This is a well thought out and thorough plan. I could see this working well. If I
were a language arts teacher, however, I would use this approach for the students
to read a book of their choice and then additionally I would use the same approach
for a whole class novel. That way you get the best of both worlds.
Marsha ReddLibrarian, Kelloggsville High School Grand Rapids, MI
marsharedd@hotmail.comEducation is not a goal; it is a life-long process. Everyone
is a student. Everyone is a teacher.
----------------------------------------
> Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2008 07:38:41 +1000
> From: barbara.288@BIGPOND.COM
> Subject: Re: [LM_NET] One size fits all - continued
> To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
>
> This is the continuation of my first message and focuses on what we can do
>instead of
> one-size-fits-all.
>
> If we (and the English dept) were to take a different approach to planning which
>was along these
> lines ...
>
> Identifying in advance ...
> What do I expect the students to know, understand and do because of this reading
>this book?
> What are the lifelong learnings that it contributes to?
> What specific concepts/ knowledge/ attitudes/values/skills do I want the students
>to develop/
> practice/ consolidate/ understand/ appreciate/ achieve by the end of this novel
>study so they can
> continue to learn?
>
> Then, when the purpose for the study has been clearly identified, develop a
>series of open-ended
> questions that can be applied to any book that the student chooses such as.
>
> . How did the title prepare you for what the story was about?
> . How did the main character change and develop throughout the story?
> . If you were the main character, how would you have resolved the problem?
> . What is the between-the-lines message of the story?
> . Whose voice is not heard, but should be?
> . What is this text really about and what tells me this?
> . What do I need to know already to understand this text?
> . What does the writer want me to know?
> . How does that fit with what I already know and believe?
> . Does the author see the world in the same way I do?
> . What are the key similarities and differences?
> . What view of the world and values does the author assume that I hold? How
>do I know?
> . Is the author trying to change that perception?
> . Has the author been successful in making me reflect on what I know and
>believe?
> . How have my knowledge and understandings been challenged by this text?
> . Where does the author place me in relation to the text and its message?
> . How does the structure of this text match its purpose and intended
>audience?
> . What mechanisms has the author used to introduce and reinforce the
>message?
> . How do the language and illustrations influence the message and purpose?
> . How are the personalities of the various characters developed?
> . How are age, gender, and cultural groupings portrayed?
> . How are the relationships between adults and children portrayed?
> . Which characters are empowered and which are not?
> . Does one character expressing a particular point of view have a prominent
>or privileged
> position in the story?
> . How do these relationships influence the perspective of the story?
> . Who is not in the story but should be?
> . Whose story is not told?
> . Why did the author leave that character out?
> . How does that influence our response to the story?
> . Is the world that the author portrays real or feasible?
> . Has the author created a fantasy world and characters to present a
>real-world issue in a
> less-threatening way?
> . How would the text be different if it were told in another time, place or
>culture?
> . Is my interpretation of the text the only one?
> . What kind of person composed the text?
> . Are their personal interests, beliefs and values evident?
> . What would I ask the author about those beliefs if I had the opportunity?
>
>
> These sorts of questions help the student connect the book to their lives and
>thus they are engaged
> (see Doug Johnson's Blue Skunk blog
>
>http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2008/1/24/engage-or-entertain.html)
> and
> encourage them to read between and beyond the lines, not just along them because
>they have a test in
> a week.
>
>
> I believe this sort of approach has been labelled "Critical Literacy" by the
>labellers and there is
> more at http://wwwfp.education.tas.gov.au/english/critlit.htm
>
> I'm not trying to denigrate what many of you are required to do, just offering a
>different
> perspective .
>
> Barbara
>
>
> Barbara Braxton
> Teacher Librarian
> COOMA NSW 2630
> AUSTRALIA
>
> E. barbara.288@bigpond.com
> Together we learn from each other
>
>
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