Lights! Camera! Action!

I could definitely see my future self introducing new reading techniques and strategies with the help of videos such as these. I believe Mc-Graw-Hill, makers of those textbooks that we love so much (inserts side eye), did an excellent job coming up with these short, introductory sketches. Adding on to last week’s blog, I feel as though lessons like this would help me as a teacher better use the textbook as a resource rather than a bible. The videos are very concise and really entertaining. It would be a great opener especially for those students who may not have any prior knowledge. 

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Can I Get an Amen?

I related to this week’s reading on a spiritual level so to speak. The more I read, the more I nodded in agreeance. Yes! Finally, someone is saying it! “It’s not about coverage anymore – it is about thinking. Students don’t need more time with their noses in the textbook – they need tons and tons of practice time reading, thinking, and writing about important subject-matter context (182).” [Inserts a few hallelujahs and amens.] Although it was ironic to read how students shouldn’t be subjected to textbooks while reading a textbook, I was happy that I was not alone in feeling this way.

I believe whole heartedly that assigned reading and textbooks are my most dreadful memory about grade-school, and, if I am completely honest, it is going to be the death of me even now on the collegiate level. Although I am an avid reader, textbooks are tremendously difficult to read. Even as a lover of all things related to English, I hated having to read my English books. Don’t get me wrong, I understand that they are a necessary resource in most cases. However, be that as it may, I do not believe students and textbooks get along very well.

Growing up, my teachers did not believe in using other methods. Textbooks were the bibles of almost all my classes and the teachers of old did not believe in deviating from them one bit. They would assign chapters upon chapters of assigned reading, most of which many of us failed to understand. I vowed that when I was in their position, I would not subject my students to such torment. I really enjoyed the suggestions delineated in Chapter 6 of Subjects Matter. My favorite approach, however, was to use the textbook as a reference. As previously stated, I recognize the importance and the serious need for course books, but I do not believe that students best learn by only doing assigned readings. They often struggle to understand and apply what they have read. By using the book as a reference, the students are able to draw out only the important information. In doing so, they have a better sense of what it is we want them to learn, and consequently, are able to work and retain the information much easier. 

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The Classroom is no Place for Games?

Kahoot.com certainly earns a spot on my list of resources. Although it is not what I would call a typical resource, I have experienced first hand how effective the website can be in a middle grades classroom. When I attended grade school, we did not use much technology. In fact, I had only seen Kahoot once prior to observing a science class at Hilsman Middle here in Athens. Needless to say, that one time was definitely not successful. However, the second time around, I observed children actively engaged in class. They were eager to answer the questions because it was on a platform that they could relate to. Kahoot allows teachers to present their materials in the form of a game. Once the children log on, they are allowed to answer each question before the timer goes off. Kahoot then shows the right answer. I especially liked the fact that it showed how many got the answer right and how many did not without displaying which child it was. This allows the teacher to assess the class without the children feeling the embarrassment of not getting the answer correct. This also helps the children feel comfortable because it remains anonymous. As a result, the teacher is able to get 100% participation. Additionally, Kahoot records the scores of each individual student for the teacher's sake. I will definitely be using Kahoot in my classroom no matter the content area.

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There's More Than One Way to Skin a Cat

I watched as a blatant look of uneasiness crept upon his face. I could not for the life of me understand why. We do this every day. Nothing changes. Had he always been this uncomfortable? His forehead glistened with nervous sweat. I must admit, I usually daydreamed after I had participated and done my part. However, today’s chapter was something I was especially interested in. I intently studied his behavior, wondering if anyone else had caught on to how he was feeling. Finally, it was his turn. Apprehensively, he turned the page and began to read. I now understood why he displayed such behavior as he struggled to get through the paragraph. The others appeared frustrated as he stumbled and stuttered over words that they believed he should have known. The teacher looked on him with pity and would try to help him move along to no avail.

In retrospect, I understand why my classmate did not do so well in history, or any subject for that matter. He could barely read the material, much less comprehend what the text was saying. Now that I am becoming an educator and thinking like a teacher, I realize more than ever the importance of teaching children how to read whether it be directly like one might find in a Reading or ELA classroom, or indirectly through “noncognitive factors” that could be observed in other content area courses (280). An extremely important teaching strategy is to give the students texts that they can successfully read with my classmate being the perfect case study. 

I am falling in love with the Think Aloud strategy. It is a way whereby instructors are able to teach excellent reading skills without the students being aware of what is taking place. It helps to break down the text and, in my opinion, unpack the student’s thinking process. This also helps teachers to understand how much the children comprehend and models how to break down what students may deem overwhelming at first glance. 

In this technology driven era, it is imperative that educators step outside of the box and implement strategies that will captivate the attention of their pupils and almost subconsciously instill the reading skills that are necessary. The textbook notes that, “Effective teachers help struggling kids by modeling their own mental processes as they read, rather than just exhorting students to do something they don’t know how to do” (283). In addition to modeling one’s own mental process while teaching students to read, I would use other schemes and devices such as podcasts, videos, tapes, and games. By implementing these strategies, the kids are listening to fluent readers and getting all of the necessary information. This way, they will be interested in learning the material because it is more than words on paper in a book that probably means nothing to them. 

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