10-Second Review: How valid is that survey or piece of research?
Title: “A Cautionary Tale about a Flimsy Source.” Norman Lobsenz. The Writer (August 2008), 29. The Writer is a magazine by writers for writers. Its purpose is to encourage writers to keep on writing.
Quote: “Don’t accept survey results at face value. Ask: Are the questions biased? Who sponsored the survey and when was it done? Was a large enough group polled? [How random was the sample?] Are there similar surveys that show conflicting results?
Comment: Good questions to ask about polls, surveys and research. Did you already know this information? So did I. I’ve read it many times. Still it’s a good reminder. How many suckers still fall for the “Research says….” “proof” of conclusions? RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Topic: Advice on Writing Poetry
10-Second Review: The differences between observing and writing.
Title: “How to Create Emotional Landscapes.” Marilyn Taylor. The Writer (August 2008), 15-16. The Writer is a magazine by writers for writers. Its purpose is to encourage writers to keep on writing.
Quote: “Let me simply emphasize, then, that there are two kinds of landscapes—the kind we experience with our five senses, and the other kind—the kind that takes shape in our minds, supplying every poem with an identifiable mood, a definitive stance, a clear point of view.”
Comment: This quote probably does not mean much to most people, but it does to me. It reminds me that objects, persons, landscapes, etc. don’t exist in themselves, but as part of your mood, stance and point of view. It’s not enough simply to observe. The subject needs to take shape in your mind. For those who can appreciate it, that’s a big distinction. RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Title: “How to Create Emotional Landscapes.” Marilyn Taylor. The Writer (August 2008), 15-16. The Writer is a magazine by writers for writers. Its purpose is to encourage writers to keep on writing.
Quote: “Let me simply emphasize, then, that there are two kinds of landscapes—the kind we experience with our five senses, and the other kind—the kind that takes shape in our minds, supplying every poem with an identifiable mood, a definitive stance, a clear point of view.”
Comment: This quote probably does not mean much to most people, but it does to me. It reminds me that objects, persons, landscapes, etc. don’t exist in themselves, but as part of your mood, stance and point of view. It’s not enough simply to observe. The subject needs to take shape in your mind. For those who can appreciate it, that’s a big distinction. RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Topic: Evaluating the Possibilities of Your Book
10-Second Review: Testing whether your idea for a book is good.
Title: “Put a Nonfiction Book Idea to the Test.” Mary F. DeMuth. The Writer (August 2008), 12-13. The Writer is a publication by writers for writers. Its purpose is to encourage writers not to quit writing.
Quotes. Ask yourself the following questions:
1. What genre is my book?
2. Where would a bookstore shelve it?
3. How well do I know that it is about?
4. Do I have access to good research, great interviews?
5. How unique is my book?
6. If this book were to go before a publishing committee, would the panel find it compelling?
7. What is a one-sentence summary of my book?
8. When I share it with others, does their interest seem piqued?
Comment: I should have asked my self these questions before I self-published my book, Teaching English, How To…. I’ve about decided that what was missing from my book was this kind of preparation and eventual refinement. On the other hand, if I prepared too much, I might never have written it, and I am glad that I wrote it! I said what I wanted to say about teaching English and my convictions are available for anyone who wants to discuss them and to teachers who are starting out to teach English. RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Title: “Put a Nonfiction Book Idea to the Test.” Mary F. DeMuth. The Writer (August 2008), 12-13. The Writer is a publication by writers for writers. Its purpose is to encourage writers not to quit writing.
Quotes. Ask yourself the following questions:
1. What genre is my book?
2. Where would a bookstore shelve it?
3. How well do I know that it is about?
4. Do I have access to good research, great interviews?
5. How unique is my book?
6. If this book were to go before a publishing committee, would the panel find it compelling?
7. What is a one-sentence summary of my book?
8. When I share it with others, does their interest seem piqued?
Comment: I should have asked my self these questions before I self-published my book, Teaching English, How To…. I’ve about decided that what was missing from my book was this kind of preparation and eventual refinement. On the other hand, if I prepared too much, I might never have written it, and I am glad that I wrote it! I said what I wanted to say about teaching English and my convictions are available for anyone who wants to discuss them and to teachers who are starting out to teach English. RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Topic: Censorship
10-Second Review: Preparing for censorship challenges.
Quote: "The trouble with censorship is that once it starts, it is hard to stop. Just about every book contains something that someone objects to.” –Studs Terkel. US News & World Report, 1982. Quoted in The Writer (August 2008), p. 9. The Writer is a magazine by writers for writers. Its goal is to encourage writers not to quit trying.
Comment: Be prepared for possible censorship incidents. Do your homework. Complete the following information BEFORE assigning a book to read with your classes. [My thanks to the National Council of Teachers of English]:
1. A brief summary of the book.
2. A brief description of the controversial parts of the book.
3. Appropriate grade and maturity level of the students who will be reading the book.
4. A detailed plot summary.
5. Values of the book to the students who read it.
6. Literary qualities of the book.
7. Objectives in using the book.
8. Teaching methods to be used in reading the book.
9. Assignments to be completed by the students while reading the book.
10. Possible objections to the book.
11. Professional educators’ opinions about the values of reading the book.
Thanks to NCTE.org.
Thinking through this information about the book should prepare you for possible censorship challenges. It will also make certain that this is the right book for your particular group of students.
Also in place should be a questionnaire to be completed by a challenger and a committee that discusses and renders a decision on the future of the book in the curriculum. RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Quote: "The trouble with censorship is that once it starts, it is hard to stop. Just about every book contains something that someone objects to.” –Studs Terkel. US News & World Report, 1982. Quoted in The Writer (August 2008), p. 9. The Writer is a magazine by writers for writers. Its goal is to encourage writers not to quit trying.
Comment: Be prepared for possible censorship incidents. Do your homework. Complete the following information BEFORE assigning a book to read with your classes. [My thanks to the National Council of Teachers of English]:
1. A brief summary of the book.
2. A brief description of the controversial parts of the book.
3. Appropriate grade and maturity level of the students who will be reading the book.
4. A detailed plot summary.
5. Values of the book to the students who read it.
6. Literary qualities of the book.
7. Objectives in using the book.
8. Teaching methods to be used in reading the book.
9. Assignments to be completed by the students while reading the book.
10. Possible objections to the book.
11. Professional educators’ opinions about the values of reading the book.
Thanks to NCTE.org.
Thinking through this information about the book should prepare you for possible censorship challenges. It will also make certain that this is the right book for your particular group of students.
Also in place should be a questionnaire to be completed by a challenger and a committee that discusses and renders a decision on the future of the book in the curriculum. RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Topic: Secondary School Reading
10-Second Review: The status of secondary reading skills is not good.
Title: “Effective Reading Programs for Middle and High Schools: A Best-Evidence synthesis.” RE Slavin, et al. Reading Research Quarterly (July/August/September 2008), 290-322. A publication of the International Reading Association (IRA).
Quote: “Students who enter high school with poor literacy skills face long odds against graduating and going on to post-secondary education or satisfying careers. …reported (2003) that in the United States, roughly six million secondary students read far below grade level and that approximately 3,000 students drop out of U.S. high schools every day.”
Comment: The authors have tried and approved of certain specific secondary reading techniques, But have they tried a technique that is basic to all secondary reading techniques? The DRA? The Directed Reading Assignment?
1. You build the students’ background knowledge of the topic of the reading assignment. The more they know about a topic, the better they will be able to read and comprehend it.
2. Pre-teach crucial unfamiliar vocabulary—so that students will not only see the words when they encounter them, but they will know their meanings. I’ve seen research that shows students who are unfamiliar with a vocabulary word do not even see the word when they read it. Alerting students to the word ahead of time draws their attention to it.
3. Establish purpose for reading, usually in the form of questions after the students have read the title, subhead, first paragraph, first sentence of each intermediate paragraph and the last paragraph.
4. Give students the opportunity to apply what they have read in the assignment. One method is through further research of the topic on the Internet.
I agree with Olive Niles, who said many years ago that if every teacher in every high school used the directed reading assignment, there would be no reading problems in the United States. RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Title: “Effective Reading Programs for Middle and High Schools: A Best-Evidence synthesis.” RE Slavin, et al. Reading Research Quarterly (July/August/September 2008), 290-322. A publication of the International Reading Association (IRA).
Quote: “Students who enter high school with poor literacy skills face long odds against graduating and going on to post-secondary education or satisfying careers. …reported (2003) that in the United States, roughly six million secondary students read far below grade level and that approximately 3,000 students drop out of U.S. high schools every day.”
Comment: The authors have tried and approved of certain specific secondary reading techniques, But have they tried a technique that is basic to all secondary reading techniques? The DRA? The Directed Reading Assignment?
1. You build the students’ background knowledge of the topic of the reading assignment. The more they know about a topic, the better they will be able to read and comprehend it.
2. Pre-teach crucial unfamiliar vocabulary—so that students will not only see the words when they encounter them, but they will know their meanings. I’ve seen research that shows students who are unfamiliar with a vocabulary word do not even see the word when they read it. Alerting students to the word ahead of time draws their attention to it.
3. Establish purpose for reading, usually in the form of questions after the students have read the title, subhead, first paragraph, first sentence of each intermediate paragraph and the last paragraph.
4. Give students the opportunity to apply what they have read in the assignment. One method is through further research of the topic on the Internet.
I agree with Olive Niles, who said many years ago that if every teacher in every high school used the directed reading assignment, there would be no reading problems in the United States. RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Topic: Teacher Education
10-Second Review: If you want students to use certain practices in their teaching, you have to show them explicitly how.
Title: “A Critical Analysis of Research on Reading Teacher Education.” VJ Risk, et al. Reading Research Quarterly (July/August/September 2008), 252-288. A publication of the International Reading Association (IRA).
Summary: “…the review suggests that university teaching practices that benefit application of pedagogical knowledge provide explicit explanations and examples, demonstration of practices, and opportunities for guided practice of teaching strategies in practicum settings with pupils.”
Comment: In other words, preparing teachers of reading needs to include explicit demonstrations of pedagogical techniques. My suggestion: Teach the teachers the way you want the teachers to teach their students—along with demonstration lessons and guided practice using techniques with small numbers of students in a practicum setting. RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Title: “A Critical Analysis of Research on Reading Teacher Education.” VJ Risk, et al. Reading Research Quarterly (July/August/September 2008), 252-288. A publication of the International Reading Association (IRA).
Summary: “…the review suggests that university teaching practices that benefit application of pedagogical knowledge provide explicit explanations and examples, demonstration of practices, and opportunities for guided practice of teaching strategies in practicum settings with pupils.”
Comment: In other words, preparing teachers of reading needs to include explicit demonstrations of pedagogical techniques. My suggestion: Teach the teachers the way you want the teachers to teach their students—along with demonstration lessons and guided practice using techniques with small numbers of students in a practicum setting. RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Topic: Reading Groups
10-Second Review: All of the negative effects of ability or achievement grouping occurred when struggling readers were placed in mixed groups.
Title: Interactional Differentiation in the Mixed-Ability Group: A Situated View of Two Struggling Readers.” Deborah Poole. Reading Research Quarterly (July/August/September 2008), 228-249. A publication of the International Reading Association (IRA).
Summary: The problems with students being grouped by ability or achievement in learning to read: leads to wider achievement gap between lower- and higher-level groups; inferior instruction in the lower groups (skill-based and decoding emphasized and less emphasis on meaning and critical thinking); students in lower groups stigmatized; negative effects on self-esteem leading to loss of motivation; disproportionately consist of minority groups, perpetuating inequalities beyond the school.
What happens to students who are put in mixed-ability groups? The same thing.
Comment: FYI. RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Title: Interactional Differentiation in the Mixed-Ability Group: A Situated View of Two Struggling Readers.” Deborah Poole. Reading Research Quarterly (July/August/September 2008), 228-249. A publication of the International Reading Association (IRA).
Summary: The problems with students being grouped by ability or achievement in learning to read: leads to wider achievement gap between lower- and higher-level groups; inferior instruction in the lower groups (skill-based and decoding emphasized and less emphasis on meaning and critical thinking); students in lower groups stigmatized; negative effects on self-esteem leading to loss of motivation; disproportionately consist of minority groups, perpetuating inequalities beyond the school.
What happens to students who are put in mixed-ability groups? The same thing.
Comment: FYI. RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Topic: Freshman Mistakes in Writing
10-Second Review: Comparing two sets of papers, one in the 1980s and the other in 2006.
Title: “ ‘Mistakes Are a Fact of Life’: A National Comparative Study.” AA Lunsford and KJ Lunsford. College Composition and Communication (June 2008), 781-806. A publication of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
Summary: Attempt to compare student mistakes from a study completed in the mid-1980’s and from 2006. Concludes that in 2006, “… papers are longer, employ different genres and contain new error patterns.” 877 papers were analyzed.
The most frequent mistake in 2006 was “wrong word.” Resulted from students who accepted a spell-checker’s suggestion of a word like “fanatic” for the right word “frantic.” There were 3,080 mistaken words, but only 48% of teachers caught them.
The second most frequent mistake was a missing comma after an introductory element. [Real writers frequently ignore a comma after a short prepositional phrase as an introductory expression in a sentence. I wonder if that was counted as an error. RayS.]
The third most frequent mistake was incomplete or missing documentation.
Fourth was vague pronoun reference. [In my opinion, a fairly significant mistake since the reader cannot tell to whom the pronoun refers. I’ve had the same trouble in reading Henry James. RayS. ]
#20 in the list was a sentence fragment. Farther up the list at was the fused run-on and the comma splice.
#14 was an unnecessary or missing apostrophe, including “its” and “it’s.”
Comment: I don’t know how significant such a list is. It could suggest an emphasis on correcting these types of mistakes in class. But I did miss a category: sexist language. Don’t students make mistakes like that? I know nothing that smooths style better than avoiding “his” and “her,” etc. or “Everyone returned to his house.” RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Title: “ ‘Mistakes Are a Fact of Life’: A National Comparative Study.” AA Lunsford and KJ Lunsford. College Composition and Communication (June 2008), 781-806. A publication of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
Summary: Attempt to compare student mistakes from a study completed in the mid-1980’s and from 2006. Concludes that in 2006, “… papers are longer, employ different genres and contain new error patterns.” 877 papers were analyzed.
The most frequent mistake in 2006 was “wrong word.” Resulted from students who accepted a spell-checker’s suggestion of a word like “fanatic” for the right word “frantic.” There were 3,080 mistaken words, but only 48% of teachers caught them.
The second most frequent mistake was a missing comma after an introductory element. [Real writers frequently ignore a comma after a short prepositional phrase as an introductory expression in a sentence. I wonder if that was counted as an error. RayS.]
The third most frequent mistake was incomplete or missing documentation.
Fourth was vague pronoun reference. [In my opinion, a fairly significant mistake since the reader cannot tell to whom the pronoun refers. I’ve had the same trouble in reading Henry James. RayS. ]
#20 in the list was a sentence fragment. Farther up the list at was the fused run-on and the comma splice.
#14 was an unnecessary or missing apostrophe, including “its” and “it’s.”
Comment: I don’t know how significant such a list is. It could suggest an emphasis on correcting these types of mistakes in class. But I did miss a category: sexist language. Don’t students make mistakes like that? I know nothing that smooths style better than avoiding “his” and “her,” etc. or “Everyone returned to his house.” RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Topic: Plagiarism
10-Second Review: Working with students as they write will do much to lessen the possibility of students’ plagiarizing.
Title: “The Scarlet P: Plagiarism, Panopticism and the Rhetoric of academic Integrity.” Sean Zwagerman. College Composition and Communication (June 2008), 676-710. A publication of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
Summary: We need to work with students during the process of writing in order to lessen the chances that they will cheat by plagiarizing. “…the argument in favor of engaging the process rather than punishing the product….” Edward M. White: “When a writing assignment attends to the writing process, instead of only the end product, plagiarism becomes almost impossible.” p. 702.
Comment: It would appear that working with students during the process of completing a writing assignment is a basic step in preventing plagiarism. RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Title: “The Scarlet P: Plagiarism, Panopticism and the Rhetoric of academic Integrity.” Sean Zwagerman. College Composition and Communication (June 2008), 676-710. A publication of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
Summary: We need to work with students during the process of writing in order to lessen the chances that they will cheat by plagiarizing. “…the argument in favor of engaging the process rather than punishing the product….” Edward M. White: “When a writing assignment attends to the writing process, instead of only the end product, plagiarism becomes almost impossible.” p. 702.
Comment: It would appear that working with students during the process of completing a writing assignment is a basic step in preventing plagiarism. RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Topic: Plagiarism
10-Second Review: In concentrating on fighting student plagiarism, don’t forget to teach.
Title: “The Scarlet P: Plagiarism, Panopticism and the Rhetoric of academic Integrity.” Sean Zwagerman. College Composition and Communication (June 2008), 676-710. A publication of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
Summary: We may be spending so much time worrying about catching cheaters that we are not teaching productively. “Unfortunately, we may have reached the point where the suppression of academic dishonesty is deemed more important than anything that might be sacrificed in the effort—including education.”
Comment: “Ouch!” RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Title: “The Scarlet P: Plagiarism, Panopticism and the Rhetoric of academic Integrity.” Sean Zwagerman. College Composition and Communication (June 2008), 676-710. A publication of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
Summary: We may be spending so much time worrying about catching cheaters that we are not teaching productively. “Unfortunately, we may have reached the point where the suppression of academic dishonesty is deemed more important than anything that might be sacrificed in the effort—including education.”
Comment: “Ouch!” RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Topic: Plagiarism
10-Second Review: In preventing student plagiarism, don’t forget to value students’ ideas.
Title: “The Scarlet P: Plagiarism, Panopticism, and the Rhetoric of Academic Integrity.” Sean Zwagerman. College Composition and Communication (June 2008), 676-710. A publication of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
Summary: Suggests that the teacher’s valuing students’ ideas is the spirit that will defeat the temptation to plagiarize.
Comment: It’s not that simple, but this attitude on the part of the teacher is basic to successful writing by students and might cause them not to need to plagiarize. The author’s question after successfully trapping a student plagiarist, “Why did he need to do it?” is worth thinking about. RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Title: “The Scarlet P: Plagiarism, Panopticism, and the Rhetoric of Academic Integrity.” Sean Zwagerman. College Composition and Communication (June 2008), 676-710. A publication of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
Summary: Suggests that the teacher’s valuing students’ ideas is the spirit that will defeat the temptation to plagiarize.
Comment: It’s not that simple, but this attitude on the part of the teacher is basic to successful writing by students and might cause them not to need to plagiarize. The author’s question after successfully trapping a student plagiarist, “Why did he need to do it?” is worth thinking about. RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Topic: Assessment
10-Second Review: There’s a significant difference between assessment OF and Assessment FOR learning.
Title: “Balancing the Assessment OF Learning and FOR Learning in Support of Student Literacy Achievement.” Patricia A. Edwards, et al. The Reading Teacher (May 2008), 682-684. A publication of the International Reading Association.
Summary: As the title of the article indicates, assessment must be of two types: assessment OF learning and assessment FOR learning. Assessment OF learning is a dead end, summarizing what students have done, their levels of achievement, pigeon-holes labeled “dumb,” “average,” “has potential” and “bright.” Assessment FOR learning is designed to determine how to help students overcome weaknesses in learning and how to utilize students’ strengths in learning.
Comment: Those two prepositions OF and For make all the difference. RayS.
NOTE: As you have probably recognized, I am using the word “literacy” too often. That’s because in elementary education today, the word “literacy” is repeated too often. The trouble with the word “literacy” is that it now applies to too many things: reading, writing, film, technology, science, geography and every other subject in which students do not know as much as experts in the subject do and are, therefore, considered to be deficient.
I can’t avoid using “literacy” in the titles or summaries of the articles I review, but I can try to “write around the word” in my comments. I promise to work at it. RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Title: “Balancing the Assessment OF Learning and FOR Learning in Support of Student Literacy Achievement.” Patricia A. Edwards, et al. The Reading Teacher (May 2008), 682-684. A publication of the International Reading Association.
Summary: As the title of the article indicates, assessment must be of two types: assessment OF learning and assessment FOR learning. Assessment OF learning is a dead end, summarizing what students have done, their levels of achievement, pigeon-holes labeled “dumb,” “average,” “has potential” and “bright.” Assessment FOR learning is designed to determine how to help students overcome weaknesses in learning and how to utilize students’ strengths in learning.
Comment: Those two prepositions OF and For make all the difference. RayS.
NOTE: As you have probably recognized, I am using the word “literacy” too often. That’s because in elementary education today, the word “literacy” is repeated too often. The trouble with the word “literacy” is that it now applies to too many things: reading, writing, film, technology, science, geography and every other subject in which students do not know as much as experts in the subject do and are, therefore, considered to be deficient.
I can’t avoid using “literacy” in the titles or summaries of the articles I review, but I can try to “write around the word” in my comments. I promise to work at it. RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Topic: Applied Literacy--Class Newspaper
Title: “Providing All Students ACCESS to Self-regulated Literacy Learning.” SA Parsons. The Reading Teacher (May 2008), 628-635. A publication of the International Reading Association.
Summary: Elementary students put together a class newspaper. Author says teachers can use authentic experiences in literacy as well as training for high-stakes tests.
Comment: This idea has been recycled from many years ago. Why not? RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Summary: Elementary students put together a class newspaper. Author says teachers can use authentic experiences in literacy as well as training for high-stakes tests.
Comment: This idea has been recycled from many years ago. Why not? RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Topic: Applied Literacies
Title: “Museum Literacies of a Second-Grade Classroom.” AJ Eakle and BL Dalesio. The Reading Teacher (May 2008), 604-613. A publication of the International Reading Association.
Summary: Students put together museum exhibits on topics that involve traditional (reading and writing) and technological (pictures, sound) literacies. Information came from books, people and the Internet.
Comment: Another form of research—at a very early age. RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Summary: Students put together museum exhibits on topics that involve traditional (reading and writing) and technological (pictures, sound) literacies. Information came from books, people and the Internet.
Comment: Another form of research—at a very early age. RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Topic: The Nature of Reading Today
Title: “Independent Reading of CD-Rom Storybooks: Measuring Comprehension with Oral Reading.” Cathy J. Pearlman. The Reading Teacher (May 2008), 594-602. A publication of the International Reading Association.
Comment: The following quote in this article seems to summarize the changing state of reading today. The authors say that literacy today goes beyond the ability to read and write because of emerging technology. Just how is reading different today when technology is involved? This question is worth thinking about. I need to think about it. RayS.
Quote: “Our society’s definition of literacy changes as new technologies for acquiring information are developed. We once thought people were literate if they could read a little and write their names. As accessibility to public schools increased, it became the societal standard in the United States that the majority of people could read. Today, new communication technologies are being developed at an almost overwhelming pace, and these changes affect not only literacy instruction but also our definition of literacy itself. ‘The reason for these changes lies in the transition now in progress from traditional, print-based literacy to electronic representations of text’ (McKenna, et al. 1999). We may believe there are no fundamental differences in the reading of electronic text because processes such as word recognition, prior knowledge connections and meaning construction are present regardless of the medium; however, there may be differences between print and electronic text that change the nature of reading” (McKenna et al., 1999).
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Comment: The following quote in this article seems to summarize the changing state of reading today. The authors say that literacy today goes beyond the ability to read and write because of emerging technology. Just how is reading different today when technology is involved? This question is worth thinking about. I need to think about it. RayS.
Quote: “Our society’s definition of literacy changes as new technologies for acquiring information are developed. We once thought people were literate if they could read a little and write their names. As accessibility to public schools increased, it became the societal standard in the United States that the majority of people could read. Today, new communication technologies are being developed at an almost overwhelming pace, and these changes affect not only literacy instruction but also our definition of literacy itself. ‘The reason for these changes lies in the transition now in progress from traditional, print-based literacy to electronic representations of text’ (McKenna, et al. 1999). We may believe there are no fundamental differences in the reading of electronic text because processes such as word recognition, prior knowledge connections and meaning construction are present regardless of the medium; however, there may be differences between print and electronic text that change the nature of reading” (McKenna et al., 1999).
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Topic: Early Reading Difficulties and Technology
Title: “Independent Reading of CD-Rom Storybooks: Measuring Comprehension with Oral Retellings.” Cathy J. Pearman. The Reading Teacher (May 2008), 594-602. A publication of the International Reading Association.
Summary: “In sum, the support offered by the multisensory features of CD-Rom storybooks has the potential to enhance comprehension for students who are struggling with acquiring the skills necessary for the reading process.” p. 602.
Comment: The addition of pictures and sound to CD-Rom storybooks will help struggling readers to learn to read. Worth thinking about. Caveat: The CD-Rom with its multi-sensory features might help the struggling readers comprehend the story on this particular CD-Rom, but will it help them learn to read independently without the aid of the multi-sensory features? RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Summary: “In sum, the support offered by the multisensory features of CD-Rom storybooks has the potential to enhance comprehension for students who are struggling with acquiring the skills necessary for the reading process.” p. 602.
Comment: The addition of pictures and sound to CD-Rom storybooks will help struggling readers to learn to read. Worth thinking about. Caveat: The CD-Rom with its multi-sensory features might help the struggling readers comprehend the story on this particular CD-Rom, but will it help them learn to read independently without the aid of the multi-sensory features? RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Topic: Writing Letters and Reluctant Writers
Title: “Chatting with Letters: Developing Empathy ;and Critical Literacy through Writing Communities.” Mary B. Nicolini. English Journal (May 2008), 76-80. A publication of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). The audience for the journal is secondary schools.
Summary: The author had students who were reading different books in class write letters to other students about the books they were reading in class. Suggests that letters provide a format that would be more casual than a formal essay. Therefore reluctant writers might enjoy the conversational aspect of the letter format.
Comment: There is a history of great letter-writers. Now the form appears to have disappeared. Will there be great e-mail writers? The thought never occurred to me that e-mail and letters might not be the same thing. Exactly how are letters and e-mail conversations different? I need to think about that one. Maybe the letter could make a comeback. RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Summary: The author had students who were reading different books in class write letters to other students about the books they were reading in class. Suggests that letters provide a format that would be more casual than a formal essay. Therefore reluctant writers might enjoy the conversational aspect of the letter format.
Comment: There is a history of great letter-writers. Now the form appears to have disappeared. Will there be great e-mail writers? The thought never occurred to me that e-mail and letters might not be the same thing. Exactly how are letters and e-mail conversations different? I need to think about that one. Maybe the letter could make a comeback. RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Topic: Vocabulary for Second-Language Learners
Title: “Sketching to Create Meaning: The Story of a Second-Language Learner.” Chris Altman. English Journal (May 2008), 64-68. A publication of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). The audience for the journal is secondary schools.
Summary: Help English as a second language students visualize the meanings of words. The student—a second-language learner—in this article actually sketched the meanings of the words.
Comment: For the “art-challenged,” how could students learn to visualize the meanings of words? I decided to try it with the word “denigrate,” belittle another’s achievement, which I usually cannot remember the meaning of. I visualized a person waving his hand derisively at another person, conveying to that person, “that’s not very good.” I think the strategy might work. RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Summary: Help English as a second language students visualize the meanings of words. The student—a second-language learner—in this article actually sketched the meanings of the words.
Comment: For the “art-challenged,” how could students learn to visualize the meanings of words? I decided to try it with the word “denigrate,” belittle another’s achievement, which I usually cannot remember the meaning of. I visualized a person waving his hand derisively at another person, conveying to that person, “that’s not very good.” I think the strategy might work. RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Topic: Repeating Grades and Dropping Out
Title: “Sketching to Create Meaning: The Story of a Second-Language Learner." Chris Altman. English Journal (May 2008), 64-68. A publication of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). The audience for the journal is secondary schools.
Quote: “In fall 2000, the National Association of State Boards of Education reported that ‘repeating a grade twice makes the probability of dropping out nearly 100 percent.’ ” p. 64.
Comment: FYI. That’s a pretty damaging conclusion and a very broad statement. All levels? RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Quote: “In fall 2000, the National Association of State Boards of Education reported that ‘repeating a grade twice makes the probability of dropping out nearly 100 percent.’ ” p. 64.
Comment: FYI. That’s a pretty damaging conclusion and a very broad statement. All levels? RayS.
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
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