On the Shoulders of Giants

Rigorous Young Adult Literature or "Dumbed Down" Classics?

Working on my book, now titled, Whole Novels for the Whole Class: A Student Centered Approach, I found myself explaining why most of the literature I assign my 8th graders to read are works written for young adults--the YA genre.

The Whole Novels method is predicated on the notion that students have an authentic experience reading and responding to an entire book. That experience becomes the basis for critical analysis of the literature as well as their own creative writing. I select quality literary works that

• deal with developmentally meaningful themes
• speak to my students' interests and questions about the world 
• are accessible for students to read without huge amounts of teacher help

If not through young adult literature, the other option seems to be for teachers to select books that are above their students' reading capabilities or outside of the realm of relevance for their age group. This is where many (but not all) of the "classics" fall. The result? The majority of students are unable to have an authentic reading experience with these works.

What happens next?  Teachers are stuck in the position of compensating by dumbing down the work, so that students don't really have to read or think about the story to complete the work. (This matches my own experience "reading" literature in much of middle school and some of high school.)   

I do think my students can benefit from reading excerpts of classics that are above their reading levels for the exposure and for guidance on how to meet the challenge. (I do this when I have students read bits of literary criticism relevant to the books they are reading.)  And I've seen great response from students to reading the No Fear Shakespeare books, which pair Shakespeare's original language alongside a modern translation so students can go between the two.  So I'm not arguing that teachers should never give students texts above their reading level or use an easier rewritten version of a classic.

But when it comes to students reading novels, would you rather...

a. students do high level, student-driven, intellectual work in response to well-written, age-appropriate texts?

OR

b. students do low level, teacher-directed work in response to classic texts written for adults?

If you find yourself wanting to answer, Neither: students need to read and analyze adult level texts on their own, then I would ask you two things:

1. Have you read any of the acclaimed works of YA literature?  If not, doing so will probably change your mind about the literary merit and rigor of these novels. 

2. If the end goal is for students to read and analyze adult-level books at high levels independently, but at this point they are not able to... then which approach is more likely to help them get there, building both reading skills and motivation:  a or b?

 

[image credit: teachersnetwork.org]

Is your class important? Conversation overheard on train...

Riding the train home from work today, I was sitting in the vicinity of two 14 year old-looking boys I'd never seen before. They were having a somewhat raucous conversation about taking pictures and posting them and then deleting them and getting girls' numbers and that sort of thing. My tired mind tuned it out, and when I happened to tune back in, the conversation had taken a turn:

"Nah, I didn't do that either," said the first boy.

"I might fail that class," said the second boy.

"Yeah, but she's a very, like, disorganized teacher, so I just focus on my really important classes, like U.S. History."  

"Yeah, me too."

I was quietly amused. I've been on both sides of this coin. I saw myself in both the "disorganized" teacher and the "really important" teacher they referenced. It was funny to hear the students' frank words.

What exactly makes students (especially adolescents) feel like a class is important? I think organization is an interesting idea to pick apart here. There is organization in the typical sense. Do you I know where things are? Do I lose students' papers? Do I check homework and collect assignments? Is there a sense of order in the physical space?  Organization in the traditional sense is important.  

Another huge factor is the organization of the learning experiences students have.  Are they sequenced logically?  Are they appropriately paced?  Do they lead students to conceptual understanding?  If students feel like the individual experiences they have in a class seem to be part of a unified curriculum--where small ideas have a clear place in connection to larger concepts, which have relevance in their lives and the world--students are more likely to find meaning in the work...and that makes it "important."  

 

[image credit: robertmanni.com]

 

The Change I Most Want to See

Recently I was asked what positive change I would most like to see in schools. My answer, surprisingly, didn't take me very long to decide:

Of course, some classroom work needs to be done in silence, and speaking is not a requirement for learning, which is why I say just 50. And I don't mean that I dream of seeing unruly classrooms, where students are not engaged in learning activities either. What I'm responding to is the fact that, despite so much research indicating the need for active learning experiences, students are expected to be passive in school much of the time.  

The reasons for the lack of student voice in classrooms are complicated, and the responsibility does not lie solely on teachers. This change would require a major cultural shift in schools.  Teaching in a way that allows students to be active in their learning requires a larger skill set than teacher-centered instruction, higher level of responsiveness to student interests, and more planning time.  

Here is what I believe teachers need to create more active learning for students:

1. Preparation that includes how to design active learning experiences that address subject standards
2. Autonomy to design curriculum and instruction that responds to student interests and needs
3. Time to plan creatively with opportunities to collaborate with other teachers 
4. Support and encouragement to take risks in their teaching

More student voices in learning environments is such a big wish, because it would indicate these (and probably more) important shifts in the way teaching and learning are structured and supported.    

Why Must We Evaluate Reading With Tricky Multiple Choice Questions?

I was writing a piece of my book about assessing students' reading levels. I lean towards lots of informal assessment, through conversation and observation, as well as authentic assessments in projects, discussions, and my students' reading notes. However, I appreciate the insight I get from conducting a formal reading assessment of my students. I've used QRI, DRA, running records, and Levelled Reading Assessments from Teachers College Reading and Writing Project...

Then I thought, Wow. The data from these assessments is so much more useful than the data from standardized reading tests. These comprehensive reading assessments help find the level at which our students can read independently, and the level at which the student can read with instructional supports, and point us in the direction of what types of supports individual students need. 

Standardized testing data, on the other hand, is far less detailed and applicable and throws in the wild card of multiple-choice.  Selecting answers to multiple-choice questions is not a reading skill. Unless the questions and answer choices are very straightforward, testing only lower order thinking skills, we are actually testing a combination of reading skills and logical reasoning skills.  Those two processes are not at all the same. Why are we mixing them up in one assessment? Maybe for adults or in high school, such as on the SAT's, this is fair.  But for children?  When they're still developing critical thinking skills? Hmm...

And what sort of reasoning gets tested through tricky multiple choice questions on reading passages? Why is it important? I can see a valuable skill in being able to make good choices from among several options. But in real life, the "best" choice is never the one some stranger/authority has already chosen for us, is it? 

 

[image credit: www.nhwoodworking.com ]

Could This Be a Turning Point for Education Testing?

I'd love to think so, but really can't say. Here are a few points for the "things might be changing" team. 

1.  The unified body of teachers at Garfield High in Seattle refused to administer the standardized test (MAP), because they don't believe it's a good use of their students' time or a fair measure for what it's being used to measure. 

2. My TLN colleagues are discussing the issue of testing and the movement at Garfield High at Teaching Ahead: Testing at a Crossroads (EdWeek Teacher). Check it out.

3. But I bet you didn't you see THIS! A student demonstration against the MECAP test as graduation requirement in Providence, RI, in which students marched in full zombie attire! Filmed and reported by the Providence Journal.

(Sidenote: A piece of this teacher's heart will always be with the students of Providence, RI, where I was a substitute teacher for a year after graduating college. I got to spend time in nearly every secondary school in the city: a fascinating vantage point from which to see urban education.) 

 

[top image is a screenshot from the above video]

ELA Lesson Sequence for the Common Core: Saying More With Less

One thing I like about the new Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts is the emphasis on looking closely at language choices authors make. NY State Standard #4 requires that students, "Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone."  Looking closely at language is a huge part of what I love about reading and writing in my own life. Standards themselves, however, don't teach any of this to students, or make it interesting.  

I'm sharing a lesson sequence on economy of language I taught last week, that provided a compelling way in to this standard. I co-planned the lesson with learning specialist, Marcia Stiman-Lavian, and I borrowed significantly from materials shared by fellow CTQ blogger, Bill Ferriter.  This sequence was a lot of fun, and it really seemed to wake students up to the power and nuance of individual words, opening the door to more intensive investigation of the function of specific words--and punctuation--in text. 

Lesson: Economy of Language

How Much Meaning Can Authors Pack Into a Few Words?

Preparation: For homework the night before, students bring in a photograph that represents something important to them or relates significantly to their lives. 

1. Free-Write first: Using their photograph as inspiration, have students free write for about 5-7 minutes.  Any genre of writing is allowed in free writing. 

2. Read 25 word stories: I got this idea from Bill Ferriter, who offers a lesson and great downloadable materials for it on his blog, The Tempered Radical here. (He first got turned on to the form by following Kevin Hodgson on Twitter.) 

I simply introduced the 25 word story to my students by saying, "There's a cool new story form out there, catching on through Twitter, called the 25 word story.  These stories have the main elements of story in only 25 words. Today we're going to look at how much meaning authors can pack into just a few words."

Then I project these two stories--both from Bill's handout. 

Understand me, John: The next time you talk about ‘dropping deuce’ in front of Grandma, you’ll be grounded for longer than you can possibly imagine!

First I ask for some general reactions. Then I ask,

• Who are the characters in this story? 
• What has happened in this story?  
• What kind of conflict is this? 
• What would you say the mood or tone of the story is? (The difference between these two is pretty difficult for middle school students. Perhaps that's another blog post. Suggestions welcome!)
• What words do the most to suggest this mood?

We look at one more example:

He sat surrounded by people yet completely alone. “Why can’t I just be normal?” he muttered to no one, tears streaming down his teenage cheeks.

We discuss the same questions.  

3. Write 25 word stories.  Next students must create a 25 word story, using their free write as a springboard.  I suggest they go about cutting the free write down to 25 words, but students can also pursue a new idea if they want. Bill suggests in his handout that students should keep in mind that a 25 word story is about 1 long sentence or 2 shorter sentences; they should write first, and then worry about getting exactly 25 words.  The process of deciding on each word, however, is where the work gets really interesting.

4. Share.  Students share their 25 word story with a classmate near them, and then I have a few share out to the whole class. 

5. Read a 6-Word Story. Next, I tell students, "Ernest Hemingway, a famous 20th Century author, was once challenged to write a six word story.  Hemingway accepted the challenge, and this is what he wrote." I project--

         For sale: baby shoes; never worn. 

Students say, "Oohhh..." as the layers of meaning in the simple story take hold of their imaginations.  We discuss, again, who the characters are, what has happened, literally, and what is suggested.

I ask students, "What image does the language put in your mind at each moment in the story?"  

We discuss, "For sale," then "baby shoes," and then "never worn."   

6. Write 6 word stories. Now students must take their 25 word story, and whittle it down to six words.  There is lots of energy in the room at this point.  The challenge often posed to students is to write a lot. It's refreshing for the challenge to be, write a little!  I allow students to talk a bit during this writing session, and I listen for interesting conversations about word choices. 

7. Share--in class and on Edmodo! The 50 minute period ends with several students sharing their 6 word stories with the class.  For homework, they must post their story on our Edmodo group space and comment on at least one other student's story.  (If you're not familiar with Edmodo, it is so worth checking out!) With a longer period, this next part could happen on the same day.  

Next day...

8. Reflect on Word Choices. Have students to share their 6 word story with a partner. They should discuss--

• What was the most difficult decision you had to make in terms of which words to use? 
• Which word would you not mind replacing with a stronger word? 
• Ask your partner--what seems to be the tone of the story? Which words convey that tone?  Which words are weaker, and don't build that tone? 
• What does the story leave the reader to wonder about? Why? Is this intentional?
• Take some time to write an alternate version of your 6 word story based on the conversation.

Another day... (You could go in many different directions now, but I took this opportunity for some much needed attention to punctuation.)

9. Learn New Punctuation. The next day, I teach the semi-colon!  Incidentally, the colon and the double dash come up in discussions, as well.  We began by looking at Hemingway's 6 word story again. I ask students to identify the 3 punctuation marks and talk in groups about why Hemingway probably chose to use each one.  I give them some exercises to help them combine or break up sentences properly using a semi-colon. 

10. Revise punctuation in previous writing. Then I ask students to add a semi-colon to either their 6 word story, their 25 word story, or their original free write, depending on what makes the most sense.  Some students experiment with colons and double dashes as well.  

11. Reflect on punctuation choices.  Share with a partner. Discuss--is the new punctuation an impovement on the old? Why or why not?  How can punctuation help create more meaning in a few words?

The next step is to apply this kind of reflection on word choices to longer texts without over-structuring the experience of reading for students. In other words, no one reads specifically to analyze language, so we have to find authentic ways to encourage this kind of thinking. We are working on it in our current novel study.  I will follow up in another post.  Hopefully this was helpful for others who are trying to find interesting ways in to this sort of work for kids. 

 

[image credit: www.createbrevity.com]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flipped Hierarchy

I often dream of a flipped hierarchy in education, where at the top of the pyramid are the classrooms with teachers and students, and below us are all of the other people in supportive roles, holding up the most important work we do.  

If you are not a teacher, but you're looking at this image, thinking, "Yes, that's exactly how it is," then you should try talking to some teachers.  

I'm fortunate to feel supported at my school by colleagues, school leaders, and parents, but that's not necessarily the norm.  And there are still outside forces that threaten these conditions.  Do teachers feel recognized and supported by the people/organizations that influence and govern their profession?  The answer, by and large, is no.  And when teachers aren't supported, students aren't either. 

If we are really most important, then let's flip the hierarchy!

Your Help Needed With Book Title Survey!

Hello!  I'm writing to ask for your help, and I promise it'll take less than a minute of your time--well, this does depend how language obsessed you are, or how much of a judger or perceiver you are, he he.  

The Title Survey: I am working with Jossey Bass to decide on a title for my book, which is about a fresh method for teaching whole class novels, which I've been calling Whole Novels.  We've created a 2-question survey with some potential titles. 

Survey link: HERE

I really appreciate your help!

 

To understand more about what the book is about, here are pieces articles I've written about it:

Reading Fiction Whole (Education Week)

My Co-Teachers Weigh In on Whole Novels

 A Room Full of Thinkers

A Novel Community (CTQ video)

If you have comments or suggestions about the titles, feel free to leave them below. 

Thank you!

--Ariel

 

[image credit: screamqueenz.com]

 

 

 

 

 

The Era of the Lockdown Drill

My mother used to tell me about the shelter drills she had to do as a kid growing up in the early cold war era.  It was foreign to me, and I understood only the part of it that resembled the fire drills I grew up doing in school.  Friends in California also had earthquake drills. Today, I experienced my first lockdown drill, and it felt like the beginning of a new era.

The creation of the lockdown drill was in response to the recent horrific school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.  It is only sensible to take precautions and be prepared for such a possibility, since preparations could save many lives.

I was struck by the emotional content of practicing for this kind of threat. The students understood it was just practice, and most schools have some procedure for an 'intruder alert," but I had never been asked to practice before, and none of us had ever imagined the situation as seriously as we did now. We did not act in total seriousness. We followed the procedure correctly and tried to keep the mood light, to balance out the fear the situation invoked.

Without going deeper into this topic, I'll just say, it feels like a new era. I wonder what other precautions, beyond the realm of gun control, we could be taking to ensure that individuals with the power to do harm, choose not to?

 

Review: Lehman's New Methods for Engaging Students in Research & Writing!

I recently had the opportunity to review Christopher Lehman's book, Energize Research Reading and Writing: Fresh Strategies that Spark Interest, Develop Independence, and Meet Key Common Core Standards, Grades 4-8 for MiddleWeb.  

If you don't know about MiddleWeb's book reviews, this is THE place to get real teachers' reviews of current books in education.  

It was an interesting process to review the book for two reasons:

1. It gave me the inspiration to think anew about how I teach research skills in my classroom, just as I was working on a journalism project with students that involves authentic research.  Many of Lehman's ideas sparked my interest and altered my thinking about the research and writing my students did in this unit. 

2. It pushed me to articulate an area where the pedagogy and presentation of ideas was a bit of a mismatch with my own teaching philosophy.  This was also a learning experience.

Check out the review and the book! How can we push these ideas even further?