Blog Post 1 (RLL 4430 Spring 2011): Creating a New Mosaic in Changing Times to Help Our Mindful Readers

What is it that helps to remember what we read? As a matter of fact, when is the last time we read something that really left a deep, down-felling of personal transformation, some heart-felt tears, or left us with a laugh so hard it hurt? Do we have these experiences with us when we teach reading to children? Can they feel that deep love and passion for words, language and experiences? I believe on a very basic level we understand that it is essential that we help students to read in our specific content areas but as Chapter 1 presents, its not that our students, particularly those at the elementary grades do not know how to read, its can they have experiences and make connections and build upon what they have read. Can we give students choice in what they read when it comes to teaching topics in U.S. History such as Reconstruction, the Extermination of Native Americans (see: Brother Eagle, Sister Sky) or even, dare I say Algebra concepts? By giving students choice in what they read, we are not only empowering youth but we are also structuring our classroom to incorporate multiple perspectives on a particular topic (see: Literacy Circles). This contributes to what Keene refers to as the "thoughtful classroom" in which students can score high on standardized tests and work is "interactive and conceptual" rather than prescribed and worksheet and text-book driven. We can begin to create these classrooms and environments with by having students continously speak, think, act, write, share what they are reading. The strategies that we learn in this course are really secondary to the underlying pedagogy we employ. If we believe that students should have choice and multiple opportunities and platforms to express their ideas and reactions to what they are reading, then we will see huge returns on the strategies presented in this and other progressive courses. This is when we do need to become aware of the challenges that children experienced when working with reading strategies and how we can best support. In Chapter 2, Keene speaks to "four reasons" why students often "complain" in response to working reading strategies. We must help students to see the value in this work but using a gradual release method and leveraging our personal relationships to motivate and encourage. Students must know that when encountering a text like Jamaica Kincaids, "Girl" or technical manual for assembling a bike, its important for kids to have tools to use. We can teach the tools and we must create the proper environments; our environment must be rooted in a love for reading, proper tools for helping students understand what they are reading and deeply connected to the real-world and the larger community.