The first two
chapters of Subjects Matter were
interesting to read. Sometimes reading a textbook can be boring and I was happy
to find out that this book is not boring and is an easy and very informative
read.
The first chapter,
Reading for Real, opened up the textbook and explained what the book was going
to be about. I really liked the first story that was about the two students who
go into the McDonalds protesting because of what they read. It opened my eyes
and showed me that people can be really affected from what they read. These
students could have read textbooks about E.
Coli and how it affects the human body but instead, the students were able
to read magazines, articles, and other texts that the students found more
interesting. I think because the students can relate more to these types of
texts they want to find out more information. The key word there is want
because a lot of the times students read because they have to. Also, I found it
very interesting that in this method used at the Best Practice High School
students were still required to look up information in textbooks on the topic
they were researching. I think the students didn’t mind looking up research
articles or reading textbooks because they were already hooked on their topic.
This information will most likely stay with these students more than if they
just read out of a textbook as a homework assignment. This method is something
to keep in mind and is something I think can be incorporated in a school
curriculum if the teacher plans accordingly.
The
second chapter, How Smart Readers Think, contained useful thinking strategies
that students can use while reading. This included visualizing, connecting,
questioning, inferring, evaluating, analyzing, recalling, and self-monitoring.
This is something that not all students, including myself at times, do every time
they are reading. This is something to keep in mind, as a future teacher. It is
important that the students are engaged. However, if what the student is
reading is not interesting to them they may not do this effectively. A
technique to keep in mind when students are assigned reading is to have good
in-class activities that can aid in keeping students engaged. This will also
develop a student’s schema on the topic that they are assigned to read about.
If the student does not have any background information then what they are
reading about won’t be useful. This was seen in the examples in the book when
we were asked to read the paragraphs on the various topics. Once the topic was
introduced re-reading the paragraph was easier. This proved the students need
to be accustomed to the topic before reading.
So
far I like this book and I think that it will be very beneficial for my future.
Reading isn’t easy for everyone. I am not a great reader and I think that I
might be able to learn some things about my reading skills when reading this
book. Readers are constantly growing and it is something to always keep in
mind. As someone who will not be an English teacher this book will be useful
for my future because reading is something all students need to do.
Tiffany, I think you're totally right that "hard work", like research and reading textbooks, becomes much easier when students are interested in what they're doing. In my education classes the idea that we must make information relevant to students lives always crops up. This is surely a great idea to keep in mind, especially when we remember that not every student is going to like our subject. Personally I know that subjects always become more interesting when teachers try to make an effort for me to find a connection or, at the very least, make their subject fun.
ReplyDeleteI do think that it is important for students to be able to relate to what they are reading. Building reading strategies will also make it easier for students to understand and remember what they are reading. For instance, in another one of my education classes, we have to have a conversation with the text as we read it. We were asked to write in the margin of our books and articles, asking questions and making comments, in which the professor (wink, wink) will later read and join in on. This way, she can make sure that we are understanding the text and we can look back at it later, remembering how we reacted to the text and our thoughts when we read it.
ReplyDeleteTiffany,
ReplyDeleteI agree that students want work harder and get more out of an assignment when they are interested in the subject. When a student really wants to know more about a topic even the boring textbook can be an interesting read to them. As teachers we are not going to be able to get every student to be as interested as the McDonald's example but that should always be our goal.
I agree that having thought provoking in class activities following or leading readings is a way to help get students engage with the content. I’ve always found that having standalone readings with no class time never stick; or I just end up finding them pointless. It also ensures that students are actually reading because there is an expectation that they will have to have an opinion or discussion point.
ReplyDelete