Blog #5 - Better Late Than Never

Suggestions: Field experiences relating to content literacy- observations, interactions and questions. Response to Readicide.

These first few weeks have been going really well. One thing I've noticed and discussed with my host teacher is the student inability to really think independently. The first week I was there they had a test in the middle of the week. My host teacher gave them study guides to fill out and then reviewed them the day before the test. what surprised me was when she asked the students questions off the study guide, just reworded a little so they had to think they were unable to figure out the answer. One simple example would be word choice, she used the word advantageous instead of good trait to describe one of the questions and the students didn't know the word (even though the school has words of the week required that are similar). In addition a scientific word that the students had been tested on multiple times but wasn't on the study guide stumped them for credit on not only the review but the test. When I spoke to the teacher about this she explained that 9th graders have a hard time thinking independently which is why she rewords the questions ( to make them think). She wants them to be exposed to not only scientific terms but everyday words as well. I think that was one of my first real lessons in content literacy.

Blog #4

Ideas for literacy explorations, response to Readicide, enduring questions and concerns about content literacy, inquiry project process, further understanding of reading as a learner in your discipline.

There are several things that I'm interested in incorporating into my literacy explorations and inquiry project. One of the things is this idea of an article of the week, another is a graphic organizer. I think both of these will help my students get a better understanding of vocabulary. I agree with Readicide in that a lot of times teachers are teaching for the test rather than critical thinking. I also agree that in a lot of cases students aren't reading nearly enough and it's affecting their understanding of not only the subject matter but also the world around them. I think that it's important to incorporate reading no matter the subject and this class has definitely given me some ideas to use so that my students can learn for the test and for critical thinking.

Readicide Response 1

Response to Readicide: What is the message? What is your reaction? What are your connections to school experiences? What are ways you now understand will help students read more effectively in your discipline?

I feel that the message for the first chapter and introduction is that in modern classrooms, teachers are teaching for tests rather than for critical thinking. The teachers are being forced to teach for standards for a test and in the process losing some of the basic fundamental (i.e. content literacy) that students need. My reaction is a blend of attitude and hopelessness. I feel like while I may make a difference in my classroom, that's only a few hundred kids over my teaching career. The attitude comes from the rebellious side that says why do we have laws in place that don't benefit students. Like the Texas "Miracle," this program that was subjected nation wide lied about their results. How is it fair to hold teachers to a standard when the legislation is already against us.
When I observed at BHS I saw the standards on the wall and the teachers concern over making sure that the standards apply. I saw the pre and post tests for the CRCTs and the benchmark tests that the teacher was forced to give up days of class to devote to in order to show that the current method of judging retention isn't as awful as it seems. I see these things and it makes me wonder if I can do it, if I would really teach the test if I absolutely had to.
I think it's important for students to know that colleges want students to think outside of the box that high school puts them in and that all literacy is important. I think it's important for students to have the basic critical thinking skills because they will help on the test even if they don't give the answers for the students to memorize.