Top Ten List

I almost feel like this could easily be a top 20 list. This has been a course that I will be thinking about long after it concludes and will continue to process information from. So, here goes nothing!

10. Online courses are not so bad.

I have taken an online course before and it was MUCH different. I enjoyed it but there

was just not the amount of interaction that this course offered. It was fun and scary navigating technology and having online conversations with several people. My husband and my daughters

were also very impressed.

9. Blogging is fun!

I have always enjoyed following the blogs of my friends that live far away but I have never thought about starting one. Simply put, I have commitment issues when it comes to writing. I may write something that I think is great one day but shudder in horror as I read it the next. I think that I might try it, though. This was a fun experience.

8. Keep it interesting!

I think that more of our students will perform better in school if they are learning about something INTERESTING. Content area teachers think that their subject is the greatest (guilty) but not all students agree. I think that as long as we keep this in perspective and attempt to find engrossing texts,

we might just be able to help our students remember the time when they loved to read. Also, why expect students to enjoy a text that we might not even enjoy teaching?

7. Students like a challenge...

Reading Don't Fix No Chevys taught me something amazing. Students love a challenge. On the opposite end of that, they do not like to feel that a text is impossible to get through. So, help students find texts that are "just right" for them. Don't let them be lazy because then they will be bored.

6. Make it social (reading, that is).

It is no secret that the social element of school is often the most important one to students. So, if you can even get one student to rave about a book, you will probably have a domino effect. Voila! Books are not only cool, but are also the topic of conversation at lunch. Every teacher's dream. At that point, the doors are open to so many different engaging activities. Thank you, Academic Literacies Model.

5. Incorporate Technology

My students are so much more technologically advanced than I am, and I am no slouch. Truth is, they love it. It is easy for them and fun. So, why not make learning fun for them by using technology? I have every intention of attempting both the Class Story and Reading Blogs with my classes this year. I think that it is such a fun way to learn about other books and share information. Now, I just have to figure out how to set one up...eek!

4. Clear Goals and Expectations

The majority of our students like video games. Why? Because the instructions are very clear. There are no questions about what is expected from the player. I think that sometimes our students are overwhelmed trying to please us. So, make expectations clear and see if it will help the students that are floundering.

3. Make it Relevant!

Students always ask, "Why?" and we need to make sure that they know the answer. If they have lessons created for them that makes sense to them, it makes all of the difference in the world. After the completion of a novel, instead of asking my students to answer questions, I try to assign hands-on activities for students sometimes instead of just writing. My students love to make soundtracks for novels as a project. Then, they get to incorporate music (which they LOVE) and relate it to the text. That makes the text that much more relevant to them, especially when they have to justify their song choice and tell which scene it belongs to.

2. Aesthetic and Efferent Reading

I have always known that there are many different ways to read. Looking at the differences between aesthetic and efferent reading, however, has really been enlightening. I always strive to help my students to become more aesthetic readers, but now I have some tools to help me with that.

1. Who knew that there was so much to Discourse?

I have really enjoyed this Masters program because it makes me look at teaching in a more philosophical way. Dig deeper. Understand more. To think about students and the fact that they have a primary and a secondary discourse is mind-blowing. It is one of those ideas that you always acknowledge in the back of your mind but you never really THINK about what it means. It helps to put things in perspective in a different way than you are accustomed to (and that is good) and it makes you more cognizant of your actions as an educator. Wow.

My thoughts...

I don't really know what I was expecting when I read this book...perhaps a text that was full of secrets that would make me a genius when it came to students that quit. I don't think that book exists, though. Don't get me wrong--I enjoyed the book and I got a lot out of it but ultimately it is just more puzzle pieces that will hopefully be the right fit.

I enjoyed that they included the boys that their studies were based on, but I wished that they would have talked even more explicitly about what things helped each student on a case by case basis. That way, it could be used as a reference. I also wished that the book had been organized a little differently.

Overall, though, I do think that there are a lot of great ideas for all students. I realize that the authors' primary concern was with boys but I think that the conclusions that they reached and the ideas that they shared are worthwhile to all students.

I have also been taking a class about YA literature and together with this book I am seeing the importance of "hooking" students with reading. I have always tried but I am going to attempt some kind of out of class reading this year. I have a list of books that I want to make into a poster of titles that I hope my students will utilize. I want to create a "book club" so to speak with each of my classes this coming year. It happened quite by accident last year in my photography class. I required that my Photo II students read a book that dealt with some aspect of social justice before they completed their Photo Essays. They all passed around books for weeks and their Photo Essays were A-MAZ-ING. I tried to post one to the blog, but it just will not load. The majority of the Photo Essays were based on the book/s that they chose to read. Hey--I was even doing what a few of the things that the book taught me to do with this project. Yay!

What now?

The authors now pose the following questions to the readers:

• Would you rather your students read the newspaper every day OR a novel once a month?
• Would you rather your students read lots of a series like Animorphs OR a very occasional Newbery winner?
• Would you rather your students always did their homework but rarely read for enjoyment OR that they often read for enjoyment but often did not do their homework?

I wished that we could have it all, but I do have the hopes that if our students learn that reading is all right, we might just be able to. I have to have a little hope. So, to sum up the points that the authors want us to keep in mind for all of our students:

• Care. I don't think that anyone would be in this class or any other if they didn't care about their students, but talk to them. Get to know them. Help them find texts that they might like.
• Inquiry based learning. I read a book by Daniels and Harvey about inquiry circles. Kids love to learn when they think it is their idea. How many times has a small child asked the question "why" over and over but when you start a long explanation, they lose interest? Same kind of thing.
• Text selection is vital. Remember that blog about the level of text being "just right"? Well, keep in mind that no one likes to feel incompetent so have a variety of text levels available.
• Make it social and fun. Now, I am not suggesting a party every day, but keep learning as fun as you remember it when you were really small. I know that blogging has been a lot more fun than writing papers!

Of Mice and Men

It is funny. I have taught many different novels over the years, but the one that the majority of my male students' favorite is Of Mice and Men. Smith and Wilhelm related a story about Bam, who was given this novel to read by his older brother. He was normally a reluctant reader, but thoroughly enjoyed the book and read it every year. The authors suggest that this book was such a hit with a reluctant reader for two reasons:

1. Someone that is important to him suggested the book to him.
2. He was engaged with the characters.

Hmmmm...very interesting. Especially since we tend to think that girls need to be more engaged with the characters (at least that was the thought that I had). "Even highly reluctant readers like Huey said they would read books given to them or recommended by significant others so they could talk together; for Huey friends were the most 'crucial' part of his life." (Smith, 143) So, if we can get at least one boy in the class to read and enjoy a book, it might just catch on like wildfire.

The texts, however, need to be interesting. In my high school classroom, I am constantly building up books. I sometimes use up so much energy talking about how brilliant a book is, I am worn out. But I truly do believe that this is something that our students need. That sometimes is not even enough. The book suggests that boys prefer almost anything associated with music. So, perhaps study lyrics as a lead in to other poetry.

Powerful Ideas is another thing that boys tend to be drawn to in their reading. Anything that is edgy, like many young adult books right now, seem to be of much more interest to boys.

Graphic novels are big as well. It is a well known fact that boys are more visual oriented and I think that the explosion of graphic novels has helped many boys that did not read very much to become avid readers.

The book also says that boys like texts that have a storyline. I thought that this was interesting because boys are usually the information seekers. Perhaps they are just information seekers when it comes to finding one particular piece of information. Besides, who doesn't like a good story? I know that Of Mice and Men has always been a favorite of mine...

Competence, Competence, Competence

So, Smith and Wilhelm have stressed that boys simply like to do things that they excel at. How can we make them understand that in order to get better at something, they must participate, right? Well, school seems to make the boys that were included in the study feel incompetent. "'it's better to say the reading assignment is stupid than to admit or look like you are stupid.'" (Smith, 98)

There is hope, however. Many of the boys did say that good teachers can help them to avoid that feeling of incompetence. How, do you ask?

1. A teacher should try to get to know me personally.
2. A teacher should care about me as an individual.
3. A teacher should attend to my interests in some way.
4. A teacher should help me learn and work to make sure that I have learned.
5. A teacher should be passionate, committed, work hard, and know his or her stuff.

"When teachers failed to hold up their end of the bargain, the students echoed Herb Kohl's famous book title: 'I won't learn from you.'" (Smith, 99) I know that everyone in the classroom has had a student shut down on them at one point or another. I would like to think that it is not because I failed to be any of these things on the list above, but who really knows? I do know that even if you cannot incorporate a students interest in cars, sports, etc., you still need to show an interest in their interests. Maybe just ask them how their car is running. Now, if you have a student that won't even open up enough to give you any information, I don't really know what to tell you. I have had a few of those, as well.

Even if you can't get to know them personally, do know that boys generally prefer activities that go along with reading assignments (as opposed to discussion or writing prompts). As many of you may know, by the time they get to high school, they are masters of "getting by" and really do not engage in actual learning until there is something "fun" about it. "The boys were happy to read for school projects such as making video or hypermedia documentaries, completing a bridge-building project..." (Smith, 105) They also respond well to having the opportunity to put their own identities into their projects. Like one of my previous blogs, "make it their own."

Just mix it up in the classroom. It is not only the boys in the room that will probably appreciate it. "Exclusive teacher control, they argue, works against student learning. A measure of student control works for student learning." (Smith, 113)

In their own words...

At this point, the book is beginning to tell their findings by using the interviews of some of the young men. I always think that it is much more powerful to hear what students have to say, rather than researchers, but I think that Smith and Wilhelm maybe went just a little overboard in including many interviews that say the same things over and over again. Now, I know that they were proving a point, but it was just a little redundant.

Since this chapter was all about the opinions of the boys interviewed, it was nice to hear that all expressed a genuine belief that school is important and necessary for their futures. The authors also noted that this statement was true regardless of school, region, social status, race, etc. Eric states, “Education is power, I guess…” (Smith, 63)

The authors created profiles of eight young men in their study and asked many other young men to read the profiles and give their thoughts. The authors divulged that that they crafted Andre’s profile, emphasizing the “feminine” aspects of his interests. For example, Andre is planning on pursuing a career as a librarian of a teacher, “occupations that have traditionally been dominated by women.” (Smith, 71) They also wanted him to “appear sensitive and emotional.” (Smith, 71) The authors believed that by doing this, they would get less favorable reactions to his profile. Quite the contrary, however, most of the boys believed it to be admirable that he enjoyed reading and appreciated that he “follows his own path” (Smith, 71) and is not discouraged by stereotypes. They can see that he is happy with the profession that he has chosen to go into and they appreciate that he wants to “Share his knowledge and passion for reading and stuff with other kids.” (Smith, 72)

Chris, on the other hand, was putting school on the back burner in order to help his family. Interestingly enough, many of the boys thought that his decision was admirable but did not agree with it. They believed that to help his family im the long run, he needed to get an education. “In short, the boys in the urban school recognize that class issues have a major impact on school achievement. But their belief in school is so great, they feel strongly that these issues have to be confronted and overcome.” (Smith, 83)

The chapter concludes by offering that boys do not reject literacy because it may be categorized as more “feminine” but because they might not see any relevance of literature in their lives.

Clear Goals and Feedback

I attended a lecture not too long ago where the speaker talked about video games and their allure. Besides the obvious reasons for kids being drawn to them, he talked about how they are intriguing because they all supply “clear goals and feedback,” much like sports and other things that are popular with boys. This chapter reminded me a lot of that lecture. Almost all of the boys interviewed, talked about a need for instant gratification in the activities that they enjoy.

Smith and Wilhelm also suggest that magazines and newspapers are more sought after texts by boys than novels. These kinds of texts give choices when it comes to reading, which is less intimidating and more interesting to students. With a selection of articles, students can choose which articles they are interested in to read and skip the ones that do not interest them, unlike novels which build a story and are more aesthetic vs. efferent.

“The focus in aesthetic reading in not what can be learned but what is experienced.” (Smith, 40) This is what boys seem to struggle with but they can be taught. One of the boys interviewed stated that, “[My teacher’s] been kinda showing me the road and the path. I kinda thought reading was dumb, but now I’m kinda getting more into it.” (Smith, 40) So, how do we get there, you ask?

Well, Smith and Wilhelm also discuss the importance of socialization to the boys that were studied. It is another significantly important aspect to their lives. The study showed that boys share almost all activities that they enjoy with their friends, and think of schooling as a venue for socializing. Because there is a “social dimension to competence,” teaching “should precede development, leading the learner into uncharted and challenging waters that can be navigated with assistance.” (Smith, 40)

So again, don’t overwhelm, give choices and make social connections with text. Oh yeah, and make it just a little challenging.

What do you like to do?

“Like Mahiri (1998), we believe that trying to understand the sources of young men’s success and enjoyment outside of school may shed light on how school may shed light on how schools can better serve them.” (Smith, 27)

Smith and Wilhelm conducted interest inventory surveys of forty eight male students of various ages. The majority of them ranked reading and going to school near the bottom of the ranks. Looking at the surveys, they took into consideration psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s research of “flow, ‘joy, creativity, the process of total involvement with life’ (p. xi)” (Smith, 28) Basically, this translates to “a simple premise: ‘that more than anything else, men and women seek happiness.’” (Smith, 28) Now, this is common sense, right? We all truly enjoy doing things that we like and struggle with things that we don’t. Let’s face it, who wants to continue to do something that they stink at?

Looking deeper into things, Smith and Wilhelm suggest that boys seek some sense of accomplishment. This might be why boys enjoy subjects like math, where there is a solution that they can find. Subjects like literature, however, are too aesthetic. “Again and again we heard boys talk about how a feeling of competence kept them involved in an activity. Again and again we heard boys exclaim that they would quickly give things up if they did not gain that competence.” (Smith, 32) So…how can we get our boys to have that feeling of competence in literacy?

The generalization of findings within the study concluded that boys do not get a sense of accomplishment while reading, therefore they lose interest. One student in the study, Larry, talked about not particularly enjoying reading until his teacher acknowledged his improvement with reading. This made him proud of his accomplishments and encouraged him to continue. Okay, so more encouragement overall? Check.

The next finding reported was that the students enjoyed assignments were not topic specific. They needed choice to pursue things that interest them. Now, does this mean that teachers should let students read and write whatever they want all of the time? Not necessarily. Just give them a break once and awhile.

Another struggle of boys depicted was finding books that appeal to them that were just right. They are interested in challenging themselves, but did not want to become overwhelmed. Whew! A lot to digest, but really great information.

Gender Differences

Chapter One spends a lot of time talking about the differences between boys and girls. Although a lot of it is information that is not surprising, it is interesting to learn some insights into our male student population. According to various studies done by countless researchers, a long list of findings consisting of achievement, attitude, choice and response are provided. What a mouthful. Not all of the findings were surprising, “boys tend to read more informational texts,” (Smith, 11) or “poetry is less popular with boys than with girls” (Smith, 11). There was, however, some interesting information, “the appearance of a book and its cover is important to boys,” (Smith, 11) or “boys prefer active responses to reading in which they physically act out responses, do or make something” (Smith, 11).

Aside from the overviews and differences that the authors continue to point out, they also discuss gender in reference to masculinity. They continue to bring up the aversion that most boys have to anything feminine. They also point out that, “gender is a historical and social construct that changes with time, culture, and situation” (Smith, 5). Now, that is something to think about. Are we all, as a society, partially responsible for our boy’s lack of literacy?

“Phillips (1993) and Barrs (1993) argue that while most girls arrive at school with a secure sense of gender, most boys do not” (Smith, 12). I think this is an interesting observation but I don’t necessarily agree with that completely. I think that all of our students struggle with identity, masculine and feminine alike. Now, the book also states that, “This is particularly true if the activities involve effort and the chance of failure, for incompetence and expending effort are also seen as unmasculine. Achievement, for men, is supposed to be attained with ease.” (Smith, 13). This is something that I don’t really think about, being female. I don’t mind stopping to ask directions, but my husband will drive and “find his way” eventually. It is a gender difference that is prominent but one that I had never thought about in correlation to teaching.

The book also talks about various gender differences, like the fact that girls tend to acquire language earlier than boys, which may make the connection with the lack of literacy. The chapter also touches briefly on the lack of subject matter in classroom reading that appeals to male students. The chapter concludes with the introduction of four of the boys that the book is based on. It wraps up the chapter, showing that these boys have potential that school just has not necessarily tapped into yet.

Boys, Boys, Boys

I chose to read the book "Reading Don't Fix No Chevys" by Michael Smith and Jeffrey Wilhelm. Teaching high school, it is evident that the majority of male students have little to no interest in reading. Enter English teacher who absolutely loves literature and reading. Simply put, I want to know how I can make reading less painful for all of my students, especially the boys.

This book had me hooked from the beginning. The Preface expl

ains the authors interest in literacy education for young men by bringing up Jimmy Santiago Baca. Baca is a now famous Chicano poet who taught himself how to read and write while serving time in prison. Did I mention that he is from New Mexico? His story is inspirational and if you have not read his book "A Place to Stand," I highly recommend it. Baca's teachers failed him when it came to literacy and he overcame it, but what about our boys that don't?

My second year teaching, I heard the words every teacher wants to hear.

"This is the first book that I have ever read," James stated proudly.

Now, great to hear but not from a Junior in high school. That was when my questioning really began. How did he get so far in school without reading a single book? I have to think that he had to have worked harder at not learning than the effort that it would have taken him to learn. I had another challenge a year later.

Our high school has adopted "Academies," where students are grouped based on interest/elective selection. In theory, if there is a class composed with students who have the same interest, the teacher has the opportunity to teach in a way that will hold their interests. Now, I had a class that was made up of students, primarily boys, that were interested in mechanics, welding, etc. and it was my duty to teach them American Literature. Whoa.

We had a lot of fun and I think that they learned a lot, in spite of themselves. What a great group of kids! But I had to wonder yet again...why do they dislike reading so much?

Now, the book. The authors wanted to study boys in school settings but they were interested in gathering a diverse group, with varying ethnicities, socioeconomic status, literacies and geographic location (to name a few). What is to come, you ask? Just wait...

The first one...

I have to admit that I think that blogging is a little scary. It reminds me very much of a diary. This is not to say that I don't enjoy reading other people's blogs like it might be a little fun to read someone's diary. It is different, though when you know that you are writing specifically for someone else to read...

I have had a lot of experience reading blogs but very little actually creating them. It is a wonderful way to keep up with my college friends--I enjoy reading about their lives and how they change weekly. It is also a new way to keep people up-to-date on wedding details (as many of my college friends have). I like to think of myself as a little tech-savvy but I truly am not, at least when it comes to blogging. I guess that if you count social networking sites, we are all bloggers of sorts, though.

Blogging has always intimidated me because I am a little secretive and I worry that if I choose to share something, I might very well regret it later. I also worry about irresponsible blogging--so many people are hurt by senseless postings on the internet.

As for the school environment, I think that blogging could very well be a powerful thing positively and negatively. Again, I worry a lot about an irresponsible post or ridicule by students. The wiki idea, however, is something that I would like to try.

I have also noticed that blogs are mainly informal, which I think it what makes them so much more appealing. Like the blogs of my college friends, it is almost like reading an email that is meant specifically for me but can be shared. It is fun. Who knows...maybe I will start doing this blogging business for real...

Here are two of the wedding blogs that I frequent:

http://lisaandjeremy.nearlyweds.com/sites/index/91972

http://evanplusamber.nearlyweds.com/sites/index/8180