At one school I worked at, there was an established Accelerated Reader system in place. Students were required to read books that were assigned a point value, and then pass a test to show their comprehension. Points were awarded if the student passed the test. If the student was unable to pass the test, they didn't get any points. This was a problem because some students could pass the tests without having read the novel. Other students couldn't pass the test, even if they did read it. In my professional opinion, it's a terrible system.
As a result of the Accelerated Reader program, students viewed reading as a punishment. Parents were upset when their child didn't receive credit for this portion of the grade, as it was weighed at 30% of the grade. If the student didn't do their independent reading, they didn't pass.
I remember one student in particular that would be reading every time I saw her. She didn't move fast, and she didn't always understand what she read. When we did whole class reading, she hated reading aloud. Although she was able to decode the words, her errors made it clear that she wasn't self-monitoring as she was going. Still, she made the effort to try.
This particular girl also liked to journal. If I assigned a half a page journal entry, she'd turn in two pages. I would find haiku poetry in the margins of her papers. She was a model student in English class. Yet, according to the rules of the school, because she was unable to pass AR tests, she should have failed each semester.
I couldn't let this happen, so I had her do an oral book report with me after each failed test. In her oral book report, she would tell me who the characters were, where the setting was, and what the basic storyline was. Then, she'd tell me her favorite parts. She'd ask me questions about events that happened, and wanting to know more information. This oral report became a conversation.
So, instead of putting kids in front of a computer and letting a computer decide if they really read the book, I believe teachers need to take the responsibility. Teachers need to step back and talk to their students who fail a test, and understand what their level of understanding really is.
I made a mistake during my time at that school. I went along with the established system, and even when I saw the flaws I didn't make any changes until the second semester. Relying on a test score for 30% of the grade didn't work for me, and it didn't work for my student either. I'm so glad that my current school doesn't require Accelerated Reader.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Students volunteering to edit a novel
When I was pregnant with my son two years ago, I decided I was finally going to write a novel. I did it. It took me three months to write the bulk of the story, but the end just wasn't coming to me. For a year, I'd write a chapter here, delete a chapter there, and edit my grammar mistakes. I still wasn't ready to write the end. Finally, this year I felt inspired to finish my novel. Publishing still feels like an impossibility, as I have zero experience with the publishing world, but I finished writing it. Of course, when I say I finished, I mean it has a beginning, middle, and end. I don't know if I'll ever feel like it is ready to send off to the professionals.
I was talking to one of my students on Friday about his plans after graduation. He's a big-time reader. In one semester I've seen him go through Donita Paul's Dragon Quest Series, Suzanne Collins Hunger Games, Cassandra Clare's City of Ember books, and various other stand alone novels. Every moment he gets, he's reading. I know his plans are to go into the Marines, which is certainly a worthy calling. Still, I want him to inspire future boys to enjoy reading just for the love of it. A male English teacher can be so inspiring to young boys. I want him for the literacy field. I decided to plead my case.
When I asked this student if he'd consider going to college after his time in the military, he said he hadn't even thought about it. Of course, I encouraged him to enroll and told him I thought he'd make an excellent English teacher. He told me he hated school, and could never see himself telling someone their grammar sucked or they didn't answer correctly on a multiple-choice test. I told him the literacy field is changing, and he can help make it what it should be- a celebration of reading and writing. This teenager told me he had thought about writing a novel one day, but he didn't have confidence in himself. He didn't do a good job with essays, so he probably wouldn't be any good at it. I told him I know how he feels.
I told him about my struggles with my novel, and how I just wasn't sure it was good enough- I wasn't sure I was good enough. I felt extremely uncomfortable baring my soul, and admiting my weakness. But, during the last National Writing Project meeting, I promised myself I'd be open about my own writing with my students. As I waited for his reply, he looked at me very seriously and asked what my book was about. At this point the other two students in the class were keyed into our conversation. I described my tale of a half-angel boy and his struggle with making meaning out of his life. I was greeted with a resounding chorus of "We want to read it!", "Wait! Stop! Don't tell us so much!", "If we get done with our projects really quickly, could we see the advanced copy?"
I hadn't intended for them to REALLY read it. My intention was to encourage this young man to write. But, when I looked at the excitement in their eyes, I knew this was a unique opportunity. Here were student volunteering to read and edit a 300 page unrefined novel. They were begging to help, wanting to do something that they perceived as important. Imagine that. Without my even meaning to, I got three teenagers excited about doing extra work. Because they think it is important, I feel myself rededicated toward my novel. But, I also feel like I can't miss an opportunity to encourage students to enjoy reading and writing.
Letting students read my unpolished, unpublished fantasy world is scary. What if they don't like it? What if writing it was a waste of time? On the other side of the coin, what if they love it? Then, I have no choice but to put it out there for the pros. I'm not sure how to feel about others readiny my novel, but I'm happy to give students motivation to finish their projects and ask for something other than a movie to close out the year. I'm interested to see how this goes.
I was talking to one of my students on Friday about his plans after graduation. He's a big-time reader. In one semester I've seen him go through Donita Paul's Dragon Quest Series, Suzanne Collins Hunger Games, Cassandra Clare's City of Ember books, and various other stand alone novels. Every moment he gets, he's reading. I know his plans are to go into the Marines, which is certainly a worthy calling. Still, I want him to inspire future boys to enjoy reading just for the love of it. A male English teacher can be so inspiring to young boys. I want him for the literacy field. I decided to plead my case.
When I asked this student if he'd consider going to college after his time in the military, he said he hadn't even thought about it. Of course, I encouraged him to enroll and told him I thought he'd make an excellent English teacher. He told me he hated school, and could never see himself telling someone their grammar sucked or they didn't answer correctly on a multiple-choice test. I told him the literacy field is changing, and he can help make it what it should be- a celebration of reading and writing. This teenager told me he had thought about writing a novel one day, but he didn't have confidence in himself. He didn't do a good job with essays, so he probably wouldn't be any good at it. I told him I know how he feels.
I told him about my struggles with my novel, and how I just wasn't sure it was good enough- I wasn't sure I was good enough. I felt extremely uncomfortable baring my soul, and admiting my weakness. But, during the last National Writing Project meeting, I promised myself I'd be open about my own writing with my students. As I waited for his reply, he looked at me very seriously and asked what my book was about. At this point the other two students in the class were keyed into our conversation. I described my tale of a half-angel boy and his struggle with making meaning out of his life. I was greeted with a resounding chorus of "We want to read it!", "Wait! Stop! Don't tell us so much!", "If we get done with our projects really quickly, could we see the advanced copy?"
I hadn't intended for them to REALLY read it. My intention was to encourage this young man to write. But, when I looked at the excitement in their eyes, I knew this was a unique opportunity. Here were student volunteering to read and edit a 300 page unrefined novel. They were begging to help, wanting to do something that they perceived as important. Imagine that. Without my even meaning to, I got three teenagers excited about doing extra work. Because they think it is important, I feel myself rededicated toward my novel. But, I also feel like I can't miss an opportunity to encourage students to enjoy reading and writing.
Letting students read my unpolished, unpublished fantasy world is scary. What if they don't like it? What if writing it was a waste of time? On the other side of the coin, what if they love it? Then, I have no choice but to put it out there for the pros. I'm not sure how to feel about others readiny my novel, but I'm happy to give students motivation to finish their projects and ask for something other than a movie to close out the year. I'm interested to see how this goes.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Game Design Software
Members of the National Writing Project have begun working on integrating gaming design tools in their classrooms. Game-making software like 3D Adventure Studio, Scratch, Game Maker, and RPG Maker XP all give the average person the ability to make simple video games. Just as we assign students papers where they must take on the role of a character, we could also have students design a game. For example, if a student is reading Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, they could be assigned the task of designing a game about the book.
Currently, I am trying to figure out how to use this software in my classroom. Today, I downloaded Game Editor onto one of the classroom computers. It was the only program I could find that wasn't blocked by our filter. That in and of itself was frustrating. Then, I assigned a student who I know to be a gamer the task of figuring out the tool, and I am anxiously awaiting what he comes up with. He is excited about the task, and asked if he could work on it at home too. That was music to my ears, of course. While he works through the program, I'm left to daydream the possiblities.
In my imaginary text-based video game, the student designer would first create an avatar for Montag. Then, they would set up the landscape to be appropriate to the text. For Fahrenheit 451, this would mean most of the action would happen indoors, as it was next to illegal to be outdoors in this world. The student designer could set up a task where the firemen were trying to burn all the books, and Montag had to retrieve them. The virtual Montag could need to defeat his wife, Mildred, by turning off all the televisions in the house, just to get her character to stop and talk to him. There could be a scene in which he has to dodge a speeding car, just as happened in the book. Each of these scenes described above happened in the book, and could be prefaced with the full text quotes, or a student made summary.
To complete this task, students would be demonstrating understanding of the book. More than that, they would be applying their knowledge to design something entirely new. Good teachers know that students are proud when they truly get control of their work. Furthermore, today's students like being on the computer. By utilizing this software, teachers give the students a chance to show what they know about the novel in an exciting new way. I'm excited about the possibilites, once I can get past the stumbling blocks.
.
Currently, I am trying to figure out how to use this software in my classroom. Today, I downloaded Game Editor onto one of the classroom computers. It was the only program I could find that wasn't blocked by our filter. That in and of itself was frustrating. Then, I assigned a student who I know to be a gamer the task of figuring out the tool, and I am anxiously awaiting what he comes up with. He is excited about the task, and asked if he could work on it at home too. That was music to my ears, of course. While he works through the program, I'm left to daydream the possiblities.
In my imaginary text-based video game, the student designer would first create an avatar for Montag. Then, they would set up the landscape to be appropriate to the text. For Fahrenheit 451, this would mean most of the action would happen indoors, as it was next to illegal to be outdoors in this world. The student designer could set up a task where the firemen were trying to burn all the books, and Montag had to retrieve them. The virtual Montag could need to defeat his wife, Mildred, by turning off all the televisions in the house, just to get her character to stop and talk to him. There could be a scene in which he has to dodge a speeding car, just as happened in the book. Each of these scenes described above happened in the book, and could be prefaced with the full text quotes, or a student made summary.
To complete this task, students would be demonstrating understanding of the book. More than that, they would be applying their knowledge to design something entirely new. Good teachers know that students are proud when they truly get control of their work. Furthermore, today's students like being on the computer. By utilizing this software, teachers give the students a chance to show what they know about the novel in an exciting new way. I'm excited about the possibilites, once I can get past the stumbling blocks.
.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Osama bin Laden and Call of Duty
In an effort to connect real world with the content in Speech class, I make a habit of showing students any major Presidential addresses immediately after they are made. At the beginning of the semester, students always complain, saying the speech is boring. Before watching, we discuss the pertinent events and information they need to understand what the President is talking about. I create these informational scaffolds for them so they can see political speeches aren't useless and yawn-worthy if you know what is happening in the world. This time, they came in asking to see the address.
After watching the President's announcement that Osama bin Laden was dead, the students began to discuss what they heard from their parents and teachers. Among the information discussed was the way Osama bin Laden used a woman as a shield to protect himself from gunfire. What intrigued me was the following conversation:
T- Hey did you hear how bin Laden was only 100 yards from us? That's crazy! How could we not know he was there?
Me- Well, we did know. The military confirmed his location and then planned how to take him down. They didn't want to rush the operation and lose him again.
T- Yeah that makes sense.
S- That's how we'd do it in our game!
Me- What game?
C-Call of Duty.
S- Yeah, that's smart, planning it out and stuff.
T- Did you hear how he used a lady as a shield?
Me- No, I didn't hear that. What happened?
T- Well, I don't really know. Ms. H said he used the woman as a human shield.
C- Coward.
S- Didn't something like that happen in Call of Duty?
T- Yeah, yeah... I can't remember.
C- That Caster guy from Cuba.
S- Fidel Castro! That's right. He does the same thing.
Co-It's awesome.
After listening to their conversation, it made me think gaming can help in more ways than we have intially thought. Often, we put down war games as too violent to make an impact. We think they aren't learning anything when playing these ultra-violent shooter games. In fact, in this instance, students were able to remember who Fidel Castro was, and make a comparison between him and Osama bin Laden. Allowing my students the freedom to discuss their game revealed pockets of information I didn't even know they had. I wonder what else we'd hear if we gave them an avenue to discuss the games that are so dear to them?
Mazetti, M, Cooper, H, & Baker, P. (2011) Behind the hunt for bin laden. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/world/asia/03intel.html
After watching the President's announcement that Osama bin Laden was dead, the students began to discuss what they heard from their parents and teachers. Among the information discussed was the way Osama bin Laden used a woman as a shield to protect himself from gunfire. What intrigued me was the following conversation:
T- Hey did you hear how bin Laden was only 100 yards from us? That's crazy! How could we not know he was there?
Me- Well, we did know. The military confirmed his location and then planned how to take him down. They didn't want to rush the operation and lose him again.
T- Yeah that makes sense.
S- That's how we'd do it in our game!
Me- What game?
C-Call of Duty.
S- Yeah, that's smart, planning it out and stuff.
T- Did you hear how he used a lady as a shield?
Me- No, I didn't hear that. What happened?
T- Well, I don't really know. Ms. H said he used the woman as a human shield.
C- Coward.
S- Didn't something like that happen in Call of Duty?
T- Yeah, yeah... I can't remember.
C- That Caster guy from Cuba.
S- Fidel Castro! That's right. He does the same thing.
Co-It's awesome.
After listening to their conversation, it made me think gaming can help in more ways than we have intially thought. Often, we put down war games as too violent to make an impact. We think they aren't learning anything when playing these ultra-violent shooter games. In fact, in this instance, students were able to remember who Fidel Castro was, and make a comparison between him and Osama bin Laden. Allowing my students the freedom to discuss their game revealed pockets of information I didn't even know they had. I wonder what else we'd hear if we gave them an avenue to discuss the games that are so dear to them?
Mazetti, M, Cooper, H, & Baker, P. (2011) Behind the hunt for bin laden. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/world/asia/03intel.html
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