animation, sound bites, & various handouts/worksheets
Greek Mythology:
http://home.swbell.net/bobj1/webquestgreek.html
- provides informative links & a good class project
Othello by William Shakespeare:
http://www.pbs.org/shakespeare/educators/technology/lessonplan.html
- not really a traditional webquest, but offers a great deal of resources including lesson plans & video clips
The Outsiders by SE Hinton:
http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/library/crc/webquest/OutsidersWebQuest/
- offers an interesting task & great pictures from the movie to engage student interest
The Odyssey by Homer:
http://www.janaedwards.com/odyssey.html
- very interactive…includes the full-text, games, picture-book version of the story, animation, sound bites, & various handouts/worksheets
Greek Mythology:
http://home.swbell.net/bobj1/webquestgreek.html
- provides informative links & a good class project
Othello by William Shakespeare:
http://www.pbs.org/shakespeare/educators/technology/lessonplan.html
- not really a traditional webquest, but offers a great deal of resources including lesson plans & video clips
Kate is always late...with assignments
My computer is a piece of junk. My internet is sort of working. It is kind of frustrating. Any moment now my computer could just decide to stop working. It already told me that my C drive is filthy. I don't even know what that means.
I found some sites that list audio books for a teen audience, since that is an assignment . My biggest problem is finding books that my students can connect to.
http://www.wiredforyouth.com/books/index.cfm?booklist=audio
http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/selectedaudio/08audio.cfm
http://www.acrl.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/selectedaudio/audiobooks.cfm
Here is a link to a book version of this internet search:
http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=9780618612963
All the books I want webquests on don't exist: The White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean, The Book Thief and I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak, and Slam by Nick Hornby. So I guess that means I have to make them. What a sad webquest that would be!
Here is a site that links you to other webquests (that I am not interested in, but you might be):
http://www.writinglife.org/eci721/eciprojects.htm
John Green's site: http://www.sparksflyup.com/
I hate my computer. I will discuss this issue more in my next blog: Viva la Kate and Death to technology and all its friends.
I found some sites that list audio books for a teen audience, since that is an assignment . My biggest problem is finding books that my students can connect to.
http://www.wiredforyouth.com/books/index.cfm?booklist=audio
http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/selectedaudio/08audio.cfm
http://www.acrl.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/selectedaudio/audiobooks.cfm
Here is a link to a book version of this internet search:
http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=9780618612963
All the books I want webquests on don't exist: The White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean, The Book Thief and I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak, and Slam by Nick Hornby. So I guess that means I have to make them. What a sad webquest that would be!
Here is a site that links you to other webquests (that I am not interested in, but you might be):
http://www.writinglife.org/eci721/eciprojects.htm
John Green's site: http://www.sparksflyup.com/
I hate my computer. I will discuss this issue more in my next blog: Viva la Kate and Death to technology and all its friends.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
9th Grade Webquests
http://www.geocities.com/exploring_citr/tour.htm
I must say, I was quite eager to find a great Catcher in the Rye webquest, because I felt that my unit last year could have used something more engaging. So I was incredibly disappointed when all of the novel's webquests were lackluster. Some webquests simply asked students to answer comprehension questions online after reading different websites, or the questions seemed tedious and lacking meaning. None of the websites were colorful and ready to grab me, let alone a reluctant student. I really enjoyed one website, that wasn't formatted as a standard webquest ala Dodge, but was simply a photo tour of the NYC landmarks and period fashions that Salinger mentions (see above). While this website is also not visually appealing, it provides a wealth of pictures so that our students can actually visualize gladstones, the movies Phoebe mentions, Grand Central Terminal or the Central Park carousel. I'm not sure how to use this website as anything other than a reference. I would ask students to go to the website and look at particular links that align with the reading for that night. More creative ideas are welcome!
Catcher in the Rye webquests:
http://www.rockwood.k12.mo.us/Lafayette/languagearts/Main%20Dept%20Folder/Class%20Hotlinks/salinger.htm
http://www.asdk12.org/schools/west/pages/education/Haas4/catcherintherye_.htm
I also teach Greek mythology to my ninth graders and found a website that was more appealing than others. The website is colorful and tells students that they are investigative reporters assigned to find out who is the best and worst of the Olympians. The webquest is a group assignment and each student has a role. They must research the Olympians using the provided links and create a powerpoint presentation about the best and the worst. This website has the engagement factor that was lacking from the Salinger webquests, but doesn't necessarily demand higher-order thinking. I think this webquest would be appropriate for a fun pre-reading activity to have students understand who's who on Mount Olympus.
Greek Mythology Website:
http://www.coollessons.org/indexilani.htm
I must say, I was quite eager to find a great Catcher in the Rye webquest, because I felt that my unit last year could have used something more engaging. So I was incredibly disappointed when all of the novel's webquests were lackluster. Some webquests simply asked students to answer comprehension questions online after reading different websites, or the questions seemed tedious and lacking meaning. None of the websites were colorful and ready to grab me, let alone a reluctant student. I really enjoyed one website, that wasn't formatted as a standard webquest ala Dodge, but was simply a photo tour of the NYC landmarks and period fashions that Salinger mentions (see above). While this website is also not visually appealing, it provides a wealth of pictures so that our students can actually visualize gladstones, the movies Phoebe mentions, Grand Central Terminal or the Central Park carousel. I'm not sure how to use this website as anything other than a reference. I would ask students to go to the website and look at particular links that align with the reading for that night. More creative ideas are welcome!
Catcher in the Rye webquests:
http://www.rockwood.k12.mo.us/Lafayette/languagearts/Main%20Dept%20Folder/Class%20Hotlinks/salinger.htm
http://www.asdk12.org/schools/west/pages/education/Haas4/catcherintherye_.htm
I also teach Greek mythology to my ninth graders and found a website that was more appealing than others. The website is colorful and tells students that they are investigative reporters assigned to find out who is the best and worst of the Olympians. The webquest is a group assignment and each student has a role. They must research the Olympians using the provided links and create a powerpoint presentation about the best and the worst. This website has the engagement factor that was lacking from the Salinger webquests, but doesn't necessarily demand higher-order thinking. I think this webquest would be appropriate for a fun pre-reading activity to have students understand who's who on Mount Olympus.
Greek Mythology Website:
http://www.coollessons.org/indexilani.htm
Banned Books and Censorship Resources
http://georgesuttle.com/censorship/censors-all.shtml
This website has a myriad of links to other websites under the categories book censorship, other media censorship, and free expression and the law.
*warning* some of the many, many links no longer work.
The American Library Association page on banned books is included:
http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/challengedbanned/challengedbanned.cfm
http://www.booksatoz.com/censorship/banned.htm
This website has a myriad of links to other websites under the categories book censorship, other media censorship, and free expression and the law.
*warning* some of the many, many links no longer work.
The American Library Association page on banned books is included:
http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/challengedbanned/challengedbanned.cfm
http://www.booksatoz.com/censorship/banned.htm
Webquest Finds-Cisneros and Santiago
I found this webquest initially, and I actually found it useful in a few ways. First, I think it is always interesting to have a discussion about culture. Students can discuss where they come from and how they feel a part of the community in which they live, or how they feel marginalized. I hated teaching the Outsiders, but I found that students identified with questions about "fitting in." Similarly, they were able to relate with characters that struggled to assimilate into a new culture. This particular webquest on House on Mango offers similar opportunities for students to explore their cultures and feelings regarding cultural difference. The second thing I liked about this webquest was that allowed students to explore, in writing, what it would be like to go to a study abroad program. I think that pushing students to think about countries they would like to visit and study not only gets them thinking about higher education, but it allows them to practice their persuasive writing skills in an entrance essay.
http://coe.west.asu.edu/students/blarson/wquest/index.htm
Another website that might be useful for a middle school classroom:
http://webquest.org/questgarden/lessons/09571-051129200337/task.htm
Again, this website offers ways that students can explore acculutration by examining Esperanza's interactions with other characters that are in her new community. The writing assignment here is a creative idea--writing a vignette--but I think the teacher would need more structure and analysis of Cisnero's writing style before allowing students to venture off an write their own.
This isn't a webquest, but it is a compilation of ways to teach literature by an old professor of mine from grad school at Sonoma.
http://jhh.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/5/2/107.pdf
Related books on assimilating to cultures that I liked: When I was a Puerto Rican by Santiago
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=b2587b85ece156ce8c5d
http://coe.west.asu.edu/students/blarson/wquest/index.htm
Another website that might be useful for a middle school classroom:
http://webquest.org/questgarden/lessons/09571-051129200337/task.htm
Again, this website offers ways that students can explore acculutration by examining Esperanza's interactions with other characters that are in her new community. The writing assignment here is a creative idea--writing a vignette--but I think the teacher would need more structure and analysis of Cisnero's writing style before allowing students to venture off an write their own.
This isn't a webquest, but it is a compilation of ways to teach literature by an old professor of mine from grad school at Sonoma.
http://jhh.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/5/2/107.pdf
Related books on assimilating to cultures that I liked: When I was a Puerto Rican by Santiago
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=b2587b85ece156ce8c5d
Monday, July 14, 2008
webquest 1
Website: http://www2.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/tips/t2prod/wilkinswq.html
This web quest asks students to explore gender roles and issues of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. Students work in groups of four to analyze Roe vs. Wade or Virginia Military Institute vs. United States. First, students gather information about their case, researching precedents to support their argument. Then, students use relevant quotes from the novel as “evidence.” The final assignment requires students to create a newsletter that includes their legal brief as well as two political cartoons connected to the case. The newsletter aspect of this product seems to take away from the legal brief aspect because it asks students to fuse two already foreign and potentially confusing forms of writing. I would modify the assignment so that it focuses solely on argumentative writing. I would also insist that students use at least two other quality sources to support their argument. This assignment would be a good fit for my honors 9th grade English students, most of whom will take AP Language in their junior year. The AP test requires students to synthesize information from several documents to create a convincing argument around a particular issue. This web quest will pose a greater challenge for honors students and will provide them with an opportunity to hone skills necessary for the AP Language course.
Here are additional websites I found helpful:
www.learner.org/resources/series111.html#
home.mindspring.com/~chadwick15/_wsn/Conversation.html
http://www3.uakron.edu/noden/strats/strats9/answers.html
www.webenglishteacher.com/
www.hononegah.org/hono2/reynolds/sentpattrns.html
This web quest asks students to explore gender roles and issues of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. Students work in groups of four to analyze Roe vs. Wade or Virginia Military Institute vs. United States. First, students gather information about their case, researching precedents to support their argument. Then, students use relevant quotes from the novel as “evidence.” The final assignment requires students to create a newsletter that includes their legal brief as well as two political cartoons connected to the case. The newsletter aspect of this product seems to take away from the legal brief aspect because it asks students to fuse two already foreign and potentially confusing forms of writing. I would modify the assignment so that it focuses solely on argumentative writing. I would also insist that students use at least two other quality sources to support their argument. This assignment would be a good fit for my honors 9th grade English students, most of whom will take AP Language in their junior year. The AP test requires students to synthesize information from several documents to create a convincing argument around a particular issue. This web quest will pose a greater challenge for honors students and will provide them with an opportunity to hone skills necessary for the AP Language course.
Here are additional websites I found helpful:
www.learner.org/resources/series111.html#
home.mindspring.com/~chadwick15/_wsn/Conversation.html
http://www3.uakron.edu/noden/strats/strats9/answers.html
www.webenglishteacher.com/
www.hononegah.org/hono2/reynolds/sentpattrns.html
Webquest on TRagic Heroes
This Webquest for 11th and 12th graders asks small groups to develop web material on tragic heroes. Students are to identify five tragic heroes from literature and from life, give them context, explain what makes them tragic heroes, and provide graphic representations for each. The exercise begins by asking students to review material from previous lessons; this includes terms like “hamartia” and “catharsis” and concepts like Aristotle’s understanding of tragedy. Students then choose five figures from a list of tragic heroes (Hamlet, Antigone, Bill Clinton, Willie Loman) and do basic web-based research on them. After completing the exercises, student groups set up their findings on computers for a gallery walk. Though this does not focus on a particular book, I like this Webquest for its emphasis on literary terms and concepts that could be relevant to an array of texts. I could see many of the characters we have been discussing on blackboard on the list teachers provide the students, and I can imagine lively and productive conversations about contemporary tragic heroes in popular culture and young adult literature. What I appreciate most in this Webquest is a linked “Guide to Building Consensus” that student groups read before beginning. The guide instructs students how to trust one another, how to disagree respectfully, how to negotiate different ideas, etc. The Webquest is at http://www.teachtheteachers.org/projects/JZarro2/index.htm.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Freak The Mighty Webquest
I have not read this book yet, but my 8th grade students all said they read it in 6th grade and loved it. It is a story about the friendship of two boys, one with a physical disability and one with a learning disability. This Webquest directs the students to do further research into disabilities and how they affect people in society. I think the activity could help students empathize more with people with disabilities, and I consider empathy to be an important concept for students to begin to grasp in middle school. For the activity, students work in groups of about five. Each student researches a different disability, and the group later combines its research and designs a public service announcement (PSA) around the information they have compiled. Although each student does have to submit a written report, the activity differentiates somewhat in terms of product by also incorporating a performance aspect in the PSA. Also, prior to conducting their research, students read the book in literature circles in which they are each assigned different roles. Assigning the multiple roles ensures process differentiation along the way.
5 (6) useful websites
Five cool sites for teachers
http://wneo.org/hotlists/Languageartsweb/LanguageArtsWebsites.htm
http://www.brainpop.com/english/
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/
But of course, we are all probably familiar with this one;-)
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson268.shtml
http://www.teenspoint.org/reading_matters/book_list.asp?sort=5&list=274&curpage=9
http://www.nypl.org/
Okay, just this last one that I find incredibly helpful
http://wneo.org/hotlists/Languageartsweb/LanguageArtsWebsites.htm
http://www.brainpop.com/english/
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/
But of course, we are all probably familiar with this one;-)
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson268.shtml
http://www.teenspoint.org/reading_matters/book_list.asp?sort=5&list=274&curpage=9
http://www.nypl.org/
Okay, just this last one that I find incredibly helpful
Night and how to get students to make a meaningful connection
I taught Night by Elie Wiesel last school year and I may teach it again this coming school year. I found Night to be an excellent novel to get students to begin to develop an internal dialogue about social justice and each person’s responsibility. One webquest search I found to be incredibly useful in giving the students an idea of how to connect to the images of the horrific events of the holocaust is http://cte.jhu.edu/techacademy/web/2000/baczkowski/intro.htm. There the students created powerful poetry designed to ensure that their friends do not forget the horrors of the holocaust. Each student’s poem has hyperlinked visual images which fills the senses of the reader. The students ultimate goal was to explain why the book by Elie Wiesel is tilted Night.
Although my students struggled somewhat with Night (that is, they failed to make immediate connections), once we began to make real life connections and once we began to talk about social justice they began to understand the seriousness of the situation. I like the lesson in the webquest mentioned above since it has students create their own interpretive visual creative response.
Although my students struggled somewhat with Night (that is, they failed to make immediate connections), once we began to make real life connections and once we began to talk about social justice they began to understand the seriousness of the situation. I like the lesson in the webquest mentioned above since it has students create their own interpretive visual creative response.
Webquest - Fallen Angels
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers is an exceptionally popular novel for young adult readers. The plot focuses on the experiences of Richard Perry - a seventeen year-old soldier from Harlem – in the Vietnam War. The action is realistically violent and through Perry readers are exposed to a range of truths and questions about the purposes and experiences of war.
For younger readers, being able to visualize the setting and warfare is important for understanding the overall themes and content. There are many excellent websites that offer images and history of the war, including www.vietnampix.com. Likewise, many webquests have been built around the novel. In particular, I think www.galileo.org/schools/strathmore/english/english_33/index.html is a great classroom resource because it not only offers context for the book, it also includes many relevant images for students to consider. This particular webquest’s “task” asks students to create a photo essay for a character in the novel. In groups, they are supposed to locate and select images that communicate a sense of who the character is and what he goes through in the war. I think this project would not only help students be able to better picture people, places, and events in the book, but would be enjoyable for them to work on as well.
For younger readers, being able to visualize the setting and warfare is important for understanding the overall themes and content. There are many excellent websites that offer images and history of the war, including www.vietnampix.com. Likewise, many webquests have been built around the novel. In particular, I think www.galileo.org/schools/strathmore/english/english_33/index.html is a great classroom resource because it not only offers context for the book, it also includes many relevant images for students to consider. This particular webquest’s “task” asks students to create a photo essay for a character in the novel. In groups, they are supposed to locate and select images that communicate a sense of who the character is and what he goes through in the war. I think this project would not only help students be able to better picture people, places, and events in the book, but would be enjoyable for them to work on as well.
Some useful websites
www.LessonPlansPage.com
www.edhelper.com (graphic organizers)
www.teachingliterature.org
www.nwp.org (teaching reading)
www.learner.org (videos, workshops etc.)
www.edhelper.com (graphic organizers)
www.teachingliterature.org
www.nwp.org (teaching reading)
www.learner.org (videos, workshops etc.)
Saturday, July 12, 2008
A Webquest Starter on the Shah of Iran: Background for Marjane Satrapi’s Graphic Novel Persepolis.
This webquest was built as a supplement to the reading of the Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novels Persepolis I and II. The first novel describes Iran’s Islamic revolution and war with Iraq as seen through eyes of Satrapi as a young girl, and the sequel continues with her parental-imposed exile to Austria and eventual return to Iran. The history of events and culture that the two novels portray is presumably alien to most students (and teachers) in the United States. This webquest seeks to bridge this gap by providing students with a strong background on Iranian history/culture. This foundation will allow students to more fully appreciate and connect with the experiences/themes of the books. The task of the webquest serves to build this foundation, where students in groups create graphic journals as compilation for a class wiki. As the webquest describes, students will have opportunity to “make detailed observations concerning the history of Iran,” as well learn more about the countries “geography, anthropology, literature and arts.” The task of the webquest, the graphic novel, provides an innovative and unorthodox manner for students to display their learning rather than just a simple essay. Students are allowed to play interesting, creative roles in their groups (each member plays the role of different person in Iranian Society), as well use a plethora of internet “hotlists” to contribute to their research. The project also encourages students to utilize technology and Internet skills they typically use for social networking by creating a class wiki, and also contributing a wide variety of media to their projects (video, images, text audio). In summation, the project draws upon the student’s creative talents in order to build upon their research and critical thinking skills. Lastly, the group work intrinsic to the project will benefit student’s social and teamwork abilities.
http://questgarden.com/56/85/3/071030170116/process.htm
http://questgarden.com/56/85/3/071030170116/process.htm
Friday, July 11, 2008
Maniac Magee
I read Jerry Spinelli’s Maniac Magee last summer and I thought it would be a nice read for 6th grade boys. I really had no intention of teaching it as a whole class novel, but I wanted it in my classroom library. In the author study unit some students chose it for their literature circle. It was very difficult for me to create a variety of projects that the boys would like. This Maniac Magee webquest has great projects; it differentiates the product while giving students a choice of completing six of eleven activities. I do believe my boys would be very excited to complete these tasks. Anything sports related is usually a great hook for boys. Being able to research information on their favorite baseball team and the different types of pitches will be fun and exciting for them. I’m excited to try this webquest with my new 6th graders.
Websites to Note
http://young-adult-fiction.suite101.com/
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/learn.jsp?grades=35
http://www.teachersfirst.com/index.cfm
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/index.html
http://www2.facinghistory.org/Campus/reslib.nsf/newbielupublic?openform
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/learn.jsp?grades=35
http://www.teachersfirst.com/index.cfm
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/index.html
http://www2.facinghistory.org/Campus/reslib.nsf/newbielupublic?openform
WebQuest - A Lesson Before Dying
After reviewing the web quest history page, I went about conducting my search for web quests via google. It seemed to make sense to me to look for web quests related to texts that I might consider teaching next year and with that in mind, I googled web quests for the novel A LESSON BEFORE DYING by Ernest Gaines and came across a great web quest. In short, the task for web quest follows: Students will imagine that they have been appointed to a youth task force reporting to President Bush. In groups, they will come up with a five-step action plan to alleviate racial inequality in the United States and determine a way to assess the success of your plan. As they work in their groups, they will consider such questions as: What different types of inequities exist in our country and how could you, realistically, plan to ameliorate this situation? In the end, students will present their action plans to the class. The web quest task directly relates to the novel and engages students in independent work related to what they are studying. The web quest is also well organized and details what students need to do with step-by-step instructions.
Some More Web Sites
http://www.comicbookproject.org (great examples of student work; you can also order blank comic books for students!)
related sites: marvel.com, dccomics.com (my students love comic books; a great point of entry for lots of units/concepts)
readwritethink.org (a lesson planning bonanza!)
owl.english.purdue.edu (a dependable place to go with grammar and formatting concerns)
middleweb.com (for the proud, the beleaguered: middle school teachers)
educationworld.com
orientaltradingcompany.com (good place to buy prizes and fun supplies in bulk)
related sites: marvel.com, dccomics.com (my students love comic books; a great point of entry for lots of units/concepts)
readwritethink.org (a lesson planning bonanza!)
owl.english.purdue.edu (a dependable place to go with grammar and formatting concerns)
middleweb.com (for the proud, the beleaguered: middle school teachers)
educationworld.com
orientaltradingcompany.com (good place to buy prizes and fun supplies in bulk)
The Watsons Do a Webquest
I was interested in finding a webquest for The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis, and, at first, it appeared that I'd stumbled on quite a few. Alas, it turned out that a majority of the duplicated essentially the same assignment: to keep a notebook just as Wilona Watson, the family's matriarch, does during their trip from Flint, Michigan, to Birmingham, Alabama. It is Mrs. Watson herself who proposes the assignment. She asks students to "capture not only the adventures that our family encountered on our drive south, but also the memorable events that happened in Birmingham." To assist the students in assembling the information, the assignment proposes different roles for the students, including: travel guide, newspaper reporter, historian, lawyer, and scrapbook artist. The assignment is broken down into assignments to be performed by, say, the travel guide or reporter or artist. Under each subheading, there are links to web sites that might be useful for the students to use. For instance, the scrapbook artist is asked to find fifteen representative images and to provide a 3-5 sentence caption for each image.
I really liked about this webquest that it would allow my students to learn a great deal about the Civil Rights era, a moment in American history that, in my experience. they find very compelling. This assignment may sacrifice depth in favor of breadth--the tasks don't demand the highest of the higher order thinking skills--but it does offer students a chance to acquire a great deal of information about a great topic and to do so in a student-centered format. In addition, the tasks allow for flexible grouping. It's possible to assign certain roles to certain students (based on learning modalities or interest), to use jigsaw, or even to have students work in pairs or individually. I'd want to prepare all of my students, before embarking on this assignment, with a series of mini-lessons about how to use information found on the internet without committing wholesale intellectual theft. (http://www.crews.org/curriculum/la/watsons.htm)
Stargirl Webquest
I have always liked the idea of web quests for many reasons. First off, technology is important and it is not going away anytime soon. It is important to teach our students how to use technology, and not just MySpace. Web quests teach students how to find important information online, and learn how to navigate the internet in the process. There are a lot of great web quests available, especially for middle schoolers! One of the books my students always gravitate towards is Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. http://www.parkridge.k12.nj.us/mmuller/stargirlwebquest.htm is a web quest that works great as both an introduction to web quests as well as a study of the book. There are very simple and tasks that would be great for 7th graders just learning what is expected, and later students could move on to more advanced web quests, and possibly start creating their own!
Perseptive Persepolis Quest
http://www.fredonia.edu/faculty/english/spangler/Methods/Persepolis%20Webquest/Persep%20Assign.htm
websites to just die for!
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/
http://www.edusolution.com/
http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/high/highlessons.html - it's about art, but it's the BEST site and many of the projects can be used in English classes
http://www.youth.net/cec/ceclang/ceclang-high.html
http://www.col-ed.org/cur/lang.html
http://www.edusolution.com/
http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/high/highlessons.html - it's about art, but it's the BEST site and many of the projects can be used in English classes
http://www.youth.net/cec/ceclang/ceclang-high.html
http://www.col-ed.org/cur/lang.html
Fahrenheit 451 Webquest
I chose a webquest on Fahrenheit 451, which I have decided to read with my students this summer. This webquest is intended for 9th grade English and History classes - two classes I am trying to combine these next monts. Students must "collect information regarding book burning through history," eventually writing a persuasive essay either for or against the process of book burning. There is a research graphic organizer they must use before writing and the webquest gives them some links to information they will need to complete this project. Since I am working on regents based work this summer in preparation for the August 14th exam, I think a persuasive essay and this webquest are perfect for my students.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Five Sites I Like or Find Useful
For the teacher in you...
http://heymister.wordpress.com/
http://timfredrick.pbwiki.com/
http://www.internet4classrooms.com/eoc_english1.htm
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/index.html
http://heymister.wordpress.com/
http://timfredrick.pbwiki.com/
http://www.internet4classrooms.com/eoc_english1.htm
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/index.html
Greek Mythology Web Quest
Last year, one of my first units was on Greek Mythology. In retrospect, it was a bit of a bomb; I am determined to make it work this year, and plan on teaching as my first or second unit to 9th graders. The web quest linked above will, I think, help to make the unit a success. It provides links that clearly summarize important relationships, emphasizes key concepts, makes relevant connections to students' lives, and provides lots of choice. I'm not sure how much of an actual "quest" it is; it doesn't require too much clicking and seems to be, really, more of an online assignment. Yet this is what I like about it--it's focused, comprehensible, the links works, and the work represents an appropriate level for beginning of the year 9th graders. I imagine using the quest as our first major group work project--groups of four might have three days to come together on a really nice project that they present. Conveniently, this would scaffold the units big individual project--the creation of a personal myth. The only draw backs I see to this quest are it's references to middle school and the creator's very specific project, but I could get around this by just re-writing and re-posting links within my own page or whatnot. Nice!
Fences Webquest
The unit I enjoyed teaching the most this year centered on August
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
The Great Gatsby Web Quest
One of the most successful activities I had my 11th graders do last year was a JIGSAW on the historical context of Native Son. I gave each group a packet of resources on a historical person/group/event related to the novel (i.e. the NAACP, the Jim Crow laws, the Great Migration, etc.) and had them present their findings to the whole class. They really seemed to enjoy working as a group, gaining knowledge on a subject through a focused set of resources, and then being the experts on it for the whole class. it also really enriched their understanding of Native Son. This Web Quest on the historical context of The Great Gatsby employs a similar technique while saving me the hassle of gathering resources and making dozens of photocopied packets. It really seems to have some great resources on The Roaring Twenties, and a few more final products than a simple oral presentation. I would have liked to see a cleaner layout and some guiding questions for each group, but this is still a very useful resource.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
The House on Mango Street
I recently read Sandra Cisneros' The House on Mango Street, and I have to say that I appreciated the little vignettes, as opposed to one long piece. Not that it wouldn't have been wonderful, but the short pieces were packed with powerful sentences and ideas that lent itself to digestion. It is narrated by a girl, "Esperanza Cordero," who grows up in a poor Chicago urban area. From her musings on her "clunky" name, to the different ways that women and men are viewed and treated, Cisneros really packs a lot of sadness and self-loathing into some of these little pieces. The actual house is a source of embarrassment for the narrator, with its peeling paint and creeky doors. There is plenty for young Hispanic kids to identify with in here, though I feel that many of them would be best illuminated by a teacher, so that students can feel the full impact of Cisneros' rarely wasted words. As an adult, I feel that I could read this book another two or three times before I fully understand all that she had to say. It's powerful, and soft, and I think that many urban Hispanic adolescents could not do much better than to read this book.
By Richard Prock
By Richard Prock
Giver Web Quest
I taught The Giver by Lois Lowry to my eighth graders three years ago. It was one of their favorite novels. This book provides multiple opportunities for rich discussion. I found numerous webquests related to The Giver. However, I chose this one because I think that it has solid interdisciplinary connections and provides great challenge than many I reviewed.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Welcome to Our Class Blog
This blog is a space for the teachers and students in CTGE 5540 at Fordham University to post what they are learning in our summer 2008 class. This is a new venture for the two professors as well as for most of the students in the class.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)