Classics vs Contemporary Adolescent Literature

As an English teacher, I'm fortunate in that I have more options concerning what types of written material I can incorporate into my classroom. While I may have a textbook for terms and concepts needed to understand certain aspects of literature, it's much easier for me to incorporate works of fiction into a lesson than it would be for a math or science teacher. Isn't that one reason why students enjoy English class? They have an opportunity to be exposed to lively works of literature, a much needed escape from the typical drudgery of reading a textbook. With that said, there are still issues concerning the type of literature is that a used in an English class. For the most part, the "classic" works of fiction that students in the 1960s were exposed to are the same works that students 50 years later are assigned to read. This a problem. Chapter 4 of Subject Matters discusses this issue using the example of a recommended books list for middle and high school students: "Of the 60 authors on the list . . . 56 are dead, 40 are (or rather, were) males and 52 are of European descent" (56). How, then, can the culturally diverse students of the 21st century relate to these authors. I think we can all agree that Charles Dickens didn't have the modern day student in mind while writing Great Expectations. Maybe it's time to adapt the content to the student.

While Dickens' novel is a classic piece of literature, why, exactly, is Great Expectations still being used today? The fact that it is a "classic" novel isn't good enough. If it is being used to present an example of a theme, in this case social classes and the conflicts that arise because of them, the case can be made that other, more modern novels, can be used for the same purpose. You will find that today's Adolescent Literature contains the same themes found in many "classics," yet they're written for the soul purpose of being more accessible to the teenage reader. For instance, if my goal is to teach a unit about the role of class in literature, I could use Mary Hooper's novel Newes From The Dead, a story about a young housemaid who is the victim of injustice due to her lower-class standing. Am I suggesting that we do away with novels like Great Expectations? No. But we should be more conscious of the type of material we present to our students.


For anyone who is interested, http://www.adlit.org/ has some great resources that can be used in the classroom.

First Observation 9/19

While taking part in our first day of observations, I made sure to take notice of items on the walls in each classroom, as I feel these things set the tone for what the type of learning will take place within that room. A bare classroom usually means a bare, dull lesson. Fortunately, I didn't see any of this during my time at the school. I was happy to see many visible prompts that were there to assist the students. In an English class, I noticed question stems on the walls. This was great. If a student needed some guidance, he or she could look up and get the assistance needed. Not only is this a great way to improve the students' reading comprehension, it allows them the opportunity to take part in self-guided learning, which I feel is important. They develop the ability to work through problems without the assistance of the teacher. I feel this can have just as many phycological benefits as it does educational. Another thing I found in this classroom was a board of vocabulary words that were meant to work as prompts to induce higher-level thinking. While I was familiar with the questions stems, this was something new to me. Both of these prompts work to do what I feel the H.S is really pushing towards: trying to build higher-level thinkers. Another thing I found useful in many of the classrooms I entered was having the objectives for that days lesson listed clearly on the board in front of the class. Students can't learn if they're not sure of what they're supposed to learning, and while it's the teachers job to make this clear throughout the lesson, having these objectives listed in class allows the students to reference them at anytime. Overall, this day was a success. I was able to see these techniques used in a real world environment, which, as a prospective teacher, is extremely valuable.

My Literacy Profile

In the everyday world, where work takes precedence over most things, we can learn a lot about an individual by examining what he or she is interested in. What does that person do with his or her free time, and how do they continue to build upon their funds of knowledge concerning that topic. Is it a love for sports? Or maybe it's an interest in nature. Whatever it may be, it can often turn out to be useful for educators to know how and why people mine through information to become more knowledgable in a particular topic that they love. By knowing this, teachers may be able to incorporate these techniques into the structure of the curriculum, thus creating assignments that bring out the passion and energy their students possess.

While I have many interests that I am truly passionate about, one that has had the greatest impact on my life is my interest in nutrition - an interest that developed many years ago. As is the case with most adolescents, I developed acne in my teenage years. While during this time acne was something that I was able to tolerate, under the assumption that it was simply a byproduct of puberty, I eventually came to the conclusion that this was not the case, as it persisted into my 20s. It was at this point that I felt I had to do something. So, like most individuals with acne, I made an appointment with the nearest dermatologist, hoping I would be prescribed a "magic" cream that would make this nightmare go away. Over the course of a year or so, I was continuously prescribed creams with names I had difficulty pronouncing, all of them coming with the promise of being able to rid my face of my acne and uncover a pimple-free complexion. While I became disheartened over time I continued to see the dermatologist. But hope can only last so long, and after countless unsuccessful attempts I came to the conclusion that I was wasting my time. So, as someone who has always been a very determined and self-sufficient person, I decided to find my own solution. This involved me spending time researching and seeking advice from online communities comprised of individuals who were also dealing with acne. It was after this that I realized that changing my diet would be the only way to rid myself of those miserable pimples. This would ultimately turn into an interest that would change almost every aspect of my life for the better.

As I began developing my interest in nutrition, I was mostly concerned with things you assume would have an affect on one's acne: fats (saturated and trans), sugar and simple carbohydrates. I felt that if I was able to remove these things from my diet, I would not only have clearer skin but I would become healthier in the process. This was largely the case. I felt more energized and my skin was glowing. But I wanted to know more about what I could do to become healthier. I began researching the affects that additives and preservatives have on the body. Unfortunately, too many people think that if they count their calories and watch their fat intake they are considered "healthy." This isn't the case. Your turkey sandwich may be a low calorie choice for lunch, but the deli meat that sandwich contains is filled with nitrates and nitrites that have been proven to be just as harmful to your body as any amount of fat. I don't know about you, but sodium benzoate doesn't sound very appetizing, neither does "RED40" or any of the other artificial and chemically derived ingredients Americans consume on a daily basis. Because of this research, I do my best to eat natural ingredients.

What began as the occasional search for foods and diet plans that would rid myself of acne, over time became something I was more conscious about. I now wanted to know where I was getting my information. I would often ask myself, 'Are these sources credible?' I was not simply accepting everything as fact - something I often did initially. I now wanted to know who was writing the article I was reading and how knowledgeable this person was about the topic. While I initially browsed blog posts made by individuals who were in my predicament, I felt I needed more reliable information. Although I wasn't aware of it at the time, I was beginning to develop more substantial critical reading and thinking skills.

For a second, Imagine our students building important skills without ever noticing that they are doing "work." I was able to become a better critical thinker simply by researching a topic that I was passionate about, and not once did I ever stop and consciously think about what I was doing. Our students need to have this experience while in the classroom. Of course, we can't structure every lesson around each individual student's unique interest, but if we are able to find an important topic that the students feel strongly about, we will then be able to elicit the same passionate reactions from them that their hobbies are able to elicit.

It's Time To Do Away With The "Urban" and "Inner City" Labels

My time spent at District C High School this week has me thinking about many things, but one thing in particular has been on my mind quite a lot. This is the tendency to label schools as being "inner city" or "urban." I, for one, will try to refrain from using these terms, as I feel they do nothing but stunt the students' educational growth. What is accomplished by referring to these schools using these terms. While "urban" may mean a densely populated, industrial area, it has many negative connotations. The same can be said for "inner city." We all know the what these negative connotations are. Are "urban" or "inner city" being used because they sound better than "ghetto"? Let's stop with the euphemisms. Do we use these terms as a way to excuse high dropout rates? Does it make the problem easier to deal with if we say that a school is failing because it's an "urban" or "inner city" school? The students aren't stupid. They know what these labels mean, and it makes it harder to fight through the adversity they have to deal with on a daily basis if they know they are being labeled. These terms perpetuate stereotypes, thus keeping things the way they are. It's time for a change. And I saw this change happening during my first visit to District C High. There is an excitement there that is contagious and has me believing that they are trying to change the culture in District C. Needless to say, this experience has me looking forward to my visits to the school this semester.

The Benefits of "Wide Awake" Teaching

The portion of chapter 2 that stood out to me was the section that detailed a teacher's experience attempting to implement a unit on irony. In this scenario we were able to witness what "wide awake" teaching is: an educator who is constantly assessing his or her own teaching and making the appropriate adjustments when needed. As we see, the initial method used was unsuccessful: a lesson presented in a more traditional teacher-oriented manner, with definitions, worksheets and the use of examples making up a large part of the lesson. Aside from testing the students' ability to memorize material this was a failure. This led to the teacher deciding that it was time for something different. The use of comics, poems and other short works was something I felt was a great idea. Using these works created an accessible platform and comfortable environment for students to build an understanding and working knowledge of the strategies needed to identify irony. Following this, the students were able to apply these same strategies to a text they originally had difficulty with, "Ozymandias." This unit was a success largely in part to a "wide awake" teacher who saw a lesson failing and realized that there needed to be a change. While it may seem like a clear and obvious technique for ALL teachers, sadly that is not the case. I believe there are many teachers who feel the students must conform to their "tried and true" techniques, techniques that may be outdated for the current generation of students. It's time to teach and adapt. Let's be innovative!

Why Vygotsky Was Right

When we imagine the role of the teacher in the classroom, we picture an individual standing in front of a class, relaying information to his or her students. Unfortunately, this model is outdated and flawed, and one that has a negative affect on students nationwide. Under this model, students are not being equipped with the appropriate strategies needed to develop higher-order thinking skills. To combat this archaic model, many recommend an alternative that gives the student control over what he or she will learn. Ironically, not much learning takes place. As you would expect, when given the opportunity to choose, students tend to gravitate towards things they can already master. While this does nothing to improve their ability to learn, it does contain one key component to a healthy educational environment: peer-to-peer interaction - something vital to Lev Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory

So, what can be done? Lev Vygotsky's Sociocultural model of learning appears to be the most fitting option for both teachers and students. Educators must challenge their students while being their for both support and guidance when needed. Only when students are challenged will learning take place. Educators must also form meaningful connections between the content and the lives of the students. When this is done, learning will not only happen, but it will be an enjoyable experience for everyone involved. Not only will a scaffolding-like interaction between teacher and student prove beneficial, where we are teaching to students' ZPDs, but the interaction between students will build on the knowledge they are developing. These are all things Vygotsky stressed in his model of learning - a socially structured model where understanding comes from everyone in the classroom. And these are all reasons why I feel the beliefs he held should be used n the classroom.
                                 

A Short Introduction

My name is Justin Brunelle, and I am in my second year at Rhode Island College, majoring in Secondary Education.

As a prospective teacher, I am often asked why I chose to pursue a career in education. While this question can have many answers, there is only one that truly matters: the students. Just the thought of being able to have the opportunity to be a positive influence on the lives of my future students drives me to be the best teacher I can possibly be. As educators, we have the responsibility to help future generations of students succeed, creating a more educated society. Teaching may be a career, but to me it is so much more.