Imagination provokes interest.
A grumpy man smoking?
Or a boring old gatepost?
Start a Reading
Revolution: Flip Your Class With Blogs
M'reen: This seems to be really interesting and dynamic.
Are kids actually reading? It's a worthwhile question.
In
an age when distractions seem to make readers more reluctant,
one must wonder
how many students actually do it.
There's evidence to support this fear. Grant Wiggins
recently published a survey
of
a typical American high school. It found that English is students' least
favorite subject,
and worse, they despise reading. Here's some student
feedback:
Even though the books are classics, they are very
uninteresting. Almost every one of my classmates admits to never reading the
books because they are so painfully boring to read . . .
Also, unless the
essays are written exactly how that teacher likes, you are almost always
guaranteed a poor grade. You never get a chance to write in your own voice
because it's so formatted and strict. No real freedom there. Overall a
miserable class.
I don’t like it because all the books we read I am not
interested in.
Which makes it hard to read everything fully,
I would rather
have a choice on what books to read rather than having them choose for me.
There is no value in reading old books and making up
stupid feelings that we are supposed to get from reading when none of it makes
sense or it is just a stupid book.
It doesn’t have to be this way. A reading transformation
can occur in your school
much like it has in my classroom, replacing fear and
dread with excitement and self-expression.
Students will read if they choose
the books. They will write with voice and clarity if they have the ability to
express their thoughts. They can change from reluctant to inspired readers if
it happens on their own terms. All you have to do is flip the experience,
turning the practice of reading on its head by making them the creators of
their own learning.
The Flip
In flipped classrooms, students watch online lectures at
home so that they can engage in project-based learning during the school day.
Frequently used in math and science classes, the flip has upended traditional
learning as teachers spend less time lecturing and more time coaching.
Students
can access the teacher's help more frequently,
increasing the likelihood of
improvement and understanding.
But what does flipping look like in an English or reading
classroom?
This question troubled me because so much had been written about its
use in math and science but so little attention was paid to the language arts.
In many English and reading classes, students focus on one common text (like a
novel) and take notes, complete worksheets, or do group work.
The reading
occurs at home, far away from the assistance of a teacher.
The trouble is,
there is no way to know for sure whether students are actually reading, let
alone enjoying the experience, nor any chance to help them when they struggle.
The Solution
I realized that the traditional English experience needed
to be turned upside down.
Students should have an opportunity to read in class
and a choice in what they read.
Rather than answer teacher-generated questions
on a study guide,
students should be empowered to write what they want in the
format they deem fit.
My flip, which I first explored two years ago, did all of
these things, and created a contagious atmosphere of passionate readers.
Its
two cornerstones are choice and blogs.
This
approach has completely changed the way I teach reading,
with my students
repeatedly saying that it was the best and most important unit of the year.
Overview
Students choose any work of fiction appropriate for their
reading level
(in my AP Literature class, students read AP-worthy books).
Students read in class 3-4 times a week for 2.5 weeks.
They must read actively, but get to choose their method: index cards, post-it
flags, bullet points in their notebooks, etc.
At home, students write on their blog using the Writing to Learn method.
They have the
freedom to craft posts on topics of their own choosing.
Every day that they read in class, students blog about
the experience at home.
Fear
I know what you're thinking right now. How is it
revolutionary if the students are reading all period?
What instruction is
actually going on? This was a significant concern of mine as well.
Yet while
they read, I coach. I'm either commenting on their blogs or moving from desk to
desk providing strategies and assistance. More meaningful than that, what's
really happening is a movement toward mastery as defined by the Common Core
State Standards.
It seeks students that:
. . . can, without significant scaffolding, comprehend
and evaluate complex texts across a range of types and disciplines, and they
can construct effective arguments and convey intricate or multifaceted
information. Likewise, students are able independently to discern a speaker's
key points, request clarification, and ask relevant questions. They build on
others' ideas, articulate their own ideas, and confirm they have been understood.
Without prompting, they demonstrate command of standard English and acquire and
use a wide-ranging vocabulary. More broadly, they become self-directed
learners, effectively seeking out and using resources to assist them, including
teachers, peers, and print and digital reference materials.
If you look at my students' blogs, they are doing all of
these things.
They are independent readers and writers existing as autonomous
learners.
They are evaluating complex texts and conveying intricate,
multi-faceted information.
They are reading and writing for clarification and
asking insightful questions of the text.
Sample 1: The Great Gatsby
Sample 2: Pride
& Prejudice
Sample 3: One Hundred Years of
Solitude
Sample 4: Pride & Prejudice
Why Blogs?
This unit is all about empowering students by providing
freedom.
The blogs add a maker mentality, stirring the imagination to create,
design, and tinker.
They choose their theme, incorporate images and gifs, and
decide if they want to promote their work via social media platforms. No longer
must they be told what to write and how, submitting to another's power and
authority. Blogs provide choice and independence, allowing them to own the
learning experience.
They also add a dimension that essay writing or
journaling can never match: expansion. Once students publish a post, their
writing passes the four walls of the classroom and exists to the world.
This
puts their work "out there," and that changes how they approach their
writing.
No longer just about impressing the teacher, their writing exists unto
a larger audience -- classmates, friends, and the blogosphere -- whom they seek
to wow.
Authentic Learning
Socrates once said, "I cannot teach anybody
anything, I can only make them think."
Flipped reading with blogs is a
dynamic way for students to control their learning.
It revolutionizes the way
they view reading and writing, presenting it as a design challenge in which
words, images, and format serve to express their ideas.
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/flip-ela-class-with-blogs-brian-sztabnik
Introduction
to Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
A
practical overview of Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
How to choose a book. A Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
Emotions when
Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
Advanced Reading Skills Perhaps you’d like to join my FaceBook group ?
Perhaps you’d like to check
out my sister blogs:
www.innermindworking.blogspot.com gives many ways
for you to work with the stresses of life
www.ourinnerminds.blogspot.com which takes
advantage of the experience and expertise of others.
www.happyartaccidents.blogspot.com
just for fun.
To quote the Dr Seuss
himself, “The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn;
the more places you'll go.”
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Your opinions, experience and questions are welcome. M'reen