I liked Gallagher's suggestions on pg 100 about teachers showing that they too get confused, and also "thinking outloud" so that the students can see his thought process. I think that you can relate to students on a more human level when they see that you have to think about texts just like they do. My criticism of his "large chunk reading" is time. I wonder if with all the mandated material we are suppose to teach: Would I even have time to try all this with one piece of literature? When talking about close reading, Gallagher says that you should always read with a pencil in hand and that is something that I learned along time ago! It is absolutely necessary to annotate, make notes, underline (when possible) as you read or points that you think are important enough to remember may get lost in the text. I like adding post it notes to the book so that you are not writing on the book and also so that you can remove them when preparing to write and place them all over your desk as if you had "brainstormed" them.
The last point I want to discuss is the way he talks about a lesson he would do in his class. (pg 108) To walk around the class and see where his students had highlighted and then if he had a common question he could address it as a class, seems like an easy, active, and engaging way to talk about a text. I wouldn't mind trying it with my class.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Repost of Chapter 3
I thought I posted this almost 2 weeks ago but I guess I did something wrong so let's try again!
I would like to question something that Mr. Gallagher says on page 75. He poses the question of : "Isn't it our overall, long-term goal to produce graduates who become life-long readers? Isn't it paramount that students leave our schools seeing themselves as readers?" I am answering the question with a question. Is it?
Is that our paramount goal? I am not convinced. I, especially as an English major, see the huge merit in being a reader and in promoting reading for my students, but I am not sure that it is my ultimate goal. I do not believe that it is the ultimate "paramount" goal of any teacher whatever thier content is. Being able to read is of course a necessity, but being a "pleasure reader" doesn't mean you are any more likely to succeed as someone who never reads for pleasure. I am sure there are statistics somewhere that could try to prove me wrong, but I am living proof that it is not a necessity. There are others in the class who would agree. I LOVE to read for pleasure, but I haven't had the time to do so in many years. I am quasi successful, I am in a master's program.
From my perspective, my ultimate goal is to prepare my students for what they are going to need in life. If they need to know how to write a paper for the graduation writing test, that is my goal. If they need to know how to form a sentence for the CRCT, that is my goal. If they are going to college and need a broad vocabulary for the SAT, that is my goal. Reading can assist in all those things, but you can read a novel and it can be written in any vernacular known (and unknown) to man. My students need to know how to write essays that will get them through to the next grade or to graduate. There are huge benefits to leisure reading and there is a place for it in my classroom, but I cannot agree that it is my ultimate goal.
I would like to question something that Mr. Gallagher says on page 75. He poses the question of : "Isn't it our overall, long-term goal to produce graduates who become life-long readers? Isn't it paramount that students leave our schools seeing themselves as readers?" I am answering the question with a question. Is it?
Is that our paramount goal? I am not convinced. I, especially as an English major, see the huge merit in being a reader and in promoting reading for my students, but I am not sure that it is my ultimate goal. I do not believe that it is the ultimate "paramount" goal of any teacher whatever thier content is. Being able to read is of course a necessity, but being a "pleasure reader" doesn't mean you are any more likely to succeed as someone who never reads for pleasure. I am sure there are statistics somewhere that could try to prove me wrong, but I am living proof that it is not a necessity. There are others in the class who would agree. I LOVE to read for pleasure, but I haven't had the time to do so in many years. I am quasi successful, I am in a master's program.
From my perspective, my ultimate goal is to prepare my students for what they are going to need in life. If they need to know how to write a paper for the graduation writing test, that is my goal. If they need to know how to form a sentence for the CRCT, that is my goal. If they are going to college and need a broad vocabulary for the SAT, that is my goal. Reading can assist in all those things, but you can read a novel and it can be written in any vernacular known (and unknown) to man. My students need to know how to write essays that will get them through to the next grade or to graduate. There are huge benefits to leisure reading and there is a place for it in my classroom, but I cannot agree that it is my ultimate goal.
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