In this essay, Smith ascertains the famous platitude that "a man that knows something knows that he knows nothing at all". I say this because, his twelve rules for reading teachers are the methods that my teachers used to teach me how to read ever since I have been in this country. He admits that those prevalent methodologies are not as helpful as the masses may believe. This shows me that if I want to be an effective teacher, I must be flexible and willing to learn new techniques in order to make certain that my students get as much as they can from my lessons.
When Smith states that the one difficult rule for making learning to read easy is to "make reading easy"I automatically knew that I was going to have to reassess everything that I was taught in the past about chunking, phonics, word association etc... By focusing one the one difficult way to make it easy, teachers can help students to conquer their academic fears by teaching them that fear is actually nothing more than False evidence Appearing Real!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
The Syntax Search II
After discussing the research available on my teaching inquiry topic with Betsy, I learned that the best thing that I could do to to help students with syntax, is to help them with second language acquisition in general. Last semester I took course in SLA in which I learned about a plethora of different theorists that contributed to the field of TESOL. In the dichotomous debate about which theorists make more sense between the cognitive theorists and the behaviorists, I discerned that the behaviorists have a much more palpable approach because a student can be drilled on grammar all day long, but if she does not study what she learns with experienced interlocutors she will never be able to put it into useful practice through collaborative dialogues. For this reason, I decided that instead of focusing on sentence structure, I should focus on semantics and reading comprehension because the more a student knows, the more she is able to write about.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Writing Without Teachers by Peter Elbow
This book was very interesting due to the fact that it contrasted everything that I ever learned about the writing process. It is difficult for a reader to discern which information from a text is most feasible in real life situations, so I took it upon myself to test Elbow's theory of free writing in order to "grow" ideas and then later editing as a method of "cooking" the paper by amalgamating all of the fertile ideas.
I tested this idea by asking my private students to free write for 10 minutes about the topic that they had to write about. Later I asked them to underline all of the key words and those were the key items used to create topic sentences. This process worked so effectively that I used it to write my own personal statement. I would ardently recommend it to any student who thinks that he or she is suffering from a case of writer's block, or those that simply hate to write.
I tested this idea by asking my private students to free write for 10 minutes about the topic that they had to write about. Later I asked them to underline all of the key words and those were the key items used to create topic sentences. This process worked so effectively that I used it to write my own personal statement. I would ardently recommend it to any student who thinks that he or she is suffering from a case of writer's block, or those that simply hate to write.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
I Read It, but I Don't Get It by Cris Tovani 9
Chapter 9
**FRUITS**
"Reading teachers do more than measure comprehension. With direct explicit instruction that demonstrates what good readers do, struggling readers can be taught how to comprehend the text better."(108)
"Strategies overlap. I don't neglect one that has been previously taught when I begin a new one, and I don't continue focusing on one that students have mastered."(109)
**WEEDS**
The main problem that I had with this book was that certain ideas were constantly repeated from chapter to chapter. After finishing the book, I realized that it was done for a reason. She repeated herself because the students in her class are not the only learners that she has to educate. She spells her strategies out and she gives examples and models of everything that she does so that we can teach our students in the same way that we were taught.
**BASKET**
This whole book is a keeper. Regardless of how bad the economy gets I will never sell this book because I can constantly refer to it and possibly build my own effective strategies that may be based on her principals and techniques.
**FRUITS**
"Reading teachers do more than measure comprehension. With direct explicit instruction that demonstrates what good readers do, struggling readers can be taught how to comprehend the text better."(108)
"Strategies overlap. I don't neglect one that has been previously taught when I begin a new one, and I don't continue focusing on one that students have mastered."(109)
**WEEDS**
The main problem that I had with this book was that certain ideas were constantly repeated from chapter to chapter. After finishing the book, I realized that it was done for a reason. She repeated herself because the students in her class are not the only learners that she has to educate. She spells her strategies out and she gives examples and models of everything that she does so that we can teach our students in the same way that we were taught.
**BASKET**
This whole book is a keeper. Regardless of how bad the economy gets I will never sell this book because I can constantly refer to it and possibly build my own effective strategies that may be based on her principals and techniques.
I Read It, but I Don't Get It by Cris Tovani 8
Chapter 8
**FRUITS**
-"When teaching the what, don't forget the how."(98)
-When Kristi makes a wild outlandish inference about the ending of the class reading, Tovani tells her"as you get older, people won't take you seriously if your opinions aren't based on the facts. You can't just say anything and expect people to agree with you."(98)
-"In order to infer, readers must lift up the words and go beneath them." (100)
**WEEDS**
Very important chapter. No weeds here!
**BASKET**
"When teachers use phrases like read between the lines, make an inference, draw a conclusion, think harder, they are not showing students how to infer, they are merely telling them to infer." (99) I have to remember this when I start teaching.
"Distinguish the differences between opinion and inference.Provide examples and point out that sometimes opinions are based on facts but not always."(104)
**FRUITS**
-"When teaching the what, don't forget the how."(98)
-When Kristi makes a wild outlandish inference about the ending of the class reading, Tovani tells her"as you get older, people won't take you seriously if your opinions aren't based on the facts. You can't just say anything and expect people to agree with you."(98)
-"In order to infer, readers must lift up the words and go beneath them." (100)
**WEEDS**
Very important chapter. No weeds here!
**BASKET**
"When teachers use phrases like read between the lines, make an inference, draw a conclusion, think harder, they are not showing students how to infer, they are merely telling them to infer." (99) I have to remember this when I start teaching.
"Distinguish the differences between opinion and inference.Provide examples and point out that sometimes opinions are based on facts but not always."(104)
I Read It, but I Don't Get It by Cris Tovani 7
Chapter 7
**FRUITS**
I agree with her about the fact that students should try to take responsibility for "learning", instead of blaming others for what they do not comprehend. The sweetest fruits in this section were picked from the section where she suggested that the students:
1. Interact with the text
2. Motivate themselves to read
3. Clarify information in the text
4. Infer beyond the literal meaning
Although I feel as though these fruits have already been eaten.
**WEEDS**
As I was reading this chapter I thought about the TEOSL/TEFL certification course that I took in Oxford seminars this summer. The instructor spoke to us about "teacher speak" and the importance of repetition. With that being said, I'm hoping that this is what Tovani is attempting to do in this chapter (repeat everything that she said in other chapters) because at this point some of her tips are becoming a bit bromidic to me (seriously)! But, if that is what she intended, it's all good.
** BASKET**
I will re-pick the fruits that I plucked from this chapter (and a few others) and in my basket I will add the teaching point #4 from page 95, which is "Teach students that answers to their questions can be found in three places: in the text, in their head, and in another source. Give examples of each." Initially, I thought this chapter wreaked with repetitious advice, but this nugget of wisdom that I added to the basket, is one of the best tips that she offers in the entire book. I appreciate the way she exonerates herself from being deemed as corny. Nice move Chris! :D
**FRUITS**
I agree with her about the fact that students should try to take responsibility for "learning", instead of blaming others for what they do not comprehend. The sweetest fruits in this section were picked from the section where she suggested that the students:
1. Interact with the text
2. Motivate themselves to read
3. Clarify information in the text
4. Infer beyond the literal meaning
Although I feel as though these fruits have already been eaten.
**WEEDS**
As I was reading this chapter I thought about the TEOSL/TEFL certification course that I took in Oxford seminars this summer. The instructor spoke to us about "teacher speak" and the importance of repetition. With that being said, I'm hoping that this is what Tovani is attempting to do in this chapter (repeat everything that she said in other chapters) because at this point some of her tips are becoming a bit bromidic to me (seriously)! But, if that is what she intended, it's all good.
** BASKET**
I will re-pick the fruits that I plucked from this chapter (and a few others) and in my basket I will add the teaching point #4 from page 95, which is "Teach students that answers to their questions can be found in three places: in the text, in their head, and in another source. Give examples of each." Initially, I thought this chapter wreaked with repetitious advice, but this nugget of wisdom that I added to the basket, is one of the best tips that she offers in the entire book. I appreciate the way she exonerates herself from being deemed as corny. Nice move Chris! :D
Saturday, October 16, 2010
I Read It, but I Don't Get It by Cris Tovani 6
Chapter 6
**FRUITS**
-When her students complain about not having any background knowledge about a text, I love it when she says "there are many topics they will have to read that didn't occur during the last fifteen years. It's time to call on the information that they do have."(71) Then she introduces these eight steps:
1. Relate to characters
2.Visualize (which was mentioned in some of the other techniques)
3. Avoid boredom
4. Pay attention
5. Listen to others
6. Read actively (also mentioned previously)
7. Remember what they read
8. Ask questions. Questions often lead to inferences.
**WEEDS**
No weeds for me. This is actually one of the most important chapters because when students feel as though they can relate to a topic they they tend to delve deeper into it and extrapolate more meaning than they would have if the topic is boring or unfamiliar. This reminds me of my passion for SOCIOLOGY. I love the discipline so much that I spelled it in capital letters for no apparent reason. But when I read about it I get goosebumps and by mind starts to play a three way ping pong match between each of the three paradigms, as I try to conceptualize what theorists from each sect would say about certain societal issues.
**BASKET**
Everything goes in the basket! I refuse to surpass the word minimum but I will also take the tips that she offers from pages 76-78. Good stuff!
I Read It, but I Don't Get It by Cris Tovani 5
Chapter 5
**FRUITS**
I love her fix up strategies which include:
*Making connection between themselves and the text
*Making Predictions
*Stopping and thinking about what they already read
*Asking themselves questions and trying to answer them (also mentioned in chap 4)
*Reflecting in writing what they already read
*Visualization
*Using print conventions
*Retelling what they already read
*Noticing patterns in text structure
*Adjusting their reading rates: slower or faster according to levels of comprehension
**WEEDS**
I have to honestly say that Tovani is on a roll here. I mean the purpose of me doing a weeds section is so I can reflect on what I am confused about or to take a second or third look at what I disagree with. So far this is the fifth chapter and I only recall reporting weeds once. Again, I have no weeds for this chapter it's an easy read and it might become my reading comprehension bible when I start working. This is some seriously good stuff!
**BASKET**
The fruits are coming with me and also, I would like to pick up the methods that she uses to decipher unknown words:
1. Looking at the structure of the word try to search for any familiar roots and pre or suffixes.
2. Using the glossary if one is available
3. Reading the words around the unknown word and trying to substitute the strange word for another word that might also make sense
4. Write the word down on the sticky note. The next day in class ask the teacher. I think I'll have to rescind from my statement about the weeds. Since we are living in the information era, the same internet that allows students to watch a Lady Gaga video fifty times in a row, can also allow them to google any word on earth and get the meaning of it. I also suggest that my students invest in a digital dictionary so that they can gain access to meanings of difficult words regardless of where they are. But, she still did a great job compiling this list so I will not actually dump this idea in the weeds batch.
**FRUITS**
I love her fix up strategies which include:
*Making connection between themselves and the text
*Making Predictions
*Stopping and thinking about what they already read
*Asking themselves questions and trying to answer them (also mentioned in chap 4)
*Reflecting in writing what they already read
*Visualization
*Using print conventions
*Retelling what they already read
*Noticing patterns in text structure
*Adjusting their reading rates: slower or faster according to levels of comprehension
**WEEDS**
I have to honestly say that Tovani is on a roll here. I mean the purpose of me doing a weeds section is so I can reflect on what I am confused about or to take a second or third look at what I disagree with. So far this is the fifth chapter and I only recall reporting weeds once. Again, I have no weeds for this chapter it's an easy read and it might become my reading comprehension bible when I start working. This is some seriously good stuff!
**BASKET**
The fruits are coming with me and also, I would like to pick up the methods that she uses to decipher unknown words:
1. Looking at the structure of the word try to search for any familiar roots and pre or suffixes.
2. Using the glossary if one is available
3. Reading the words around the unknown word and trying to substitute the strange word for another word that might also make sense
4. Write the word down on the sticky note. The next day in class ask the teacher. I think I'll have to rescind from my statement about the weeds. Since we are living in the information era, the same internet that allows students to watch a Lady Gaga video fifty times in a row, can also allow them to google any word on earth and get the meaning of it. I also suggest that my students invest in a digital dictionary so that they can gain access to meanings of difficult words regardless of where they are. But, she still did a great job compiling this list so I will not actually dump this idea in the weeds batch.
I read It, but I Don't Get It by Cris Tovani 4
Chapter 4
**FRUITS**
In this chapter Tovani talks about the six signals that she tells her students to look for when they read.
1. The voice that interacts with the text and the one that does not.
2. Good readers have a video recorder playing in their heads as they read. If it shuts off there is a problem.
3. If the students mind wanders off that means they're losing interest (or they have ADD, but that's another topic). They should be aware of this so that they can catch themselves.
4. The reader forgets everything that he read.
5. Asking questions about the text and then answering them.
6. The reader is vaguely able to recall a character, but unable to recall when she was introduced.
**WEEDS**
None.
**BASKET**
One of the most interesting parts of this chapter is when she describes her fathers coaching of baseball. The way he questions every thought during every step of the batting process is how I must question my students thought process as they read. Are you confused? About what? The answers to those questions will facilitate the way I differentiate my lesson plans to adapt to advanced, average and struggling students (so help me God).
**FRUITS**
In this chapter Tovani talks about the six signals that she tells her students to look for when they read.
1. The voice that interacts with the text and the one that does not.
2. Good readers have a video recorder playing in their heads as they read. If it shuts off there is a problem.
3. If the students mind wanders off that means they're losing interest (or they have ADD, but that's another topic). They should be aware of this so that they can catch themselves.
4. The reader forgets everything that he read.
5. Asking questions about the text and then answering them.
6. The reader is vaguely able to recall a character, but unable to recall when she was introduced.
**WEEDS**
None.
**BASKET**
One of the most interesting parts of this chapter is when she describes her fathers coaching of baseball. The way he questions every thought during every step of the batting process is how I must question my students thought process as they read. Are you confused? About what? The answers to those questions will facilitate the way I differentiate my lesson plans to adapt to advanced, average and struggling students (so help me God).
Thursday, October 14, 2010
I Read It, but I Don't Get It by Cris Tovani 3
Chapter 3
**WEEDS**
"Mental modeling is an even better way way to help students understand the text. When teachers make invisible mental process visible, they arm young readers with powerful weapons." (27)
Steps to thinking out loud:
1. Select a short piece of text
2. Foresee difficulty
3. Read the text out loud and stop to share your thinking
4. Point out the words in the text that trigger your thinking
"Good readers are flexible in their thinking and use different strategies for different types of reading. Good readers perceive reading as something they will do for their entire life, not just to pass a class." (35)
**WEEDS**
None!
**BASKET**
I know for certain that mental modeling works because on 10/6/10 the class was asked to pair off into groups of two and model the steps that we used to comprehend the meaning of our chosen poems. I learned a lot from my classmates and I am convinced that if I did this for a secondary school class, they wold be able to develop their reading comprehension skills.
**WEEDS**
"Mental modeling is an even better way way to help students understand the text. When teachers make invisible mental process visible, they arm young readers with powerful weapons." (27)
Steps to thinking out loud:
1. Select a short piece of text
2. Foresee difficulty
3. Read the text out loud and stop to share your thinking
4. Point out the words in the text that trigger your thinking
"Good readers are flexible in their thinking and use different strategies for different types of reading. Good readers perceive reading as something they will do for their entire life, not just to pass a class." (35)
**WEEDS**
None!
**BASKET**
I know for certain that mental modeling works because on 10/6/10 the class was asked to pair off into groups of two and model the steps that we used to comprehend the meaning of our chosen poems. I learned a lot from my classmates and I am convinced that if I did this for a secondary school class, they wold be able to develop their reading comprehension skills.
I Read It, but I Don't Get It by Cris Tovani 2
Chapter 2
**FRUITS**
I thought it was brilliant for her to have the important Book and Literary Histories for two reasons. First of all she gets to see what her students are comfortable with reading and secondly, she eliminates the anxieties that most students have with reading by showing every student that everyone has a book that is important to him or her.
"Many students aren't reading at home, and they aren't understanding what they are reading in school. The material students encounter in secondary school is complicated and not just understood by "reading the words". (14)
When asked how she passed her classes without reading, a student named lisa stated "I sit in the back of the class and wait for the smart kids to answer all of the questions....If none of them talk the teacher gives us the answer"(14)
"Six cueing systems that readers use to understand text. Graphophonic, Lexical, Syntactic, Semantic, Schematic and Pragmatic." (18)
**WEEDS**
I would not say that there were too many weeds in this chapter, but I would say that as someone who wants to become a secondary school teacher I was alarmed yet enlightened when I heard about how many students expected the teachers to feed the information to them.
**BASKET**
I know now how important it is to learn what levels each of my students are on. This will help me to design programs for them that they can maximize their learning from. It would be a fruitless feat for me to try to teach my class about Shakespeare if they are on a second or third grade level.
I must find creative ways to implement the six cuing systems into my reading comprehension sessions!
**FRUITS**
I thought it was brilliant for her to have the important Book and Literary Histories for two reasons. First of all she gets to see what her students are comfortable with reading and secondly, she eliminates the anxieties that most students have with reading by showing every student that everyone has a book that is important to him or her.
"Many students aren't reading at home, and they aren't understanding what they are reading in school. The material students encounter in secondary school is complicated and not just understood by "reading the words". (14)
When asked how she passed her classes without reading, a student named lisa stated "I sit in the back of the class and wait for the smart kids to answer all of the questions....If none of them talk the teacher gives us the answer"(14)
"Six cueing systems that readers use to understand text. Graphophonic, Lexical, Syntactic, Semantic, Schematic and Pragmatic." (18)
**WEEDS**
I would not say that there were too many weeds in this chapter, but I would say that as someone who wants to become a secondary school teacher I was alarmed yet enlightened when I heard about how many students expected the teachers to feed the information to them.
**BASKET**
I know now how important it is to learn what levels each of my students are on. This will help me to design programs for them that they can maximize their learning from. It would be a fruitless feat for me to try to teach my class about Shakespeare if they are on a second or third grade level.
I must find creative ways to implement the six cuing systems into my reading comprehension sessions!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
I Read It, but I Don't Get It by Cris Tovani 1
Chapter 1
**FRIUTS**
I love the way she opens up to the class about how she used to fake read and create bogus book reports. I realized from this chapter that for a teacher to gain the trust of her students, she must create an environment where everyone feels totally comfortable.
"When you are trying to learn how to do something, do you ask something, do you ask some who doesn't know how to do it for help? Not waiting for a response I continue. Probably not."(6) his is how she introduces the concept of copying the habits of good readers.
" An activity I use to bring out the literacy histories of my students is the important book and literacy histories form. I ask students to recall a book that has had an impact on their life..."(9)
**WEEDS**
The only problem that I had with this chapter was the fact that I think she divulged too much personal information. Depending on the maturity level and conduct of her students, being so open so early in the semester could have an adverse affect. However, she accomplished her goal to get them to speak up so I guess it was not so bad after all.
**BASKET**
I would like to use the important book and literacy literacy histories form. I noticed that our professor gave us an assignment similar to this in our first day of class. It got everyone to talk about how they started writing and I enjoyed it very much.
**FRIUTS**
I love the way she opens up to the class about how she used to fake read and create bogus book reports. I realized from this chapter that for a teacher to gain the trust of her students, she must create an environment where everyone feels totally comfortable.
"When you are trying to learn how to do something, do you ask something, do you ask some who doesn't know how to do it for help? Not waiting for a response I continue. Probably not."(6) his is how she introduces the concept of copying the habits of good readers.
" An activity I use to bring out the literacy histories of my students is the important book and literacy histories form. I ask students to recall a book that has had an impact on their life..."(9)
**WEEDS**
The only problem that I had with this chapter was the fact that I think she divulged too much personal information. Depending on the maturity level and conduct of her students, being so open so early in the semester could have an adverse affect. However, she accomplished her goal to get them to speak up so I guess it was not so bad after all.
**BASKET**
I would like to use the important book and literacy literacy histories form. I noticed that our professor gave us an assignment similar to this in our first day of class. It got everyone to talk about how they started writing and I enjoyed it very much.
Friday, October 1, 2010
The Syntax Search
This month I will embark on an academic journey that I will call "The Syntax Search". To me this is the most difficult subject in in English composition. When ELLs come into The Writing Center for help, they have the most horrified looks on their faces. Although I know that writing in a foreign language can be a stressful task, it is my job to smile and say something like "aw don't worry, I'll show you a couple of brainstorming games and then we'll work on the structure, it'll be fun." In all reality I might be thinking something like da*n how in the world can I take this student from zero to at least twenty-five.
I tell myself and my students that essays are only a bunch of paragraphs, paragraphs are only a bunch of sentences, sentences are only a bunch of words and words are only a bunch of letters. But as I suggested in my Teacher Inquiry Proposal talk is cheap! If it is so easy to turn letters onto words and words into sentences and sentences into paragraphs etc... why haven't I written a bestseller to teach it to millions of students who are struggling with the English language? Is necessity not the mother of invention? The truth is that it is not as easy as it seems to create a blueprint for every type of sentence using the parts of speech in which students can plug their words into and construct clear sentences. I don't even know if what I conceptualize is possible but I know that this month I will do extensive research to see what I can come up with. If you come across any resources please let me know. Thanks
I tell myself and my students that essays are only a bunch of paragraphs, paragraphs are only a bunch of sentences, sentences are only a bunch of words and words are only a bunch of letters. But as I suggested in my Teacher Inquiry Proposal talk is cheap! If it is so easy to turn letters onto words and words into sentences and sentences into paragraphs etc... why haven't I written a bestseller to teach it to millions of students who are struggling with the English language? Is necessity not the mother of invention? The truth is that it is not as easy as it seems to create a blueprint for every type of sentence using the parts of speech in which students can plug their words into and construct clear sentences. I don't even know if what I conceptualize is possible but I know that this month I will do extensive research to see what I can come up with. If you come across any resources please let me know. Thanks
Is The Simple Sentence Really So Simple?
My topic for the Teacher Inquiry Project is syntax. I have no problem with correcting papers and telling students what they are doing wrong, but I am currently on a journey to find a blueprint for exemplary sentences that can show students the formula for putting every word in its proper place. Many of my students come in and they do not even know what a clause is. After I explain to them the difference between simple (I love him), compound(I hove him and I love his dog) etc... they all shake their heads as if they understand me vividly. As soon as I send them home to analyze a short article in the AM New York or Metro newspapers, I realize that definitions of terms are not enough.
In one session, a student was working with me (on an extra assignment outside of her FIQWS class) and I asked her to write 5 simple, 5compound and 5complex sentences and explain to me the subject and predicate in each. She confused a simple sentence with a complex sentence because the simple sentence had a relative clause that referred back to the subject. Because I did not explain relative clauses to her I realized that the simple sentence might not be as easy as I thought it was. I'm taking it upon my self to use this assignment to study every type of sentence that can possibly be constructed. I have been speaking English for most of my life and I personally feel humbled when I cannot find the verbiage to tell my students exactly what to do to become better writers. Oh well that's why I'm in grad school....to learn-lol-
In one session, a student was working with me (on an extra assignment outside of her FIQWS class) and I asked her to write 5 simple, 5compound and 5complex sentences and explain to me the subject and predicate in each. She confused a simple sentence with a complex sentence because the simple sentence had a relative clause that referred back to the subject. Because I did not explain relative clauses to her I realized that the simple sentence might not be as easy as I thought it was. I'm taking it upon my self to use this assignment to study every type of sentence that can possibly be constructed. I have been speaking English for most of my life and I personally feel humbled when I cannot find the verbiage to tell my students exactly what to do to become better writers. Oh well that's why I'm in grad school....to learn-lol-
Class Review 9/28/10
This class was very interesting to me because for the first time I learned about inkshedding. Prior to this class I never heard about it and I think it can certainly help students to share their ideas knowing that they are protected by their anonymity. I found Reader-Response Criticism: From Formalism to Post-Structuralism by Jane Tompkins to be a bit cryptic. The reason for this is that she suggested that the reader should forget who he/she is and simply imbibe the text and let it take him or her away to a magical land in which the writer intended for all of the readers to go. The problem with that notion is that reading in my opinion is an interactive experience between the reader and the text and without background knowledge that the reader contributes to the interaction, the text is nothing but a bunch of words that have no meaning to anyone other that the writer itself.
I enjoyed the assignment because I learned that I was not the only one that had a hard time trying to make sense out of the reading. Also the professor created an environment where the students got the opportunity to see the reading from different perspectives. This would be an excellent assignment when students have difficult topics such as politics or religion to discuss. Students can be free to say whatever they wish and will not have to worry about being chastised for their ideas.
I enjoyed the assignment because I learned that I was not the only one that had a hard time trying to make sense out of the reading. Also the professor created an environment where the students got the opportunity to see the reading from different perspectives. This would be an excellent assignment when students have difficult topics such as politics or religion to discuss. Students can be free to say whatever they wish and will not have to worry about being chastised for their ideas.
What Should Colleges Teach? By Stanley Fish
In this article Fish basically grabs a microphone and yells out "HELLO WORLD THERE'S AN ELEPHANT ON THE TABLE!!! ENGLISH CLASSES SHOULD TEACH STUDENTS HOW TO WRITE." Fish makes so much sense to me because so many students come into college, not only as ELLs but also as students who did not receive extensive grammar drills in grade school. These students get to their classes and they cannot put a basic sentence together. As a result, the professor says that he/she does not have enough time to teach grammar in the class because the "issues" have to be discussed. The next thing you know the tutors in the writing center are pulling their hairs out trying to show students the meanings of all of the corrections that the professor tattooed all over their papers.
**FRUITS**
"Instead, the students spent much of their time discussing novels, movies, TV shows and essays on a variety of hot-button issues-- racism, sexism, immigration, globalization. These artifacts and topics are surely worthy of serious study, but they should have received it in courses that bore their name, if only as a matter of truth in advertising.
**WEEDS**
None. I wish there was a way for new teachers in training to read these articles.
**BASKET**
Although my first goal is to teach abroad, I do see myself teaching ESL in the future and I must make sure that regardless of what the reading is about, I MUST make time to discuss grammatical subjects such as time, number, and the parts of speech.
**FRUITS**
"Instead, the students spent much of their time discussing novels, movies, TV shows and essays on a variety of hot-button issues-- racism, sexism, immigration, globalization. These artifacts and topics are surely worthy of serious study, but they should have received it in courses that bore their name, if only as a matter of truth in advertising.
**WEEDS**
None. I wish there was a way for new teachers in training to read these articles.
**BASKET**
Although my first goal is to teach abroad, I do see myself teaching ESL in the future and I must make sure that regardless of what the reading is about, I MUST make time to discuss grammatical subjects such as time, number, and the parts of speech.
"This Wooden Shack Place": The Logic of an Unconventional Reading by Glynda Hull and Mike Rose
**FRUITS** After reading this article I realized that, if a student does not interpret the text the way I expect him/her to, it might not be because he/she does not understand. It may simply be that the student's mind is shaped by cultural experiences or socio-economic factors that might modify the lenses from which that particular student views the world.
**WEEDS** The only flaw that I saw with this article was the fact that in a real class, if a teacher spends as much time trying to probe into one student's mind, it might take away from the time that he/she could be teaching more substantial topics. More emphasis should be placed on teaching the students how to write properly instead of how well of the family of the character is.
**BASKET** If a professor had a TA it might be acceptable for the helper to interrogate the student to make sure that he understands the material fully. So if I TA before I teach, I would like to help the students who I feel are struggling with the meaning of the text.
**WEEDS** The only flaw that I saw with this article was the fact that in a real class, if a teacher spends as much time trying to probe into one student's mind, it might take away from the time that he/she could be teaching more substantial topics. More emphasis should be placed on teaching the students how to write properly instead of how well of the family of the character is.
**BASKET** If a professor had a TA it might be acceptable for the helper to interrogate the student to make sure that he understands the material fully. So if I TA before I teach, I would like to help the students who I feel are struggling with the meaning of the text.
When And How Did I Learn To Write A Paragraph?
The question was asked in our 9/21/10 class. We were supposed to go home and think about the question and then write about it in our blogs. For the last two weeks, I have let this question marinate in my mind and to answer the question I would have to say that I learned to write by practicing the jargon of the field that I am writing for, and then mapping the structures of what I intended on composing. In other words I became interested in poetry because I was a self proclaimed poet/songwriter, so to get better I read such poets as Giovanni, Angelou, Baraka and Dunbar because I felt as though they related to me the most. After reading their works and studying the structure, I started using my own words and putting my own experiences into the same amount of stanzas and before I knew what iambic meters were I counted syllables so that I would have a similar flow with the great lyrical gods and godesees that I emulated so much.
As far as writing music video treatments, I fell in love with a PA(Production Assistant) for Classic Concept Productions who simply got tired of running errands and taking orders, so when he decided to develop his own film reel, I volunteered to write all of his treatments for him. Elated with the idea, he dug up dozens of old music video treatments that won contracts. Some were used by his former boss Lionel C. Martin aka The Vid Kid, Paul Hunter, Hype Williams (before they became the biggest directors in the urban film industry, they both started at Classic Concepts) and I started studying the formats. At first I sucked so bad, but as I started reading about film production I became more familiar with the jargon and started winning contracts for FishGrease Films. Yes that was the name, don't look at me I didn't come up with it-lol-.
By the time I got to LaGuardia Community College, I knew that I was a persuasive writer because I wrote treatments for a living, but when I realized how many types of college papers there were I became a bit frightened that I would not be able to deliver the results that were expected of me. Even though the papers that I handed in received passing grades, I thought I would have to be a better writer if I wanted to ever levitate myself to become a movie script writer. A month into my second semester at LaGCC, I started making regular appointments at the writing center and a tutor by the name of Marie helped me to write clear sentences and paragraphs. Once I started getting better grades I started tutoring my French African brothers and sisters (from the African Club) in English and that act was the catalyst that made me fall in love with English as a discipline.
As far as writing music video treatments, I fell in love with a PA(Production Assistant) for Classic Concept Productions who simply got tired of running errands and taking orders, so when he decided to develop his own film reel, I volunteered to write all of his treatments for him. Elated with the idea, he dug up dozens of old music video treatments that won contracts. Some were used by his former boss Lionel C. Martin aka The Vid Kid, Paul Hunter, Hype Williams (before they became the biggest directors in the urban film industry, they both started at Classic Concepts) and I started studying the formats. At first I sucked so bad, but as I started reading about film production I became more familiar with the jargon and started winning contracts for FishGrease Films. Yes that was the name, don't look at me I didn't come up with it-lol-.
By the time I got to LaGuardia Community College, I knew that I was a persuasive writer because I wrote treatments for a living, but when I realized how many types of college papers there were I became a bit frightened that I would not be able to deliver the results that were expected of me. Even though the papers that I handed in received passing grades, I thought I would have to be a better writer if I wanted to ever levitate myself to become a movie script writer. A month into my second semester at LaGCC, I started making regular appointments at the writing center and a tutor by the name of Marie helped me to write clear sentences and paragraphs. Once I started getting better grades I started tutoring my French African brothers and sisters (from the African Club) in English and that act was the catalyst that made me fall in love with English as a discipline.
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