- "In order to develop readers, we must encourage and foster creative attitudes and activities of engaging readers" ( Wilhelm 18).
The approach I would take towards reading would be trying to get a class evolved a relevant topic and bring out ideas in a discussion that may interest them. Then introducing essential vocabulary that they will encounter while reading. I would not want to overload them with too many words though, because that takes that fun out of reading.
Wilhelm gives some great advice about using an alternate method. It allows "readers...to persue their own reading and construct their own meanings,yet asks adults to teach background knowledge, skills,and strategies helpful to reader's purpose in context of read, personally purposeful reading and writing" (26). The basic principles of New Criticism are still ideal to teachers, but what we need to focus on is going past that "close reading" that many of us fall into. I can be the easier direction to have students read a chapter and quiz them of what occurs in the plot, but how is this helping them? Standardized testing does not really involve open ended questions and writing. Isn't this the best way to capture what the student has really learned?
Two important ideas that I wish to share with new teachers would be:
- Make reading have a purpose
- Learning is social
I liked when Wilhelm had asked his students what reading is to them.What is reading to you? I would agree with Cora when she said that, "Reading is a relay...it's more like a conservation" (45). The reason people tell stories and share ideas with one another is because they have something interesting to say. If their stories were not interesting, who would want to listen?
Teacher research, as discussed in Chapter 2, is very important. I think trying to learn new approaches to better your teaching is one of a teacher's main jobs and by doing research or completing simple observations improvements can be made. The Symbolic Story Representation was Wilhelm's way or involving creation and comprehension. This was one idea that I highlighted in my book because I want to remember it! It was not the only one that I found interesting, actually I found each of the stories in Chapter 3 amazing. Some of the detail students were able to come up with were more creative than in the story they had read themselves. Teachers should always give this credit to the students. Tell them their imagination is more powerful than you believe. I know I will be keeping this book on my bookshelf in my classroom someday and referring back to some of this advice.
"The World of the Story"
Quote by Ron a Student of Jeffery D. Wilhelm
"When you're not into a book yet, it's really obvious[laughs]. It's like you're standing in line for the diving board on a windy day and you're freezing your nuts off. If you'll excuse the expression[laughs]...It's like you're in pain and you have your arms wrapped around you and the concrete is scratching your feet. The first part of the story is the line and the ladder and the board. When everything comes together and you jump it's like you're in this underwater world like INSTANTLY and then you just stay down there and never come up until someone makes you" (77).
Heather, I like what you picked out as important from the book that we are reading. I think it is important to see that reading is a process and not just as outcome. You can't have students find an end result but find moments throughout their reading. I like how you disagree with worksheets just as I do. I think worksheets account for busy work and just take up valuable learning time. Does it really matter if a student can tell you a sequence of events? I think we both can agree that the important thing is growth from reading. Anymore, schools have focused so much on basic plot that it makes the plot exhausting to students. The two important ideas that you illustrated are also true. Meaning is what english relevant. If there is not a purpose in which you read then what you read is not important. Every person is different which is why everyone's meaning creates a lot of discussion with books. Also, the bottom-up approach is boring because it gets too petty and does not create readers. I think you have very good points Heather and I completely agree.
ReplyDeleteI also want to have a discussion-based classroom! I believe that the only way people can truly learn is if they are actively involved with what they are learning. Wilhelm is really expanding what I recognize as learning responses, including (but no longer limited to!) discussion, writing, art, music.
ReplyDeleteYour discussion on New Criticism sparked a new thought. I absolutely love New Criticism. I love studying the language of a text and "tearing" it apart. I love to then translate my close reading to essays. Haha but anytime I tell one of my non-English friends about the joys of this process, I end up getting a lot of eyes rolling. Throughout high school, I considered teaching with this approach because it is a huge facet of how I value literature. Wilhelm does such a great job of showing me that it isn't only about how I learn and appreciate literature but moreso about how my students learn and appreciate it. And, to draw on my previous comment, there is such a diversity of learning and appreciation that I just beginning to tap into. (So thank you for helping to spark that thought.)
"What did you collect or observe from your reading?" I really like that - particularly the use of the word "collect." I never thought about it that way before. It puts a whole new connotation on how reading can affect/change the reader.
You guys say you're totally against worksheets, but do they always have to be bad? What about worksheets with less biased, leading questions? Or a bit of plot summary just to be sure students are reading and not confused? What about students who are not as sociable and prefer individual work? There will be days when students come in not totally enthusiastic for discussion. While I too prefer a discussion-based lesson, I think it is best to consider all your options and mix it up! What do you guys think?
ReplyDeleteHeather, I agree with your outlook on some of the newer learning-based assessments you talk about. EQ's? Very helpful! Standardized tests? Not so much. I heard in my Ed Psych class that in states like Vermont they're experimenting with state tests that give options for how the student can be assessed. I think that's really cool and would like to see it spread. I also like that you said how important it is for teachers to learn new approaches and evaluate what they are doing day to day. I will probably do some journaling to help me not fall into a pattern. I think journaling would be useful for all of us seeing as these blogs are really good!