Reflection

I think this was a great class. We had a small group but a good mix of different opinions on the topics we discussed.

Wikispaces - I wish we could have done more with the wikispaces. I feel that it was the focus of our class the beginning of the semester and then we just kind of forgot about it. Next time I would recommend posting something on it every couple of weeks instead of 3-4 weeks continuously and then not again.

Blogs - although I had a hard time keeping up with the blogs they were a great way to reflect on the readings, class, and discussions. I'll be able to use them in the future for a summary of ideas I want to teach - I'll be able to easily find the information I need.

Group Leader - I honestly felt the group leader discussions got to be redundant and boring. I felt it was the same thing week after week, and I found myself zoning out during them. I think there should be some sort of activity requirement or something to get people up and moving during them.

Group Teach - I loved the group teach projects. There wasa selection of three very different books, and all three groups did a great job of presenting their material in a way that can be adapted within the classroom. They brought up some good discussion, and new ideas. It was a refreshing way to end the semester.

Final Project - I love my final project piece. It allowed to to take one of my interests actually become hands on involved with it and create a final product that others can use as an example. I hope people can use it within their classrooms!

Overall I got a lot from this class. The only suggestion I would make is to email assignments on Monday night after class. I forget to check web ct, so I was late or missing a few of them. Otherwise good setup and execution of a class. I learned a lot, and will be taking away some great ideas for my classroom.

Group Teach - The Giver

First let me say I'm really glad they changed their novel. I don't think I would have had time to read Catch-22, and since I'd already read The Giver I just had to refresh my memory on it.

I thought the group did a good job with all the activities and leading discussion. I honestly got more out of the book this time just skimming through than I did when I read it in middle school. It's something to take note of - you don't want to teach this novel if the students aren't going to understand the central themes, you don't want it to be above them.

I really liked their activities . The step up activity is a great way to get to know thing about people that you normally wouldn't ask, and to find out you have something in common that you would have never thought about. I also like the create your own ending. I like activities like this because it allows you to end the story how you want. The characters and their story become yours and you decide their fate. I also liked the choose an important scene and act it out - I think this could be done in a much more extended version where the students dress up, use a script and act out a detailed scene.

I think the did a great job wrapping up the group teaches.

Group Teach - Violent Cases

I thought the group that covered Graphic Novels and Violent Cases did a great job. I hadn't really ever considered teaching a graphic novel until now. I think I might put some more thought into the content of the graphic novel and age appropriateness, but for our level Violent Cases worked well. I like that it sparked some interesting discussion and different interpretation of the events within it.

I thought that the activity with Marxism worked well especially when applied to Violent Cases. My favorite activity would have to be the one where we created the comic strip one panel at a time without talking to each other. I thought it was a fun activity that allowed us to be creative and try to formulate a story out of what little material we had to work with.

I thought the group did a great job. They knew their material, and knew how to get important points across. Like I said, I may even consider bringing them into my own classroom.

Group Teach - The Bell Jar

I thought that our group teach went rather well. I felt we had prepared the materials correctly, and thoroughly, and that the entire presentation went very smoothly.

Lauren Hill's introduction to the book covered the main characters as well as the idea of what the bell jar represented, as well as covering the time period in which it was written.

Lauren Griffith's time line on the life of Sylvia Plath was a great way to connect the author to the text. Having the class read "Daddy" and listening to Plath read it was a great way to see the way a poem can work with reader response.

Tia's theory section was a great way to apply our lenses. It was interesting to see feminist and psychoanalytic theory applied to the text.

Sara's symbolism section allowed us to look more closely at the text for images and colors.

My multigenre/writing activities allowed the students to take the text and rework it into their own.

I thought we had a good amount of classroom interaction, good activities, and we managed to use our time wisely. I thought we prepared a good presentation, and hopefully the class got something out of it.

Found vs. PostSecret - Notes for Final Exam

On November 16th I drove to Ann Arbor to see Found vs. PostSecret at the Michigan Theater.

It was a great experience to hear Frank Warren talk about the project and how it has progressed since he started it 3 years ago.



Notes from Frank Warren's presentation:

• Frank Warren has received over 175,000 secrets over 3 years.
• Thinks we all have secrets. We can choose to keep them in a "box" and bury them, or open that "box" and share our secrets like gifts.
• Frank receives over 1,000 secrets a week from around the world. They come in bricks. He literally has a ton of mail.
• The secrets people share show a common humanity and a deeper wholeness that makes us feel connected.
• Frank created the blog to share the secrets with the world. He believes that the blog is a technology for new communication.
• When posted on the web, the secrets become "living secrets". Someone at that time is actually experiencing the secret.
• Frank arranged the books as an archive. The secrets are arranged in a way so as to be connected and tell a story.
• The internet is like the "wild west" it has an anything goes policy. He can post all of the secrets that come to his mailbox. The books on the other hand face copyright issues and not all secrets make it.

I had the opportunity to meet Frank Warren and get my book personalized.




I also taped a lot of the presentation. The part I want to post is 17 minutes long, too big for Blogger. I'll post it elsewhere and link it here.

Literature and Lives - Allen Webb - Debriefing

• Literature and Lives - Allen Webb

1) Is this a good text for ENGL 4800?

• Yes, when paired with Appleman's book it isgreat for enhancing the understanding of literary theories.

2) Would you use this text differently in ENGL 4800 than we did this semester? Are there chapters we shouldn't bother with?

• I think the book was used well, especially with a visit from Allen. It was great to hear his own views and opinions, and when put to the text it was very helpful.

3) Will you be able to use this text for resources or activities as a secondary teacher?

• Webb's resource lists are amazing. He provides so many texts for each of the theories, it will be an amazing resource within my classroom.

4) Anything else you want to say.

• I found the inset sections within chapters specifically devoted to the explanation of theory helpful. I could see using the sections within my classroom to help students understand theory. I also really like the teacher resources at the end of the chapter. I also appreciated his personal reflections with teaching theory in his classroom. I think I could use some of his experiences to my advantage and incorporate them into my own class. This will definitely be one book I'll keep on a bookshelf to use as a resource.

Critical Encounters in High School English - Deborah Appleman - Debriefing

Critical Encounter in High School English - Deborah Appleman

1) Is this a good text for ENGL 4800?

• Yes, it helps us as future educators explore the theories and it providing specific examplesfrom within in the classroom setting which is helpful to read about.

2) Would you use this text differently in ENGL 4800 than we did this semester? Are there chapters we shouldn't bother with?

• I think mini presentations using specific texts would have been helpful in better understanding the theories. especially deconstruction, I still struggle in understanding it.

3) Will you be able to use this text for resources or activities as a secondary teacher?

• It would be helpful in understanding theory, but I found that it could drag on. I would also use it to further help students understand multiple perspectives.

4) Anything else you want to say.

• Appleman writes in chapter two, "This book challenges current theoretical and pedagogical paradigms of the teaching of literature by incorporating the teaching of literary theory into high school literature classes. The guiding assumption of the book is that the direct teaching of literary theory in secondary English classes will better prepare adolescent readers to respond reflectively and analytically to literacy texts, both "canonical" and multicultural." I think Appleman achieves this goal by exploring the theories and providing specific examples in the classroom setting. Although I found the book helpful in understanding theory and multiple perspectives I did feel that it had a tendency to drag on, and when it comes to Deconstruction, I found it utterly confusing. Overall a good book, but maybe some sections deserve more explanation, and some less.

You Gotta BE the Book - Jeffrey D. Wilhelm - Debriefing

You Gotta BE the Book - Jeffrey D. Wilhelm1)

Is this a good text for ENGL 4800?

• I thought the text was very good for ENGL 4800. It provides resources, reflections from within the classroom, and poses questions for educators to consider.

2) Would you use this text differently in ENGL 4800 than we did this semester? Are there chapters we shouldn't bother with?

• I think it would have been helpful to use some of the resources from the activities list in chapter three. Or maybe make a binder combining the resources so we'll have them to use later.

3) Will you be able to use this text for resources or activities as a secondary teacher?

• Most definitely! All of the resources are great, and the reflections from the classroom could help me further understand my own students.

4) Anything else you want to say.

• I like that Wilhelm goes into detail about specific students and their attitudes towards reading; whether it be enjoyment, frustration, or boredom. I also appreciate all of the resources Wilhelm provides in the beginning of chapter three. The activities list; teacher journal, literary letters, think-aloud protocols, free-response protocols, cued-response protocols, two-column written protocols, and visual protocols. I like that he presents the activity with a description so that we can take the information and put it to use within our own classrooms. Wilhelm provides a lot of practical information that can be used in the classroom and to a future teacher that is very helpful. I really like the end of the book. Wilhem poses the question, "What is the role of the teacher? Are teachers simply people who deliver packaged curricula, who teach premade tests? Or are they individuals who create learning environments based on individual students' present needs, desires, interests, and abilities? Are we simply technicians painting by numbers, or are we educational adventurers guiding our students on their personal paths of learning?" (149). I think this is a great way to get teachers thinking about their role within the classroom.

ENGL 4800 Final

I'm doing my final project for my ENGL 480 Teaching Literature In Secondary Schools. It will be a multi-genre project including blogs, creative writing, and art. The project will be using PostSecret. What I need from you are secrets. If any of you are interested in helping me I need you to either send your secrets to me or if you see me in class casually drop your secret into my backpack. All secrets will be posted on a blog. I'll post the link when I am finished.

Guidelines (the same Frank Warren uses for the PostSecret Blog.)
You are invited to anonymously contribute your secrets to PostSecret. Each secret can be a regret, hope, funny experience, unseen kindness, fantasy, belief, fear, betrayal, erotic desire, feeling, confession, or childhood humiliation. Reveal anything - as long as it is true and you have never shared it with anyone before."

"Create your own 4-by-6-inch postcards out of any mailable material. But please only put one secret on a card. If you want to share two or more secrets, use multiple postcards. (Please do not e-mail your secret.)"

"Please put your complete secret and image on one side of the postcard."

"Tips:
* Be brief - the fewer words used the better.
* Be legible - use big, clear and bold lettering.
* Be creative - let the postcard be your canvas."

You can mail it to me at

Rachel Trembley
2017 Elkerton Ave
Apt. 308
Kalamazoo MI, 49048

For those of you who don't know what PostSecret is... http://postsecret.blogspot.com/

"PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard."

"Since Frank Warren created the site on January 1, 2005, PostSecret has collected and displayed upwards of 75,000 original pieces of art from people across the United States and some parts of the world (international readers have also been known to send in postcards). The idea of the project is simple: completely anonymous people decorate a postcard and portray a secret that they have never before revealed. There is no restriction on what the content of the secret must be, only that it must be completely truthful and must never have been spoken before. Entries range from admissions of sexual misconduct and criminal activity to confessions of secret desires, embarrassing habits, and hopes and dreams."

There are now four books filled with postcards from the site. They are:

PostSecret : Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives
MySecret: A PostSecret Book
The Secret Lives of Men and Women: A PostSecret Book
A Lifetime of Secrets: A PostSecret Book

Week 8 - Webb Ch. 7

Chapter Seven - Testimonial, Autoethnography, and the Future of English

"Poststructuralism begins with the assertion that "consciousness" as we experience it resides in language and that language is always a social phenomenon, created by an interactive community of speakers. (Webb 135)"

"Deconstruction asks us to look carefully into what is already there, ans, as well, to see behind, around, above, below and so on. If the poststructuralist insight is correct that our consciousness is determined by language and social discourses, then deconstruction means the English classroom, rather than being separated form the "real world," is a place where meaning and change take place as we examine, rethink, ands play with the texts and roles set up for us. (Webb 139)" This quote helps me understand deconstruction better. I had a hard time coming to a solid understanding of it from Appleman's book.

"A postmodern approach to teaching would freely examine the kaleidoscopic variety of contemporary life...Postmodern teaching would invite different voices; it would find the historical in the contemporary, and the contemporary in the historical. (Webb 143)"

"Like poststructuralists, traditional Marxists believe that they way people think and believe, their "ideology," is not something they freely choose. For Marxists, ideology is most basically the result of the economic structure of society, and changes in forms of thought derive from changes in fundamental and underlying economic realities. (Webb 150)"

There was a lot of theory discussion within this chapter. I felt like it was thrown at me, and I have a hard time working with texts like that. I still don't fully understand postmodern and Marxist theories. I think I may have to research them further. I really feel that by the end of the chapter I had been so overloaded with theory that I just wanted to be done with the chapter, which is unfortunate because it is the last chapter I have to read in Webb's book.

I think this chapter should have been broken up into smaller more digestible theory sections.

Week 8 - Webb Ch. 4

Chapter Four - Addressing the Youth Violence Crisis

The first thing in this chapter that really caught my eye was Scott's viewpoint on page 56. He talks about the high school freshman who has not future for college, but can sell drugs to make money. The way he explained his viewpoint was very interesting, and I found it hard to argue with. It would take an immense amount of willpower to overcome the urge to take the easy way out, especially for a 16 year old. I thought Scott's reasoning was very well done.

"Multicultural studies brings new and broader conceptions of literature to teaching. Reworking traditional philological approaches, scholars recover oral and popular traditions and stress the importance of understanding literature in cultural and historical contexts. (Webb 59)"

Within the section on Multicultural Studies Webb discusses the Norton Anthology of African American Literature. I used this in my Black American Literature class at Western and I found it to be an amazing text. The way my teacher used the text in addition to interviews, reviews, and jazz selections enhanced the anthology and made me interested in the selections. It was one of my favorite Literature classes at Western.

I'm interested in the section of Mass Media. It's something I want to incorporate into my final project. "Creating their own media "texts" sharpened their literacy, their understanding of language, texts, and images, and their ability to read and "deconstruct" the world that surrounds them. (Webb 66)" I think incorporating the PostSecret blog, having students make their own postcards, and creating our own blog will enhance the students learning.

Week 8 - Appleman Ch. 8

Chapter Eight - Critical Encounters: Reading the World

"Critical encounters with theory help students and teachers re-evaluate what counts as knowing in the literature classroom, Contemporary literary theory helps students reshape their knowledge of texts, of themselves, and of the worlds in which both reside. (Appleman 139)"

"Students' ability to read texts, the world, and their own lives is enhanced not only by the study of individual theories themselves but by the notion of multiple perspectives. (Appleman 141)"

I think using theory within the class would be helpful in understanding the text and multiple perspectives. I think this could be enhanced further by combining the theories and teaching them together.

I think this book is a great resource for better understanding literary theories and multiple perspectives. It has certainly helped me understand the purpose of theory within the classroom. Although I don't like all of the theories or fully understand all of them, I can see myself returning to this book for help and guidance.

Week 7 - Appleman Ch. 7

Chapter Seven - From Study Guides to Poststructuralism: Teacher Transformations

Reading about Martha's transformations during teaching led me to think about my own teaching, especially about my classroom. I already know I don't want straight rows of desks. I really want a student centered classroom, this may mean a bit more chaos and noise, but I fully believe the end result is worth it. My ideal class would be students seated in groups or tabled pairs with my desk in a corner. I don't want to sit at a desk all day, I want to be an active participant within my own classroom.

It's interesting to see the transformations a real educator went through. Teaching Goals, Changing Curriculum, Collaboration, Theory, Development, all of these are things that I have ideas about now, but I know they will change as I get further into my teaching career.

I really like that Martha states that she didn't try to change overnight. It most definitely will be a long process that will take in my newly learned knowledge from my experiences within the classroom.

What do you want your classroom to be like?

Week 7 - Appleman Ch. 6

Chapter Six - Deconstruction: Postmodern Theory and the Postmodern High School Student

"Deconstruction is a strategy for revealing the under layers of meaning in a text that were suppressed or assumed in order for it to take its actual form...Texts are never simply unitary but include resources that run counter to their assertions and/or their authors intentions. (Appleman 101)"

I was somewhat confused by the beginning of the chapter. I suppose it helps to clarify what deconstruction is, but there were so many separate quotes and ideas on what it is, that I just ended up confused on what the real definition was. Appleman addresses this on page 106."Perhaps...the most difficult part of teaching deconstruction to adolescents is the attempt to define it."

I really liked the section on student reflection on Deconstruction. Along with it the list of Books and Poems to use for deconstruction was helpful. I was surprised to find out that I have already read many of the books and poems listed. I think I may try to go back and apply deconstruction to some of them to see if I can enhance my understanding.

Week 6 - Appleman Ch. 5

Chapter Five - A Lens of One's Own: Of Yellow Wallpaper and Beautiful Little Fools

"Theory provides us with a way of recognizing and naming other visions while promoting our own ways of seeing. Theory helps us recognize the essential quality of other visions: how they shape and inform the way we read texts, how we respond to others, how we live our lives. Theory makes the invisible visible, the unsaid said. (Appleman 75)"

I liked the application of the Feminist lens to Hamlet. It was interesting to see the interpretations of Gertrude and Ophelia traditionally and with the Feminist lens.

I think the application of the Feminist lens to The Yellow Wallpaper would be an activity I could apply within my classroom. I've read it many times, but when using the Feminist lens I've taken much more from the story and gained a greater understanding of the main character.

"The goal of teaching theory is not to produce discrete interpretations of individual artifacts; it is to help interpret, understand, and respond to our lived experiences. (Appleman 91)"

"Feminist Criticism is a political act whose aim is not simply to interpret the world but change it, by changing the consciousness of those who read and their relation to what they read. (Appleman, 93).

I really like the idea of applying the Feminist lens to texts with a strong female character base. It allows us to reconsider their part within the story, and maybe gain a better understanding of the text as a whole.

Notes from Allen Webb's Visit

Notes from Allen Webb

English- connect to students, learn about them through their writing, discuss issues.

Make teaching powerful and important, and try to change as many lives as you can.

English and health – some great connections can be made

• Map of the world – equal areas projection
• How maps help us view the world.
• All flat maps are distorted, what does the distortion do?
• –all land mass shown in proper proportion to each other.
• Maps. of U.S. used to be in the middle and Asia cut in half. (This showed that America was the focus)

-who won the wars? The victors write the history.

History & the role of colonialism in the world.

• The last 500 years since Columbus, the history of the world = colonialism by western Europe. (Spanish, Portugese, etc.)
• Columbus 1492
• Cortez 1519 – went to Mexico City – there were 20 million people
• slavery, disease, violence, etc. killed people off

(Trail of death – northern Indiana to Kansas – Natives were forced to move)

• Western European powers colonized all over the place.
• Set up posts in Africa to capture slaves. (The triangle trade – weapons, manufactured taken to Africa, slaves taken to Caribbean or Brazil (1 out of 20 made it to America) made sugar, rum or molasses. The Caribbean colonies were wealthier than the 13 colonies in America.
• (Scramble for Africa)

Why did the Europeans do this? Bring religion? Civilize savages? It was for MONEY!

1884 – Berlin conference – nothing to do w/ geography, languages, etc. People were separated, enemies were put together.

Other Colonization

• Australia (penal colonies), Tasmania, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh – British
• Indonesia – Dutch
• Philippines - Spain (America took the Philippines from Spain so they could bring Christianity.)
• Vietnam, Loas, Cambodia – France
• China was not properly colonized – opium war – fought against Britain, U.S. = divided China up into different sections.
• Japan – engaged w/ European powers was never colonized

Balance of power – divided everything up so that no one county could get stronger than European

Malaria – ½ human beings that have ever lived have died of malaria.

Knowing this history is important in understanding the modern world and what has happened since.

• WWII – seen as a colonial war – Germany missed out on the “grab the planet thing”, tried to get “living room” in Russia, Poland, etc.
• Vietnam War – seen as a colonial war – The U.S. didn’t know what they were doing.

• Rabbit Proof Fence – Film (2002)
• Things Fall Apart – Chinua Achebe
• Life and Times of Frederick Douglass - Frederick Douglass
• Beloved - Toni Morrison
• Flight to Canada - Ishmael Reed

Literature puts you in the shoes of someone else. It allows you to see what they have gone through.

What can you do in a school that would give you some freedom?

• Know the curriculum
• Having information
• Know what is “required” of you
• Know what you want to teach – what you are passionate about, what you care about
• Start down road to educate yourself
• Inform people about your sources – professional, academic, etc.
• Keep parents informed
• Invitation – allow people to come into your class
• Advocate for yourself and stand up to your colleagues

Dumbledore Gay? What Does This Change?

J.K. Rowling revealed that Dumbledore is Gay. Does this affect how you view the text? Would this change how you would teach it? Would you teach the text to begin with?

I'm a die-hard Harry Potter fan and have been since the first book. To be honest this didn't come as a shock to me. It only further explains Dumbledore's character.

Read the news article here

Week 6 - Webb Ch. 3

Chapter Three - Genderizing The Curriculum: A Personal Journey

I really liked the "Am I Blue" activity with the triangles. I like that the question is posed that "What does it feel like for those of you who do not have blue triangles like the rest of the students?" (45) I liked the honest responses of I wanted one, It doesn't matter, Why didn't I get one?, etc. I liked that the students didn't know what was going on until they read the text, and their response to what the color meant, and how some students threw off their triangles because "they weren't gay". I think Tasha handled the question posed to her very well. In response to being asked if she was gay, she said, "Does it matter?" I think that is more powerful than answering yes or no, because in all honesty it doesn't matter.

Womens and Gender Studies -"an effort no so much to look at biological determinants of sexual difference or sexual orientation, but instead to examine the way that roles for men and women - and for heterosexuals as well as for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered persons-have developed historically and culturally, and how these roles continue to be made and contested in the present day." (39)

Week 5 - Webb Ch. 6

Chapter Six - Huckleberry Finn and the Issue of Race in Today's Classroom

In Webb's discussion of teaching Huckleberry Finn he mentions that there were disagreements over teaching the texts. Black students felt like their options didn't matter, their parents decided that the white English teachers ignored their concerns. White students were upset they wouldn't be able to finish the book, black students felt friendships with white students were in jeopardy.

Basically "parents were angry with teachers, teachers felt threatened and misunderstood, administrators went in various directions but failed to follow policies already in place, and student were alienated from the school and from one another." (108)

I see great benefit in teaching controversial texts. But there has to be a better way to handle it. I think a letter should be sent home to parents explaining your purpose for teaching the text. Allow them to ask questions and express concerns, and address them all in turn. It is important to make parents and students feel their opinions are valued. If there is too much disagreement suggest the use of another text.

I was taught Huckleberry Finn in 9th grade. It was required summer reading. I hated it. I found the novel hard to understand, and boring since I had no direction. I was taught the more cannon model - "you will read this text because it is a classic and important". Plot, character, setting, etc. is not the way to teach this text. It is important for student to be able to express their opinions on this text and be guided through it with a more critical eye.

Week 5 - Webb Ch. 2

Chapter Two - Teaching about Homelessness

New Criticism - "emphasized the artistic or "aesthetic" aspect of literature, where metaphor, irony, and poetic devices are interpreted so as to come together to create and "organic unity" of form and meaning." (21)

On page 19, Webb address the topic of teaching issues. "When I have taught about serious, difficult, or potentially overwhelming issues like the Holocaust, apartheid, or homelessness, I know that my students stand to gain vital cultural knowledge and significant academic benefit, but I find that I worry about how such heavy topics will affect them emotionally." I feel like he brings up a good point. Students need to be taught these things, they happened/ are happening and should not be avoided. I understand it can be difficult material, but in understanding these events student will have a better idea of the world around them, and with the topic of homelessness they may be encouraged to help out to fight it.

Historical Criticism

• Biographical Criticism - "literature is read by examining its relationship to the authors life. A knowledge of the life and struggles of an author gives students a clearer sense of the varied purposes of writing, allowing them to make connections between themselves and well-known artists." (23)
• Literary Tradition Criticism - "What matters is not the life of the author, but the relation of his or her work to "great literature" both before and after." (23)
• Political Criticism - "often tied to social change and revolutionary movements" (24)

I like on page 25 that Webb makes the point "A key to cultural studies teaching, then. is helping students make connections between the literature they read in the classroom and the life experience of people in their community and around the world." I like this statement because it causes students to focus on the world around them rather than be detached from the characters in the text. It makes the text more real.

Week 5 - Appleman Ch. 4

Chapter Four - Of Grave Diggers and Kings: Reading Literature Through the Marxist Lens, or, What's Class Got to Do with It?

Similarities between feminist and Marxist lens - "both political, both interrogate textual features with considerations of power and oppression, they both invite us to consider the kinda of prevailing ideologies that help construct social realities in which we participate."(59)

I like that it addresses the diverse literary cannon and how teachers are now addressing background knowledge as well as addressing cultural and historical aspects with multicultural literature, as new reasons to introduce Marxism.

It helps that Appleman explains that Marxism helps us to consider "the political context of texts themselves." (60) It also "encourages students to consider the ways in which literary texts and the reading audiences for those texts - including themselves, their classmates, and their teachers - are socially constructed." (61)

I like that it offers texts such as "The Grapes of Wrath", "Hamlet", and "Of Mice and Men" as examples of texts to teach with Marxism.

I don't like that it focuses only on class. I think when paired with feminism or gender theory it encompasses more, and becomes a better idea, and a stronger topic to teach.

MCTE Conference

MCTE Conference October 5, 2007

9:00am – 10:00am

Keynote Address – Kathleen Blake Yancey

“Literacy, Technologies, and the 21^st Century: Where We Have Been, Are Now, and Are Going”

I found Kathleen Blake Yancey’s keynote address to be very interesting. I thought the presentation of two separate sideshows with key points was interesting, but I wish I would have known so I could have chosen better seats.

I liked that she had crowd involvement, beginning with having us discuss what literacy meant. I discussed this topic with other ENGL 4790/4800 students and we all had the same basic definition; literacy is the ability to read, write, and comprehend. We further elaborated upon what we meant until we came to a firm definition.

Yancey then asked us to define literacy in the 21^st century. I turned to my classmates and we came up with a list of ideas including, internet, television, radio. There are so many different aspects with technology that literacy has grown into a large interconnected web.

She discussed social networking which is an every day occurrence for me. I check-up on my facebook and myspace pages multiple times a day, never really considering their function as literacy tools. I think it might be interesting to create a facebook group about my class, within certain boundaries.

She also discussed the use of Pandora to create an online music collection. I thought this could be applied with a text to have each student create a soundtrack they think matches the text they read.

Yancey also brought up the terms digital native vs. digital immigrant. I consider myself a digital native, but with all the new developing technologies it won’t be long before I’m a new digital immigrant. Where will that leave the old digital immigrants?

10:10am – 11:00am

Session A – Dr. Jill VanAntwerp, Grand Valley State University

“Hanging on by your Fingernails until you gain a Toehold: Advice for Future Tachers from New Teachers”

To be honest I was disappointed with this session. I had hoped there would be a panel of educators to whom I could ask questions. Instead Dr. VanAntwerp had conducted a survey of 50 teachers from the Grand Rapids area. I felt let down. Most of the information I already knew, I felt my time would have been better spent elsewhere. The presentation was all on overheads, and it dragged on far longer than it should have. It was a good refresher on what to expect, but next time I’ll so something more constructive with my time.

11:10am-12:10pm

Session B – Melissa Brooks & Carrie Eade

“Creativity Meets Content Standards: Digital Storytelling in the Secondary Classroom”

Unfortunately this session encountered some technological issues and we were unable to see the clips they had wanted to show us. This is something to consider, because students using digital storytelling could encounter the same issues. Another thing to take into consideration is copyright issues. There are many things you have to cite and get permission for, that digital storytelling seems more of a hassle than a worthwhile project. Instead creating websites could be a good idea with digital media. I’m not sure I’ll be using digital storytelling in my classroom, but it is nice to get resources so I can do it if I wish.

Overall I had a good time at the MCTE conference. It was nice to hang out with my peers in the College of Education. For $25 I couldn’t have asked for more. I even got some amazing deals at the $1 teachers bookstore!

Week 4 - Webb Ch. 5

Chapter Five - Shakespeare and the New Multicultural British and World Literatures

Within the chapter Webb introduces two new literary theories. New Historicism and Postcolonial Studies. I like that they are subsets of the chapter, with their own text box to include them within, but separate them from the text.

What I like about New Historicism is that it "creates the possibility of making the study of traditional literature more contentious, controversial, and considerably more interesting." (83) I can definitely see how this has been used in my ENGL 4440 Novels class. We read Matthew Lewis' "The Monk". We studied the time period in which it was written, as well as social contexts. This helps to explain just how controversial the text was when it was written, and how it maintains that status today.

With Matthew Lewis' "The Monk" I can see a clear connection to Shakespeare's "Measure for Measure". It would be a great way to present a variety of texts on similar subject matter. If possible it would be a great opportunity to pair those novels with a live presentation of "Measure for Measure". Seeing Shakespeare acted out is a very different experience than reading his works.

Post Colonial studies "looks with a critical eye not only at European economic and military authority but also at the cultural traditions and Eurocentric legacy the identified colonized peoples as "savage," "uncivilized," "backward," or "underdeveloped." (92)

To be completely honest, I'm not sure I really understand Post Colonial Studies. I think this is one topic I may have to further research before I understand it's practicality within my classroom.

Oh, and just a side note, the resources at the end of the chapter are amazing. I'll definitely be keeping this book as a resource for my classroom and lesson plans.

Week 4 - Webb Ch. 1

Chapter One - A Course in Contemporary World Literature

I liked that Webb explains how he used "Night" within his classroom. I read it in high school and found it very interesting. I think it's great that he brought in a survivor to speak about the Holocaust. I believe that more can be learned from someone who went through it, than you can just by reading a text about it.

On page 6-7 Webb has a section on Reader Response. This is a review on what we read from Appleman. Basic rundown is that it focuses on what students bring to a text, and the interpretations they make from it.

On page 8, Webb describes Cultural Studies as emphasizing "the integration of literary works, even the most canonical, with the whole range of cultural expression." "It fosters critical thinking and activism as it wrestles with how we see ourselves and others in the process of understanding and acting in society."

I think the best part about this chapter is the Resources for Teaching. He provides more than enough resources to make teaching the Holocaust a month long project.

Week 3 - Appleman Ch. 3

Chapter Three - The Lens of Reader Response: The Promise and Peril of Response-Based Pedagogy

"There can be no denying the power and purpose of a reader-centered approach to literature and the degree to which it has positively informed our practice. It has made the enterprise of literature teaching more relevant, immediate, and important. It has forced us to rethink what we do when we teach literature, why we do it, and whom we do it for." (Appleman 26)

I think Appleman offers a great description of the benefit or reader response, one of the problems we face in teaching reader response is students taking it too far. By too far I mean leaving the text to explore some facet of their life that somehow relates to the text, but getting off track.

There is also the downfall that students feel since it is a personal response that they don't really have to respond, or that their response is correct. I'm not saying a response is right or wrong, but some interpretations and relations to the text can be very misinformed.

I really disliked the reader-response diagram. I don't believe that all students will be able to respond to all texts. Like the activity we did in class. I read a book on an orphan in France, who floated away. 1. I'm not an orphan. 2. I've never been to France. 3. I definitely cannot float, wish as I may. I suppose I can relate to pictures I've seen of France, but I don't believe that is enough to really accomplish a reader-response piece.

I like the idea of reader-response, but I believe it has some serious shortcomings.

Week 3 - Appleman Ch. 2

Chapter Two - Through the Looking Glass: Introducing Multiple Perspectives.

This chapter delves into multiple perspectives and offers four ways in which they can be examined in the classroom.

"My Papa's Waltz" is an interesting example as shown through the emphasis put on specific words. One student focused on words such as papa, waltz, cling, etc. Another's interpretation focused on beat, death, battered, missed, dirt, whiskey, etc. This just goes to show that meaning is taken from how you read it. Both got a different meaning from the same piece, which I believe will be very common within a classroom.

The idea that there is more than one opionion is further brought up in the discussion of Rachel's classroom, where the students are reluctant to offer opinions on "The Scarlet Letter". She employs a number of activities including reading new texts and watching movies to get students to share new perspectives.

I thought she presented some good ideas, but I feel that watching an entire "Star Wars" movie is wasting time. I can see how short clips could be useful, but if you use an entire movie you're using a class and 1/2 - two classes, and that's just lazy.

I felt this chapter dragged on a bit, I understood what Appleman was trying to get across within the first few pages. She made her point well, but I believe she overextended it a bit.

Week 3 - Appleman Ch. 1

Chapter One - The Case for Critical Theory in the Classroom

On page 2 Appleman writes, "This book challenges current theoretical and pedagogical paradigms of the teaching of literature by incorporating the teaching of literary theory into high school literature classes. The guiding assumption of the book is that the direct teaching of literary theory in secondary English classes will better prepare adolescent readers to respond reflectively and analytically to literacy texts, both "canonical" and multicultural."

Upon reading this I felt I could relate to the literature teachers she mentioned a little ways before this passage. She notes that "Literature teachers find it difficult to see, at least initially, how contemporary literary theory can inform their daily practice. They are already overwhelmed as they juggle curricular concerns as well as the competing literacy skills and needs of their increasingly diverse student body. Students and teachers alike find it hard to believe that something as abstract and "impractical" as literary theory could be relevant to their lives, both in and out of the classroom."

I related most to the section on Reader Response Theory. This is the theory I have the most experience with, as it is the most commonly practiced of the theories. I like it because it allows a reader like myself to bring my own experiences to the text, and take my own interpretations from it.

Appleman ends the chapter by explaining the purpose of teaching theory. “The purpose of teaching literary theory at the secondary level is not to turn adolescents into critical theorists; rather, it is to encourage adolescents to inhabit theories comfortably enough to construct their own readings and to learn to appreciate the power of multiple perspectives” (Appleman 9) I think this quote will be an important point to remember thought reading the text.

Week 3 - Appleman Introduction

Appleman opens the introduction with a quote from Stephen Bonnycastle,

"Often literary theories change our views of a work of literature by proposing new distinctions or new categories for looking at the work. This is a bit like putting on a new set of glasses: suddenly you see things more clearly."

I enjoy this quote because I find it true myself. In learning new theories I can look at work in a new and enlightening way.

I like that Appleman begins the book with a real life situation. It's always interesting to hear real stories from real people. It makes the work seem more credible and proven.

I'm interested to get into the chapters and see what Appleman is about.

Week 2 - Wilhelm Ch. 6

Chapter Six - Expanding Concepts of Reading, Response, and Literature

On page 143 Wilhelm explains that "studying response with my students allowed me to get to know my students as people and as readers." I think this is something we should all remember as a way to better know our students and their needs. Maybe every class should study response and literature in some way.

In the last chapter of the book Wilhelm ends with a discussion about the teachers role, and the influence on students reading. On pages 148-149 he has a list of questions under 'what counts'. The second question he asks is, "What is the role of the teacher? Are teachers simply people who deliver packaged curricula, who teach premade tests? Or are they individuals who create learning environments based on individual students' present needs, desires, interests, and abilities? Are we simply technicians painting by numbers, or are we educational adventurers guiding our students on their personal paths of learning?" (Wilhelm, 149). I like this question because it gets me thinking about what a teacher really is, and what their role within the classroom should be. What does it mean to you?

Week 2 - Wilhelm Ch. 5

Chapter Five - Reading is Seeing

Wilhelm begins the chapter with a story and explaining that teachers deal with 30 students in almost every class, and they have to face each students individual needs. They need to be organized, enthusiastic about their subject and prepared for what the day might bring.

This chapter supplies another case study on three students, Tommy, Walter, and Kae. Tommy and Walter are LD students and Kae is an ESL student.

On page 117 Wilhelm writes, "It has been demonstrated that visual imaging encourages students to access and apply their prior knowledge as they read, increases comprehension, and improves the ability to predict, infer, and remember what has been read." He explains that after talking with the three students that none of them saw anything when they read a text, and therefore couldn't actually think about what they had experienced in the text.

On page 122 Wilhelm offers three activities to be used with visual arts; Symbolic Story Representations, Visual Protocols, and Reading Illustrated Books. All three are great methods to get student to visualize while reading. I really like SSR's because it allows the student to create what they are seeing, without conforming to what they are told they should be seeing, and using picture books helps students see the story as a whole. He continues with more activities on page 124; Illustrating Books, Picture Mapping, and Collages.

I enjoyed the section on Relating to Characters because often times when reading I try to place myself in a situation, or a location that the characters are in. I believe it is one of the best ways to picture the text, and try to understand the emotions of the characters.

Week 2 - Wilhelm Ch. 4

Chapter Four - Using Drama to Extend the Reader

On page 90 Wilhelm writes about less proficient readers and how they read more slowly and less accurately then proficient readers. He explains that they don't make use of personal experience when reading. I don't necessarily think that is the case. I believe they are so caught up in trying to read correctly that they lose the meaning of the text, and don't have the time to make connections while trying to stay on track with everyone else. They are so focused on not failing, that in not understanding the text that is exactly what they are doing.

He also notes that reading problem can come from a mixture of "negative attitudes, conceptual difficulties, and self-defeating strategies" (Wilhelm, 91). He continues on by saying that less proficient readers believe reading is a decoding process, not a meaning-making process. I agree with this, they are more passive in relation to the text, whereas proficient readers take an active part in reading.

I liked that he focused on three new students for this activity, Kevin, Marvin, and Libby. Kevin - regular education student, less proficient & unmotivated. Marvin - both LD and ED. Libby - LD, but enjoyed reading on her own. He describes in the chapter how he used drama to help the students make meaning of the texts. On Pg. 100-101 Wilhelm lists 9 drama activities to be used in the classroom. I really like Snapshot and Tableaux Dramas. I think it would be a great way to see what each student sees a particular scene as.

I enjoy that the chapter shows the three students progression from frustration and dislike of reading, to making connections and enjoying the text.

Week 1 - Wilhelm Ch. 3

Chapter Three - The Dimensions of the Reader's Response

I like that Wilhelm opens the chapter with an activities list; teacher journal, literary letters, think-aloud protocols, free-response protocols, cued-response protocols, two-column written protocols, and visual protocols. I like that he presents the activity with a description so that we can take the information and put it to use within our own classrooms. I also really liked the SSR mentioned in this chapter. It is similar to something we discussed in ED 301, and I believe it has very practical uses within the classroom. Asking a student to create something (while giving them creative freedom) on what they have read is a way to see how the student visualizes and relates to a certain text. I find this the most practical chapter out of the three we read because it gives ideas and ways to apply them within a classroom.

Week 1 - Wilhelm Ch. 2

Chapter Two - Looking at Student Reading

I like that Wilhelm goes into more detail about specific students and their attitudes towards reading; whether it be enjoyment, frustration, or boredom. Wilhelm notes that as a teacher it is your job to familiarize students with literature and show them the variety of book available to them. He also makes note of how little time is given to teaching reading, and that subjects such as math and science are more of an educational focal point. I think the point that stuck with me was Cora's comment on page 31, "I don't believe reading can or should be graded." I believe that she is on to something. If you know a grade is dependent on something you are less likely to really enjoy it, and will instead just work to get it done without really reading into it.

Week 1 - Wilhelm Ch. 1

Chapter One - Moving Toward a Reader-Centered Classroom

I thought this was a good introduction to the book, and to what a reader centered classroom should be. On page 11 Wilhelm writes "In order to develop readers, we must encourage and foster the creative attitudes and activities of engaged readers." We did a lot with reader centered classrooms and inquiry in ED 301, so I feel familiar and comfortable with the information. Wilhelm discusses the first theory of New Criticism. I know that is the theory under which much of my elementary education was taught, and I am interested in learning more about other literary theories. I liked that he ended the chapter with questions that get the reader thinking about their own reading.