Notes from 3/23/12 Book Club

QUESTIONS
1. In your opinion what was the best strategy and why (Questions Game)? Do you think that the “questions game” is a realistic approach? (p33-34)
We felt the best strategy was the Questions Game, however we had some proposed changes. There were too many written steps, and maybe not enough student questions for group work. Does it take a whole class period? We would cut out some parts, like the class discussion. Students can answer each others questions and work together. We definitely feel that it is a realistic approach.

2. The role of classroom conversation is one of the most critical factors in supporting comprehension (p32) Do you agree with this statement?
Yes! We all completely agree with this statement. Classroom discussions provide for deeper understanding, not just learning. Also, students are able to teach each other during discussions.

3. Christine’s journal: Natalia just wanted to get out of school and get married boys were the main topic in her life. Natalia found a connection when they were studying women’s lives in the 1700s. it made Christine realize what it would take for her students to connect to history (p32-33) ----- What will you do in your classroom to connect history and texts to the lives of the students?
We thought that social networking, like twitter and blogs, and using current events would be a way to connect history and texts to the lives of students.

4. Who should teach comprehension?
All teachers are responsible for teaching comprehension. 

5. Are any of these methods used in your CPDs?
We have seen between the four of us: narrative texts, graphic organizers, and functional texts.


Connection: Chapter 2 connects to the other Allen reading (for a dialogue journal). It discusses vocabulary, and memorization. It stressed that students need to have a firm grasp on content vocabulary, and that it is important to record difficult vocabulary words in order to retain meaning in content specific language. Also, students should apply, explain, and illustrate this language in their lives.

Derrick's Post for 3/23

Reading History: A Practical Guide to Improving Literacy

Chapter 2: Providing Ongoing Support

                  In Chapter 2, Allen emphasizes that literacy comprehension is the key for students’ understanding of history related-texts, such as historical fiction, periodicals, biographies, diaries, documents, reports, and documentaries.  Freebody and Luke (1990, 7-16) explained that in order for students to become independent readers they must familiar with four broad roles, which are Meaning Maker, Code Breaker, Text User, and Text Critic.  It’s not only important to know these tools but how and when to use these tools when encountered with diverse types of historical texts.

                  One strategy I found intriguing was Exclusion Brainstorming, which is an instructional group exercise to help students build up their vocabulary.  After completing a reading assignment students would be given a vocabulary worksheet.  Students would first be instructed to circle words that correspond with the topic then cross out words that don’t.  In order to finalize their vocabulary list students would have to add words they believe correspond with the unit.  By discussing this in groups students will learn how to define new and unknown words, clarify word definitions by looking by at the text, and figure out which content words belong.  If I were to do this strategy I would alter it by incorporating another question or two linking it to the Word Wall strategy.  Therefore, students would be asked to evaluate and explain which words they believe are essential throughout the unit.

                  I recently witnessed my CPD instructor use the Narrative Text strategy.  He used a newspaper article written during the Great Depression, which gave examples of the tough situations people were facing.  The author stated how when he visited the south farmers had such a surplus, due to not enough people buying their goods, they had not choice but to throw it out.  While in industrial cities, like Chicago, children were starving because they couldn’t afford to buy anything.  The author also mentioned how in the west people during the summer were starting fires only to put it out themselves in hopes of getting a job with the fire department.  The author ended the article by foreshadowing a revolution by the people demanding change if the government didn’t step in and do something to stimulate the economy.  Since this was the first time students were asked to read and analysis the article they struggled, but understood a good amount.  While students were working I overheard groups trying to make connections to the text and previous reading, which surprised me.  Afterwards my mentor reviewed it with the class, really helping students further comprehend the meaning of the article.  Students found the article interesting because it was a primary source they were able to relate to their own lives.

                  This chapter has a lot of rich strategies I personally liked because it encourages class and group discussion.  I believe that this is a kind of unwritten requirement needed in social studies classes otherwise it’ll just be a teacher lecturing, resulting in a huge discourage of interest from students.

Ashley's post for 3/23

Chapter 2 of Janet Allen’s Reading History: A Practical Guide to Improving Literacy introduces a variety of strategies used to support and monitor comprehension during reading.  As said on page 29, our task as teachers is a two- fold consisting of the expansion of the range of reading that students define as reading history and increasing students’ ability to comprehend that range of texts (including their textbooks).  In other words, it is our job to broaden the range of reading in history and helping students to fully understand a variety of texts. I agree. It is imperative that students comprehend a variety of texts because history can’t simply be learned through a textbook. Another very valid point that Allen made on page 31 is that “teacher led instruction in reading strategies and other aspects of comprehension promotes reading achievement but there is very little direct comprehension instruction in most American classrooms”. This is a major issue because direct comprehension is necessary for students reading abilities.

In order to spark the interests of students it is important to make the content relatable to their lives. Christine has one student, Natalia, whose only concern was to get out of school and get married and she wasn’t interested in any of the subject material. That is, until Christine taught a lesson on women in the 1700s. Natalia found a connection when during this lesson and Christine realized that it was going to take to have her students make connections. This had me thinking about how difficult it really is to connect and relate material to each and every student, which seems like a great challenge. If a student isn’t interested in learning, they won’t want to. This is also difficult because “the role of classroom conversation is one of the most critical factors in supporting comprehension” (page 32). Having connective discussions that connect to earlier topics and to student’s experiences and backgrounds will enable them to learn.

On pages 33 and 34 the first method called “Questions Game”, created by Frank McTeague, is introduced. This strategy is the most effective according to Christine. It is used to get students to ask important questions on their reading. Basically, each student reads the assigned texts and jots down three questions he or she would like answered. Then, the students are put into pairs and they have to help each other answer each other’s questions. After that, the students are combined with another team and they have to come up with one question that is still unanswered to bring to the whole class discussion. Although Christine finds this to be the most effective strategy I personally did not like this strategy. I feel like a number of things could go wrong during a lesson like this. For example, lets say the students don’t have any questions, or not enough to have a discussion. In order for this method to work I think that the text would have to be very controversial.

One of the methods I liked the most was “Word Illumination Writing Prompts” on page 40. Here, students explain a word so that a friend can understand its meaning, then they choose one of the characters or historical figures we have encountered and write some dialogue for a scene where that person would use this word and then they would list other words someone might use in place of that word. This allows students to be creative. Creativity will be very important in my classroom because I believe that students learn best when they can express themselves while learning. In fact, on page 40 she says that “students enjoy the creative aspect of showing you they know the word its context and application- this exercise makes the words more memorable and meaningful.” I couldn’t agree more.

The rest of the methods try to rid the obstacles of comprehension that occur when they are presented with a diverse range of text types. Some strategies presented are more realistic and better constructed than others but overall I would love to use a lot of these in my own classroom one day. This book is really allowing me to see the different range and variety of ways to help my students comprehend what they are reading.

Kris's Post for 3/23

Kris Walters

3/22/12

TCH 412

                                                Book Club

Dialogue Journal:

            In Chapter two of Janet Allen’s Reading History: A Practical Guide to Improving Literacy I saw a bunch of great strategies for working on student comprehension In terms of reading social studies text. Of course, like we’ve said in class students learn best from a variety of text and comprehend best when taught with a variety of text and perspectives. I couldn’t agree more that students must be taught effective methods of reading for dissecting history and historical text (besides the textbook).

This chapter displays a bunch of great strategies that could be used, however there were only few that I would like to use in the near future. I have a lesson to conduct next week at Peekskill Middle School, therefore I may use the Question Game or the Words in Context Plus strategies. I loved the fact that The Question Game incorporates comprehension, critical thinking, and making connections to the reading. I also liked the fact that it gets the students moving around the classroom using social skills and working in groups or pairs. However, I may want to cut out a step of two just because I think it’s a little lengthly and may take up too much of the period. I also think it would be important to make sure students are on task when using this strategy.

I think that content language is a issue that student face even in college. While reading or doing an assignment there are certain words we may not be familiar with that may throw us off. Like its said in the chapter, I think it important for students to record and study words that come across and difficult for them in their content areas. In order for students to retain the meaning of a lot of content language its up to the teacher to include certain terms into the students’ everyday lesson (while connecting to their everyday lives) so they become familiar with the words. I  couldn’t agree more that having the students apply, explain and illustrate the content language is the best way for them to practice and retain a fully understanding of the word.

            So after writing my Dialogue Journal I realize that Jamie and I have a lot of the same ideas. We both want to use the Question Game strategy, but I would like to make a few adjustments to the strategy. I also agree with Jamie’s statements about literacy in Social Studies. Usually the term literacy is associated with English, but this chapter made the connection between teaching comprehension and content literacy in the Social Studies classroom.

Jamie's Book Club Post for 3/23/12

There were many more strategies and ideas in chapter two of Reading History: A Practical Guide to Improving Literacy by Janet Allen.  These strategies and ideas have more to do with deeper understanding of vocabulary, meaning, and information.  It also included more about implementation of these strategies.  This chapter made me wonder if my mentor teacher has read this book at all, because he definitely uses some of these methods, and they seem to be pretty effective with his sixth graders.  He teaches social studies as well as English, so literacy is heavily focused on in his social studies classes.  We have discussed how English teachers are always targeted with literacy, and that it is the responsibility of all teachers.  I find that this topic comes up more now that I have learned more about literacy, and since we first discussed it in class.  Allen mentions this in chapter 2 as well, she states that as social studies teachers we absolutely should work with literacy and reading skills within the content area because it can help students to understand how to approach different materials, and thus, enhancing learning.

            I also think that the Questions Game (page 33) is really intriguing.  This exit ticket is effective because it incorporates group work into an exit ticket.  They can question, bounce ideas off each other, and even teach each other to a certain extent.  It incorporates fun, scaffolding, autonomy, and helps to reiterate the lesson that was taught that day.  I also think that because it is group work it will help to keep the students busy before the bell rings so that they are not all packing up and out of their seats before the class is really over.  I absolutely will use this method in my classes, and may even try to incorporate it into my CPD the next time I am able to teach.  My CPD classes will probably really enjoy the idea of a game to end class.  I definitely think that the methods in this book will be helpful in my CPD and in my future classes.