Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Chapter 1: Introduction: "I'm the Stupid Lady from Denver...."
I really enjoy how this author talks through her own vast experiences. She has experience ranging from being a teacher in a classroom setting to teaching teachers how to incorporate reading into every content area.
At the beginning of this chapter, she talks about how she goes from school to school in the hopes of showing students and teachers how to incorporate reading in every content. About a week before flying out to a class she asks for the reading/ lecture material ahead of time. In this case she was sent reading material that had to do with viruses. She talks about her struggle in that she has no interest in the material and finds the read to be very dry. It wasn't until she got on her flight and sits next to a man that sneezes on her that she realizes her sudden itch for information on viruses. She finds her self flipping through her virus text and looks for answers. This is when she realizes that the only way to be interested in material is to come with an open mind and to ask questions that one is interested in learning from a certain area of study. This is the tool that she uses in the classroom to enlighten the students that feel the same way she does with the material. Through this I am able to see that not everyone is interested in the same area of study. For instance, I have a hard time finding the fun in Physics. Since this is a course that I may have to teach I need to find questions that I find to be relevant to Physics. Like we have all experienced, if a teacher does not have a passion for the subject they are teaching the students will lack to have interest as well. Therefore bringing enthusiasm and showing the students how to make a dry text informative is a very strong tool for the classroom.
Another interesting part was when a teacher came up to Ms. Tovani (the author of this book) and asked her why she was not interested in viruses, since she had mentioned how she found the material came off as very bland to her at the beginning of the class. He went on to tell her well did you know that they are using viruses in hopes to cure cancer? There are great informational texts out there. And she replied by saying no and why aren't you using those articles with your students? I am so happy that she mentioned this! I subbed many times for a middle school science teacher that relied minimally on text and mainly on articles, hand outs and mini lectures. I was shocked by the material that was being absorbed through these students. They were comprehending material that I wasn't introduced until my undergraduate years in college. They also seemed to have a stronger interest for science and participated fully in the classroom during activities and discussions. Therefore I strongly agree with this stand point of showing the needed material through a more interesting manner in which the students can become enlightened with the material and see the big purpose or "so what" behind science.
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I really like how the author mentions that you need to come with an open mind and and to ask questions. I think that is certainly powerful when finding out new information. Unfortunately I think that is the problem with so many of our youth. Too often the say they, "Don't care," or have no interest in something their are learning! How might we ignite that interest in them to care about what they are learning to be open minded and ask questions? Good post, sounds like an interesting book.
ReplyDeleteI think by finding out the students personal interests be it Sponge Bob Squarepants, kickboxing, or camping and using these to form metaphors to the material being taught in the classroom. By making these connections I think we may be able to grab the students attention. By doing this it also puts the text into a dialect that the students might understand better and therefore taking out the fear factor of the complex text. And by modeling this they may start to do it on their own as well.
DeleteFinding students' interests has always helped me, too. Good insight!
DeleteI really enjoyed how you used your own experience sot show that you also do not like a subject that you will have to teach. so in a way you will be a better judge on what will and will not be exciting to your students because you yourself are starting from where they are.
ReplyDeleteExactly, I think as teachers that we all need to think from the students perspective if we ever expect them to learn anything.
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