Dear Readers,
I'm sad to say that this is my last blog post. Looking back on this quarter, I've done a lot, learned a lot, and busted my butt! I'm happy to say that this class was one of the best experiences of my life! I cannot believe I've done what I've done this quarter and haven't died from a heart attack! Before I sign off, I'd like to share what I've learned and what I want to work on for the future.
From the blog posts, book talk, mini-lesson, and unit plan, I've done a lot this quarter. The blog posts offered me a chance at something I've never done before. I've heard of people blogging but have never participated myself. This new experience gave me a tool for potential connection with students in the future via blog posts. Throughout the blog posts, I can backtrack to see what I've done this quarter and what I'd like to look more into in the future. I've learned new terms like pedagogy, Readicide, etc. Most importantly to me as an aspiring teacher is the fact that I've learned the difference from presenting to a class to teaching a class and that knowledge makes me feel so confident in my pursuit of higher education and teaching in the future. This epiphany happened during the mini lesson on The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. To me, this assignment was difficult because I've never taught a lesson before. Going into the lesson, I didn't know if I was simply going to present to the class or teach the class. I found that through the structure of the lesson, it made it impossible not to teach rather than present information. This experience fueled the fire within me to feel more confident in my own abilities, but also gave me the relief that what I'm going into is my passion. I started as an apprehensive reader who didn't like education at all to someone who reads often (for fun) and enjoys education because I know see the value in it. The book talk I did on Seven Days by Eve Ainsworth was a great experience because collectively every student got a new insight on a novel and why we should implement it into our curriculum in the future. To me, this assignment was a book fair on steroids! I absolutely loved the idea of this assignment because it gave insight on what books could be great in a classroom and what books may be controversial in a classroom. Underneath the insight was the connecting principle on how important good books are for students and their education. By allowing students access to great novels helps readers better their education and better their successes in life. The unit plan was by far the most intimidating assignment for me. The fact that it was testing me on material that I’ve never heard of before, made me want to crawl into a dark hole and die! TPAs are something that I’ve never dealt with or wrote in my entire life and I find them to be difficult. After the unit plans completion, I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished in the short quarter we’ve had but I too want to use this assignment as a stepping-stone for something great in the future. This assignment really oiled my gears when it comes to the development of curriculum. After the assignment was completed I found myself wanting to continue working on it so that I could really perfect what I wanted to do! I do realize that I’m a perfectionist at times and this assignment made me go crazy for the amount of work that was put into it and the amount of late, sleepless nights I put into the assignment. All-and-all I’m glad I did the assignment the way I did because it has given me the confidence to improve on what I don’t know still and to not be afraid that I don’t know everything. I’m extremely thankful for all the assignments in this class.
The theories that were focused on in class and in the readings are absolutely the most interesting things I’ve read when it comes to educating. From Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Teaching Literature to Adolescents, Readicide, I Read It, But I Don’t Get It, and many more have offered me great insight on what to look for within students and also how to structure a class to include everyone’s learning and skill levels. These texts are something I will keep on my shelf at home and in the classroom so that I can use them in the future for my classrooms.
Lastly, my participation throughout this course has redefined who I am as a student, a person, and a future teacher. It’s a lot to put into words but I feel that this class has given me the confidence to take on teaching with no apprehension. Will to be a struggle? Absolutely, but this class has given me multiple tools to better myself as a professional and as an educator. I’m very happy that this class exists and that Dr. Sean Agriss is the front man for this class because without him it could have been a terrible experience. As I’m wrapping up this final thought I want to thank everyone who’s been involved with my successes this quarter and in this class, without you all, I wouldn’t be the personal I am today. Thank you.
Forever Cheers.
Ryan
Sunday, March 13, 2016
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
My take on: "Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare (Billy Shakes)
Hello Readers.
Williams Shakespeare's (aka Billy Shakes) "Romeo and Juliet" is arguably the most over-taught piece of literature out there. That being said, I feel it is necessary to teach this piece of literature so that it can be remembered. I've been taught this piece of literature growing up in the public schooling system and I felt it always could have been taught better or at least differently. Like always, Billy Shakes offers readers the chance of romance through the telling of "Romeo and Juliet." It's crazy to think that either love like this was a thing or if Billy Shakes was this overly-romantic individual. To fall in love this hard, this fast, is unheard of these days, but the underlying message of romance isn't. This being said, simply reading this piece of literature and then having students write an essay on it doesn't sound fun or interesting at all. I'd propose a teacher having students connect this with pop culture by creating their own graphic novel of the story, or even acting out the story as a class for an audience. It's one thing to simply read this and forget it, but this piece of literature is a classic and arguably the most well-known story for a reason. It's up to the teacher to think outside the box to help students better understand the story or, at least, retain it long enough to care. Middle English isn't the most exciting thing to listen to or read for that matter. If students could take a few scenes and paraphrase it into a rap or a song, this could help students better understand the story by modernizing it. All-and-all, Billy Shakes killed it with this story, I just feel as teachers the potential for readicide is prominent within this piece of literature. There are more stories or sonnets by Billy Shakes that are just as good as "Romeo and Juliet" arguably. I just hope that teachers recognize this and teach pieces of literature by William Shakespeare differently.
Cheers.
Ryan
Williams Shakespeare's (aka Billy Shakes) "Romeo and Juliet" is arguably the most over-taught piece of literature out there. That being said, I feel it is necessary to teach this piece of literature so that it can be remembered. I've been taught this piece of literature growing up in the public schooling system and I felt it always could have been taught better or at least differently. Like always, Billy Shakes offers readers the chance of romance through the telling of "Romeo and Juliet." It's crazy to think that either love like this was a thing or if Billy Shakes was this overly-romantic individual. To fall in love this hard, this fast, is unheard of these days, but the underlying message of romance isn't. This being said, simply reading this piece of literature and then having students write an essay on it doesn't sound fun or interesting at all. I'd propose a teacher having students connect this with pop culture by creating their own graphic novel of the story, or even acting out the story as a class for an audience. It's one thing to simply read this and forget it, but this piece of literature is a classic and arguably the most well-known story for a reason. It's up to the teacher to think outside the box to help students better understand the story or, at least, retain it long enough to care. Middle English isn't the most exciting thing to listen to or read for that matter. If students could take a few scenes and paraphrase it into a rap or a song, this could help students better understand the story by modernizing it. All-and-all, Billy Shakes killed it with this story, I just feel as teachers the potential for readicide is prominent within this piece of literature. There are more stories or sonnets by Billy Shakes that are just as good as "Romeo and Juliet" arguably. I just hope that teachers recognize this and teach pieces of literature by William Shakespeare differently.
Cheers.
Ryan
My take on: "In the Name of God" by Paula Jolin
Hello Readers.
WOW! If you haven't read this book yet, you need to! "In the Name of God" is the type of book that keeps you on the edge of your seat till the very end. This book is about a young girl named Nadia who lives in Syria. This book offers the theme of misrepresentation or misinterpretation of civilizations through the tool of the media. Americans are depicted a certain way, often times being referred to as "Westernized" and same goes for Syrians. The media's influence on negativity really strikes Nadia and her family so much that Nadia becomes radicalized in her faith. To me, it was awful to think that a 13-year-old girl could be thinking in such a way. The book offers a lot for students to read. Especially presently, with being Muslim in America as something of a negative attribute for a person, "In the Name of God" offers students a greater perspective on what it means to be faithful to your religion. The book questions how far a person will go to defend beliefs, Nadia decides that she's willing to kill herself in order to promote change within the world of religion. I remember reading this book and thinking to myself about how depressing this concept is. Growing up in America, at the age of 13 I was thinking about what television shows were on or where my friends and I were going to go play at, not whether or not I'd be radicalized to fight for my country and my religion. This book is an eye-opener to the hate that can be spread by the media and the hate that can be spread by human beings. As a teaching tool, this book could be controversial if used in the classroom. Especially at a time right now, where the Middle East has such a negative connotation representing it, parents and administrators might be hesitant on the teaching of this book. I personally think that this book could offer a lot to students and help change the social stigma of stereotypes on the Middle East. It's time that we take a stance on equality, not a stance to distance ourselves from one another to create tension. Through the narration of Nadia and her thoughts along the way, students could recognize that hate isn't something that one is born with, it is given to the individual through a multitude of ways. I recommend this book for classrooms, but it would need to be taught a certain way so that students and their parents, and administrators don't feel uncomfortable. Especially the negative connotations with the Middle East defining a lot of what some people think about all individuals from the Middle East, this book could propose some controversial discussion. I personally feel that it's at the time of feeling uncomfortable with a topic that a person learns the most because they are able to connect a lot of themselves into the lesson to promote learning. Food for thought!
Cheers.
Ryan
WOW! If you haven't read this book yet, you need to! "In the Name of God" is the type of book that keeps you on the edge of your seat till the very end. This book is about a young girl named Nadia who lives in Syria. This book offers the theme of misrepresentation or misinterpretation of civilizations through the tool of the media. Americans are depicted a certain way, often times being referred to as "Westernized" and same goes for Syrians. The media's influence on negativity really strikes Nadia and her family so much that Nadia becomes radicalized in her faith. To me, it was awful to think that a 13-year-old girl could be thinking in such a way. The book offers a lot for students to read. Especially presently, with being Muslim in America as something of a negative attribute for a person, "In the Name of God" offers students a greater perspective on what it means to be faithful to your religion. The book questions how far a person will go to defend beliefs, Nadia decides that she's willing to kill herself in order to promote change within the world of religion. I remember reading this book and thinking to myself about how depressing this concept is. Growing up in America, at the age of 13 I was thinking about what television shows were on or where my friends and I were going to go play at, not whether or not I'd be radicalized to fight for my country and my religion. This book is an eye-opener to the hate that can be spread by the media and the hate that can be spread by human beings. As a teaching tool, this book could be controversial if used in the classroom. Especially at a time right now, where the Middle East has such a negative connotation representing it, parents and administrators might be hesitant on the teaching of this book. I personally think that this book could offer a lot to students and help change the social stigma of stereotypes on the Middle East. It's time that we take a stance on equality, not a stance to distance ourselves from one another to create tension. Through the narration of Nadia and her thoughts along the way, students could recognize that hate isn't something that one is born with, it is given to the individual through a multitude of ways. I recommend this book for classrooms, but it would need to be taught a certain way so that students and their parents, and administrators don't feel uncomfortable. Especially the negative connotations with the Middle East defining a lot of what some people think about all individuals from the Middle East, this book could propose some controversial discussion. I personally feel that it's at the time of feeling uncomfortable with a topic that a person learns the most because they are able to connect a lot of themselves into the lesson to promote learning. Food for thought!
Cheers.
Ryan
Saturday, March 5, 2016
My take on: "Maus" by Art Spiegelman
Hello Readers.
"Maus" by Art Spiegelman is the first graphic novel I've read. At first, the graphic novel was intimidating to me because of the distraction of the pictures and comic-like style of a graphic novel isn't the most appealing thing for me. As a continued through the novel, I noticed myself enjoying it more and more. "Maus" hits very close to home for me. My grandparents were from Germany and lived in Nazi Germany. This was a difficult time for them and Spiegelman shares this story which parallels his father's story. Spiegelman brilliantly uses the traditional plot line of "cat and mouse" in this novel to show the realistic reality for Jewish people during the Holocaust. The most powerful theme, for me, in this novel was the theme of guilt and blame. I say guilt because of the surviving Jewish individuals questioning their worth over others who've died from Hitler's reign. To me, this was impactful because no one thinks about those who've survived as feeling guilty for living. There are multiple ways to teach this novel to students. Not only could it be a resource for historical fact, but it could also serve for differential instruction as the words aren't difficult and the pictures supply understanding for visual learners. I personally would like to create a mini-play for students. This would entail the teacher separating the students into small groups, have them pick a scene and act out in front of the class. This would allow for students to work on performance skills, and also help with the understanding of the novel. As an assessment, students could compare and contrast the two volumes on themes and why Spiegelman constructed the novel into two separate volumes. Students could also look at the different narrators, Vladek and Art, to pinpoint differences and how their perspectives shape their understanding of the world and in turn, shapes the readers understanding of the events. All-and-all, I would recommend this novel for teachers. I could be used in a class to excite hesitant readers by changing up the "traditional" curriculum on classic novels. I know personally, I've never been taught through the tool of a graphic novel, but to me it looks fun!
Cheers.
Ryan
"Maus" by Art Spiegelman is the first graphic novel I've read. At first, the graphic novel was intimidating to me because of the distraction of the pictures and comic-like style of a graphic novel isn't the most appealing thing for me. As a continued through the novel, I noticed myself enjoying it more and more. "Maus" hits very close to home for me. My grandparents were from Germany and lived in Nazi Germany. This was a difficult time for them and Spiegelman shares this story which parallels his father's story. Spiegelman brilliantly uses the traditional plot line of "cat and mouse" in this novel to show the realistic reality for Jewish people during the Holocaust. The most powerful theme, for me, in this novel was the theme of guilt and blame. I say guilt because of the surviving Jewish individuals questioning their worth over others who've died from Hitler's reign. To me, this was impactful because no one thinks about those who've survived as feeling guilty for living. There are multiple ways to teach this novel to students. Not only could it be a resource for historical fact, but it could also serve for differential instruction as the words aren't difficult and the pictures supply understanding for visual learners. I personally would like to create a mini-play for students. This would entail the teacher separating the students into small groups, have them pick a scene and act out in front of the class. This would allow for students to work on performance skills, and also help with the understanding of the novel. As an assessment, students could compare and contrast the two volumes on themes and why Spiegelman constructed the novel into two separate volumes. Students could also look at the different narrators, Vladek and Art, to pinpoint differences and how their perspectives shape their understanding of the world and in turn, shapes the readers understanding of the events. All-and-all, I would recommend this novel for teachers. I could be used in a class to excite hesitant readers by changing up the "traditional" curriculum on classic novels. I know personally, I've never been taught through the tool of a graphic novel, but to me it looks fun!
Cheers.
Ryan
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
My take on: Edgar Allan Poe
Hello Readers.
To me, when it comes to great American writers, I think of Edgar Allan Poe. Having read a lot of his work, Poe uses themes and motifs to attract readers and question the deepest fears. My favorite short story from Poe would have to be, "The Fall of the House of Usher," because of how creepy and Gothic it is. Delving into the story, one will notice how sick and twisted the story is presented which allows for readers to feel emotions of terror. When Roderick Usher buries Madeline in the basement, readers get the sense of terror has Madeline screams for help and claws at the coffin. Poe's use of intense imagery creates a story that can be taught in a horror lesson around Halloween. In a lesson, I'd focus on the themes within the story that make it a Gothic piece of Literature. In this lesson, there could be the opportunity for kids to act out certain scenes of the short story. This would allow for students to interact with the text in a way other than reading and writing. There also could be a lesson devoted to mental illness within the characters. I'd like to focus on whether Madeline is a real-life individual or a character that Roderick created from a mental illness. To me, there are multiple ways that one could teach Poe. Constructing a 3-week unit on "The Fall of the House of Usher" would supply the teacher with multiple routes of teaching what Gothic Literature is and how Poe's use of themes and motifs can make readers address their own deepest fears. There is a lot to say about Poe and it's hard to pin-point one thing that I'd like to focus on, but I feel that as a great American writer, students would be able to connect with Poe from the mystery's he provides through works like, "The Fall of the House of Usher." Teachers could use the film, "The Raven," to connect the short-stories of Poe to film. this could help with differential instruction and make the lesson fun for students as the film was done very well. I'm excited to see what the presenters have in store for the class today and I'm hoping to be spooked by, "The Fall of the House of Usher."
Cheers.
Ryan
To me, when it comes to great American writers, I think of Edgar Allan Poe. Having read a lot of his work, Poe uses themes and motifs to attract readers and question the deepest fears. My favorite short story from Poe would have to be, "The Fall of the House of Usher," because of how creepy and Gothic it is. Delving into the story, one will notice how sick and twisted the story is presented which allows for readers to feel emotions of terror. When Roderick Usher buries Madeline in the basement, readers get the sense of terror has Madeline screams for help and claws at the coffin. Poe's use of intense imagery creates a story that can be taught in a horror lesson around Halloween. In a lesson, I'd focus on the themes within the story that make it a Gothic piece of Literature. In this lesson, there could be the opportunity for kids to act out certain scenes of the short story. This would allow for students to interact with the text in a way other than reading and writing. There also could be a lesson devoted to mental illness within the characters. I'd like to focus on whether Madeline is a real-life individual or a character that Roderick created from a mental illness. To me, there are multiple ways that one could teach Poe. Constructing a 3-week unit on "The Fall of the House of Usher" would supply the teacher with multiple routes of teaching what Gothic Literature is and how Poe's use of themes and motifs can make readers address their own deepest fears. There is a lot to say about Poe and it's hard to pin-point one thing that I'd like to focus on, but I feel that as a great American writer, students would be able to connect with Poe from the mystery's he provides through works like, "The Fall of the House of Usher." Teachers could use the film, "The Raven," to connect the short-stories of Poe to film. this could help with differential instruction and make the lesson fun for students as the film was done very well. I'm excited to see what the presenters have in store for the class today and I'm hoping to be spooked by, "The Fall of the House of Usher."
Cheers.
Ryan
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)