A lot of the material resonated with me. Especially the group of students categorized as "almost readers" And the fact that so many student neglected their reading assignments. I remember several instances where I hadn't read a book but I felt like I knew most of the important details from what I managed to gather during classroom discussions.
It made me reflect and question myself as to where I stand as a reader. I share so many of the characteristics with students who don't like reading. Except I feel incredibly guilty about not reading as much as I should. At times, despite the fact that I've completed the assigned reading, I feel guilty again because I haven't taken any notes/annotations. It makes me feel as if I've only completed a portion of the assignment. I'm an English major for crying out loud. I noticed that I started perusing the text, hoping for some strategy used by another student that I could use to motivate myself. So far, from what I gathered, it really does seem to boil down to student motivation.
I have to admit, I felt a little jilted when Cone came to her conclusion about what made readers. She suggested that "it was the combination of all those things - choice, assignments, reflections - in a community of reader that had brought about the change. The secret was creating the community in which students could choose books, read them, talk about them and encourage each other to read." It wasn't quite what I was looking for but at the same time, it made sense. I could see how the combination was vital to create a reader. For instance, I was -- and still am for the most part -- incredibly shy about voicing my opinion in class. Small group discussions definitely help me contribute, but the topic at hand can make a huge difference. I found myself taking over a discussion when I had an idea about how teachers could potentially implement video games into a classroom setting. That is not something that happens often, if at all. In the end, I should have known there wasn't a magical answer that would answer my question. I suppose I was looking for something that would help me answer my own perceived problems with reading.
Even now, as I'm typing my notes as I read, I noticed that I feel deeply involved and interested in the text. I hadn't done anything differently. I just knew I had to do the reading and started the article. Maybe it was just well-written. Or I wasn't distracted by the internet or video games. Whatever it was, it drew me into the text and kept me occupied.
I've read about the academic implications and importance of creating a community within the classroom. Studies have repeatedly shown that students who feel as if they are part of a community perform better, are more motivated, and are less likely to drop out. But it there such a thing as the "right" community?
How does a teacher start a community of students? I feel like if some students end up in a community in which they can't relate to, it won't work.
Hi Ray,
ReplyDeleteI, too, continue to feel like a developing reading, despite having been in school for SO long. I think my efforts to break into my academic discourse community as a PhD student really finally, ultimately changed the way I read. I now canNOT read w/o a pencil now because I just don't process as well. (Granted, I have a terrible memory and I wish I was better at making deeper connections between texts.) But the challenge of having to read so much and to participate in such deep, rich discussions where my identity as an intelligent person was on the line, I figured out and applied more strategies. Is that it? To throw a student into situations where they've got to sink or swim for themselves? Will a significantly challenging situation where you are kind of on your own in a lot of way (even if you chose to create your own social resources/communities) be the authentic context to force a student to apply reading strategies in order save face and keep up do the trick?