Knowledge Rating Guide-By using KWL

I used this strategy while teaching about the solar system to the students. I started with a KWL. I wanted to know what the students knew before the lesson took place, What they wanted to know and at the end what they learned about the solart system. By doing so this focused the lesson around what the students wanted to learn. I also incoporated an active word wall in which they could add words into categories under the solar system. It was effect at allowing the students to support before, during, and after text, online, and media resources about the solar system in order to keep the students actively engaged during the lesson. By the end of the lesson the students were able to name and create the solar system, weather patterns, and moon phases. The classroom discussions were very surprising and great. Here are the steps to creating an effect KWL in the classroom.
A. "Know" Step:
Initiate discussion with the students about what they already know about the topic of the text.
Start by using a brainstorm procedure. Ask the students to provide information about where and how they learned the information.
Help them organize the brainstormed ideas into general categories.
B. "Want to Learn" Step:
Discuss with the students what they want to learn from reading an article.
Ask them to write down the specific questions in which they are more interested.
C. "What I Learned" Step:
Ask the students to write down what they learned from the reading.
Ask them to check the questions they had generated in the "Want to Learn" Step.

Word Sort

This technique was used in class as a pre-reading strategy to a text. I had the student to sort words by placing picture cards of words into categories.
* I placed the students into groups.
*Each group is given the same list of vocabulary terms, one term per index card
*The students sort the cards into groups, according to some way that they are related
*The students may use their text material to sort the words
*Students put the words that they don’t have any prior knowledge or
experience with in a stack to be discussed full-group or to be explained by the teacher.

I found this to be an extremely helpful strategy while teaching my students to prepare a simple meal, community information, family information, information from a text or book, etc.

Interactive Word Wall

*I had to identify the key vocabulary words that students need to know for a specific topic or reading assignment.
*Print the words in large block letters on cards for posting on a prominent (always visible) wall or bulletin board.
*Post the word cards as the terms are confronted in classroom discussion or reading.
*Regularly review the terms on the Word Wall. Have students read them aloud as a "warm up" exercise. Frequently call on students to "refresh" their classmates' memories of the definitions of these words. Reinforce these vocabulary words by including them in learning games and activities.

Think-Aloud

Several studies have shown that students who verbalize their reading strategies and thoughts while reading score significantly higher on comprehension tests. Studies have shown that the think-aloud strategy improves reading comprehension on tests. The think-aloud is a technique in which students verbalize their thoughts as they read and thus bring into the open the strategies they are using to understand a text. The teacher modeled the think-aloud strategy for students. Students will develop the ability to use think-aloud to aid in reading comprehension tasks. This is also a great strategy to get all students involved in the class.

Group Summarizing

This strategy supports students to work together to preview text before reading, locate supporting information and examples during reading, and summarize their ideas on a four-quadrant chart after reading. Group Summarizing involve students in constructing a meaningful synthesis of what they have read. It help students learn how to do a summary before they are asked to create their own. The part I most like is grouping allow students to demonstrate understanding of concepts through the completed group summary chart.

Graphic Organizers

Graphic organizers are valuable tools for teaching/instruction. Unlike others, graphic organizers demonstrate a felxibility and endlessness in choices of use. A common trait is their ability to show the order and completeness of the student's thought process - how s/he understands becomes clearly evident. Using a range of graphic organizers shows both the close-up and the larger picture. Since many graphic organizers use short words or phrases, they are ideal for many types of learners.

Word Attack Strategy 1

I share the same opinion of prefixes, suffixes, and roots as the author of Deeper Reading. Teaching word families is possibly the most engaging way to learn vocabulary. The "partial meanings" are more easily remembered than a list of words and definitions. I agree that teaching a few "staples" is an effective way to encourage students to think while deciphering a word rather than just skipping it or looking it up in a dictionary.

I love watching the students' faces as they realize where meanings come from. It is like they are saying, "Wow, this makes sense." When reading a text, I love modeling how I analyze diction and all possible meanings of words. Falling back on Greek and Latin often informs our interpretation of shades of meanings. It teaches the students how language originated and how it is still evolving.

Anticipation Guide

In my ninth grade Romeo and Juliet unit, I use a pre and post anticipation guide to determine how students feel about relevant and emotional issues raised in the play. This gives me an opportunity to learn more about each student as we share our results. I get a sense of what their values are. At the end of the play, we respond to the same questions and discuss reasons for any changes in responses.

I like this activity because it engages the students on their level of interest and makes them want to read the play. As conflicts arise in the play, our discussions become deeper and more substantive as everyone weighs in on their personal judgment of what has transpired. I really like discussing the post results because it makes the kids realize that literature can influence the way they think.

Political Cartoons

I teach a unit on how history repeats itself. My class approaches The Crucible by examining the parallel between the Salem Witchcraft Trials and McCarthyism. A scaffolding activity I use is a website of Herb Block's primary source political cartoons coupled with a cartoon analysis worksheet. It is important to me that students form their own opinions about McCarthy.

The graphic organizer emphasizes symbolism, diction, tone, and message of the cartoons. Instead of lecturing about reactions to the Red Scare, I am able to give the students an opportunity to "relive" the era just as citizens did during the 1950s just by reading editorial cartoons from that time period. Students must approach the cartoons from different perspectives as they decide how different groups would respond to the message.

Modified Cornell Notes

I wish I would've had a system in place for my own note-taking when I was a student. I took notes during class, but was unable to get anything out of the notes I took at times. The cornell note-taking method is a great way to take organized and concise notes that you actually get something out of. Cornell notes can be used to provide a “big picture” of the chapter or lecture. It's a system and a format that builds on what is known as the 5R's of note taking: record, reduce, recite, reflect and review. This method was introduced to students in my biology class last semester and it worked really well.

Vocabulary Activity

I have found the use of flash cards in learning vocabulary terms is highly effective for all students. I use colored index cards as cues to help students recall a distinctive characteristic about the information on a flash card. For example, if you are using flash cards to remember vocabulary words, use a different color for words that have different connotations. Students can illustrate the card by drawing pictures or a symbol that represents the word’s meaning. The more you work at making a card distinctive and interesting, the easier you will find it to recall the information on the card. Flash cards are easy to make, easy to use, and are a great tool for remembering information.

Graphic Organizers

Graphic organizers are an excellent way to help students construct meaning. I use them to assess students’ understanding of what they are reading and observe their thinking process on what they read as a class, as a group, or independently. Graphic organizers also help students classify ideas and communicate more effectively. They facilitate understanding of key concepts by allowing students to visually identify key points and ideas and this is especially important for students with learning disabilities. I have found that graphic organizers empower students to master subject-matter faster and more efficiently.

Historiography

I really liked this chapter since it stirs up the teenage mind when used. History is boring to students, but the drama of catching someone in an untruth is exciting to students. They must learn not to take everything they hear at face value. We must teach them to dig deeper. His example of a marker for an event that never took place is a wonderful example. Most people think because something is in a book (especially a textbook) it is the truth. I love to have students compare textbooks and what they say about certain events. For one lesson, I have several groups take different textbooks that are conflicting and use them to research a topic. The students love to argue that their textbook is the correct one. This opens their eyes to historiography and makes them do something we are always trying to get them to do - THINK.

Teaching Slavery

I found Loewen's chapter on teaching slavery very interesting. I understand exactly what he is talking about when he mentions that people completely avoid teaching slavery. I always jump right into it with both feet. We teach in a school that is predominately African-American with roots firmly planted in slavery. If we do not teach it, we are denying these students of their heritage. I always teach a comparative history in which I compare Liberty County to the rest of the South. It has taken me a great deal of time to do the research, but it is worth it. When I tell the students that Liberty County slaves were the wealthiest slaves in Georgia and that they won a lawsuit against the Union army for taking that wealth, you should see the look on some of their faces. I show them a map of the plantations that were located in Liberty County. I love hearing the comments - "That's near my house!" "I know where that is!" When I mention local names of plantation owners such as LeConte, Bacon, Walthour, Jones, and Lambert, it is priceless when the lightbulb comes on in their heads. It must always be relevant to them or we will never get through to them. The hardest part is finding that tiny little thing that makes it that way.

Positive and Negative Chart

I think this is one of those obvious things I can do in the classroom, but I guess I didn't see it until I read it in the chapters.

I tried it with the Puritan Era as well as the Revolution Era Unit with some success. I used a time line the positive effects of the Puritans coming over to America as well as the negatives. I also used it the same with the revolution in America and moving away from England.

I think the reason I was not as successful with this as other methods is that they often do this with history and were a bit more concerend with time and dates other than just cause and effects. I have to say I was a little bit shaky in this area as well and a bit uncomfortable with it, but aren't we all if we try something new for the first time.

I am going to try it again with the Civil War Period. Can someone suggest some advice if they have tried this method in their area or classroom?

Double Journals - Double Notes

I teach this to my 9th gradrs in Writer's Worshop as well as my 11th graders. I think it allows communication between teacher and student as well as allows them to study better as a whole.

As Double Journals - after we do a lesson or unit - I make them go back through what we read in that lesson or unit and find a passage they really liked, copy it, and then respond to that passage. They often hand it in and I read what they choose and why. I think add my own comments and pass them back. Usually, I ask questions, ask them explain farther, or just tease them more to get them indepth . They often respond back and it keeps going. I have a 6 conversations going in one of my classes from my first unit. It has proved to be educational for me to get inside their minds (which can be scary at points) and it makes them take things farther than just a silly assignment for a grade.

As for Double Notes - as they read, they are to jot down the basic outline of the story, questions they might have, words they don't understand on one side of the paper. As we go through the story, the fill in the blanks, ask questions, get vocabulary and so forth on the other half of the paper. It keeps them focused as well allows them to see the story as a whole in the end. It keeps classroom questions going too.

I liked this practice and glad I got these ideas from the book. It seems to be working thus far.

Reflection of Reading

Now, I assign my students to read one per nine weeks to read outside of the classroom which we do not 'test" per say; however, they do write reflection journals and have a project to complete with it by the end of the nine weeks. I was not getting journals I wanted; so, I read the reflection chapter with great desire and tried one of exercises.

With the book Their Eyes Were Watching God, we researched what time period the setting is, the places Janie went during this time period, and what might have been the issues. We outlined this together as a class and what we were looking for the book.

I think it opened their eyes that they were reading more than just reading a book and doing journals on with a project, but they were seeing that some issues of that time period and the places that they knew were different in some ways and ye tnot so different than today's.

They timelined the issues throughout the book and Janie's journey through the cities, issues, and the new ones they didn't document down.

I got a lot better reflection journals and we are doing it for the second book since it worked out so well. It gave them some more reality to what the books was really about and that it does to apply to their own lives and history.

Don't Use Graphic Organizers into Charts

Ok, I have to say I often do this and after reading this I slapped my hand a tad for doing so. I however use it in my 11th grade classes to refocusing their writing in compare and contrast situations like William Bradford and John Smith writings. However, after realizing before the Graduation Test that my 11th graders were still struggling with some middle school terms in plotline (after talking to them about what my 9th graderw were doing), I came up with something that is a graphic organizer, but not a worksheet.

I followed some examples in the book, but again, I think I made it my own to form it to my needs. I gave them reminding background information on plot line (short notes)

I took a short story that we were reading, formed groups based on abilities, and make them find the exposition, turning point, rising actions, climax, falling actions, and resolution. They had to get this approved before they moved forward in order to re-enforce their next step. They had to take board paper and depict in 6 frames the 6 elements of the plot in the story. I made each person accountable by making each person responsible for 2 frames of the comic frames.

It actually turned out very well, got them to relearn something very basic, was a lot of fun, and only took 1 class period to do in all.

Deeper Reading Blogs

I know I am super late in posting and I understand if I do not get credit for them, but would like to show my experiments in reading Deeper Reading and applying them to the classroom. Please forgive me if I am a bit random in my blogs about chapters, but I got a lot of good use from different parts of the book at certain times.

Reading Focus

I have a lot of problem with this across the board, but 9th grade seems to be harder of the classes to keep focused on the reading at hand especially with a new book they are not yet into; however, I also do experience this with my 11th graders if it is something they are forced to read and yet have no interest in it. Usually I get heads down, doodling, talking quietly, passing notes, with a variety of other things. So, I tried a few things.

20 Questions - I loved this activity and I think if you used this once in awhile this will go far. I just adapted it a little to short stories

With my ninth grade students, I made the read a long short story that is actually really good, but it can get difficult to get into. (The Most Dangerous Game) So, I did a few things with them to get them focused on the story as well as map out the plot line.

This is where the 20 Questions played in. They had to create 20 questions that would float over the whole story, but they have to be indepth questions. Now, I had to show them what type of questions we were going to strive for and not obvious questions nor what color was the shoe on his left foot either.

It went rather well. I made the students really pay attention to the story in order to make indepth questions as well make them ask other questions (towards me) about the story itself. I then paired them up or placed in them in groups and see if they could stump each other. If there was a challenge of the answer, they had to look it up and confirm or deny the answer. This kept the students focused, they learned the story line, and they it made it fun.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Chapter one of Deeper Reading
This chapter helped me look at my special needs students differently. I realize many of them have different reading levels, but I needed to reach them on a different level as well. Many of my students can recite songs, lines from movies and commercials but can not recall lines of a story read to them. Chapter one is about finding ways to help students get to a deeper meaning of reading text. I used the conversation piece from page five in my eleventh grade co teaching class. Two of my non readers voluntered to read the conversation piece (a loud) and were really engaged and looking forward to reading. After the class heard the story twice they wrote down what they imagined happened. I was able to get more students involved in this short story and to share The class was on a natural high so I went into the introduction of the next story we were going to read The Crucible. I tried something different with that as well. The little conversation piece gave my students another way to look at reading simple stories. It's hard sometimes trying to help students with reading when they don't see the realavance in it. After reading this chapter I have decided to use a different approach and it seems to work. Thanks for the little things that work to make a difference.
POSTED BY ROSETTA DARBY AT 10:21 AM

Chapter Three Comments

Chapter three of Deeper Reading suggested ways teachers can incorporate new strategies for a more effective lesson plan, to help students with the reading of challenging works. During a daily bell activity students had to write a journal response to a question realted to the story The Crucible. After all the students finished six were picked to share their thoughts. I used this period to answer quesions they had before we began to read as a class. I continued to use daily focus questions to revisit our last reading. I found this to be very helpful with my specail education students that have a defict in comprehension. The oral summaries and daily focus questions also helped my students gain a better understanding of the story and characters. Copied /pasted Sunday 3/21 created 3/10/10
3/10/10 by Rosetta Darby

chapter four

Chapter four
Posted on 3/10/10

A number of classroom strategies are discussed in this chapter to help students get into the correct frame of mind to read difficult text. I used the text frame with gaps to help my students get a better understanding of the play The Crucible. As a result students were able to tell what was happening and give predictions of what may happen. To help understand all the characters they created baseball cards for each character and used information from their reading to describe the characters. Students were able to pick from five different individual projects to present after reading the story. As a class they came up with suggestions for projects based on their own interest from the story. I plan on showing the movie to them as well. This book has given me some really good suggestions for my English classes. The next activities I may try are the color coding and trouble slips.

cut/paste from my blog site 10/21

chapter two copy /pasted from my blog 3/21/10

Chapter Two Deeper Reading

As a new teacher I would assign the required reading to my students assuming they could read and understand certain words. We would discuss the reading a few days later and I would give them questions to answer to make sure they were comprehending the story(novel). After reading this chapter I found a few different ways to help my students get the deeper meaning of a story. I like the suggestions of first draft readings and metaphors to help students who have trouble with comprehension. I have always used examples to help students understand a new reading. I'm still learning new ways to improve my teaching skills and have enjoyed this book and working with my co teachers. 3/10/10 by Rosetta Darby Thanks for your help Mrs. Rocker I hope this works!

chapter 5

Why do we have to read this book? Why do we have to read so many books in school? I don't like to read long thick books. I hear these statements and questions at least once a week. I want students to read to improve their vocabulary and to expose them to new ideas, cultures and experiences. I try and give them answers that will motivate them to want to be successful in school. But I never really know what they are thinking. Chapter five discusses strategies and techniques to use in deepening students comprehension through a second-draft reading of text. I have not used any of the said strategies this semester but plan on using the multi-layered time line within the next week or so. He discusses a what/why time line has one layer explains what happened and the next layer explains why it happened. Then there is the character time line where students follow a specific character in text and the time line shows (1) what the character does; (2) why the character behaved that way; (3) what the character feels about the chain of events pg. 94 (Gallagher). This book (what I have read) is filled with practical suggestions that really work in the high school classroom. I can't wait to try a few new strategies!

Lies My Teacher Told Me

I am a little late at posting, but I have learned so much from this book that it is hard to decide what to post. The very first chapter of this book made me re-think how to teach APUSH. I have a year to teach the class, but I never feel like I have enough time. Maybe I am like the teacher he describes in the section called "Forests, Trees, and Twigs". I sometimes get so caught up trying to teach them SO much that I am probably overwhelming them. With our "twig" state test that requires the students to know miniscule information, it is hard not to teach the somewhat trivial information that bogs us down. The very book that they make fun of (American Pageant) is the book we teach out of in the county. It loves to give the height and other physical characteristics along with their financial status. The kids love this information. It makes them pay attention and remember the person. My question is this - Do we include all the trivial information (the twigs) if it makes them pay attention or do we only focus on the most important information (the trees) if it helps us "cover" the information by the time they leave us?

Frayer Model -- Theme

POST BY TINA MORRIS

The lesson was on Theme. I decided to try the Frayer Model to review/teach theme. It is a concept that is especially difficult because there are a lot of non-examples.

Before beginning the lesson on theme, I introduced the Frayer Model to the students, using an easy example, such as a food, so the students would know first how to use the tool. Next I set them loose to fill in a frayer model first by themselves. After about 10 minutes, I let them work in groups to pool their information together for about 20 minutes. During this time, I walked around to make sure they were all understanding the assignment. Lastly, we as a class, worked to fill in the chart together.

While going around the room and checking on the students, as well as working on the big model as a class I realized a few things. First, I realized that they had a very difficult time coming up with useful non-essential characteristics. Non-examples were not quite as hard, but in no way easy. The students also thought in the beginning that they were to pick their own theme to do the model on, not that they were modeling theme. Tricky. While this was a tough thing to model, I believe it was useful to begin to think of theme in literature as different from a theme, such as a Casino themed party. The concept is hard, but I think this way of teaching it began to give them a way to think about it instead of just a straight definition.

Coding/Comprehension

POST BY TINA MORRIS

When we read Persepolis, I also incorporated the Coding strategy. I saw it as a good alternative to taking notes. I figured it would be less work, and the students would be able to quickly find a spot that caught their eye while reading.

Before we began Persepolis, I handed out mini post-it notes to each student and on their worksheet that also contained the anticipation/reaction guide, there was a key for the codes they needed to pick. The codes were: N - new, ? - question, C - personal connection, X - disagree with. Before we read, I explained where the graphic novel took place. I also gave the instructions that each code must be used at least once. There were plenty of things for each code. To encourage the students to code, and to be able to show what they did, I had questions at the bottom of the worksheet that asked about what they learned, what connections they had, and what they disagreed with. However, before I set them free on answering the questions, I asked them about the codes in a discussion.

The students had a difficult time understanding the point of the activity, but as a teacher I saw the benefit. Instead of the normal, ask the main point, and specific questions about the text, having the students point out things that they disagreed with proved to help their understanding. There was a particular statement made about southern women in the text that without them having the opportunity to disagree, they would have continued to not fully understand. When they read it, they were reading it as Southern American women, and were personally offended. However, because they were told to disagree, I was able to give them the support they needed to understand that the story was talking about women in southern Iran, not the U.S. I would have never anticipated this being an area of confusion, but the strategy made the lesson more student centered, and they were able to walk away with a clearer understanding.

Anticipation/Reaction Guide

POST BY TINA MORRIS

While teaching non-fiction, I incorporated material from outside the book. It was a chapter out of the graphic novel, Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, which deals with a young girl growing up in war torn Iran. I decided to use an anticipation/reaction guide as a teaching tool because I was afraid they would look at the style the book was written in and assume it was a comic book, or fiction. From experience, I also know that I had many misconception about Iranians before reading the book. I wanted them to be able to look at both sets of possible misconception, and figure out for themselves what is true on both points.

For the lesson, I created the anticipation guide, just as the handout has it laid out. At the top, I put questions about graphic novels, such as: “ I can learn something from a graphic novel” and “All graphic novels are fiction.” The last few questions dealt with possible misconceptions dealing with Iranians. Examples include, “People from Iran do not like American things” and “I have something in common with people from Iran.” Before we did anything, I explained the rules of the Anticipation/Reaction Guide, and had the students fill out the left side. From there we watched a movie trailer to a movie based on the graphic novel, followed by reading a chapter out of it. We had a discussion to answer questions students had, followed by a reviewing of the anticipation/reaction guide, and questions that asked questions to the statements in the guide.

Graphic Organizers

I love graphic organizers, especially in the social studies classroom. They're a great way to trick students into getting a lot more information than they'd be willing to pay attention to using old-school notes. Recently, I created a graphic organizer for my students to analyze similarities and differences between the Aztec, Incan, and Mayan civilizations. We talked about the era, government set up, society, and religion. As my kids are notorious for copying things word for word rather than summarizing or abbreviating, old-school notes can take forever and often provoke more whininess than I have the patience for :). Graphic organizers tend to give the kids more ownership of what they are writing and more confidence that they are getting the info they need to be getting. The kids did better on their short answer questions on the South American civilizations test than the have on tests where the short answers were not based on graphic organizer notes. I feel they help most of my students better retain the info.

Triple Entry Vocab

I used triple entry vocab with my kids for our most recent unit. We're working on Europe during the middle ages, and there are a LOT of terms for this unit that the kids will need to be familiar with throughout our upcoming material. After narrowing down the terms that were especially important and discussing them in our material, I had the kids create definitions of the terms in their own words and then create either a visual or phrase to help them remember the meanings of the words. The kids whined about doing something new and unfamiliar ("why can't we just define them from the glossary?!?!"), but based on vocab quiz scores, the kids had (on average) better retention of the meanings. WOOHOO!

Semantic Feature Analysis

One of the activities I have my students do during the semester is to create a map of the region or continent being examined. After they get over the initial shock of having to create their own map grids and sketching the landform in hopes of being recognizable, the students create a reference they will use to describe the effects of physical features on population, the economy, and government activity. The students are currently creating a physical map of Africa and will be including desert regions, plains, mountainous regions, and major water sources. Using the map as a visual source, their textbook and the Internet, the students will analyze the effects of landforms on human activity. To further create an understanding of the effects, students were asked to use the information and describe, in writing, the effects of population density in various regions and why certain areas are more heavily populated than others. The students were allowed to choose 20 of the 61 locations from their map. The activity is designed to show students how landforms affect human activity from one region to the next.

Entry #3

1. Brief Description: Interactive Word Wall
2. Details: I use the interactive word wall strategy as a way to incorporate some of the big “themes” of government that can be found as an accompaniment to our standards. The five themes are (one of which I changed): Conflict Resolution, Distribution of Power, Self Interest, Beliefs and Ideals, and Rule of Law. I put those themes up at the top of my word wall, then at the end of a unit I ask the students to write down what aspects of government that we recently learned about fit under those themes. So for Conflict Resolution, several students put “Conference Committees” and explained why. For Distribution of Power, several put “Our current two party system” with an explanation. For Self-Interest, several students put “Gerrymandering”, etc. I then put up the ones that I think are the best examples. I also encourage students, for extra credit points, to look for any current event stories that relate to any one of the themes. So, the word wall is constantly changing, and it is mainly student generated content.
3. Reflection: I have been doing this for a few semesters and really enjoy it. The problem I run into though is keeping it going throughout the year. Usually the first two weeks I am pretty into it, but then my word wall fills up pretty quickly and it is easy to just let it stand as is the rest of the semester (a testament to out first unit or two, but not quite indicative of our entire course). I obviously could take down the examples every few weeks and ask the students to put more up, but that takes time. However, I have come to the conclusion that it is something that is worth the effort, in order to facilitate higher order thinking by having students make connections and find patterns in the content.

Entry #2

1. Brief Description: I used the triple entry vocabulary journal (minus the journal)
2. Details: Often, when we finished a power point that introduced a lot of new vocabulary terms, I would have the students reexamine 5 or 10 of the words by using this strategy. First, I would have them write the word again, second they would have to write the definition IN THEIR OWN WORDS, finally they would have to come up with some sort of mnemonic device to remember the word. I have used this for homework before, but if they are doing this in class, typically afterwards I would ask the students if there were any real “zingers” they came up with concerning their mnemonic devices. I would usually have 3 or 4 shared, and then I would even tell my other classes about them, so that it became a competition in a way of “which class could come up with the best memory aids”.
3. Reflection: I think it really helps them to take a second and go back over the info just to help it “stick”, and clear up any misconceptions. I think they enjoy looking for creative ways to remember the material, whether by associations, acronyms, homonyms, etc. I know that some students have used the memory aids created by me or other students when they are taking the test, and that they said that was the only way they could remember the right answer. I definitely don’t use it everyday, but it is just another tool in the toolkit to use, alongside cps quizzes, graphic organizers, etc. to go back over the content and make sense of it.

Entry #1

1. Brief Description- I utilized the analytical graphic organizer entitled “Main Ideas” at the start of each new unit for my government class.

2. Details: I basically put a simplified version of the entire government, including federal, state, and local. One of the “topics” would be “National Government”. The three subtopics would be the three branches (Legislative, Executive, and Judicial), and the details would be the specific parts of each branch (Senate and House for Legislative, President, Cabinet, and Federal Bureaucracy for Executive, and The Supreme Court, Courts of Appeals, and District Courts for Judicial). Like I said before, I use the map at the beginning of each unit, and also come back to it throughout the unit. I also use different colors for the different branches just to help differentiate.

3. Reflection: I find that this graphic organizer helps students to “group” facts that we learn in their minds, which makes for easier retrieval later. Also, it acts as a map, allowing students to refresh their memories on where we have been, what we’re on now, and where we are going content-wise in the class. So for example, a student could be confused when we go from one day talking about filibusters and conference committees to people in dressed in robes giving their “opinions” on cases about “so-and so versus this-and-that”. It could be confusing. But, with the use of the government main ideas chart, they realize that “ok, we are moving from one branch of the national government, Legislative/Congress, to another branch of the national government, Judicial/Supreme Court”. I have the feeling that it will especially come in handy when I start talking about state and local governments, so when I start throwing out terms like “Governor” and “Sales Tax”, they can just look at the chart and see that underneath the main topic of “National Government” is the main topic “State government”, and realize that we have different levels of government just like we have different branches. It should also help them see parallels between the branches of each level of gov’t (governor is to president as general assembly is to congress).

Post 3: Deeper Reading p 155

Post #3

The objective of this task is to have students apply examples from modern real life to novels that we read in American Literature. Students had a choice to read either The Awakening or The Red Badge of Courage. Both of these novels were written in the 1890s. The Awakening is set in the 1890s (or 1880s) and The Red Badge is set during the Civil War, but both explore topics and issues that are still very relevant today. The trick is to get students to apply these novels to modern day events.

I used the graphic organizer found on page 155 in Deeper Reading. After some in-class group discussion, I handed out the graphic organizers. Students were first to come up with two issues on their own, and I monitored progress. Students then met in their discussion groups and shared their answers. Each student had to take notes on two other responses that s/he found most insightful. This exercise helps prepare students for the final assessments of this novel, an in-class essay and a power point presentation.

I find this sort of exercise very helpful with older works of literature. I enjoy teaching these two novels because, while they are great examples of realism (and The Awakening is a good example of regionalism, and Red Badge of naturalism), they both also focus on topics that are still highly relevant to our lives today: women’s right and the effects of war. By linking a novel to their own lives, students have both a deeper understanding of the novel and a more personal and emotional connection to it.

Post 2: Anticipation guide

Post #2

The objective of this task is two-fold: to prime students to think about certain issues before reading To Kill a Mockingbird (so that they are reading with purpose), and then to have them write about their thoughts after reading the novel. I used an anticipation guide I found online at:
http://www.mrjeffrey.com/English%20I/To%20Kill%20a%20Mockingbird/Anticipation%20Guide.doc

Students filled out the left half of the anticipation guide before we began. I did not discuss the statements with them at this time, because I wanted them to fill it out honestly without any input on my part. I them collected the guides and kept them until we finished the novel. After discussing the novel and its themes, I redistributed the guides. Students completed Part III on the anticipation guide as one of their journal entries. They had to write about either a) a belief that had changed as a result of reading the novel, or b) a belief that became stronger as a result of reading the novel. They were required to write at least ¾ of a page and use specific details from the novel. This assignment showed understanding of theme, and also helped students apply the themes to real life.

I have found journaling to be very helpful, especially in 9th and 10th grades, as it gets students involved and thinking critically about their reading. Journaling requires students to formulate their own ideas and responses to reading. It also helps improve writing skills and fluency. I have not used anticipation guides very much in the past, but I think I will use them for nearly every novel now, especially with the underclassmen. Anticipation guides really seem to help focus students’ reading and understanding of theme and author’s purpose.

Post 1: Character Charts

Post #1: Character Chart

The objective of this task is to help students keep track of the characters in To Kill a Mockingbird. I used a character list and chart to help them during reading the novel.

I waited until we got to Chapter 8 to distribute the list and chart, as I did not want to overwhelm students at the beginning of the novel. These were actually 2 different graphic organizers. I used the character chart (p 61) for the main characters (Scout, Jem, Atticus, Calpurnia, Aunt Alexandra, Tom Robinson) and a character list that included most of the minor characters as well. Students were to fill out the chart and list as they read. Periodically, we would discuss the graphic organizers in class, and also students would pair-share. We filled out the chart for Scout together, and then students completed the chart for the other characters.

These graphic organizers worked very well to help students keep track of the characters. The character chart is great for main characters but becomes too unwieldy if a novel has many characters. With a novel like Mockingbird, a character list can help supplement the chart so that students do not feel so overwhelmed by keeping track of minor but important characters like Miss Maudie, Miss Stephanie, Miss Rachel, and the other ladies in the missionary circle.

Discussion Web

Submitted by C Chappell

Discussion Web
I loooooove Discussion webs, before I came to liberty county I taught 7th graders and getting them to have an original thought was impossible and now that work with high school age kids, they have very well formed opinions, and I enjoy having these class discussions, but as I’ve learned over the years these conversations/debates in class can get off topic and can come to a standstill if they aren’t well thought out before hand. So I use the discussion web, or my version of the discussion web. I have students who would otherwise not participate in the discussion at least taking notes on what is being said, and sifting through the info to find out what they feel is important and then making their own conclusion at the bottom of the web which is something they may otherwise not share orally.
This is something I like to use prior to an actual class debate, like when I present them with the info and they pick it apart on their own and sometimes I’ll just find a hot button issue and they will fill it out as we go along. My more vocal students can shine, and my more thoughtful and introverted students usually fill (if not overfill) their boxes marked “conclusions:

Analytic Graphic Organizers

Posted by C. Chappell

Analytic Graphic Organizers
History is a subject that always builds on itself so I often find that graphic organizers are my go to because they very easily demonstrate the natural progression of events. I teach 11th graders so there is minimal discussion about the use and purpose of the organizer. After giving the students time to complete their answers I usually have them line up in some form or another whether by birthdates, height, age whatever and then fold the line in half and have them work with another partner to compare and discuss what they came up with. I found that what the normal reaction to the think pair share activities were was that there was always one student that felt less confident in their answers and would immediately try to change theirs to match their new partners because they claimed “it sounded better” so I’ve added pieces to my organizers to have what I think what my partner thinks and what we discussed and came to agree upon. This way I get to not only see how they worked together but I’ll hear an independent answer as well as a group effort which had to be created through some communication.

Collaborative Activities

Submitted by C. Chappell

Collaborative Activities:
I do a lot of group collaboration in my classroom simply because of the amount of content and time frame I have to teach it it’s nearly impossible to cover everything by myself. I like using expert group and home groups, especially when I get to the cold war and I have to run through all of the major incidents. The purpose of my cold war lesson is to have the students work within two group areas. They begin in a home group in which they are responsible for three events, (Cuban Missile Crisis, Korean War, Vietnam War) then they break off into different groups with a graphic organizer and in these groups they have to dissect just one topic. (each ‘home group member will be responsible for a different event) they will then gather their information and then return to their home group and teach their specialty even to the rest of the group members in their home group.
I’m always surprised by the reactions I get by each different set of students that does this activity some like it but mostly the movement irritates them because they prefer to be lazy…. Just kidding, but it keeps them moving and involved and it gives responsibilities to each group member without establishing a group hierarchy which I try very hard to prevent when working having my students working in groups.

Interactive Word Wall

Students seem to come to us at the beginning of each semester with a very limited vocabulary. Often times I take for granted they know words; many of them are words they should have learned years earlier. So not only am I introducing them to new terms but I find myself re-teaching basic vocabulary they are lacking. Each geography unit taught comes with vocabulary related to the unit. As they begin each new unit, students are required to record vocabulary onto note cards as well as the Word Wall located on the wall reserved for new and previous terms. To make the activity a little more fun or interesting for some students, they were placed into groups and asked to come up with illustrations related to each term. The students spent one day in their groups preparing their illustrations. The next day they volunteered to present their illustrations on the Smart Board. One person from the group went up front and drew their picture on the board while the students in the other groups tried to guess what term on the word wall was being illustrated. I used this activity at the middle school level, 6th grade, and it seemed to be successful at that level. Some students have an easier time remembering terms when they can relate them to an image.

T-Chart Activity
One of my favorite units to teach is the Latin American Unit. When trying to compare various regions, tribes, and the contributions of the Natives and Europeans, the information can become overwhelming. When my students began learning about the Colombian Exchange and the responsible parties, I found the T-Chart useful in keeping the items in question organized by their contributors, European or Natives. Using the Smart Board and a T-Chart graphic organizer, the students were asked to speculate as to their origin and after a class discussion many of them discovered their first response was not correct. After discussion, student volunteers were asked to go to the Smart Board and place the items under the corresponding columns. As each student went to the board to record their answer, their classmates recorded the items onto a T-Chart template provided.
Some students have been using the T-Chart to organize information from the Africa South of the Sahara Unit to compare landforms, population density, and economic activity from region to region. The T-Chart is probably the simplest method to use when generating a quick comparison between two items.

More Ways to Teach History

Lecture is needed in the Social Studies classroom, but we as teachers have to learn to engage students in the teaching process. How does a teacher who is accustomed to having their lecture notes ready to go move from being the primary presenter of information to being a facilitator of the information?
Being a facilitator of the information lines up with the GPS, but how will the teacher be evaluated when administrators still like to see the quiet classroom with students working independently?

Introduction

I could identify with the author in the introduction when he said that History has to be enlivened and not just a bunch of dates. History has to be all inclusive and as instructors we have to be comfortable enough with ourselves to allow our students to explore. The textbook is a tool, but it is not the final authority.

The Lies My Teacher Told Me

After reading the Chapter on how to teach slavery, I have new insight into how to approach it in my Ethnic Studies class. As we all know slavery as a topic is very sensitive, but it has to be taught and not in a romantized version as with Gone with the Wind. It also has to be taught so as not to accuse my Caucasian students for the ills of generations gone by. It has to be an effective learning experience and dialogue for all students.

Metaphor and reflection

I think the metaphor and reflection chapters are quite useful in that they offer some good examples and strategies. I often ask my students to discuss what a piece of literature is "like" or what it is distinctly NOT like. Sometimes, that is equally as revealing. It never ceases to surprise me how willing some of my regular English students are to dig more deeply into what they have read and relate it to their lives. It is regularly more difficult to get honors and AP kids to do this. They seek the "right" answer. I have to re-train them to understand that there are multiple ways to view literature. I begin with The Little Engine That Could, which we read with a focus on words and ideas that are stereotypically male or female. Then we identify the theme -- that we can do what we put our minds to. We talk about how it's a great book for kids because of this theme. Then I ask what we can get from our gender images. Fairly quickly, the kids realize that all the male engines (big, strong, important ones) are too busy to help. It is finally the tiny female engine (who only works in the yard) that helps get the dolls and toys over the mountain. The kids begin to get angry at the apparent sexist theme. It is at this time when a student always suggests that "it's just how things were then." This realization opens up a semester-long dialogue about text and subtext -- the idea that a writing can mean multiple things. From there, we explore some other basics -- Plato's Allegory of the Cave, for example. This collection of primers becomes our point of reference and comparison. In this way, the kids learn to use comparison to enhance their comprehension on a deeper level. AND they learn to reflect meaningfully on what they have read based on a much wider literary experience. By the end of the semester, they generally quite enjoy intertextual relationships for their own sake.

I explain all this to again make this observation: My honors and AP kids always come to class as better technical readers than regular English kids, but they are frequently LESS prepared to make these deeper connections. Conversely, regular English kids are less prepared technically, but they often seem to make connections more easily. This is, of course, a generalization, but I wonder if anyone else has observed it.

Vocabulary

To help increase student reading comprehension I assign looking up the vocabulary definitions for the next chapter students will be required to read. Often I will create a crossword puzzle using those terms to aid student retention. Crossword puzzles are viewed as a fun activity by most students. Therefore, they willingly participate and learn at the same time. Since the vocabulary is usually part of an important fact or concept these activities help students better understand what they are reading. In addition, when lecturing or during class discussions I will not only question students on how these terms relate to the material under discussion, but also about how they can be applied today. As a result, students are not only compelled to utilize the terms in context, but also use their own words instead of just parroting back a memorized definition.

Collaboration

Collaborative reading and writing are big parts of my classroom, so I was glad to see Gallagher touting their importance. Though I have always had the desire to utilize various sized groupings, as a younger teacher, I had problems giving over control. Learning to do so has rewarded me immensely. Probably the biggest factor Gallagher doesn't dwell on is the need for the teacher to be comfortable in the process, able to fade from the fore. Much like dogs can smell fear, students can spot an insincere attempt.

I agree that group size does matter. I have found that, as Gallagher suggests, the optimal size depends upon both the task and the students. 5 is usually the biggest group I allow, but 3 is usually the magic number. And unless I have specific roles outlined for a set group size, I usually allow flexible grouping. I might request, for example, groups of 3 or 4. This makes students feel more in control of their groups, and I am often surprised by how many groups of 3 get very judicious about adding a 4th, some going so far as to briefly interview prospective members to see how much work they are willing to do. I must admit -- I like that.

I'm not so fond of pre-assigning roles, but I do like to layer the tasks. I like to begin by having students do something on their own, before I even suggest that collaboration might be coming. This way, every student brings something to the group. On occasion, I even lift members from each group to put in a focus group at the end, so the whole class can see what happened during the period in other groups. The fishbowl is good for this. Another interesting animal for whole class collaboration is the socratic seminar. This is collaborative discussion at its finest.

I am looking forward to trying a couple of the strategies mentioned in the chapter to see what I can add to my arsenal.

Modified Cornell Notes

I use a modified version of Cornell notes in my co-lab class. They were suggested by Ms. Rittacco to help the slower learners, but it is helpful for all the students. Half of the paper contains the PowerPoint fill-in notes; the other half is left blank. After I go through the PowerPoint and add some other details, the students are required to go back and make two questions from the information they have filled-in for each section. They then give those questions to students nearby to answer. Then the questions are returned and corrected. This exercise helps the students to retain the information.

Chapter 4: Concentration, Dante, and being "a little bit lost"

I, too, have had the unfortunate drive the author mentions -- the one that ends with no memory of the trip. And I have also had those reading sessions -- usually when I have been fatigued or preoccupied (or both). I can well imagine how a student, dealing with this frustration each time he reads, might give up. But it is a problem we can address easily. It is merely a concentration problem, not a reading problem. I wonder how many "reading problems" are actually manifestations of poor concentration due to exhaustion, lack of proper environment, or preoccupation.

On a different note, Dante's Inferno is out on DVD now, and the game is available on most systems, with more coming this month. So I bought the DVD and patiently await the game release for my system. I haven't watched the animated movie yet, but the trailers look good, as do those for the game. How does this relate? Well, my thought was that a bunch of students might read Inferno after watching the movie or playing the game, especially since the game makers have hinted at doing the other two parts of the Divine Comedy. Then I thought about teaching Inferno. What kind of preparation would I have to do with the kids? What could I do to help them negotiate what, even for good readers, is a daunting text? Many of the strategies in chapter 4 would be useful in this regard.

Finally, I love the idea of being a little bit lost. I don't mind admitting -- and I do so to my students -- that I prefer to be a little bit lost when I read. Think about this: Have you ever been driving, realized you were a little bit lost, and THEN blanked on the driving? Have you ever been reading, been just a little bit lost, and THEN blanked on a page? No, you haven't. Because being just a little bit lost makes us focus. It makes us ask pertinent questions. In short, it makes us do the things that, as good readers, we should be doing all along.

Loewen brought out an important point in his book, Teaching What Really Happened. He states that we, as teachers, need to enable students to see that their lives do have a larger meaning. All too often students see history only as something in the past that happened to other people. I agree with Loewen’s belief that researching the history of their own family, the school, or our local community helps students to see their own lives in a larger historical context. The links to the past are clearly evident in our area, and students should feel themselves to be a part of the chain of events that make up history. Although time constraints and testing schedules make such projects difficult I plan to incorporate some aspects of this type of research into future lessons. If you have done projects of this nature please let me know what worked most successfully for your students.

Collaborative learning

I'm using some of the ideas from the chapter on collaborative learning to improve what's going on in my classroom. I have a real problem with hitchhikers and chatters.

Several things so far have helped with those problems. Mixing up the groups and spreading them as far apart as possible in the classroom cuts down on the chatter. If they're not sitting with their friends, they talk less about themselves and more about the task at hand. It also allows the students who are having difficulty a chance to work with those who get things more quickly; the English class I have now seems to group itself by ability level more than I've seen in the past, so I have a few groups that are doing a great job and a few that are floundering. Of course, they whine about not being able to work with their buddies, but they're young. I'm sure they'll get over it. I'm also starting to tell them they have a specific amount of time, and I liked the suggestion of giving them slightly less than I think it will really take. That also cuts down on off-task behavior and discussion.

Overall, they're turning out better products in less time than they used to, and if I can go by their last literary period test, more of them are getting more out of the lessons.

I haven't had the chance to yet, but I plan to work on the specific roles idea, as well as group exams, casting calls, and several other suggestions from that chapter. Actually, I'm ordering the book to keep so I can mark it up and make notes on what works, what doesn't, and what I figure out that works even better -- sort of a Half-Blood-Prince approach :-)

Six Degrees of Reading

After reading the third chapter, I was struck by the idea of Six Degrees of Reading. I can certainly explain, if pushed, what led me to read some books, but it's not something I have considered too deeply as a "method". I have tried to suggest books to my students before -- usually based on what they like or what they have read, but this goes way deeper. I think if we shared one or two of our degree chains with students, they might be surprised to realize how many books we teachers have read that we wouldn't have just plucked from the shelf.

I wonder if it might work better, in explaining this to kids, to use the internet as the metaphor. We find what we were seeking, but then we click to somewhere else. Before long, we are led so far away from what we sought to begin with, yet we are immersed in an interesting find. This also works as a research skill -- mining the bibliographies of other researchers. But that's another tangent.

focus

My students are reading books with tragic heroes and writing literary papers on those heroes. I'm using a variety of focus activities to help them with the task.

Students are to write a literary paper on a tragic hero. They had five to choose from. We began by reading as a group a book with a tragic hero and using him as an example for discussion of the tragic hero traits. This also acted as scaffolding for students with more trouble in reading and comprehending. Now as they begin reading on their own, I'm giving them focus questions to answer at the end of each chapter: Write a brief summary of the chapter. Note evidence for any of the tragic hero traits that appears in that chapter. Write down any quotes that would help to explain one of the traits in your paper. (I modeled this using one of the chapters from the book we read as a group.) In addition, we will use focus groups, with students who are doing their papers on the same character meeting to discuss ideas and findings.

So far it's working quite well. During the discussion of the group book, they became so familiar with the concepts that they began suggesting characters from other books and films who display the traits. It's too long a project for me to give a complete reflection before the end of the nine weeks, but I think all this has given them the background and the skills to do well.

Jigsaw Activities

I really enjoy doing jigsaw activities with my students. I think it gives them some ownership of the material...rather than having the teacher stand up and present all of the material to them in his or her teaching style, students are able to "teach" their classmates in a manner that appeals to them.

Most recently, my kids did a jigsaw activity over some sections in the book about Ancient India and Ancient China. The kids worked in groups of 3-4 students each and were assigned an individual section...essentially, one group dealt with religion while another dealt with culture, and so on. After the original groups had worked, the groups were then scrambled into groups made up of members of the original groups (at least one member of the original groupings was in each new grouping). Each original group member "taught" their assigned section to their new group....they were required to create some type of visual (be it PowerPoint, a graphic organizer, whatever) and to have an "assignment" for the other kids.

As the 2nd groups discussed and worked, I walked around to observe and took mental notes on what was not being addressed. I covered what I did not feel was covered by the groups with the whole class. I think the kids got a pretty good view of the material, and they got it in a non-teacher centered way.

Chapter 2

In preparation for short stories in the unit, we do a prep that introduces character types. For "The Quiet Man" we listed the characteristics of an admirable person on the board -- someone we would enjoy having as a friend. Then we listed the characteristics of someone who would not be a good friend. This helped prepare students for the story which dealt with a clash between two types that reflected those views.

For "Love" I adapted the idea of looking at past experiences that correlated with the story. Students wrote about their favorite teachers, looking back over all their years in school. The results strengthened their writing skills and gave me some lovely insights into some of my colleagues. This was in advance of beginning the story.

2nd Draft Reading

In his book, Gallagher discusses first readings, second readings, etc... in order for a student to understand and appreciate a book. As a student, I know that their are some works that require to reread (more than once at times) in order to gain understanding. I also know that the more I read a book, the greater I appreciate what the author is attempting to say. However, asking students to read something once is like getting them to line up for the firing squad. With all the testing and material that must be covered in a single semester, is having students read and reread a wishful fantasy?

In the chapter titled "Reading the World," Gallagher discusses the importance of having students read a diverse assortment of material. Gallagher believes (as Do I) that if a student graduates with the ability to analyze a major literary work but can not understand how to use a newspaper or instruction manual he has failed as a teacher. I firmly believe in this idea; children should be socially literate. Having students read classic text will enrich their vocabulary and help them with difficult concepts in life, but we as teachers need to make sure that we are sending productive (as much as their ability allows) citizens out into the world. I am going to assign a different student everyday to read and present a newspaper article they found. At the end of the month, the class will vote on the most interesting article and then winner will recieve extra credit! Hopefully, this will show them that reading the newspaper can be interesting.

Metaphorically Speaking

As english teachers, we have all had students take notes and identify example of metaphors. However, we rarely ask our students to think metaphorically. Instead of students simply stating "Hamlet is crazy," they can say "Hamlet is like a calculator because he is always trying to figure out complex problems." Getting students to think this way causes them to reflect and analyze a work more deeply in order to gain comprehension. Deeper Reading has great metaphorical graphic organizers on pages 134-147.

Theme Triangles

I recently used theme triangles (one of the methods discussed for colloboration in Deeper Reading) in my classroom to facilitate deeper levels of comprehension. The purpose of this activity is to get students to produce a relevant theme from a reading and then make connections to life and pop-culture. Using a posterboard, students complete the following task:

1. Draw a triangle and place the name of their chosen story at the at the top of the triangle.
2. Students then come up with a theme and write it down in the middle of the triangle.
3. On the right hand side of the triangle, students explain how this theme can be applied to life and give specific examples.
4. On the left hand side of the triangle, students relate the theme to a popular movie, book, song, or poem that has the same theme.

It is a very good activity to show students how readings are prevelant to their lives.

Deeper Reading

Although laden with the almighty sports metaphor, Gallagher seems to have a tight hold on methods that can work with our reluctant readers. I particularly like the insights on helping students understand the layers of meaning that can be garnered from reading and rereading a text.

Social Studies Strategy

The two-column note taking strategy is a simple chart in which the student creates two columns with headings as the teacher directs. The student organizes the lesson material. This could be text pages, newspaper articles, novels, notes, etc.

I use this often to organize large amounts of information. It allows students to control or get a handle on information that might otherwise overwhelm them. For example, our current unit requires students to look at the similarities and differences in the physical and cultural geography of the U.S. and Canada. I ask students to make a chart with similarities on one side and differences on the other. As they take notes students mark their notes with an S or D. At the end of the unit, students fill in this chart with the appropriate information. This strategy helps students dig deeper into why the U.S. and Canada are in a region together.

The two-column note taking strategy is a favorite of mine because the manipulations are endless, it require low output from the teacher and higher output from the student, requires minimum planning and is a strategy used as part of various professional learning activities. With all of this, one might ask if this strategy pays off in terms of student achievement. I believe that it does. Students want to feel as if they are not having to memorize information because that is an overwhelming task. When they take ownership of the material they know it and therefore have less rote memorization. Fun alternatives include filling in the chart together on the board. This strategy is simple and an example of how strategies for content and critical literacy can easily be used to learn standards and increase student literacy.

Chapter 3

I have students in English Lit/Comp classes work in pairs to decipher the descriptions of pilgrims in The Canterbury Tales. In the past I've always gotten a lot of complaining about how difficult the language is to figure out. Some students just take a look at it, shut down and say "I can't." Today I tried a framing activity that came to me as I was reading Chapter 3 of Deeper Reading.

Instead of assigning pilgrims and having students get started on their own, I began by giving them the first stanza in Middle English, doublespaced so there was room to write between the lines. I read it to them in Middle English; it sounded pretty formidable to them, and the I can'ting started to rev up. But then I had them start over, and we went through it line by line to look for words they could recognize and wrote the Modern English words above their counterparts. When we'd done that, we went back through a third time, and they found they could translate it. Then I had them start on their pilgrims.

The students were pleased with how many words they got when we did the second round of reading. One even took a logic leap to see that "shoures" must mean "showers." She explained, "Because the line says April, and people talk about April showers." It was really neat seeing how proud they were of themselves when they reaized they could understand the Middle English so well after all. And it made a huge difference in the outcome of the pilgrim activity. They really attacked it in a way I haven't seen before. It was like they were thinking, "Hey, if I can figure out what the Middle English means, reading this modern translation should be a snap." Students were able to pull more information out of the text, and the change in collective attitude went further than just there wasn't the griping about "I don't understand this" that I was used to hearing. Most of them were kind of getting a kick out of getting to know their pilgrim.

Deeper Reading Chapter 1

The book titled Deeper Reading by Kelly Gallagher begins by comparing reading to understanding the game of baseball. This may seem like an awkward analogy, but once you begin reading the chapter it makes perfect sense. Gallagher states that most people understand the basic rules of baseball (3 outs per inning, batters, pitchers, etc...), but they do not understand all of the nuances that occur between every pitch because they do not possess the knowledge to comprehend these events (signals, fielders moving by pitch, etc..). The same can be said for readers at the second level; most possess the ability to read and comprehend at the surface level, but they need to be taught how to understand a text more deeply. I have already used "Conversation Piece" by Ned Guymon as an activity to help students make inferences by using clues from the text.

Deeper Reading -- Chapters 1 and 2

 After reading the first two chapters of the book, I'm encouraged. Usually, books that promise help with teaching reading are geared toward younger grades and are minimally useful, and then only after some modification to the strategies. This volume seems, so far, to keep focus on high school readers. I like the opening metaphor only because I have long been a fan of baseball. I have always looked up to the players who have studied the game at its deepest levels. I suppose that as more of an intellectual than an athlete, I appreciate the thinking man's approach to games. No matter the game, I love the fact that, on some level deeper than physical prowess, there's a different game going on. So it is with reading. Superficial reading, as Gallagher calls it, is a worthwhile activity -- one that I have spent countless hours enjoying. But those of us here realize how much more there is to enjoy beyond that level.

Chapter two offered a few strategies for helping students to read more deeply. The best advice here, however, isn't an enumerated strategy at all. Gallagher reminds us that readers must be taught to read deeply. We do not need so many new strategies to help us as we need to pass on effective strategies to our students. We do this, Gallagher tells us, by sitting beside our students. I believe we must do this both figuratively (as supporters) and literally (as guides and at times, reading peers). I quite enjoy this second instance. I try each year to read something my students are reading. In this way, I have read a number of interesting books I would never have picked up otherwise. In addition, I have been able to talk with students about the books as we read. We make predictions together. We critique characters. We talk about symbols and themes. It is, as Gallagher mentions, collaboration, but it is collaboration on what began as pleasure reading. I have developed some very productive reading relationships with a few of my former students. As often as I have introduced a student to a new author, I have met a new author. I have even rediscovered a couple of authors. I believe these relationships are so productive because students get to see my passion for reading, and they get to see, firsthand, how I make meaning as I read. And all of this they see as my peers in reading, not as my students (though I'm not naive enough to think the student/teacher relationship and the mystique it carries disappears completely). So I think the trick must be to take the best bits of these more personal reading relationships and bring them to the whole class. The problem I see therein is keeping interest level. It is much easier for two people to agree that they enjoy a particular author or genre -- it's what begins the relationship. With a whole class, and one that is reading from a prescribed canon, interest is always an issue. I look forward to seeing Gallagher's answer to this issue.

Deeper Reading: Closing Thoughts

This was a good book. I’m glad to have read it. There are so many valuable insights and activities. I worry that I’ll forget them. Perhaps the act of blogging and discussing will help me digest some of this. Perhaps the real point of the book is not to remember specific activities, but just to get me thinking deeply about my teaching practice.

Once after an observation of my class, Billy Parker said to me that it didn’t bother him if I made mistakes or found weaknesses in my teaching. He said that it would most bother him if I didn’t. The important idea is that, while we’re not perfect teachers, we’re thinking and trying to improve.

Thanks for the opportunity to better myself.

I know that some people were not enthused to read this book, and that some were turned off by the baseball analogy. As far as I’m concerned, it was a out-of-the-park home run!!

Deeper Reading: Chapter Nine

The beginning of this chapter really resonates with me, as I'm sure it does with many teachers. As Gallagher writes, "we should be looking for ways to give students more exposure to a curriculum that, when taught with rigor, provides them richer opportunities to think critically" (p.168). Georgia is planning to adopt merit based pay for teachers. It's a great idea, in theory, but I question its implementation. What will be the criteria used to determine teacher and student success? Will it be student performance on standardized tests? This will encourage more teachers to step away from practical curriculum and to embrace test taking strategies. Will it be a subjective observation of class? That is rife with problems, also.

I'm glad that he brought up George Carlin. I've read Brain Droppings, too, and the man was a genius. Ever since my college days, I've recognized Carlin to be a true linguist at heart. His observations about language and culture were clever and right on.

This chapter was full of useful real world skills and good activities. At the end of the chapter, Gallagher writes about how many teachers will question if there is time for these real world practices, when there is so much other canonical literature to be taught. I share this concern. I really don't know how this Gallagher guy manages to get so much done in his classroom. Perhaps his methods are so overwhelming to me because they are the product of fifteen years in public education. He's had plenty of time to think, to teach, and to think again. These methods have become integrated. Maybe, if I work hard and always strive for excellence, I'll have reached a similar stage of enlightenment 13 years from now.

Many of the idea presented in this chapter, and in the book to this point, are things I've considered using and have occasionally tried. For example, towards the end of last semester, I taught a class on regional variances in the English language. We examined African American English and its rules, and compared it to Standard American English. AAE is actually formally recognized as a variation on SAE, with its own rules. For example, in AAE, it is acceptable to drop the "to be" verb in some sentences, such as "We are good friends." We did a couple activities where students would have to "translate" from one version of English to the next, and then we examined MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech. We looked at the speech for AAE elements as well as its poetic and rhetorical strategies. The students were very involved and enjoyed the lesson.

It is tough, however, to include these varied activities when were are under mounting pressures from so many different sources. Politicians, administrators, and parents want us to teach to SATs, ACTs, EOCTs, graduation tests, and departmental requirements. I sometimes feel as I have measured out my life with these bloated and unwieldy contrivances. I don't know when I can do things like these activities.

Gallagher's point, I know, is that these activities do fit into our standards and requirements. When we teach our classes his suggested activities, the students are practicing deep thinking and reading skills. However, in the real world, we educators will not be trusted to use our content as a scaffold to deep thinking and reading skills. It's much more likely, as in the example Gallagher gave, that an administrator would ask us to "suspend the normal curriculum" and teach to the test for a specified period of time. In this way, there would be definitive proof of teaching critical thinking skills, so that the administrator could defend his or her position by saying, "Look, we teach 'X' for a designated fifteen minutes every Tuesday and Thursday" instead of having to explain how the teachers incorporate those skills in the everyday activities (or trust educators to incorporate those activities). Oftentimes, I think the behavior of people in power is really dictated by fear or lack of faith in the ability of teachers. Ridiculous rules and micro-management is thrust upon us so that the higher ups can cover themselves from litigation and responsibility. Such is the environment created by the totalitarian NCLB.

Deeper Reading: Chapter Seven

The most thought provoking element of this chapter was fairly late, when Gallagher discussed writing as the lost “R” in education. I agree whole-heartedly that there isn’t enough writing done. I’ve addressed this by making writing a regular part of our schedule. Tuesdays and Thursdays are designated writing days. My 10th grade class, for example will write one major paper (a persuasive essay or research paper) during most weeks. In addition, paragraph writing is good for pre-reading activities.
For example, today, prior to reading “A Taste of Snow” (an essay about a Japanese-American’s first experience with snow, while in a WWII internment camp), I asked students to write about their first experiences with snow in a five sentence paragraph. While many students have been born and raised in Georgia, we have others who have lived in other states and countries. After 5-10 minutes of writing, we can discuss. It makes the class more interactive, more diverse, and it also helps the discussion when students can formulate their thoughts beforehand.

I see his point about using metaphor as a springboard to writing. I think these metaphorical graphic organizers can move very naturally into persuasive writing. I do, however, think that some of the graphic organizers are overly contrived and “corny.” I’m sure that students would love them, as they love any break in the routine.

Deeper Reading: Chapter Four

Is he actually suggesting that students would reread a novel or challenging text?

I really like the examples he uses in the text. He uses Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, The Lord of the Flies, and other works that I would actually use in class. This makes the text engaging and practical for me.

The idea of acknowledging, even encouraging, reader confusion seems sincere and noble. Too often, students feel shame when they struggle with texts, and it's great to acknowledge that all readers have moments of confusion. I struggle every time I attempt, yet again, to read Ulysses. I understand how hard it is to maintain one's energy level despite a complete lack of understanding. I am always quick to relate my own troublesome experiences with students, especially when we approach any text that's particularly challenging for them.

I'm going to use his driving metaphor in my class (p.64). It's an apt comparison.

After reading this far, I think my "Levels of Questioning" activity is a good, sound pedagogical approach. I sometimes have students come up with questions after or during reading a text. It's like Gallagher's Twenty Questions (p.58), but I ask them to think of questions on the different levels. It works well to get them thinking deeply about what they've read, and it encourages them to make meaningful connections.

I'm also going to use his sentence idea for vocabulary acquisition. I had been planning to use the Word of the Day, but maybe I could incorporate sentences and context into it as well. (Actually, I tried it out today, and it seems to work well. I might alternate this with other vocabulary strategies, such as sentence construction.)

Deeper Reading: Chapter the Third

"How a person feels about a learning situation determines the amount of attention devoted to it."

I think Sousa's second point (p.29) is especially salient. Gallagher mentions how students often wonder about the relevance of their classroom learning. Unfortunately, the idea of relevance is tricky. We sometimes teach concepts that have little real-world relevance to either the teacher or the student. Such is the reality of teaching to standards created by out of touch administrators and politicians. In some cases, the question isn't only "How do I motivate the student?" but "How do I motivate the teacher?"

The example of using potato chips to introduce a science unit on Olestra is a laudable motivational tactic. Honestly, though, we all don't have the extra money to buy such supplies for all 90 of our students on a daily basis. I know that this isn't Gallagher's point, but still...

Sousa claimed that our brains have "a persistent interest in novelty." I know well the brain's need for novelty. I remember, upon seeing Dead Poets Society in a grad class, noting Mr. Keating's use of novelty for cementing concepts in his students' brains. For example, in one scene, he asks the students to huddle up and whispers a point to them. In another scene, he brings his entire class to the courtyard. As Mr. Keating said:

"Robert Frost said, Two roads diverged in a wood and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. Now, I want you to find your own walk right now. Your own way of striding, pacing. Any direction. Anything you want. Whether it’s proud, whether it’s silly, anything. Gentlemen, the courtyard is yours."

What a great way of cementing a concept in the student's brain. Good movie. Personal favorite.

Gallagher's Romeo and Juliet reading guide seems useful. It's another one of his resources that I will blatantly steal. Perhaps, after stealing his specific activities and worksheets, I'll feel comfortable enough with the techniques to adapt them to my lessons. That's probably the whole point of this book.

Reading about classrooms in books like this one always gets me excited to teach. I feel energized whenever I hear about the potential for an idealized classroom. My classes rarely work out in the idealized fashion, though, and I doubt Gallagher's do, either. I guess we should take his examples with a grain of salt. After all, this guy claims to have been teaching fifteen years, and he's just referring to the very best of his anecdotal evidence.

I feel overwhelmed with all of the ideas presented in this chapter. They're all good, and I want to try them, but there's almost too many to realistically attempt in one semester. I think the real wisdom to be learned from this chapter is a teacher willingness to spend time "boiling the water" for student learning. Is there someone who can type these activities into a Word document and post it on the staff drive, for future reference? Or scan in the pages?

Is there enough time for all these activities in the class and to do the reading? Maybe Gallagher does these activities in class and assigns the actual reading as homework. Will that work for us? My students usually don't do homework. Maybe, if I do these activities in class and motivate them properly, they'll be intrigued enough to do the reading at home.

His closing comments (p.49) mention the challenges of assuming too much. I was given the following advice by the proprietor of a comic book store, after I was awarded an artistic grant to teach local children how to write and draw comic books. "Don't assume that they know anything," he said. I keep that advice in the back of my mind everyday, as I'm consistently shocked at the knowledge and skills deficiencies in some of our students.

Deeper Reading: Chapter Two

As I anticipated, good reading strategies were abundant in this chapter. I can particularly relate to his idea of hooking the reader. Beginning teachers often make the mistake of launching into cold readings, perhaps because the teacher feels pressured with mounting curricular demands and a need to get through material as quickly as possible. My lovely wife, in her teaching at university, had learned the important practice of "boiling the water." A good teacher must prepare the students for learning, much in the same way a cook would boil the water before cooking the pasta. While it's true that not boiling the water is quicker, motivating students and capturing their interest is well worth the extra time. As teacher, we must find ways to make meaningful connections between the students and the text. If that means covering one or two stories per week (as opposed to 4-5), then so be it.

I also found Gallagher's ideas about rereading fascinating. As a reader, I know that multiple readings are needed to fully understand a text. However, I anticipate severe motivational problems. I know that students are very resistant to the idea. Students generally won't reread a story, poem, or even film, because they feel that, if they already know the plot and characters, they have nothing more to glean from it.

I think the mistaken idea that one reading is sufficient can be partially attributed to bad teaching (of course, student laziness factors into the mix). For too long, I've seen teachers focus on Level One type questions (surface level questions, such plot recall). In a way, we are placing value on these superficial elements when we only address Level One questions. If teachers were to focus on higher level thinking skills when discussing a text, students would learn that there is more to be gained through multiple viewings. In a way, teachers need to be re-trained to think in this way, just as much as students need to be re-trained.

There's a lot to think about in this chapter.

I'm also guilty of getting caught up with covering the curriculum and meeting standards at the expense of motivating students. This chapter is further encouragement that I should take a more relaxed approach. I'm going to try his "Model for Teaching Challenging Texts" as soon as I can! I can directly swipe his specific examples, as "Love" is in the World Literature textbook.

Deeper Reading: Chapter One

While I appreciate Gallagher's unbridled enthusiasm for the game of baseball, I can't help but think that his opening metaphor is both reaching and completely arbitrary. Sure, reading can be likened to baseball in a broad, meaningless way. However, in the same arbitrary way, I can draw comparisons between reading and activities like baking pies or eating caramels. To wit:

"I enjoy eating caramels with my nephew. He loves all kinds of caramels, as do I. He, sadly, cannot properly appreciate the nuanced taste of MarieBelle French caramels as opposed to, say, a $1.99 box of Werther's. It's because he hasn't been taught how to appreciate caramels on a deeper level. I think many of our students suffer the same deficiency while reading."

See? It's easy. I can write a book now, too.

Gallagher also barely veils his condescending attitude for people who read on a superficial level, for enjoyment. He compares struggling high school readers to five-year-old girls who don't fully understand baseball. Such high school students could not notice what made the "shortstop and second baseman nervous" or the esoteric "secret sign" that players devise for use before every pitch (as it would apply to reading a text, that is).

To use his own metaphor against him, I have enjoyed watching baseball games on many occasions but possess little more than a fleeting knowledge of the game's subtle intricacies and "secret signs." Gallagher makes the assertion that reading something for enjoyment, and appreciating the surface level, is somehow inadequate.

On the other hand, we all want our students to reach their full potential, don't we? Although it's hard to look past Gallagher's contempt for the superficial reader, I agree that it would be wonderful for students to increase their potential for comprehension. While I think that reading for enjoyment and the more superficial elements is perfectly acceptable at times, it wouldn't hurt to have students who could do more.

The book's approach seems very accessible, and Gallagher's enthusiasm is palpable. I'm eager to see where he goes with this.

Blog Expectations

Blog Expectations

Each course participant must contribute 3 substantial posts.

All posts must be made before the end of this 3rd nine weeks.

A substantial post should include the following:

• A brief description of literacy strategy used in your lesson (in red below)
• Specific details describing your lesson (in green below)
• A quick reflection (in blue below)

I used one of the the strategies described in the Content Area Literacy Guide to help me design my lesson. You may opt to base your posts on the strategies you described in your Self-Assessment Survey or from strategies uncovered during your book study.

Here is my sample post:

The objective of this task is to have my students demonstrate an understanding of the concept of critical literacy so any misconceptions could be seen. I used an Analytic Graphic Organizer to help them organize their thoughts AFTER reading.

First I modeled the process of completing a Frayer diagram for the whole group. During the class demonstration we discussed the concept of functional literacy. We completed the Frayer Model by listing essential characteristics and examples of functional literacy. As a class, we attempted to define functional literacy through the description of instances in which someone may demonstrate functional literacy on the job. After the whole group lesson, I asked my students to create another Frayer Model in small groups. For their graphic organizer, the students had to list essential characteristics, nonessential characteristics, examples, and nonexamples of critical literacy.

I was not surprised that my students had trouble identifying the nonexamples. I knew from the earlier lesson that the identification of nonexamples would require careful thought. Fortunately, I also discovered that several of my students are still unable to differentiate the essential characteristics of critical reading and critical literacy. I will use this information to plan for small group instruction.

critical literacy

What is new in critical literacy?