Learning Letter

Hey Everyone,


This quarter has just flown by, but after reflecting on these past few months, I realize that I have accomplished a lot of things and have had a lot of experiences in this course that will make me a better teacher.  I found this course to be incredibly meaningful and worthwhile.  I had numerous opportunities to reflect and develop my own pedagogical skills and philosophies.  I particularly liked the progression of the course from theoretical discussion to practical work.  I found it appropriate for us to discuss and explore pedagogical concepts so we had a solid framework that we could build upon and utilize in our assignments.  Overall, I feel like taking this course has enabled me to take that next step towards becoming the teacher I want to be, and I feel so much more prepared to teach literature.

I completed a lot of work in this course.  The book talk, mini-lesson, and unit plan assignments I completed gave me multiple opportunities to work towards becoming a better teacher.  I really loved the book talk assignment.  I don't think I've been free to read whatever book I wanted for a class since 6th grade.  This assignment reminded me of something I discussed with my classmates in my composition course over the summer: at some point in our educational system, writing stops becoming fun and becomes a chore.  I feel like this happens with reading as well.  Many kids are excited about reading in early grades, but that enthusiasm slowly wanes.  For this reason, I would love to find a way to incorporate an assignment in my own classrooms that is similar to this book talk assignment.  Learning is so much more effective when it is personalized and meaningful, so if I could incorporate an assignment where students study a book of their own choice, I think my students would really benefit from it.  For me, the book talk assignment gave me an opportunity to read a book that I have been wanting to read for a long time, Fahrenheit 451.  This book is commonly taught in high schools, so I also had an opportunity to read a book that I will very likely end up teaching.  I love reading, so it was so fun for me to be able to read a book of my own choosing, and I also loved being able to hear about the books that my classmates chose to read.  I got to hear about a lot of books that I am interested in reading, and I plan to read some of them very soon.

The mini-lesson I taught is another assignment that I learned a lot from.  It is so rare to be able to teach a lesson and get immediate feedback that is as extensive and specific as the feedback that I was able to get after I taught my mini-lesson.  I found the feedback session very beneficial, so I am very grateful for the experience and would like to thank my peers for their contributions.  Teaching my mini-lesson was also a great experience for me.  I'm still developing as a teacher, so I love being able to get as many opportunities to practice as I can get.  By completing the mini-lesson, I was able to determine some areas of my teaching that I need to improve on.  Namely, I need to continue to work on my enthusiasm, mentally rehearse my lessons better, and draw out higher-level responses from my students.

The unit plan project was one of the most extensive assignments I've ever completed.  It was an exhaustive process but well worth the effort.  This project was also very practical for me.  In a little over a week from now,  I will actually begin teaching the unit I designed.  So even though I completed my unit plan for this course, I am still making improvements to it, which emphasizes one important concept I learned during this quarter.  In my eyes, unit plans are never really "done."  I think it's important to always look at unit plans as a work-in-progress.  I first noticed this concept in my placement classroom.  My mentor teachers use the same unit plans from year to year, but they modify it every time.  Even while my mentor teachers are teaching a unit, they will make notes for next year.  When I made my unit plan, I made a unit that is applicable, well-researched, and effective.  However, it can still be improved on in many ways.  I am already taking what I have learned from designing my Odyssey unit plan to make an even better version of it, and I'm excited to have an opportunity to utilize what I have learned.

The process of making a unit plan for this course was overwhelming.  It took a lot of effort, and it required me to spend a lot of time thinking about what I wanted students to learn from my unit and how I was going to get them to learn it.  Based on my experience and what I heard from my classmates, it seems like starting with your objectives is the best way to go.  Since your unit's objectives influence all aspects of your unit, it would make sense to start there.  I also found it useful to sit down with a calendar and make what is essentially a rough draft of your unit.  This allows you to plan out lessons that build off of each other and work towards reaching your objective.  Making my unit plan was definitely a challenge, but I am really glad I did.it.  I feel like it will be so much easier for me the next time I have to design a unit from scratch.

We discussed a lot of pedagogical theories and concepts in this class.  I like how we started out by reading about discussion in a democratic society.  In many ways, discussion is the foundation for effective learning and instruction, so I thought it was appropriate for us to start there.  Having meaningful discussions in my classroom is something I really strive for, so I liked being able to read and discuss how discussions can and should be used in the classroom.  One concept that really influenced my teaching philosophy was the concept of utilizing problem-posing education instead of the oppressive banking form of education.  It is important that teachers look at their students as more than just minds waiting to be filled with our knowledge.  We cannot directly transmit what we have learned.  We teachers know what we know because we worked it out for ourselves and did the mental processes that allowed us to reach the understandings that we have.  If we attempt to directly transmit what we know, then our students will miss out on opportunities to make personalized connections and actually have a meaningful education.  Social justice is another concept I want to be sure to remember.  Specifically, I want to be sure that my pedagogical practices are socially  just.  That is, I want to be sure that I teach in such a way that I am respectful towards all students and their dignity, and I give all my students equal opportunities to succeed in their own way.

My participation in this course has influenced my thinking of myself as a teacher primarily by giving me opportunities to think about what kind of teacher I want to be and what kind of classroom environment I want to create.  I want my classroom to be a place that students want to be.  I want my classroom to be a place where students can create meanings for themselves and learn in their own ways.  And I want my classroom to be a place where students are comfortable, enthusiastic, and willing to take risks so they can improve.  To create such an environment requires a lot of effort and skill on my part, but after completing this course, I feel like I have a much better idea of how I can create the classroom I desire.  If I continue to reflect upon my own development as a teacher, keep working on creating effective unit and lesson plans, and effectively execute my lesson plans with enthusiasm, then I can become the respectful, inviting teacher that I wish to be.

-Brad

American Born Chinese - Response

American Born Chinese is a very interesting and entertaining graphic novel.  I haven't read many graphic novels, so this was a fairly new experience for me.  However, I really enjoyed reading American Born Chinese, and I think it has shown me how valuable graphic novels can be in the classroom.

This graphic novel didn't feel like an assigned reading to me.  When I sat down to start reading this book, I ended up reading it all that night because it was so entertaining.  The simplicity and accessibility of graphic novels make them very fun, easy reads.  Yet, they are still capable of telling great stories.  This accessibility and entertainment value makes graphic novels excellent instructional materials.  Students can easily pick up a book like American Born Chinese, read it, and understand it.  There is nothing intimidating about graphic novels, and students who read them will be able to have literary experiences that are comparable to those of regular novels.  Graphic novels still transmit a story that students can analyze, reflect upon, and compare to their own understanding.

American Born Chinese would be a particularly excellent graphic novel for use in the classroom because it depicts universal themes that we readily relate to.  Much of American Born Chinese is concerned with the struggle to accept yourself as who you are, which is something that many kids have difficulty with while they are growing up.  This graphic novel also presents an excellent depiction of discrimination, intolerance, and ignorance.  The main characters in this novel are clearly discriminated against because of who they are and who they associate themselves with.  There are also some flat-out racist parts of this book which show how inhumane and irrational prejudices can be.  Ultimately, this graphic novel is a story about fitting in, and it is worthwhile to read because it shows how barriers to fitting in are created and destroyed, and it depicts this story in an incredibly accessible, humorous, and entertaining format.

Night - Response

Night is one of the most haunting and disturbing books I have ever read.  Elie Wiesel's memoir is a poignant depiction of loss and the absolute evil of man.  Despite the horrors this book discusses, it is hard to put down.  The book is very well written and powerful.  Night gives us a rare look at the reality of the Holocaust, and I think this book should continue to be widely read throughout the world.

Night is a story that becomes progressively depressing as you read it.  The tone starts off as ominous and only goes downhill from there.  This strongly evokes the utter hopelessness of the Holocaust.  Eliezer and his family are clearly in a bad situation from the get-go, and you never get the sense that things will improve.  As the story progresses, all we see is loss.  Eliezer loses his innocence, his family, his friends, and his faith throughout the ordeal.  Eliezer also becomes increasingly broken physically and mentally throughout the story.  Wiesel's testimony is clearly horrific, but it is a story that must be told.

What always shocks me about the Holocaust is the absolute evil that man is capable of, and this book continued to illustrate how evil humans can really be.  It is so amazing to me that the Holocaust was actually able to occur and that people willingly participated in the mass extermination of millions of innocent people.  Even if people were raised in an anti-Semitic culture, it's hard for me to wrap my head around how people could devalue the life of humans to such an extent.  Night and other stories and historical accounts of the Holocaust are important so we don't ever forget the evil that occurred in our past.  These Holocaust stories need to be told so that humanity doesn't ever repeat the incredible evils that happened during the Holocaust.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian - Response

Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a very entertaining and humorous book that is unlike anything I have ever read.  This book is an excellent work of young adult fiction, and young readers will find this book very appealing for many different reasons.

Scattered throughout this novel are little comics and drawings from the narrator that serve as illustrations for certain thoughts or scenes.  Most of the drawings are quite humorous, and they add a lot to the novel.  The drawings also greatly aid comprehension.  The drawings in this novel clarify what the narrator has said by either providing a visual representation of what's been said or by explaining what's been said in a different way (i.e. through imaginings, exaggerations, etc.).  Simply the fact that this book does have drawings will entice a lot of young and/or reluctant readers.

This book will also be very appealing to young readers because of the voice of the narrator throughout the novel.  The novel reads like a kid telling his story; in other words, it really is like a diary.  Young readers will be able to relate to the narrator because he uses the same vernacular as they do.  Additionally, the narrator, like many other kids, struggles to make sense of his world, and he must deal with the same awkwardness and embarrassments that come with adolescence.

I think that a lot of kids would genuinely enjoy this book.  It is an easy read, it has pictures to accommodate the text, and the narrator is very relatable, humorous, and likeable.  However, I could see several problems with trying to implement this text in the classroom.  There are a lot of things in this book that are flat-out racist, which could be disturbing for a lot of people.  There is also a fair amount of swear words in this novel; I don't think the swearing is excessive, and it is used at good points to accentuate meaning, but the book doesn't refrain from using the f-word and certain slurs.  Additionally, this book pokes fun at religion from time to time, which may not sit well with certain people.

Overall, I think this is a great young adult novel.  This book will definitely appeal to a lot of young readers; there are a lot of things within the story that young people can relate to, and the story is very funny and entertaining.

Things Fall Apart - Response

I really enjoyed reading Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe.  I haven't read many works of African fiction, so this book was pretty different from what I usually read.  I think this book provides a lot of insight into African culture while still telling a story that is universal and easy to relate to.  The protagonist of the story, Okonkwo, is a flawed hero trying to make a name for himself, and while his hard work gains him prestige and fame within his community, he never fully escapes his fear of being perceived as weak like his father.

One aspect of this book that I found to be challenging was the Ibo vocabulary spread throughout the book.  I didn't realize until I finished this novel that there was a list of definitions in the back, so I struggled to make sense of certain terms and often had to rely on the context of the text.  While reading, I was reminded of how English language learners must feel when trying to make sense of a word or words.  There are certain words that we understand only because they are commonly used in our culture, so it was interesting to have the roles reversed somewhat where I was reading a book that contained words from a language that I had no familiarity with.

I thought Okonkwo was a very interesting character in this book.  I saw him to be a bit of a tragic hero.  He is obviously very skilled and competent, but he is so stoic that he never is able to feel comfortable showing the love that he clearly feels.  He is also so concerned with being perceived as tough and brave that he never seems to enjoy life as much as he could have.  His life, essentially, was out of balance; he tried so hard to not by like his father that he was the extreme opposite.

I was a little disappointed with the second half or so of this book.  I was enjoying reading about life among the Ibo people, but in the second half of the book, the story becomes a fairly typical story of intervention by white men.  I realize that this is historically accurate and essential to the novel, but the last several chapters started to feel like the story that we have all heard before.  However, this book does portray the destruction of culture better than any book I can remember at the moment, which was why I thoroughly enjoyed the whole novel.  Also, most of my disappointment is most likely because I wish that the Ibo tribe could have just continued in their ways.

TPA Guidelines - Response

I have been working with the TPA lesson plan format quite regularly for the past year, so this handout looked pretty familiar.  No matter how many times I see it, the TPA always looks overwhelming with its numerous questions.  Writing up a TPA lesson plan obviously isn't the most fun or exciting thing in the world, but I find this format very beneficial, and I understand why teacher candidates are required to create TPA lesson plans.  What is great about the TPA lesson plan is that it forces us to look at all the things a good teacher must keep in mind while planning and delivering a lesson.  There are certain things that a lesson just absolutely has to address, and the TPA lesson plan format holds us accountable for those things.  It helps us consider all aspects of a lesson that need to be considered.  We who are student teaching know that teachers don't spend hours filling out TPA lesson plans, which may make the TPA lesson plan seem like busy work for teacher candidates.  But in reality, teachers who have been teaching for a while have simply internalized all the things that are in the TPA lesson plan.  By filling out these lesson plans, we are drilling into our mind the importance of objectives, assessments, differentiation, standards, rationale, etc. for every lesson.  The TPA is a pain, but it will ultimately be worthwhile and make our teaching much smoother in the future.

I was very intrigued by one section of this handout- the section titled Research and Theory Evidence.  This section asks us "How is [our] lesson/instruction supported by research and theory?"  It would be difficult for one to have all of his or her lessons backed by solid research or theory.  Teaching is sometimes experimental, so I wonder if the TPA allows for experimental plans.  Can this section be fulfilled if your lesson is backed by your own research or theories?

The Content and Academic Language section was thorough and overwhelming.  It is interesting how it asks "What are students doing with language to express their developing understanding of the content you are teaching?"  It makes sense that all lessons should address this, but I don't believe I've ever consciously considered this when planning my own lessons.

Differentiated Instruction is one area of the TPA that is always a challenge for me.  It always seems to me that my lessons do provide equitable learning opportunities for all students, but it's hard for me to know for sure.  Also, after our class discussion on differentiated instruction and how we should attempt to design lessons that are differentiated from the get-go, I came to the conclusion that the TPA lesson plan should have the Differentiated Instruction section higher up on the lesson plan.  I think it is always the second to last thing, which I feel reinforces the notion of creating a lesson and then going back to it and trying to find ways to differentiate rather than making it differentiated from the beginning.

Differentiated Instruction Individual Exploration - Response

For my individual exploration on differentiated instruction, I found an article by Dr. Ruthanne Tobin titled "Differentiating in the Language Arts: Flexible Options to Support All Students."  This article is geared more towards elementary education, but I felt that this article has a lot of useful applications for secondary classrooms as well.

In this article, Tobin explains how classrooms are becoming increasingly diverse, making differentiated instruction essential.  She explained how all students need their intellect, language, culture, and imagination validated, and differentiated instruction can help teachers validate their students by promoting responsive teaching.  Tobin defined differentiated instruction by explaining that "differentiating instruction means establishing a learning environment in which students are more likely to get their individual learning needs met."  This differentiation requires teachers to modify their content, process, and products of student learning in response to the readiness, interests, and learning profile of their students.

One of the most interesting things I read in this article is the idea that we need to accommodate not just the needs of students but their preferences.  Tobin elaborates by explaining that giving students choices and accommodating their preferences plays a key role in motivation and engagement.  I think this is a very simple but important point to keep in mind.  It makes sense that students would be more motivated and engaged if they got to do activities in class that they preferred to do.  In spite of this, it seems that many students experience an education that does little to accommodate their preferences.  Tobin mentioned one way of differentiating instruction would be to give students an opportunity to choose their own book, which is also one way of giving students choices and accommodating their preferences.  Students could potentially pick out books that are too easy or too hard for them, but that is one way that they can learn about themselves and evaluate themselves.  I think that giving students the option to choose their own books occasionally would be an excellent way to differentiate instruction in an English Language Arts classroom

Another differentiation technique I read about was to give students multiple response options.  This means that students can respond to a text or an assignment in multiple ways.  For example, students could be given the option to demonstrate their understanding of a chapter from the book by writing a summary, acting out a scene, drawing a picture, creating a diorama, giving a presentation, etc.  The teacher gives students options, and students choose which assignment they would prefer to do.  Additionally, instruction can be differentiated further if the teacher tiers the activities so there are several different levels of difficulty.  I think this is another good way to differentiate instruction, but I think it is essential that the teacher makes sure that the options require a similar amount of effort or else students would most likely pick the task that requires the least amount of effort.

Lastly, yet another potential differentiating technique I read involved fostering open discussions with a responsive teacher.  The key in this strategy is to validate student's unique contributions to the discussions, which will validates students' intellect, culture, and imagination.

I was able to gain a lot of insight regarding differentiated instruction from this article.  I have a much better idea of what differentiation actually looks like when put into practice, and I understand how differentiated instruction is beneficial not only because students may need it but because they prefer it.  Everyone likes having their preferences accommodated.

I Read It, But I Don't Get It, Chapters 6-end - Access Tool

Silent Reading Record

Read for 30 minute and then stop and complete the following:

1.       What did you read? (Include title and page numbers.)

I read pages 67-86 from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

2.       In four or more sentences summarize what you read.

This section begins with Montag attempting to read with his wife, Mildred.  Montag becomes frustrated when he is unable to glean any understanding from the books he saved.  He realizes he needs a teacher, and he soon recalls an old man he met in a park named Faber, who just so happened to be a retired English professor.  In a frenzied state, Montag goes to meet Faber with the hope that the old man can help him make sense of his world.  Faber explains that the problem isn’t that books are missing but that the things in books are missing.  Faber explains that three things are missing from the world: detail (quality of information), leisure to digest that information, and the right to carry out actions based on what we learn from the first two.  Montag wishes to overthrow the system and bring books back, and he and Faber make a tentative plan to start printing books while they wait for the war to create an opening where they can reintroduce them.

3.       As you were reading, what were you thinking?  Write at least four sentences.  Did you make any connections?  What were you wondering?   What opinions do you have about what you read?

I made several connections with the things Faber said.  Faber says that he talks the meaning of things, and he knows he is alive.  This reminded me of my own experiences with meaningful texts, as I find certain texts humanizing.  When I read certain books, watch certain movies, or hear certain songs that I can connect to on a meaningful level, I feel alive in an indescribable way.

I thought it was funny how Montag, in a panic, was trying to quickly decide what book he would turn in to Beatty.  He debated whether or not he should return the Bible, Thoreau, or Jefferson.  This reminded me of literary criticism but on the much smaller scale of a few seconds instead of years.

I also wondered if Faber really could have been able to make a difference if he spoke out against the world when he had the chance.  Maybe he just wishes he made the attempt, or maybe he was a man of great authority or influence in the past.

I made another connection when Faber said that the things Montag is looking for are out in the world, but the only way any average person will see 99% of what is in the world is through books.  I connected this to my own experience with books; I have experienced and learned so many things through reading.  Without books, I too would know only a fraction about the world as I do now.

I really liked this section.  I like how Montag has awakened and has begun to see how meaningless his life truly is.  I also think Faber is a very interesting character, and I liked how rational his words were.  So far, he seems like the only voice of reason (Clarisse comes close, but her words aren’t nearly as direct). 

I Read It, But I Don't Get It, Chapters 1-5 - Response

So far, I've really enjoyed reading Chris Tovani's I Read It, But I Don't Get It.  It is a very practical book, and I like how it has anecdotes from real classrooms.  Tovani does a great job addressing the realities of reading in these first few chapters, and I think she presents a lot of useful strategies that can help students overcome comprehension difficulties.

I like how Tovani took the time to point out how common and easy fake-reading is.  I've witnessed a lot of fake-readers first hand in my own education.  In many classes, it is too easy to get by by just reading the Cliff Notes or SparkNotes for books, and I have had a lot of classmates who didn't take the time to read a text because they either didn't feel they had to or just weren't motivated to.  I agree with Tovani that reading has lost its purpose and pleasure for many people, which is why I really liked her activity where she shared her own favorite books and reading experiences.  This is something I would want to do in my own classroom.  Books have been a great influence on my life, and I remember specific points in time where I was reading a good book that challenged me to examine myself and my world.  I believe that it is very important for teachers to share their passion for reading.  We need to share what reading means to us so our students can discover what reading means to them.  We need to find a way to show our students that books are more than just words on pages and that reading is much more exciting and enjoyable than just simply decoding the words on those pages.

I also agree that many people overlook the complexity of reading and take certain things for granted.  Reading involves a sophisticated mental interaction with the text that many either overlook or fail to see.  After reading these chapters, I do feel that there isn't enough reading comprehension instruction in secondary grades.  I never really thought about it before, but it does seem like students are expected to be able to comprehend texts by the time they reach middle school, and they are given increasingly complex texts as they progress throughout their education without any additional instruction in comprehension.  I feel that comprehension skills must be continually worked on at all ages; I still feel like I'm improving as a reader even though I've considered myself skilled for quite some time.  Students need to be given opportunities to become better readers by practicing their comprehension skills and by utilizing strategies like the ones Tovani suggests.  I really like how Tovani has addressed reading difficulties in her book so far, and I am looking forward to reading through these next several chapters..

A Response-Based Approach to Reading Literature - Response

I thought this was a really great article that captures many of the problems regarding how schools approach the teaching of literature.  I think it is essential to have a student-focused approach where students are able to develop their own understandings and interpretations of texts, which will allow students to take ownership over their learning and make more meaningful connections.  I really liked the notion of reading literature as "exploring a horizon of possibilities" (2).  I've always seen literary texts as reflections of the human experience that are subject to individual interpretation.  Every student or individual has their own unique worldview and life experiences that will influence their reading of a text.  Our understanding of the world will influence our reading of a text, and as teachers, we must be willing to validate the variety of interpretations our students will come up with.

I agree that there has been a certain fact-based approach to reading literary works in schools.  It does seem like many schools have a predetermined "correct" reading of a text that teachers and schools want their students to come to understand.  I even experienced this firsthand in my own education at certain points; occasionally, it felt as though there was a hidden, "right" answer in a text that I had to discern.  Additionally, I know that many students feel that the teacher holds this "correct" interpretation and it is the job of the student to try and discover what the teacher's interpretation is so they can agree with it.  However, leading students to believe that there is only one correct interpretation of a text is not conducive to critical thinking or good learning.  Students need to realize that their own interpretations are valid, and if we keep leading them to believe that we the teachers hold this fabled "right" answer, then our students will be taught to always seek out and accept the thinking of authority rather than develop and accept their own thinking.  It is essential that we teach our students to think for themselves and find their own meaning or else they will be subjected to an oppressive existence where they always look to others for understanding and knowledge.

Social Justice Individual Exploration - Response

For my individual exploration reading on social justice, I found an article titled Understanding Education for Social Justice by Kathy Hytten and Silvia C. Bettez.  The article explained how a growing number of teacher education programs are fundamentally oriented on a vision of social justice, but "it is often unclear in any practical terms what we mean when we invoke a vision of social justice or how this influences such issues as program development, curricula, practicum opportunities, educational philosophy, social vision, and activist work" (8).  The goal of this article was to examine social justice literature in education to gain a better understanding of what it is and why it's important.

This article cited explanations of social justice as "'both a process and a goal' with the ultimate aim being 'full and equal participation of all groups in a society that is mutually shaped to meet their needs'" and as an educational system that "'encourages students to take an active role in their own education and supports teachers in creating empowering, democratic, and critical educational environments'" (8).  Based on these explanations, I would define social justice as an extension of fairness, equal opportunity, and moral rightness towards all social classes without any discrimination or oppression.  Social justice seems to encompass a mindset wherein everyone is empowered and given chances to participate and succeed.  It acknowledges, validates, and respects the diversity between the social classes and empowers individuals by treating them how they ought to be treated.  At it's core, social justice appears to simply be justice within society; the problem is that "justice" is an ambiguous term, and what is just for one person may not be just for another.

Social justice would be important for our classrooms because an educational system or policy without social justice will tend to be oppressive.  An education that is not socially just will not accommodate the needs of all students.  According to my article, a socially just school would promote inclusion, hold high expectations for everyone, and develop reciprocal community relationships; everyone's needs are taking into consideration without excluding anyone in a socially just system.  The way I see it, social justice is important for education because it gives everyone a fair shot at success through a policy of equality.  However, equality doesn't mean that all students receive the exact same educational experiences; rather, I see social justice functioning in education by equally addressing the diverse needs of all types of students.

It is very interesting that so many schools advocate for social justice, but there doesn't appear to be a coherent, agreed upon definition of what the term means, or how it can be applied.  I think the problem is that we all agree that justice should be extended to everyone, but we are not sure how to do that, or even what that means.

Critical Pedagogy and Popular Culture in an Urban Secondary English Classroom - Response

I really liked this article, and I thought it made a lot of excellent points about culture in the classroom.  I particularly liked the statement by Duncan-Andrade and Morrell that said "Our purposes as educators are not to replace one dominant ideology with another."  Instead, we should strive to make "students more critical consumers of all information that they encounter in their daily lives."  This statement is important because it emphasizes how everything we teach needs to have a real-world application.  Once our students graduate and leave our classrooms, they will become citizens and may not encounter "literary" texts in their adult life, such as Moby Dick or Shakespeare, but they will encounter those "hegemonic texts like local, state, and national legislation ... labor-management agreements, professional contracts, [and] mortgage offers."  We need to empower our students with the skills they need to be critical of the world that they are a part of.  Knowledge becomes wisdom when it is put into practice, and as educators, it is our job to help students learn how to apply mental processes to handle real-life situations.

Because it is important that we prepare our students for the "real world," I really liked how this article commented on the overt prestige of certain texts that are deemed "literary" (i.e. the classics) and explained how "popular culture" is seen to be "base, common, and unsophisticated" by comparison.  However, popular culture is our students reality, so it should not be overlooked.  I agree that there is much "pedagogical potential [in] tapping into young people's everyday experiences."  By making connections between "literary" texts and popular culture, both will become more meaningful and impactful for our students, and an understanding of one will help foster understanding for the other.  Additionally, implementing popular culture into pedagogy will increase the level of student interest and engagement.

I also really liked the pedagogical practices employed by Duncan-Andrade and Morrell.  I like how they "foregrounded social critique and social praxis [into their] curriculum and pedagogy" because it made the learning so much more personal and realistic.  By being given opportunities to critique and examine society, these students were able to get a better understanding of the world they live in.  And when students understand their world, or their reality, they will have a better idea of how to deal with it.

Critical Pedagogy: A Look at the Major Concepts - Response

Peter McLaren's "Critical Pedagogy: A Look at the Major Concepts" raised several societal and cultural issues that I think are very interesting.  I particularly liked when McLaren explained how critical educators argue that knowledge should be analyzed on the basis of whether it is oppressive or exploitative, and not on the basis of whether it is "true."  He continues by asking, "what kind of knowledge do we construct about women and minority groups in school texts?  Do the texts we use in class promote stereotypical views that reinforce racist, sexist, and patriarchal attitudes?"  My belief is that schools inevitably exude a certain air of authority simply because they are established institutions.  What is taught in schools is usually just assumed to be "right."  But I think that it is important that we do question and challenge what we teach in schools, and we must constantly analyze what the effects of our curriculum are.  I would argue that our schools do tend to reinforce dominant societal norms, which are difficult to avoid.  Dominant societal norms are dominant for a reason; they have been established through years of tradition and maintained by conservative perspectives.  It seems difficult for schools to separate themselves from these prevailing norms, but I do think it is possible.  The key is for schools to adopt a more cosmopolitan outlook that recognizes the "sub-cultures" within our society and validates them as significant.

McLaren's article encouraged me to reflect upon my own educational experience and determine if I have been subjected to any knowledge or curriculum that encouraged or reinforced dominant societal norms.  What came to mind was how Christopher Columbus was essentially glorified in school, but his treatment towards Native Americans was overlooked, at least in the lower grades.  It wasn't until at least 8th grade that I began to learn more about European/American treatment towards Native Americans.  The only other potentially oppressive/exploitative aspect of my schooling was that I feel that famous women weren't given as much attention as men in my science and history classes.

Pedagogy of the Oppressed Chapter 2 - Response

Chapter 2 from Pedagogy of the Oppressed takes the ideas established in Chapter 1 and applies it to the educational system.  I think this chapter makes many excellent points, and it proposes a model of teaching that all educators must strive for.

I think it is very important that educators separate themselves from the "banking" concept of education.  We need to see students as something more than "containers" or "receptacles" that must be filled.  An essential flaw with this notion of education is that it unjustly assumes that students know nothing, making it the job of the teacher to "narrate" their knowledge to students who must accept their teachers' statements at face value.  This concept of education is misguided, as the chapter explains, because true knowledge is attained through creativity, transformation, and a continual invention and re-invention of understanding.  The "banking" concept of education forces teachers to assume an oppressive role, as they control the thoughts and actions of their students and inhibit their creative potential.  To me, it seems clear that this "banking" concept of education is dehumanizing.  In order to be effective, learning must go beyond rote memorization and routine.  Students need opportunities for discovery, creation, and inquiry.  I think an essential point this chapter made is that many teachers may not even realize that they are operating within this "banking" concept of education, and are thus oppressing and dehumanizing their students.  Self-awareness is an essential aspect of being an educator, and it is important that teachers examine their own methods and determine what the true effect of their pedagogy is.

I believe that this chapter encapsulates the essence of a desirable and effective pedagogy when it states that "Liberating education consists in acts of cognition, not transferals of information."  Cognition, "the mental process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses" (Google definition), is the heart of an effective education. Thought, experiences, and senses cannot be readily transferred from individual to individual.  In order to learn something, students must go through the mental processes that lead to understanding for themselves.  Rather than dictate knowledge to the student, it is then the job of the teacher to create opportunities for students to create their own knowledge through questioning, discussion, creation, and practice.

There is one last point that I would like to reiterate from this chapter.  The chapter states that this liberating form of education, or "problem-posing education," "affirms men and women as beings in the process of becoming ... as unfinished, uncompleted beings in and with a likewise unfinished reality ... In this incompletion and this awareness lie the very roots of education as a human manifestation."  I think it is important that we realize that we are always a work-in-progress.  Education brings us nearer to completion, but I do not think that we can ever reach a state of total self-actualization.  And I do not think this is a bad thing.  There will always be more knowledge to be gained, more creations to be made, and more experiences to be had in life, and this is what makes education such an exciting and rewarding venture.  Many of the joys in life are found in the pursuit and realization of goals or desires, but once these aspirations are attained, new ones emerge, the cycle repeats, and we move closer to completion, becoming increasingly humanized in the process.

Pedagogy of the Oppressed Chapter 1 - Response

The first chapter of Pedagogy of the Oppressed is a challenging read, but I was able to derive some meaning from it.  The way I see it, children (or the students we will be teaching) are inherently oppressed because they are not yet adults.  They live under the rule of others.  And because they lack power, they may fear what freedom entails.  As teachers, it is our job to help students develop as individuals (i.e. strive for humanization) so they can escape the oppression life puts upon them and remain fearless when the enter the adult world and the freedom that brings.

Since students are inherently oppressed, they may have tendencies towards self-depreciation.  As teachers, we need to help our students separate themselves from fatalistic attitudes.  Until students overcome their dependence, they will be like the peasant who says "'What can I do?  I'm only a peasant.'"  But instead, it will be "What can I do?  I am only a student."  We need to help students overcome the apparent power and invulnerability of their oppressors (society, perceived limitations, etc.), so they can survive and thrive in the adult world.  We teachers need to instill a sense of self-efficacy so students can realize that they have significance as a unique individual.

Lastly, I think it is important that teachers and students are both subjects in the "task of unveiling ... [and] recreating ... knowledge," as the chapter mentions.  The achievement of individuality, humanization, and freedom from oppression is dependent on the efforts of both the teacher and the student.  Students must be willing to reflect upon their situation and experiences in order to re-create themselves, and teachers must create opportunities for the development of their students and practice responsive teaching so they can meet the needs of their students as they take steps towards independence.

Common Core State Standards - Response

After reviewing the Common Core State Standards for reading, several thoughts came to mind.  I think that the standards are comprehensive, and they address all the essential skills students need to learn in school to be successful after they graduate.  If a student reaches all of these standards, then he or she would certainly be a very proficient reader.  I also liked how the standards have separate reading sections for literature and for informational texts.  There is obviously a lot of overlap between the two, but I think that it's important to recognize that there are different purposes for reading, and students may not have to read books, poems, and plays after they graduate, but they will certainly encounter informational texts and need to be able to understand them.  Reading is inescapable in our world, and I feel that the standards do an excellent job addressing this.

Another thought I had while I was reading the standards was the question of how students are going to be tested on these standards.  I would assume the standards would incorporate multiple choice responses, but I feel that this takes away from the subjective nature of literature.  These standards could be assessed through written responses, but that inherently ties students' reading abilities to their ability to write.  I realize that writing is another major part of the standards, but I wonder how these reading standards will be directly assessed (or if they will be directly assessed at all).  Furthermore, unless the standards mandate that certain novels and longer texts are read during certain years, there doesn't seem to be any way for us to assess students' abilities to comprehend novels or extended texts.  I understand that short stories and poems contain the same literary elements, but analyzing "the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements," and analyzing the development of themes "over the course of the text" both present a unique set of challenges for novels and longer works, and these challenges will most likely be overlooked.  I would agree that students who can understand short stories can most likely understand novels as well, but that may not always be the case.

Lastly, I also thought about how the standards don't appear to mandate what specifically needs to be read (for the most part).  A student's ability to learn and demonstrate these standards would obviously heavily depend on the text they are using to do so.  I think it's very good that the standards don't specifically mandate certain texts, but I think that it's important to be aware that the texts that teachers/districts use to teach these standards will greatly influence their students' abilities to learn them.

Discussion as a Way of Teaching - Response

While reading the selected chapters from Discussion as a Way of Teaching, my prevailing impression was that everything the authors were saying made a lot of sense.  I agree with all of the benefits of discussion and that it is an integral educational tool.  I have heard before that discussion at its best exemplifies the democratic process, but I particularly liked how the authors explained that this is because both discussion and democracy promote and nurture human growth; I feel that this explanation gets to the core of why discussion is so important.  I agree that it fosters a collective wisdom, challenges and consolidates meaning, and expands the horizons of all participants.  However, while I read this article, underlying my thoughts was the impression that having high-quality discussions of this caliber and impact in the classroom will require a lot of foresight and planning by the teacher.  At first glance, discussion can appear quite simple, but in reality it cannot operate effectively unless certain conditions are met.

I have experienced a lot of high-quality discussion firsthand in my own education, and when I look back at my experiences, I realize that the most meaningful discussions occurred in classrooms that had a strong sense of community.  Because of this, I think that the first step for teachers towards facilitating effective discussions (in addition to creating an overall successful classroom climate) is to foster a communal atmosphere.  In tight-knit classrooms, students are more willing to work with each other because they have established feelings of respect, care, and trust in one another.  Discussion as a Way of Teaching makes the necessity of a close classroom apparent when it explains the essential dispositions of democratic discussions.  Classes with a strong sense of community will almost certainly be able to achieve six of these dispositions: hospitality, participation, mindfulness, humility, mutuality, and appreciation.  Hope and deliberation will also be much more likely to occur because students who are close work well together (and often desire to work together), support each other, and have a positive outlook (in my experience).  All that remains is autonomy, which is largely dependent on the individual, but in classrooms where students feel comfortable with each other (i.e. in close classrooms), students are more likely to feel comfortable voicing their dissent and retaining their unique opinions.  For these reasons, I feel that the crucial first step towards achieving meaningful discussion is to foster strong bonds between students within the classroom.

Introductory Letter Assignment

Hey Everyone,

My name is Brad Plummer, and I am a Secondary English Education Major here at Eastern Washington University.  This will be my 5th year of undergraduate studies.  I was born and raised in northern California, and after graduating from high school, I went to Sierra College, a community college in my hometown, for two years and received an associate's degree in natural science.  A few days after graduating from Sierra College, I moved up to Washington with my family and started going to Eastern, where I have now studied to be a teacher for the past two years.  I have greatly enjoyed my entire college experience, but now that I have only a few classes left to take, I find myself looking forward to what lies beyond undergrad.

I received my placement at the end of spring quarter, so I am now in my second quarter of student teaching, and I will be student teaching full time this spring.  I have been given the opportunity to work with two excellent and highly qualified teachers, which I am very grateful for.  Being able to get actual field experience has been very illuminating and has given me a greater sense of what the teaching profession entails.  I strongly believe that we learn to teach by teaching, and I feel that there are a lot of things about the profession that we cannot fully understand until we experience it for ourselves.  For this reason, I am really enjoying my student teaching because it has given me numerous opportunities to learn about the education process, the teaching profession, and myself.  I have taught several lessons at my placement school, and each time I learn something new.  After reflecting on my teaching and receiving some critiques, I feel that I have narrowed down my strengths and weaknesses down to a few areas.

One of the biggest areas in need of improvement is my voice.  I am a generally laid-back person, and tend to be more soft-spoken.  Because of this, I sometimes don't speak loud enough for my students to hear.  My tone also runs the risk of coming across as unenthusiastic, so I am constantly aware of and seeking to improve on my expressiveness and projection while speaking.  The other main area in need of improvement is my classroom management.  Many of my students have given me feedback that I need to be more strict while I am teaching.  I need to have better control over my classrooms so I can maximize effectiveness and facilitate learning.

One of my strengths as a potential teacher is that I am confident while I am teaching.  I have a strong and thorough understanding of my content area, and I believe in myself and my ability to teach.  Another strength of mine is that I am very passionate about what I teach.  I love literature, writing, and high-quality discussions, and I have a strong desire to share my passion with others.  I am also a very adaptable person and feel that I can make changes and adjustments to accommodate various circumstances.  Additionally, I am always open to receiving feedback, and I am always looking to improve upon and perfect my teaching skills, which will serve me well as I move forward into the profession.

I have several goals for this course.  My first goal is that I want to learn various strategies and techniques that will enable me to help my students comprehend and interact with the diverse array of literature that they will encounter inside and outside of the classroom.  My second goal is that I want to become a better public speaker by participating in classroom discussions and lessons.  My third goal is that I want to learn how I can share my passion for reading with my students and instill an appreciation, if not desire, for reading; I want my students to want to read, and I want to learn ways that I can help them see the connections between the text, themselves, and the world they live in.

I am very excited to begin another year at Eastern, and I look forward to working with you all.