Our first activity was a group activity. Our group's highlight's regarding the value of expanded reading and writing programs in secondary schools ( based on the reading on pgs 16-17) were:
*Literacy is an ongoing eduction.
*literacy helps with understanding the subject
*literacy helps learn/ understand every skill that is needed to graduate
*classroom teachers are responsible for their literacy comprehension &a skill.
The three reason literacy should occur in subject area classrooms (pg 17-18):
*Discourse: in order to think deeply, the student must learn and understand the language.
* class teachers are responsible for their growth and teaching the skills needed to be able to grow.
*ELL students need special guidance to learn the content from the source, not the secondary teacher.
The second group activity consisted of looking at a cartoon, there were three great ones to choose from and we had to pick it apart and share with the group and compare on what "we saw/understood" . Our group had a set of knights on horses being observed by "mid evil scientist" dressed in modern day attire. The one knight was in a suit of cardboard and the other in the traditional attire of armor. Our group decided that after trial and error, and perhaps trying to find a lighter substitute that cardboard just wasn't going to cut it...why mess with tradition when the original works? Kind of the same concept with reading comprehension. Years ago when education became a necessity it was because our world was changing quickly and they knew that in order to move forward people needed to learn to read and write in order to learn and understand the new information. This theory has not changed but seems to have been forgotten at times throughout educational history. The responsibility as a teacher in secondary schools seems to have slipped into a frustrations get filled trend when they get these students that read at a third grade level. The trend seems to blame the teachers before them instead of taking owner ship of the issue and work like heck with these students to help give them the skills that they obviously have not picked up over the the years. Think of a high school student that reads at a third grad level as an abused puppy that needs to be rescued. Anyone with a heart will rescue the puppy and will give that puppy extra attention and be empathetic and sympathetic to its needs in order to help it heal, trust and love again. Any good hearted person that rescues this puppy will not sit by and do nothing except blame the previous owner...so why, do we as educators, think this is permissible for a student that is lagging skills that are needed in order to succeed in life after high school?! Yes, it will take extra time and certainly patience, but this is no longer so and so's problem to deal with, if you want this student to succeed...even if it's just in your class this week...then you have to show that student that you care enough to give them the time that they need, the courage to ask for help, not the shame in their ignorance. I could go on and on but I'm pretty sure the point has been made.
The final project was that the class was given an email, we were not allowed to give details as to what it was or what our roles we're at first. It was later disclosed to us that everyone got a description of the same house but our roles were all secretly different, without disclosing our roles (I was a house shopping btw) we had to describe the pros and cons of this house and the layout. As someone that used to flip houses with my ex-husband I was eager to get I t her and fix/repair/update and landscape and get it back on the market. My perspective was far different from the guy that was casingthe house because he was a robber, or the raptor that he to pay attention to verbiage or the general house buyer that might be interested I actually keeping and living in the house.mthe point avian that was made...everyone reads things differently and in order to get the big picture collaboration is a must!
Wow you had great take away's! Dr. Steffes sure does know how to make an interesting lesson plan! I have really enjoyed this class so far. Frontloading is so important to learn the expected knowledge. I had the knights cartoon and they were trying out cardboard armor. If I had no existing knowledge of cardboard then I would have not gotten the expected reaction. I would have thought that maybe that was the norm or even that cardboard was metal like. As you stated above we should not shame students for their ignorance but teach them how to connect the knowledge they are given to the knowledge they already have.
ReplyDeleteI loved your reaction in the house activity! You were using your prior knowledge to build a great presentation! I am sure you felt really successful! Imagine a student feeling the same way about content they know and are ready to share! *mind blown*
ReplyDeleteRelationship, patience and time. Sounds like a recipe for success!
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your thorough blog post.