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.
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I think we have to keep our kids reading for enjoyment. Gallagher stresses this point, too. In addition to what we read for school and work, we need to have outside reading interests (I'm thinking Percy Jackson here) that make reading fun. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Same is true with reading. So, in content areas add a little poetry, some riddles, maybe a comic or two to spice it up. What do you think?
ReplyDeleteI agree with you feeling of hopelessness. From all the testing and the rules that the government and administrations put on teachers, it feels as if there will never be time for us to show our students our passion for our content. Also, there will not be enough time for us to show our students how important it is form them to have the skills that our content can teach them.
ReplyDeleteI also think that it is funny that we as science were taught to never to take things as they were given to us but to also look into where the information was given to us came from. The funny part is that government officials cannot even take that skill to look into this that will change the face of education. I believe that if real research and questioning occurred the Texas "Miracle" may of never happened. These two skills, research and questioning, are being lost to our students now because they are not testable skills. I wonder what else will come of this...
I agree with you Jessica! It's quite overwhelming to go into this career with these standards stacked against us! I believe that we need to do some major overhauling, which means major lobbying on the part of teachers to change legislation and get something in place that is effective. I hate that while I was in high school all they did was focus on test taking abilities which does kill students desires to read.
ReplyDeleteWe should really try and practice ways to get our students motivated to read and not just make them the "model" test takers. I believe it is our job as educators to create more well-rounded individuals who can succeed in the world and not just do well on tests.
I think that all of us are feeling that same sense of hopelessness. I would like to think that I would always find the time in my class to encourage reading and literacy. However, we are going to be employed by the administration and they do tell us what to do. If they say teach to the test we have to do so. I think our biggest challenge as new teachers is to find the right balance between teaching to the tests like we must, and fostering a love of reading in our students.
ReplyDeleteDoes college make us think outside the box? When that comment was made, I couldn't help but question its accuracy. You and I had many science classes together, and, at least for me, 90% of those classes were purely wrote memorization. I had one or two classes that truly challenged the way I think and study. And I agree that these laws that exist to help students really don't benefit them. I also think that teachers are going to continue to do what they have to do to get their students to pass. As long as they're covered, they're safe. Of course, not all high school teachers are like this... I can remember a few exceptional ones that truly did want me to struggle (in a good way) to come through a stronger student.
ReplyDeleteI agree 100% with your assessment of the first chapter of Readicide, and I empathize with your feelings of hopelessness with regards to sweeping changes in schools for content literacy. But I think it's important not to downplay the effect one teacher can have on a classroom, and how a few students in that class will effect another classroom, etc. "Teaching for the test" may be written on the wall, but we can write other things there, too.
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