This article broke my heart. It is such a shame that even though Autumn is scoring 399, she is having to retake the test over and over, and causing herself so much stress. She obviously understands the material, because she is one point away from passing. She is consistently scoring 370-400, so I do not understand why her life needs to be turned upside down for a formality.
This blog post is a perfect example of an issue so many students are dealing with. Autumn ended up with anxiety, and having to take medication because of her test, which I think is horrible. But sadly this is a common issue for high schoolers, and especially college students. I know many people who have been driven to depression or anxiety because of school, and the testing. It is an issue that I feel is not being taken seriously enough. Student's mental health is more important than a test score, and I just hope one day that will be established enough for something to be done about it.
This is a page I found about the relationship between grades and mental health, you guys should give it a read it is very interesting.
http://www.mercurynews.com/health/ci_25074044/teen-health-depression-anxiety-and-social-phobias-rising
Friday, April 15, 2016
Toxic Testing is Taking Its Toll
I completely understand why teachers are scared and nervous about standardized testing. I think the biggest most obvious reason, is the fact that they may not be able to reach all of their students. There are those students that just refuse to learn, despite what the teacher tries to do to help them. A teacher can only do so much for these students, but a student has to put forth some effort as well. There are also students who are scared to ask for help if they need it, so for this reason they may not do well on tests because the teacher may not know they are struggling. I was a very shy student in high school, and there were a lot of times when I did not ask for help when I was struggling because I was too shy to speak up in front of the class and ask my qestions. I did not ask after class because I felt embarassed that I did not understand the material. These instances are not something teachers can help, so I can understand why they get nervous.
Not only is this upsetting the teachers because it is tearing them down, the students are also suffering. They are missing out on great learning activites, and more enjoyable learning activities because they are having to prepare for standardized tests. All the worksheets, and standard questions are not benefiting students in my opinion. I think in order for students to retain information, they need to learn in a way they can enjoy atleast a little bit. Memorizing answers to take a test is not helpful for anything besides passing the test.
I found this link that says 15 reasons standardized testing is pointless:
http://institute4learning.com/blog/2013/02/28/15-reasons-why-standardized-tests-are-worthless-2/
Not only is this upsetting the teachers because it is tearing them down, the students are also suffering. They are missing out on great learning activites, and more enjoyable learning activities because they are having to prepare for standardized tests. All the worksheets, and standard questions are not benefiting students in my opinion. I think in order for students to retain information, they need to learn in a way they can enjoy atleast a little bit. Memorizing answers to take a test is not helpful for anything besides passing the test.
I found this link that says 15 reasons standardized testing is pointless:
http://institute4learning.com/blog/2013/02/28/15-reasons-why-standardized-tests-are-worthless-2/
Thursday, April 14, 2016
You Gotta BE the Book Chapter 6
One of my favorite parts in You Gotta BE the Book was the part about teacher researching. I feel it is very important for teachers to pay attention to their students. I feel like a good teacher is concerned about their students, and will do anything they can to make sure they are learning. I liked how it said teachers should be on the lookout, and almost studying their students to find out what they are feeling. For example if a student is understanding the material, if a student is upset, if a student is refusing to do homework, etc. I feel like these components are all things that can effect a student's education, and it is the teacher's job to try to help the student's if they are struggling like this. Any teacher can go in, teach the material, and leave. It takes a special teacher to care about their student's success on a deeper level.
I think this research is also important to understand how to teach the class. If more students are hands on learners, then the teacher should try to incorporate a lot of hands on activities. If there are more students in the class that are visual learners, then the teacher should prepare presentations with a lot of pictures and videos. I feel like it would even be helpful if the teacher prepared a few different options for activities to accomadate different learning styles based on what they have observed from their students. I know from personal experience that being taught in a way that is not reflective of your learning style is not beneficial and makes learning very difficult. I have a professor that only shows slides with words for 2 1/2 hours and only reads what is on the sides, and it is honestly torture. I am a visual and hands on learner, so I feel I do not learn until I go home and study myself because all I can think about is how bored I am.
This is a link to a website that shows some strategies for different learning styles:
http://ectutoring.com/resources/articles/learning-style-important
I think this research is also important to understand how to teach the class. If more students are hands on learners, then the teacher should try to incorporate a lot of hands on activities. If there are more students in the class that are visual learners, then the teacher should prepare presentations with a lot of pictures and videos. I feel like it would even be helpful if the teacher prepared a few different options for activities to accomadate different learning styles based on what they have observed from their students. I know from personal experience that being taught in a way that is not reflective of your learning style is not beneficial and makes learning very difficult. I have a professor that only shows slides with words for 2 1/2 hours and only reads what is on the sides, and it is honestly torture. I am a visual and hands on learner, so I feel I do not learn until I go home and study myself because all I can think about is how bored I am.
This is a link to a website that shows some strategies for different learning styles:
http://ectutoring.com/resources/articles/learning-style-important
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
You Gotta BE the Book Chapter 5
In this chapter my favorite section was the section about visualization activites. I think the Symbolic Story Representation is a great idea. This is an activity where students make cardboard cutouts of characters from the book, and act out the scenes. For students struggling to get into the story and envision the story, this activity could help. Being able to see the scene acted out may help clarify the text. This activity is also beneficial to the students who are understanding and following the book. They may have a lot of fun getting to bring the content to life, while making reading more enjoyable. Like I have said, I believe if students do things that make reading fun for them, they are more likely to read on their own time.
I also liked the idea of visual protocols. This is when students stop and draw/describe a scene after they have read it and pictured it in their head. It is suggested to allow students to do this on their own, or write/draw when the teacher says to. I feel this is really beneficial because it gives the students time to process what they just read. Instead of just rushing through the chapter and possibly being confused on parts of the book, the students can have time to focus on just one part. I feel like this would also help because the students would have the option to look back on their drawings at a later time if they needed to be reminded of a certain scene.
I read an article called "7 Easy ESL Visual Aids You've Gotta Use in Your ESL Classroom". This had some really useful ideas of visual aids to use in English. One example was using pictures to teach verbs.
Example:
"He's dancing at the party" vs.
"He danced at the party"
Draw a picture of a person dancing, and then a picture of someone that just finished dancing to show the difference. Another idea was using celebrity/current trend pictures to help teach a lesson. This may help teenagers get interested and remember what you are teaching. This article also says visual aids can help learning by assisting students with remembering information, and cutting down on teaching talking time (despite how much we love it(: ).
Source:
http://www.fluentu.com/english/educator/blog/esl-visual-aids/
I also liked the idea of visual protocols. This is when students stop and draw/describe a scene after they have read it and pictured it in their head. It is suggested to allow students to do this on their own, or write/draw when the teacher says to. I feel this is really beneficial because it gives the students time to process what they just read. Instead of just rushing through the chapter and possibly being confused on parts of the book, the students can have time to focus on just one part. I feel like this would also help because the students would have the option to look back on their drawings at a later time if they needed to be reminded of a certain scene.
I read an article called "7 Easy ESL Visual Aids You've Gotta Use in Your ESL Classroom". This had some really useful ideas of visual aids to use in English. One example was using pictures to teach verbs.
Example:
"He's dancing at the party" vs.
"He danced at the party"
Draw a picture of a person dancing, and then a picture of someone that just finished dancing to show the difference. Another idea was using celebrity/current trend pictures to help teach a lesson. This may help teenagers get interested and remember what you are teaching. This article also says visual aids can help learning by assisting students with remembering information, and cutting down on teaching talking time (despite how much we love it(: ).
Source:
http://www.fluentu.com/english/educator/blog/esl-visual-aids/
Friday, April 8, 2016
Chapter 4 You Gotta BE the Book
Chapter 4 is about using drama to extend the reader. This is a technique to get bored students engaged and involved with the reading. I liked the example he used, " I felt as if these reluctant readers had been sitting on the bench during the big game completely bored". I think this is a perfect comparison. There are some students that are avid readers and will jump at the reading, however other students have to be pushed and pushed to read. I think this idea is great to engage all types of readers and students.
One of my favorite ideas for dramatization is correspondance where students responded to post cards, letters, and advertisements as the role of story characters. I think this is so cool because it is a great way to place yourself in the story. Instead of just looking up an answer from the book, the student actually has to pay attention to a lot of the details of the characters to complete the assignment. I always enjoyed assignments where we could be individual, and creative, so I personally would have enjoyed this assignment.
I found a website called eScholarship that discusses the benefits of drama and reading/ learning. It states that different dramatic activites helps students learn because they are utilizing different learning techniques. It helps students comprehend the world they live in by relating the reading to themselves. It also allows students to be individuals which is a useful tool after high school. It also helps them expand their vocabulary.
Source:
http://escholarship.org/uc/item/4d62r6p9#page-2
One of my favorite ideas for dramatization is correspondance where students responded to post cards, letters, and advertisements as the role of story characters. I think this is so cool because it is a great way to place yourself in the story. Instead of just looking up an answer from the book, the student actually has to pay attention to a lot of the details of the characters to complete the assignment. I always enjoyed assignments where we could be individual, and creative, so I personally would have enjoyed this assignment.
I found a website called eScholarship that discusses the benefits of drama and reading/ learning. It states that different dramatic activites helps students learn because they are utilizing different learning techniques. It helps students comprehend the world they live in by relating the reading to themselves. It also allows students to be individuals which is a useful tool after high school. It also helps them expand their vocabulary.
Source:
http://escholarship.org/uc/item/4d62r6p9#page-2
You Gotta BE the Book Chapter 3
This chapter had a lot of really great components in my opinion. One of my favorite sections was the one about interrogating the text. Joanne interrogated "The Sniper" by asking questions such as, "Could he really trick the other sniper", and " Why drop your rifle... doesn't it have your fingerprints all over it?" I feel like this is a great way to process your thoughts while reading. Anybody who is reading a book has to have questions, and I think writing yours down helps to get more involved with the book. I think it is a good idea because you can look back once you are done with the book and see if your questions are answered. I guess I just think this is a great way to engage with the text.
My second favorite part was the part about role playing. Joanne and Cora both reported mentally putting themselves as the characters in the book. They would do scenes where they could see themselves in, in the context of their own lives. I think this is also a great way to interact with the text. I have also placed myself as a character in books before if I can relate to what is going on. I feel like this makes my reading a little bit more fun and interesting, as well as involving me more. Ron even went as far as to actually physically roleplay. He would act out a scene by himself, or even invite his friends to get involved. I feel like this is beneficial because it sounds fun, and he is associating reading with fun so he will be more likely to read in the future. This may also create a bond with his friends, and encourage them to read if they have fun.
I found a blog called Helbling Readers that states having students roleplay their reading in class may not only help them become more involved with the book, but it may also help them with other skills. Helbling Readers states that role playing can help students expand their vocabulary, and work on public speaking skills. Instead of just sitting in a chair reading in your head, getting up in front of the class and actually speaking the words your reading will help with these skills. Actually acting out the scenes may help students remember words and phrases for longer periods of time. Also it just makes for more fun in the classroom, which is always helpful.
Sources:
http://blog.helblingreaders.com/?p=473
My second favorite part was the part about role playing. Joanne and Cora both reported mentally putting themselves as the characters in the book. They would do scenes where they could see themselves in, in the context of their own lives. I think this is also a great way to interact with the text. I have also placed myself as a character in books before if I can relate to what is going on. I feel like this makes my reading a little bit more fun and interesting, as well as involving me more. Ron even went as far as to actually physically roleplay. He would act out a scene by himself, or even invite his friends to get involved. I feel like this is beneficial because it sounds fun, and he is associating reading with fun so he will be more likely to read in the future. This may also create a bond with his friends, and encourage them to read if they have fun.
I found a blog called Helbling Readers that states having students roleplay their reading in class may not only help them become more involved with the book, but it may also help them with other skills. Helbling Readers states that role playing can help students expand their vocabulary, and work on public speaking skills. Instead of just sitting in a chair reading in your head, getting up in front of the class and actually speaking the words your reading will help with these skills. Actually acting out the scenes may help students remember words and phrases for longer periods of time. Also it just makes for more fun in the classroom, which is always helpful.
Sources:
http://blog.helblingreaders.com/?p=473
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Valid reading
I really liked the part in You Gotta Be the Book where Wilhelm talked about valid reading. Many people have the idea that there are certain books, certain themes, or certain content that is considered "valuable". For exanple a Shakespeare piece is more valuable than a Twilight book to many people. I do not agree with this. Wilhelm states, "personal meaning will differ from reader to reader and remain valid". I completely agree with this.
Although Shakespeare pieces are more difficult to read and make you think a lot harder, I feel that does not automatically make it more valuable than a fantasy book. In my opinion what makes a book valuable is what a person takes away from the book; if they were affected by the book, if the book teaches them a lesson, or if a person can relate to their book in a way that expands their mind. For some people that may be Shakespeare, or it could be Twilight. I do not feel the value of a book is determined by the level of difficulty required to read it, or what the education system deems valuable.
I have a few personal examples that help shape my opinion. In high school when we read Catcher in the Rye, I found it boring, pointless, and an all around terrible book. I took nothing from this book, and honestly remember little to nothing about the contents because I was only reading for the grade. I do not consider this book valuable to me because it did not affect me or teach me anything. I have a few friends that loved the book and feel it was very beneficial to them to read. Another example is something that happened in class last week. I enjoyed the book Lord of the Flies, and felt it taught a very valuable lesson about how society is. I feel it opened my eyes to just how dangerous and terrifying the human race can be in times of danger. Kaitlyn (I hope I spelled your name right if not I'm sorry): ), hated this book and did not see any value in it. Both opinions are completely okay. It is completely okay to dislike a book other people see as valuable, just as it is okay to find value in books others may not.
Although Shakespeare pieces are more difficult to read and make you think a lot harder, I feel that does not automatically make it more valuable than a fantasy book. In my opinion what makes a book valuable is what a person takes away from the book; if they were affected by the book, if the book teaches them a lesson, or if a person can relate to their book in a way that expands their mind. For some people that may be Shakespeare, or it could be Twilight. I do not feel the value of a book is determined by the level of difficulty required to read it, or what the education system deems valuable.
I have a few personal examples that help shape my opinion. In high school when we read Catcher in the Rye, I found it boring, pointless, and an all around terrible book. I took nothing from this book, and honestly remember little to nothing about the contents because I was only reading for the grade. I do not consider this book valuable to me because it did not affect me or teach me anything. I have a few friends that loved the book and feel it was very beneficial to them to read. Another example is something that happened in class last week. I enjoyed the book Lord of the Flies, and felt it taught a very valuable lesson about how society is. I feel it opened my eyes to just how dangerous and terrifying the human race can be in times of danger. Kaitlyn (I hope I spelled your name right if not I'm sorry): ), hated this book and did not see any value in it. Both opinions are completely okay. It is completely okay to dislike a book other people see as valuable, just as it is okay to find value in books others may not.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)