In the Name of God

With so much negative connotation in the world against Muslim people, this book, I feel was a brave one to pick. With that said, I had a few issues with this book, and don't see it as one that I would want to teach in a classroom.

I felt that having the story from Nadia's point of view was interesting, as it did shed some light on a teenage girls perspective of the faith and what she thinks about it. However, I didn't like how she criticizes and even judges those around her who aren't like her, yet when Western (American people) do the same about her, it's racist and not okay. I have a problem with double standards, and don't understand them.

I also had a very hard time with how un-American this book is. I bleed red, white, and blue, and had a hard time with her attitude towards America's. Though she lived in Syria, and I can sympathize with what she faces on a daily basis, I feel that American's are ALWAYS made out to look like the bad guys - in every sense. We are so politically correct and afraid to offend someone of a different culture, yet when it is reversed to the US, it is okay because we are "the bad guys." Again, it is that double standard.

Overall, this book was an interesting read, but one I had way too many issues with. I couldn't see myself, personally, teaching this book in the classroom. Though I believe teaching students about different cultures is a great thing, I don't like one that depicts America in such a bad light.

Maus 1 & 2

I have never really read a graphic novel, until I had read Kampung Boy in a class last year for children's lit. Much to my surprise, I enjoyed that book, and could relate a lot to that book. The graphics were soft and nicely colored, and it was a pretty quick read (not very long). I bring this book up because as a graphic novel, Maus was so different. It had harsher colors, context, colors, and the overall theme was harder to deal with.

The beginning of the story was a little slow, and took a bit to pick up because it was setting the story up. Also, I feel that just reading it in the form of a graphic novel maybe took me a little bit. But after that, I got in to the story. I am from a Jewish background, so the content it already a little hard for me to read, as it usually is. I liked the way that Spiegelman told the story from his father's point of view, but also in a narrative form. I kind of brought you back out of the story to the "real" world of what's going on. I also found the use of the specific typed of animals interesting and what they represent. How "mice" are often seen as dispensable, and pests, and cats are the top of that food chain. And Americans are dogs, which are above the German cats.

I can see using this book in a classroom to teach about the Holocaust. I feel that a book like this would keep student's interest easier and they might be able to relate more to the way the story is written. I was worried that this would have belittled the historical part of the Holocaust by making it a cartoon with animals, but it actually worked well and was able to get the point across in different ways. This book would take a lot of pre-reading to get the kids kind of updated on graphic novels, how to read them and interpret them, and also to pair it with such a heavy topic, the Holocaust would need a pretty strong introduction.

Edgar Allan Poe

I have always been a fan of Poe. From early high school to now, there is always something I learn from his poems or stories. What is nice about al of Poe's work, is that there almost seems to be different difficulty levels within all of his works. As a 9th grader, learning Tell Tale Heart wasn't that hard to understand, and had the creepy factor that really gives the true essence of "Poe." That's when I first because very interested in Poe.

I think Poe would be very relevant to teach in the classroom. With SO MANY themes, metaphors, similes, and so on, it is a literary treasure chest!! You basically have your pick as to what you want to the students to discover, or interpret. One thing about Poe is that is can and tends to be overdone, so I think by picking maybe some of his lesser taught work, or even maybe looked a the more popular ones from a different angle will keep the students (and you as the teacher) more interested. 

With Poe being so popular, there have been a lot of remakes of the stories, plays written about him/his works, and so much more. It would be entertaining to show students some of these clips or videos. For instance, The Simpsons re-did the Tell Tale Heart, and it is pretty funny and entertaining. It mixes Poe's text with "Simpson's" text, and I think that will read well for young students.

Overall, I think teaching Poe is important. There is no one in the literary world that comes even remotely close to his writings/themes/thinking. There is something so dark and mysterious about Poe as the person, which comes across in his work. I love The Fall of the House of Usher because there is much left to the imagination, and much speculation as to the characters. But mostly I love the description of the house and area. It sets the tone like crazy, and I am immediately brought into this world.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

I was nervous about reading this book, and the length it was. Though it had bigger text, I was like, "I don't have time to read this!!!" Well, little did I know, it was such a great read the it took me maybe two days. I was surprised at how well he wrote, and the little stories and anecdotes within the book. I found myself relating in ways I didn't think was relatable, and really enjoyed this book.

When I was little, my brother and I were basically the only Jewish kids in the Spokane Valley (at least, that we ever encountered). Like Alexie, we felt like we didn't belong in this school that celebrated Christmas, and didn't recognize OUR traditions. I know what it's like to be an outcast, or feel like one, anyway. And his humor basically made his writing (and maybe his life even) more bearable. I love the part where he wants to smell and kiss the book. I have had moments like that when I have loved the smell of an old book. Though his was for a different reason that ended up with a different outcome, I laughed at this part and TOTALLY relate to it.

I feel like no matter what a child's situation is, they can take some of this book and apply or relate to it somehow. This book will for sure be one I have in my shelf in the classroom. I can see teaching themes of friendship, pursuing your dreams, racism, and so much more. This should be a standard in schools, and after reading a few colleagues' posts, I came to learn that it is banned! I would be willing to fight administration for a book like this. It is done tastefully, with humor, and real experience. It is an important read.

Michael Vey and the Prisoner of Cell 25

Michael Vey and the Prisoner of Cell 25

By Richard Paul Evans

Presented by Leah Dach

 1. Michael Vey is a story about a boy named Michel, his mom, his best friend, Ostin, and a girl named Taylor. Michael Very has a special power – he can create electricity! No one knows about this except for his mom and his friend, Ostin. But when Taylor, a popular girl from school finds out about him, she lets him in on a secret – she has the same power! While talking, Michael and Taylor realize they have many similarities, and decide to dig a little deeper. That’s when a series of events happen: They both receive a letter to a mysterious “school”, Michael’s mom and Taylor are kidnapped, a bad man who acts nice named Hatch comes into the picture, and it is up to Michael and Ostin to get down to the bottom of what’s going on. 

 2. I chose this text because I am a big nerd when it comes to teen youth novels, and I heard Glenn Beck talking about this series and how it was going to be the next “Harry Potter” craze. Well, I wasn’t sure about that, but I was intrigued at how it was being compared to such an epic story. As I read this book, I was pleasantly surprised at how fun it was to read - and so easy! Because of that, I feel it could be taught to maybe 6-9th graders. It does have a little bit of a lower language level (compared to a Harry Potter, Hunger Games, etc). It does, however, have high energy, fun action, and decent character development.

3. Teaching Ideas:

a. Prediction essay as to why the students think Hatch wants the “Glows.” What do they think will happen in Book 2? What evidence from Book 1 leads them to that prediction? 

b. Students could also draw out a timeline, filling in what they know from the past, up to the end of the book. Maybe write in some questions or comments along the way of the timeline - critical thinking - of why it is happening/when/to whom…

c. An argumentative paper about the pros and cons to having special powers.

4. I don’t see any real issues for this text, other than making sure it is level appropriate for the age group. A class fun of advance readers would be bored with a book like this (Lexile level 500), and even then, maybe a few freshmen would be too. This is a fun, fast paced book that should capture the attention of those reading it. I don’t feel administration would have a problem with it, as it is a very easy, appropriate book to read. Parents might wonder why their kids are reading a fictional/fantasy book and how that will help with their education. As a teacher, I would back this up as to literature comes in all different types of writings, and this is just one aspect of writing that students should be exposed to. Fiction can be fun and entertaining, as well as educational if taught well. 

 5. I think this book is really fun, and a great read. It definitely has a target audience and like I said, it wouldn’t be an appropriate book for an advanced English class, or really any age group above sophomore year for sure. As an almost mid-30 year old, I had fun reading this. Not everything in schools have to be so serious and non-fiction. We can have fun with English and enjoy fictional stories as well as learn different reading/writing/critical thinking techniques from them. I am hoping that a book like this would get students excited to be in English classes, and give them hope that not all books have to be “educational, stuffy, boring” books.

"Readicide" Blog #10

As a person who loves to read, this book was kind of upsetting in that we aren't encouraging students to read and actually enjoy it. We are killing their interest, and now, for most students, reading is complete torture, even though it is essential to our everyday lives.

While I was reading, I found the section of "the flow" to be very true for me. There are several books that I've read where I was reading for so long, I lost all track of time, didn't eat, didn't look up for anything, until the book was finished. I love getting so engrossed in a book to where I am transported to that wold and forget about mine. I like the example of asking students how involved they get in a movie and forget the world around them, and then compare it to a time they read a book and had the same thing happen. I like the idea of not disrupting the flow of reading, because we would' stop every 5 minutes in a move to discuss themes, foreshadowing, etc, like the author points out. There has to be a way to get kids engaged in a book to where they WANT to read, and they understand the very words they are reading. I wonder if some of this has to do with the content of the book. Of course, the more interesting a book is, the more kids will likely be interested, but a teacher has to find a way to engage students in all books, whether by making it relevant to them or relatable. This is one goal I have for my future classroom.

I liked reading about the "sweet spot." This was eye opening in the statistics given. I did not realize that "stands only a 1/14 chance of having a rich elementary experience." This number seems so low to me. I think about my daughter's 2nd grade classroom and to think that only 2 out of the whole 25 kids will have an actual enriching experience is crazy to me. It makes sense when they point out that teachers are spending more time on drill and kill activities, instead of actually teaching and doing a quality job. This is something that I know will take me a while as I get the rhythm and flow of teaching, but it is my main goal - to keep kids engaged and give them a quality education.

"I Read It, But I Don't Get It" Blog #9

I actually thought this book had really good information. As an avid reader, who has ALWAYS read a lot for fun, I sometimes forget that there are some people who either don't like to read for whatever reason, or like to read, but are a little behind in reading and have to go very slow. My daughter is a constant reminder that kids learn to read differently, and there are many different tactics to take with kiddos to help them along.

I thought the section on word callers and resistive readers was good. I think that a lot of ids (and adults too) rely as a resistive reader. They are relying on others to either give them the answer, or will just hang back until they pick up on the information needed. And the word callers just aren't retaining anything they read. I'm not sure which is a more difficult kiddo to teach - one that can read but doesn't retain, and one that doesn't read, but picks up on lectures and class discussions. I feel that maybe the elementary level teachers should have picked up on these types of learning behaviors and the kiddos should have had extra assistance with this. Either way, the students aren't getting enough out of class time and the materials by not being able to fully do the work.

While reading the Inference page, I kind of laughed because I totally did this in school. Not for a lack of reading/understanding, but simply because I was distracted with talking and didn't hear the question clearly or was so put on the spot that I totally spaced the answer. I think this is a coping mechanism where kids think everything that a teacher teachers is word for word out of the book. I thin that sometimes, some students can't really do abstract thinking. Sometimes it doesn't have a lot to do with lack of reading efforts, but are very "by the book" and don't really think outside the box. Hopefully most teachers understand this about certain students and know when to call on them and when not.

Overall, I liked this book. It had lots of good tips and a good way of explaining situations and kind of how to work around it, or how to explain it better. This is one that I will probably keep for my future classroom as a reference.

Social Justice: Why It's Important To Teach Blog #8

So I have mixed feelings about this topic. On one hand, I feel that the "America" today is VERY different from the "America" I lived in as a teen. There is so much surrounding being politically correct, and we (as a society) have to tiptoe around SO MANY issues, phrases, feelings, etc. "back in the day," that wasn't as much of an issue. These days you can't be sure what exactly will offend someone or hurt their feelings. And I actually didn't even really experience it that much until Eastern.

I have been told to "check my privilege," (a phrase that I have really come to dislike - as my "privilege" is Jewish/Russian and Korean), that I'm racist, I need to keep my opinions to myself, and I have no validity behind what I'm saying. The sad part is that these all came from a teacher here on campus. I had to fight for my worth in that class, and I feel that she didn't do that class justice. Just because I felt differently than her, and didn't agree with her on some points, I was automatically these things. I have never been so upset and frankly, embarrassed.

As a teen, I was once told that I was going to hell for being Jewish. I also dated a very nice boy (who I'm actually still friends with) and h broke up with him because I was Jewish. These things never really bothered me growing up, and I learned to take it in stride and be even MORE proud of who I am and where I come from.

The point of all these stories is that I do wish I had a class in high school that set me up for what social injustices of the world. I DO believe it is important to open up the eyes of students in what the world is made up of, and all the different components that go with it (men, women, straight, gay, etc..) without putting my own biases and opinions behind it. However, I DON'T believe that we need to tach tolerance to all situations. There will be times that someone will offend us, and we need to be able to stand up for what we feel is right in a dignified and respectful way. If we can teach our students to be patient and kind to one another, and leave all the name calling and labels aside, we can have a more harmonious life, and really begin to understand what social justice means.

http://www.tolerance.org/blog/why-teaching-about-social-justice-matters

Critical Pedagogy in an Urban High School Blog #7

As a total nerd when it comes to books, I love the idea of introducing new aged books and mixing them in with the classics. My absolute favorite book growing up was To Kill A Mockingbird, and it is still my number one book choice. However, I really enjoy all the new pop culture books, such as The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, and Maze Runner. I think it is important to acknowledge these books because they are what the kids are reading. It is completely relatable to them, which peaks their interested fast/easier.

Like the article said, I believe that the classics are important because a lot of them teach more than just pop culture, but goes back to history and social justice (like what we are talking about in class). I think these topics are important to never forget, and good to introduce to our students.

However, on the other side of my teaching spectrum is Theatre, and in that cause I don't enjoy the new stories, and primarily focus on the older shows (42nd Street, anything Shakespeare, Hello Dolly, etc). I think the newer stories all have a weird agenda behind them, and try to push or force their new age issues on the theater world. I enjoy the classics that are more wholesome and fun for all.

Philosophy of Education Blog #6

I haven't read many education books aside from this class, but I think this chapter was eye opening. The thought of "banking" is one I never bothered to break down or even take notice, but now that it has been pointed out to me, I am in awe that this is the relationship some teachers take with their students. I know when I was in high school, I had many teachers that just taught facts and we were expected to regurgitate it when needed (test). But I never really retained much information, nor did I really care as to what I as learning. I wasn't invested as a student, and after reading this chapter, the analogy of the teacher making "deposits" and students "accepting" it all comes together.

I don't believe this is a way that I'll teach. I want to be more invested in my students' opinions, and open discussions to get this across. In the area of literature, sometimes there isn't a clear cut right or wrong answer. The idea of teachers talking and students listening doesn't mean there is quality teaching/learning happening. I hope to bridge the gap more of fully knowing what my students are retaining by doing different typed of assessments that show their knowledge in the are, and not their skill for memorizing.

I'm happy to see that others are realizing that some teaching ways need to change, the same way our students are changing. There are so many more distractions no a days for students (even from when I was a high schooler in the late 90s), and we need to figure out ways to keep them interested and involved. "Banking" doesn't work (at least not so much in my area of English and Theatre), but it might still be slightly relevant in areas such as science and history. But it would be up to those teachers to really keep the students engaged and maybe have different ways of assessing other than recalling facts and memorizing.

Assessing and Evaluating Student's Learning AND Secondary Standards Blog #5

While reading the assessing student's learning, I found myself agreeing with a lot of the different ways that assessments words with literature. These are the systems that I know I enjoy best as a students, and will hopefully be able to administer to my students.

I whole heartedly agree with the statement that what it means to learn literature sometimes can't be assessed based on yes or no question, or as the essay calls it, "correct answer" quizzes and tests. So much of literature is based on how it made you feel, how you connected with the passage/story/poem, and how it may relate to your life. Those feelings can't be summed up in a yes or no...it has to be summed up by an essay or summary from the readers point of view. Everyone will have different connections to different types of literature, and all their answers may be correct AND different. It doesn't necessarily means one is more right than the other - just different.

I also liked the thought of portfolio work. I know as a student, I prefer to write everything down on a physical piece of paper (the old school in me, I guess), but  enjoy it because it is easy to go back and review what I've leaned throughout the class. I know when I took Children's Lit from Valeo, she ad us write down any take away thoughts or feelings after every class, so that we could go back and reflect on that day. I think this is important because it sort of documents your learning. Something you may not have known at the beginning of class might make more sense by the end. I think portfolio work (whether formal or informal) is a great idea, and definitely something that I will try to use in my classroom.

As far as the article about grading, I found this very interesting. Normally, as a high school student, you don't really think about how you get graded - just that you hope for a decent grade. I was never really presented with rubrics, or reasons why I was graded a certain way. I feel that this would be something very useful and encouraging to my students - showing them exactly what I'm looking for and how I'll be grading. This way no one is set up for disappointment if they done get the grade they were hoping for. They can actually see where I was coming from, and hopefully learn form it to do better next time.

Another thing I found interesting is the whole "grading with a zero" concept. It is crazy to me that a zero can make such a huge difference. I obviously know that a zero can bring an average grade down, but never thought about it as discouraging the student to see that bring their average down. The example with the weather mead it really obvious how a zero can effect the average. I think that if a student truly has a zero, then maybe it is time to show that student the lack of work they submitted with drastically reduce their grade, and maybe give them a chance to either change that, or not. It is ultimately up to them, but by giving hem the sneak peak of the potential damage it an cause is maybe a good idea too.

Alignment to California's Common Core State standards for ELL and Literacy Blog #4

While reading this, I was interested to find that my lack of knowledge in this area is severe, but that the way this way laid out gave me a better understanding for what to expect as far as common core standards and what I can expect.

 With not being in a classroom yet, it's hard to try and see how these will and can be used. But the template was really helpful. Right off the bat, it wants you to use a reading assignment that the students can make a person connection to. I think this is important for many reasons - number 1 is that it will hold their interest better. If they can write about something from an experience, or something they can relate to, then it will make the assignment more enjoyable, and will probably proceed a better quality paper/result in the end.

I also really liked the post reading section. I think it is important to read the guided text, but also to think about what it was you read. It's important to analyze and respond to what was read, to fully understand what was read. I like the part about annotating in the margins about what they read. I seem to do this with books I read that aren't educational, simply because I like certain points, or wanted to remember this part on the book. I can see myself having students do something similar in my classroom, as it works for me. I think it will help them to organize their thoughts better, too. And they will have an easier time going back and referencing their points if they make them along the way.

Team Teaching: Benefits and Challenges AND Some Approaches to Team Teaching Blog #3

I really liked reading the approaches to team teaching, but I feel that maybe some teachers have this help without another teacher. At least, this is my experience with my daughter's classroom.  I volunteer twice a month in my daughter's room as part of the SPACE program, and a lot of what I do it small groups, or individual work that the teacher doesn't have time for. There are so many benefits to small group lessons, and having two teachers co-teach. Kids have less stress when trying to do individual work...especially those who need a little extra help.
For the benefits and challenges, I thought it pointed out a lot of good points. I feel it is really important to be respectful of both teachers and their styles. One might not be "right" or "better" than the other, but has equal value in the quality of what is being taught. I liked the part that says that there is always something to say, even if you aren't in charge. I liked the thought of the non-leading teacher sitting in the middle with everyone else to model and show good behaviors and examples.
Overall, I believe that co-teaching, or team teaching is really important not only for the teachers (to bounce ideas off each other and support one another), but also for the kids who are observing the two teachers. They are learning to different, but equally valuable education, which is pretty cool.

English Language Arts Common Core Standards AND The Common Core Standards for English Language Arts Blog #2

*While reading the 6-12 common core standards online,  it was interesting to see the breakdown of what is expected/taught for those grade levels and why. I was interested to read that in the 9-10 grades, common core is already trying to teach about college ready courses and what to expect. I didn't take a writing for college class until my senior year, and that was an elective credit. While reading the standards, I feel that this is a good thing in prepping kids for the future. I know that a lot of what it laid were things I didn't really learn until college. Like when it talks about at the end of 9th grade the students should have a sense of scaffolding if needed. I feel that these are skills that help in everyday life, like building a professional resume, or even being able to hold an educated discussion with someone. I am excited that these are the types of things that I will be able to teach in the future. In the 11-12 standards, I was excited to see Shakespeare and an American dramatist as some requirements. There are so many things we have learned from Shakespeare, and as a theater geek, a lot of his books and sonnets are essential to our growth as an actor. I feel the same way as far as the literacy end of it. We, in today's days, use a lot of phrases and words from Shakespeare's times. Here is a fun list of those things!

*I enjoyed reading the handout, The Common Core Standards for English Language Arts.There were many things in there I liked, but a few really stuck out to me. Basically, I enjoyed the stories and experiences of other teachers and what they learned from this. For instance, the P21 framework encourages a focus of different themes; global awareness, financial literacy, etc. It was a really good idea to take a teen novel and then make a youtube channel PSA for these issues. I feel like this is something that could really capture the attention and interest in high school kids, since they are all so tech savvy (I'm slightly jealous). This incorporates the teacher's goal or thinking (all while following the common core state standards) about the social issues and blends it with the teens interests (youtube, internet, group work). This is something that I would even want to do in a future class of my own! I also enjoyed reading the story of the teacher who thought her first year would be fun and exciting as she was able to take the common core curriculum and make it her own, but come to find out she was barely trying to survive her first year as a teacher. I think this is so important because it shows that we all have good intentions in how we want to teach and what we want to teach, but that we need to stick to the state standards, and have that even as a fall back while we try to figure out our own teaching style. I am not, nor have I ever been a huge fan of common core (mostly because I feel my daughter's 2nd grade math is more difficult and confusing for her), but while reading the standards for english language arts, I'm glad to have a plan already.

"Discussion in a Democratic Society" Blog #1

I found this chapter interesting, in that it had many different example about how to discuss, and sort of the rules associated with it. Basically, everyone needs to respect a speaker when they are contributing to a discussion, but there can and probably will be differences of opinions. I really liked the line "He believes that discussion is more serious than conversation in that it requires the participants to be both “mutually responsive” to the different views expressed and disposed to be “affected by opinions one way or another in so far as (on some criteria) they merit acceptance or approval” I feel that this is important because it is saying that in order to have a decent discussion, all participants have to be willing to fully engage in discussion. It also explains about the hierarchy of a discussion and how someone can seem more privileged in their discussions. I tend to find this is true when someone disagrees with another person. There is this sort of pull, or need to convert them to their side of thinking. According to this chapter, this is not a good thing, and is actually detrimental to a good discussion.