Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Week 6 readings


In or Week 6 readings I find it very encouraging that someone has echoed how I feel about reading in a professional  setting. Bhuel begins to talk about his wide scope of reading and how that has not only made him a well-rounded person but also a deeper thinker and better scholars. In concordance with the author teachers do have the solemn right to not only develop and push these children to read every day and read a broad range of material. This creates an increased sense of scholastic achievement that can be carried with students beyond the traditional school setting. He then states that students who develop this love for reading and feel a part of the classroom reading community achieve higher. 

I also appreciate Bhuel's recognition of the literacy pyramid. The first tier is often what teachers expect students to operate in   early elementary school. Students learn buzz words ,and early sentence syntax .It is expected that children learn at this stage how to being to  construct their own thoughts not to read for deeper understanding or application. Yet in subjects other than reading and history students seem to be stuck in this stage and develop a hate for  longer word problems or in depth science problems. This prevents students from growing to the intermediate stage where their brains become a melting pot of knowledge. Reading doesn’t just become something you have to do but what to do and enjoy  this translates into a deeper thirst to apply the things that are being learned to ones surroundings. In the final model the students mostly found in middle and high school begin the process of disciplinary reading.  I see this often with my Bailey middle school students I teach for my student teaching and are further shown by my students at the THRUST after school program. Unfortunately students very early will figure out what subject they like and read everything there is to know about it and feel accomplished in their knowledge of it. Yet they  neglect their weaknesses because the subjects aren't very enjoyable to them and they feel uncomfortable showing this weakness in the classroom . 
Bhuel incorporates a model that can be very helpful in this arena. Figure 1.13 provides students with a physical skills diagnostic. Students can use this checklist throughout the year in order to chart where they are, currently and where they want to be. Teachers as Bhuel  states can use this to incorporate fun readings from all different disciplines that can boost the child's confidence in the topics they do not enjoy as much .
This correlates  very well to my interview topic on Thursday 10/01/15. While biology is a great topic for me I don't believe its the highest on the list for a high school junior. Yet through a fun and interactive reading  and deep applicable questions  genetic replication can be reinforced in a way previously not thought off by this student. Once the barrier of interest is peaked the vacuum that is  the I cant I wont I don't like statement becomes an inspiring How does this affect me? How can I further research this topic ? Where can I find more information?  question that students continue to chase and build apron.

1 comment:

  1. I like your comment about interest. How can we as teachers help generate the interest necessary to read and comprehend scientific texts?

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