final synthesis blog

          I could start this blog with the typical "throughout this semester" and waste your time going through each thing we've done and how it benefits me as a future educator. But you know why we did the things we did in class, and we both know why they are important, because of what you have taught us through this course. So instead, I think I'll go a different route.
          I think I have learned something much deeper in your class this semester. More than the "I want my students to read in content classes" or "I won't use a textbook!" This class has opened my eyes to the challenge of what this truly entails. Growing up, I never struggled with reading. I read chapter books in kindergarten, and if you ask my parents who taught me to read, they'll look at you with a strange look on their faces, squint their eyes a little, and tell you, knowing you won't believe them, that I somehow taught myself to read. I adore books. I always have, I always will. And not the digital ones at that- real, hands on, musty smell books. But what I've come to see this semester is that not all students I teach will feel this way. Some students will have never seen a book, some may absolutely hate reading though they don't struggle, and others may be just fine reading without my help. But it isn't just my job to include reading in science or social studies classes, it is my job to make a conscious effort to prepare my students no matter where they stand on reading. I can't just shrug my shoulders and say "well, I included the readings" or "see? I used my text set", I have to know that the things we did and the ways I incorporate the things we did benefit the students to make them successful far outside the classroom, because academia is not everyone's ultimate goal. Simply saying I will include these strategies is not enough.

           I want my students leaving my classroom to know that they are prepared to do whatever it is they want to do, and hope that in the way I use readings and texts, they are inspired, prepared, and capable to be successful at whatever it is they seek to be successful at in the future. We may only have these students one year, but we can do much more than model how you read through a think aloud. We can show our students through a think aloud that is okay to be wrong in their predictions. "Oh up here in this paragraph I predicted this but look- I was wrong, and that's okay! The important thing is that I made the prediction", this easily models the scientific method and forming hypotheses, while including reading strategies to help them outside of science.
           In a literature circle, we can teach our students that they don't always have to agree with everyone else and not everyone has to agree with them. In using a unifying text in a group, students can see how someone might view parts of the book differently than they do. I think all too often in our society we try to tell students "there's a right way, and a wrong way" and in reality there is neither. There are gray areas, blurred lines. There are cultural perspectives that alter viewpoints. Everyone has a unique experience, and book groups are a very clear way to demonstrate these differences and elaborate on them.  Talking about our differences in a mature manner is important and will benefit them working together in the future, as not everyone is going to agree with them forever.
            Student choice in reading bolsters self-exploration, accountability, and piques a child's individual interest. Allowing students just enough opportunity to give them some power in the classroom teaches them that it really isn't all about the test, and that their individual thoughts and ideas are so important too. Because I firmly believe they are. "There is nothing new under the sun" they often say, but I fully believe are children are a source full of unabashed ideas and like I said earlier, it's okay if they are wrong. We should foster a kind of environment with reading for our students to feel comfortable and secure so that they can be innovative thinkers. That is what I want from my students. And it all starts with me.
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EDMS 4000: Multigenre Project Blog Post

          If there's something I've learned as a camp counselor, it is to expect the unexpected. But you can never anticipate it all- those kids will always surprise you and change your viewpoint. No matter if it is a class on sailing that I've taught numerous times before, something new always happens. That is why I live for long steamy summer days, the excitement in their voices when they talk about their favorite class at camp, and the inevitable camp goggles. Camp is a special place full of learning where I feel most at home. In EDMS this semester, there are multiple ways I see this class is like camp.
          Though there are significantly less adventures 45 feet in the air, EDMS has presented me with new experiences with students that rival those gained at camp. At camp, I learn a lot about how to handle behavioral situations and how to keep students engaged. Through this semester in EDMS, I have gotten to observe teachers and continue to grow these skills, even putting them into action with our sevies. In reading potentially sensitive political articles with the seventh graders, I have grown in the way I word and approach my questions related to the reading. At camp, it is important to be delicate because it may be a campers first time away from home, and they may be more sensitive. In the same way, the students hardly know me, yet they are willing to open up and talk about issues that may be close to them. In class, we discuss many of the same issues, but as adults, it has a different dynamic. Watching how I word what I say while still maintaining integrity and truth to my point of view has been a mountain to climb this semester in EDMS 4000. I am always ready to be honest with my classmates and my students, but being sensitive to their viewpoints and open to vulnerability is something I have really worked on developing this semester, though I am (and will always be) a work in progress.
          Today, I am excited for next semester and for what the future holds. I anticipate to continue to face these mountains and more in my next three semesters as an EDMS student, and I look forward to the climbing challenge.

Strategy Lesson Reflection

I was hesitant about this strategy lesson because I personally prefer not to use graphic organizers when I am reading text or planning a paper. Because of this I wasn’t quite sure how to approach presenting the strategy. This is good, I think, because it challenged me to think outside of the way I learn about how other students learn. I like that when I started, Sarah pointed out that she used idea mapping graphic organizers every time she writes a paper. I didn’t know people did that, though it makes complete sense because not everyone learns, writes, or thinks the same way. It is important that, though I personally don’t think in that way, the students are exposed to a variety of ways of approaching learning. They should understand that they can think in their own way, and if it isn’t the way their classmates think, that is perfectly fine because they are unique and individual in their learning.

I feel the presentation itself was successful, and I feel the class had an understanding of what vocabulary trees are and how to use them. I like that I was able to incorporate the variety of ways of using vocabulary trees, even though we didn’t have time (or the attention plan) to model all of the numerous ways you can use it such as using roots, branches, group work, and the varying levels of guided work you can choose to use as the teacher. Overall, I think the class understands the strategy and will incorporate it into their future classrooms as they see fit.

Chp 11

           Chapter 11 In reading this chapter and reflecting, I am struggling to find a direction to take this blog post. Overall, this chapter covered concepts we’ve discussed, and feels a bit like a waste of 20 minutes compared to our class discussions thus far. The major focus of this chapter is how we, as content area teachers, can help students who are struggling with reading. The author outlines several approaches to mitigating these struggles, and I am struck by not the methods or issues the students face, but the assumption the author makes about the sacrifices of teachers. Each solution requires extensive work for the teacher outside of school and the piles of schoolwork, and though this is expected to a certain extent, I believe some of these strategies set unrealistic expectations and unnecessary pressures.

          Hear me out: I know teachers have to work hard, all the time, and I know what I signed up for when I entered this program. However, I am flabbergasted by two specific parts of the text. First, “she accepts calls on her cell phone at home from 5-6 pm” and “she’s 24-7”. Answering calls outside of school of course is awesome, but as a human being, teachers deserve to be able to turn off their cell phones when not in school. To think that this author suggests we just “take phone calls 24-7” is baffling to me, because teachers deserve a personal life, like every other working adult. The second example is a teacher who listens to audio tapes on the way to and from school, while driving. This again, is a great idea if it works for this individual teacher, but to think that this author sets the expectations that all teachers should give up their personal time to work, is beyond me. Expectations that teachers can work 24-7 for 30 years and survive is one problem that teachers face everyday and needs to be addressed.
            As our EDMS professor says, “Teachers are both the problem and the solution”. Not only are they the educators, they are the part time parent, caregiver, and friend. It is the most noble pursuit, but should not infringe on basic human rights by setting unrealistic expectations for the people that wear the educator badges, and already sacrifice so much.

Podcast

Inquiry Units

      As I’m sure you’ve all heard by now, I do a lot of work with UGA service learning through the department of Marine Sciences. I fell so hard for this program, I even went on to complete undergraduate research in oceanography and the general population’s awareness of ocean literacy principles. In this department, there is a huge focus on inquiry based learning. My supervising (read: incredibly gifted and amazing) professor was Mrs. Catherine Teare-Ketter; an intelligent woman who is fully capable of anything, and knows it. She helped mold me into the critical thinking student that I am today. In her years of teaching at the middle, high, and college levels, she has found one key that has held most important to student success: inquiry based hands on learning.
      Experience UGA is a program that allows freshmen at Clarke County High Schools to come to UGA, tour, learn about college, and participate in a STEM activity. Each year I have been at Georgia, I have had the privilege of leading several experience UGA labs with MARS. The lab I typically do with these students, and adore for outreach programs as well, focuses on chemoreceptors and mechanoreceptors in marine invertebrates and how these biological traits impact the manner in which organisms locate and consume their prey and predators. In short, we give the students food and predator scents (pea, shrimp, blue crab, grey lined sea star, etc) and allow them to design the experiment based on what animal they are assigned (ranging anywhere from serpent star, also known as brittle star, to tulip snails). These kids are given the opportunity to see for themselves an animal they almost always have never worked with before, as well as allows them to use their own investigative skills to create their experiment. I have never seen a student leave our lab with a bad attitude after this experiment.

Experience UGA seeing a channel whelk for the first time

       I think with science it is crucial to include these experiments that are specifically inquiry exploration based. They are the lifeblood of science as a discipline. In considering doing these units, you have to wonder about time. Many of the activities Capps has given us say they require 3 weeks; one activity doesn’t have to take that much time. You have to adapt to know what is appropriate and what is not, and that comes with time. Using these lessons in small, bite sized chunks can allow for successful learning and not consume all of your time.

Florida Conch and Tulip snail, predatory invertebrates. To give you a frame of reference.

Synthesis Blog 2

On page 168, the author states, “A class where students work well together and respect one another needs to be an orderly group. And the results are not just a better climate, but greater learning. Students who know each other well and have been taught to listen to one another are are likely to take risks and stretch beyond their comfort level as they learn” (Subjects Matter, 168). I believe in structure and discipline, as, like this author, I believe most students strive where there is order and direction. In creating an open and inviting classroom environment, your environment must be clean and orderly. Much like you clean your house before guests come over so they feel comfortable, you keep your classroom neat and clean for your students to feel comfortable. Once our expectations are set from the beginning, we can start to give the independence and choices our students need to feel trusted in the classroom. In this Tedx Talk, we learn from Esther Wojcicki about how to do this in our classroom.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbN8g6oPjBo

In this video, she discusses students as learners who need independence and trust. She led a student newspaper that went from 19, to over 600 students at her public high school. When she was first observed for her teaching style, she was almost fired because she chose to do project based, student led learning over lecture style education. Though her observation did not go well, she chose to continue this method, and completely changed the atmosphere of her public school. If we are to say we want to make education better, we have to move away from practices that are harmful to our youth. They need structure and rules, followed by choices and independence. That is how you create an engaging classroom; not just a youtube video every few powerpoint slides. [312]

Book Pitch- The Tree Karen Gray Ruelle

The Tree by Karen Gray Ruelle 

• Title and author- The Tree Kevin Grey Ruelle
• Page number- 32 pages, illustrated
• Lexile, if available- 810 lexile level
• Grade level(s) & content area- Upper Elementary
• Relevance to curriculum- History from 1756-present, Civil War, Reconstruction, WWI
• Basic premise- The Tree follows the story of a majestic elm tree planted in Madison Park in New York from seed, sapling, to maturity. It chronicles historical events such as the founding of the city, various wartimes, the building of the base of the statue of liberty, and more. The park in which it has planted has served as a field for yellow fever victims, a campground for civil war soldiers, and so much more. Throughout times of trial and transition, this tree has stood tall through it all, and bared witness to the United States collective history. This book encourages readers to consider all that this tree has seen, but also all that all other trees we see everyday have also seen. Our time on this Earth is much shorter than the time trees have, so it can also help students conceptualize time. In reading this book, students across reading levels could easily do activities related to their understanding of the book, from “imagine what you would see if you were a tree”, artistic activities (the book is known for its illustrations), and writing activities to improve technical skills. The length of the book is also conducive to upper elementary, as it touches on  a lot of the standards in history, but also is short enough to be given ample time for activity and discussion as well with no need to rush or jigsaw.
• Quote from a review (professional or reader)- “Delightful description dances, as a seed pod grows into an elm tree in what is to become Madison Square Park. Seasons pass and turn to years. The elm tree stands and beholds the passage of time. First comes a cemetery, then an arsenal for soldiers, after that a fire, and finally, a park. Circus animals thunder, and a Statue of Liberty arm is built to stand watch alongside of the tree. The tree becomes a landmark, and around it a bustling city grows. Who knows when a new seed pod will take root? A calming look at how time passes and nature transcends.” Amazon review

Chapter 9- Book Clubs

In my years of schooling, I don’t remember ever doing a successful book club. In 4th grade, my crazy, part time gifted teacher made an effort to host a book club. She did not have our respect as her students, and we simply dreaded being pulled out of class for the book club. On top of that, we hated the book. We didn’t choose it and we weren’t allowed to make any decisions around the activities we did in book club. I find this is important to note because that could have changed the outcome of book club for us as students. We have learned throughout this semester that all students need independence, and book clubs could be a great venue for student choice in learning.

Another concern I have with book clubs lies in the amount of time it takes to complete a book club. In the already fast paced setting of public schooling, I’m unsure of the practicality of using book clubs in a content area classroom. Completing an entire book around a topic would take more time than is usually allotted for one particular topic in the curriculum. However, if the books panned multiple topics in the curriculum I could understand the appeal of using a book club in a content area.

Other than that one experience, I never had a teacher try to establish book clubs in our classrooms. Because I had such a negative experience, I am hesitant to say I will try to implement them into my content area classroom, but it is definitely something to consider.

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Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of Subjects Matter places a huge emphasis on trust and comfort in the classroom environment. Though there is a lot that is out of the teacher’s control, this environment and comfort is something teachers can control. Subjects Matter encourages teachers to take responsibility for the classroom environment they are creating and in doing so, gives some examples of how to create the open, trusting space students may need to feel safe and respected in the classroom. One thing I have always tried to do when teaching at camp or in my environmental education background is to give students roles to help them feel involved in the learning. Whether that be assigning actual responsibilities in lessons or classroom activities, or simply allowing students an option in their learning. According to Subjects Matter, “giving [the students] choices, even in the small things, helps students feel respected and viewed as people who are maturing and worthy of trust” (168). Students who are comfortable are more willing to ask questions, take risks, and stretch beyond in their learning.

Throughout public school, I always felt comfortable asking questions when I needed to do so. I believe this was due to the fact that I lived in a small town where everyone knew everyone, and my parents taught (or were good friends with) a good many of my teachers. At UGA, however, I have experienced the uncomfortable classroom setting where no one was willing to ask questions, and when we did, only received snarky answers in response. In those classes, learning was so impaired that it often resulted in complete frustration and exasperation to the point where I simply couldn’t completely grasp the material, and even going to office hours simply wouldn’t help. (By now you’ve all figured out I’m talking about UGA chem department, right?). In seeing such bad teaching and how it affected my learning, I can use that experience to help ensure my class is never a dead end road for my students and their learning.

Guide O Rama

Exploring the Oceans (pg C92)

Guide O Rama

Page # | Tip

C96      | read the introduction (Oceans and Seas) and look for key details about our world’s oceans.

_________________________________________________

C97      | What does the vocab word salinity make you think of? This section made me wonder about animals that live in the oceans. How does salinity affect their lives?

_________________________________________________

C98      | How far out do you think our continental shelf is? Use your chromebook to learn about the eastern continental shelf and Georgia’s Gray’s Reef.

________________________________________________

C99       | Look at the diagram across 98-99. This is helpful to visualize the concepts you read about in the text.

________________________________________________

C102     | Have you been to the ocean before? This section on waves helps us understand how ocean waves work. Can you think of a way we could model these waves in our classroom?

_______________________________________________

C102      | According to the text, how high can waves get in a major storm?

_______________________________________________

C104      | The section on currents makes me think of Finding Nemo. Think about the movie. What current do we learn about in that movie? What do you know about currents?

________________________________________________

C104       | Have you ever been caught in a rip current? Think about the strength of the wave and how it moved you. If you have not, think about what the book describes. Write a few sentences about your experience or what you think it would be like based on the book.

_______________________________________________

C106        | Look at the tide chart for the Bay of Fundy.

1. What day is the tide the highest?
2. What is the height on Jan 18th at time 1206?
3. What day and time is the tide 24.1?
4. What is the difference between the highest and the lowest tide?

Subjects Matter Chapter 7

I 100% agree with just about everything in Subjects Matter chapter 7. This chapter discusses the importance of building trust and community in a classroom, and even provides some strategies proven to help teachers do just that. One thing I have learned from working with students through 4-H and the 4-H camping program, is that kids have to trust you and want to be a part of your teaching if they are going to learn. In a classroom where it is so easy to answer incorrectly and be embarrassed about your abilities, we should be uplifting our students to a place where they are comfortable, secure, and willing to participate fully. On page 168, the author states, “A class where students work well together and respect one another needs to be an orderly group. And the results are not just a better climate, but greater learning. Students who know each other well and have been taught to listen to one another are are likely to take risks and stretch beyond their comfort level as they learn” (Subjects Matter, 168). I believe in structure and discipline, as, like this author, I believe most students strive where there is order and direction. In creating an open and inviting classroom environment, your environment must be clean and orderly. Much like you clean your house before guests come over so they feel comfortable, you keep your classroom neat and clean for your students to feel comfortable. When things are “loosey goosey”, learning may be impeded.

Another important point chapter 7 makes regards the role of students in the classroom. One of my personal teaching strategies involves students having “jobs” in the classroom, in particular the students who may be distracted or a distraction to the other learners. By giving students appropriate roles, we are giving them something to focus on, a responsibility, and allowing them to feel they serve a purpose in the learning, not just to answer correctly on a boring standardized test. These are just two small ways to help students feel at home in a classroom, but I fully believe they can make all of the difference.  

Chapter 6- Uncovering Ideas, not just Covering them

We often refer to our teaching as “covering the concepts”. Making sure everything is covered, including our asses. In subjects matter chapter 6, we discover there is more to “covering” a subject, and this includes “uncovering”. Now that sounds weird. Let me expand. In what we do in the classroom, we are looking to cover the information and make sure we have enough time to do so. What we really should be seeking however, is an uncovering of knowledge so that our students can be deeply understanding the material we are covering in class. In uncovering we should seek for our students to discover and be curious, to learn more than just the broadest understanding. So how do we get this depth over breadth concept? Here we can turn towards the advice given in subjects matter. In this the author suggests that assigning a few pages for a student to read is “neither teaching nor learning” (pg 146). Chapter 6 gives alternate suggestions to just “assigning a few pages” and presents arguments for a broader sense of “uncovering the knowledge”.

In chapter 6 we learn several ways to use textbooks more effectively. The very first point the author brings up is that we, as educators, should have empathy. Because we have read the book an extra 5 or 10 times, can mean things get lost in translation. We know what we’re talking about, but a child may not have a clue in reading their first time around. It helps that we recognize this and put in the effort to help the students get started in reading. Providing front-loading strategies to prepare them for their reading is becoming more and more popular, and it helps students feel ready to do the learning. Subjects matter also suggests we never leave kids alone with their textbooks; use the time with the book to promote collaborative efforts, having students work in pairs and groups. This can help supplement social interaction and stir their interests by allowing students to discuss what they think and don’t understand. From here we as educators can infer what qualms our students still have and can supplement the reading with more resources, as we do live in a world full of outside resources.
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Synthesis Blog One

Synthesis Blog:

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/instill-the-love-of-reading-levar-burton

The main concept I have felt throughout this reading is the concept of introducing our students to reading in a manner that helps them fall in love. I don’t remember when I learned to read, but I do know I was young enough that I was able to read chapter books when I started kindergarten. My parents, as educators, had known the value of reading, and they worked to instill this love of reading in me. I asked once how they taught me to read, and I discovered they didn’t know- I just did. I learned because they loved to read, and they read to me. In most home situations, the children may not have this reading-supported environment. For some students, the first time they see a book may be the first time they step into a classroom. In these situations, we, as the educators, must work to instill love of reading and provide opportunities for these students to fully develop as readers.

I found a blog that is focused on this aspect of learning; instilling the love of reading in our students at a young age. Their first suggestion is to meet the students in their comfort zone. In subjects matter chapter 3, we are encouraged to pick texts that reflect a student’s background and life history. Highlighting these experiences and placing value in their culture is crucially important. But after doing so, I think it’s just as important to use their connection and trust in you to stretch their reading horizon. The fourth element of the discussion involves showing students how much you, as the teacher, love to read. As the adult in the setting, we have the ability to shape our student’s opinions of reading, especially through think alouds, which is a practical skill we have been consistently working on in this course. [312]

Think Aloud Reflection

Preparation:

For my think aloud, I selected a text related to the 5th grade standards, about a man named Henry. Henry’s family was taken away from him in the slave trade, and he was determined to make his way back to freedom. In many ways, everyone faces some type of struggle like the one Henry faced. I have not faced something so horrible, but I have experienced things that made me search for freedom. In my lesson, I sought to make connections to the text, and allow the students to relate to the text as well, while extending their view of the world. In Subjects Matter chapter 4, the author discusses our role as educators in introducing our students to new cultures and cultural experiences. We place value in their culture as well, but by emphasizing historical experiences of a certain culture, we as educators are fulfilling our role of helping to expand our students’ horizons. In selecting this text, I feel like I was able to model a selection that would serve a purpose without expliciting telling the students what I was doing. I think in preparation, I chose a strong text to achieve my goals and for the grade level.

Presentation:

I was not particularly nervous about doing the think-aloud in class. I enjoy talking in front of people, and so nerves were not something that impacted my reflection upon my think aloud. However, what I did find restricting in the presentation was the document camera. I prefer to face my students, walk around the room, interact, and get on the level (kneel down) when discussing a text with students. Notice how I said “with”. My personal hope is that I never talk at a group of kids, but become a person they feel comfortable sharing thoughts, ideas, and perspectives. By staying “with” them I can better understand how they learn and what they do and do not respond to. In this way, I hope to create an open and welcome thought space in my classroom environment.

I also really appreciated the plethora of comments and the discussion following my think-aloud. Sarah commented that she appreciated that I left enough space in between lines to make her own notes and annotations. I had purposefully done so not only so there was plenty of space to write, but for many students who struggle with reading, spacing the words out enough to make it a little easier to read. I found her validation of why I did so confirming.

Overall, I think my think aloud went well and am glad I got the opportunity to do so.
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Our Student's Lenses- Chapter 4

Where should we go to find text if we agree textbooks are not the answer? Starting with the lense of a student, we will want to find text that fits into the context and fits into schema the students are familiar with. We will want to provide opportunity to stretch their mind and development by starting where they are comfortable. “What kids read in school should hold up a mirror to them, by including their story, their culture, their experience” (Subjects Matter, 59). As educators, our students deserve to know their individual cultures, experiences, and lives matter. We can place value in their experiences through readings that correlate with their lives. This shows we recognize the things they have experienced. The author goes on to discuss the importance of not only reading through the students cultural lenses, but also through the cultural lenses of other groups. Incorporating reading that also brings in varying viewpoints, lifestyles, and opinions can further our students development by preparing them to be informed, open minded citizens once they leave the school.

The author also suggests we select text of various difficulties and lengths- a wide range of materials for students to access is best to fit the needs of your students. Keeping a teaching library of books across all genres, lengths, and difficulties, allows for each individual student to be accommodated to their level. In school systems, we like to pretend each child is at a similar level to the other students in their grade. The fact of the matter is, every single child is different. Every child learns differently and is at a different point, because each child has had a different experience. Our job is to level the playing field, and help each child succeed in the way we determine is best for their betterment.
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Our Student's Lenses

Where should we go to find text if we agree textbooks are not the answer? Starting with the lense of a student, we will want to find text that fits into the context and fits into schema the students are familiar with. We will want to provide opportunity to stretch their mind and development by starting where they are comfortable. “What kids read in school should hold up a mirror to them, by including their story, their culture, their experience” (Subjects Matter, 59). As educators, our students deserve to know their individual cultures, experiences, and lives matter. We can place value in their experiences through readings that correlate with their lives. This shows we recognize the things they have experienced. The author goes on to discuss the importance of not only reading through the students cultural lenses, but also through the cultural lenses of other groups. Incorporating reading that also brings in varying viewpoints, lifestyles, and opinions can further our students development by preparing them to be informed, open minded citizens once they leave the school.

The author also suggests we select text of various difficulties and lengths- a wide range of materials for students to access is best to fit the needs of your students. Keeping a teaching library of books across all genres, lengths, and difficulties, allows for each individual student to be accommodated to their level. In school systems, we like to pretend each child is at a similar level to the other students in their grade. The fact of the matter is, every single child is different. Every child learns differently and is at a different point, because each child has had a different experience. Our job is to level the playing field, and help each child succeed in the way we determine is best for their betterment.
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Chapter 3

Reading the third chapter of this book is like reading something very familiar, but something you read so long ago the details are just now reemerging from memory. Whether it’s because I chose to block out memories of middle and high school textbooks or because I just forgot, I’m unsure. But the fact of the matter is that I forgot how much I hated textbooks. Lugging them around, never using them in class or in homework, constantly asking the teacher if we actually had to bring them to class the next day. I don’t wish to say that textbooks are useless, because, at the college level, I have found them profoundly helpful, particularly in my “hard” science courses. They are often hard to get through, but “clunking” through the arduous language eventually led to greater success in classes such as chemistry.

College students are very different than middle schoolers. While we recognize we’re paying for the struggles of our education, these students may not see the value in their education or may not even want to be in school. Textbooks that are thick, heavy, and potentially harmful to their health do not help in convincing a student to stay in school. Instead, tailoring text to fit the class’s individual needs may be the key to ensuring our students get what they need out of their readings. Though this is more work, if we are installing the love of learning in our students, isn’t that worth the extra effort? That is for the individual to decide.
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The Columbus Key

         The second chapter of this text, much like the first, begins with a hook. The author gives the reader an odd, out of character passage to read, with content largely unfamiliar to the target audience of the text. After some confusion and multiple rereads, I learned this section was written about the game of cricket. Being not so familiar with cricket, I did not understand and tried to fit the knowledge into other games I was familiar with, into my own personal schema.

         In educational psychology, I was placed with a struggling first grade student to assist in developing reading skills. For the spring semester, I worked almost exclusively with this student. When we came across a new idea or word, she would often do the same thing I did in reading the text about cricket; she would try to place the information in a schema she was familiar with. Words that she was unfamiliar with but looked similar to words she knew were often read as the known word. Now obviously as a first grader, she was not conscious of this aspect of her reading comprehension. But as educators, we have to be conscious of this occurrence and ensure we provide the background knowledge, the "Columbus keys" to allow our students to understand not only the content of the discussion, but the background and "why". As content area teachers, this background will be even more crucial as our texts will focus primarily on content, and much of the content will be largely unfamiliar to the students.
Word Count: 257

Subjects Matter Chapter 1

Subjects Matter. As an educator, we all like to believe that our subject, our class, our assignments reign supreme. In the first chapter of Subjects Matter, we learn that reading is a subject that is important across all fields and all disciplines.

As we discussed in class, reading ability can affect a person’s success throughout life. Reading can determine if you are able to get a good job, support your family, and be independent. As a teacher, we can make or break a student’s attitude toward reading. Subjects Matter ties our knowledge of this to real life examples in chapter one of the book.

In the first chapter of Subjects Matter, there are two anecdotes of teaching strategies employed by different teachers. In one, the students find a subject they are passionate about and incorporate what they learn in reading into a creative expression project. In this way, students are developing independence, creativity, and critical thinking skills. Rather than being told what to read and how they should interpret the information, they are encouraged to look outside of their lens of the world around them and expand their horizons. As a gifted student in school, I was encouraged to learn in this manner. My gifted classes were structured by the students, and we were encouraged to pursue individual interests and ideas. We selected projects of interest, pursued them in our own unique ways, and shared what we had learned with each other. For example, in third grade my gifted project involved research into the cultural life of ancient egyptians. I read from various sources, interpreted what I learned, and created an inclusive look at life as in ancient Egypt. In this I learned, that when independence is involved, the passion can drive something far greater than a reading assignment. This is the teaching strategy we see in the first story in Subjects Matter.

In the second example however, we see a very different picture of reading and learning. The students are merely assigned reading and are not encouraged to think critically about the subject. In these two different pictures of learning, we see very different results as well. The students in the second teaching method felt apathetic about their learning, and did not feel encouraged to think independently. As a science and social studies teacher, I can (and should) choose to incorporate reading into my lessons. It is important that students develop their abilities across the board. That is why cross-cutting curriculum standards exist.