Merryman 1

Informal Reading Response

Dr. T. Donaldson

I.

Statement or Idea: Whereas once adolescence was viewed as a period in

young peoples lives when turmoil, fueled by intrapersonal and interpersonal
problems, consumed most of their waking moments, nowadays such a
developmentally deterministic and age-biased view has been tempered,
largely by the work of scholars who, like Lesko, argue against treating
adolescence as a subcategoryone that can be easily labeled and then
isolated. Donna E. Alvermann Chapter 3 pg. 22.
a) Reaction: This statement rang true for me because Ive been bouncing back
in forth between whether its ok to categorize our students or not and in most
cases I dont agree with it. More often than not when you come into a
situation being the expert in the room its hard to take the advice of others
because in our heads we believe we are the most knowledgeable, depending
on our individual situations. When we dont keep our minds open to the
possibilities that our students can teach us we can miss out on connecting
with them and growing as teachers. I love that the classroom is so
collaborative and we dont have to come in as these mean teachers who are
just there to keep kids in line. We are there to all work together and really gain
from the experiences we have in the classroom.
b) Connection(s): This actually reminded me of our classroom discussions and
how Dr. Donaldson runs the classrooms weekly. She teaches but she is also
just as interested in our opinions or takes on the content. It really feels like a
collaborative effort during class time. I hope to incorporate this kind of feel in

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my classrooms one day. It feels like a welcoming environment where everyone
get a chance to speak which is how I want my future students to feel.
II.

Statement or Idea: This glimpse into parallel universes serves as a bit of a

discontinuity in itself. We know, of course, that video games were not
invented and popularized before books. But had they been, would our
prejudices against gamin as a way of learning have been what they are today?
Donna E. Alvermann Chapter 3 pg. 24.
a) Reaction: I like this because this idea loosens the reigns on how strict we can
be on electronics. Yes, they can take have a negative effect like when we spend
more time on our phones then communicating with the people in front of us
or when we binge and play games on a console or computer. But if we utilized
the attraction our students have with electronics in a positive way why not use
them for these beneficial purposes. It can work and be incorporated into
lessons, maybe not constantly but when necessary I say go for it.
b) Connection(s): Ive seen how excited students get when they get to play on
the computer in class or in after school programs when its their turn to play
the video games provided. While it shouldnt completely replace all teaching
methods, it can be the necessary tool to use for our students. When I worked
with first graders last semester they all had a chance once a week to go into
the computer lab and practice multiple reading skills. The attention and
excitement they gave to these computers was more prominent than any other
time Id seen them in the regular classroom setting. I think there is something
to be said about how well electronics work and how it could be used more
frequently during daily lessons.

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III.

Statement or Idea: The teachers expressed concern about the weighty,

unmanageable curriculum they were called upon to teach (we coined a term
that day curriculum obesity) and understood that he size of the curriculum
was at least partially responsible for the kids lack of retention and
reapplication of concepts. Not surprisingly, the teachers were concerned
about adding more contentthe teaching of reading comprehension
strategiesto their already bursting curriculum. Back in the classroom, in a
tenth-grade U.S. history course, I was demonstrating the use of way-in texts
picture books and short pieces of text students can use to build background
knowledge (schema) and provide a way in to understanding more abstract,
concept- and vocabulary-laden texts. Ellin Oliver Keene Chapter 4 pg. 28.
a) Reaction: This statement was interesting because I havent read much about
way-in texts. The examples she talked about gave me a full-circle
explanation on how to fix a reoccurring problem in the classroom. If our
students dont find a text interesting we must show them a way and be more
of a guide. This kind of teaching allows them to see from a different point of
view that will grasp their attention and get their wheels turning more easily
than just putting text in front of them.
b) Connection(s): I worked in a kindergarten classroom a year ago and the
teacher was phenomenal. She had most of her students on reading level and
for those who werent she worked extra hard to get them where they needed to
be. By the end of the school year I knew her student would be ready for first
grade and if they werent I dont think would have let them move on. Then I
went into a different school and worked with first graders. A large chunk of

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them had an extremely hard time just recognizing their letters. It was such a
big difference and on top of this challenge the teacher was filling in for the
real teacher who was on maternity leave. Needless to say it was a rough four
months working with these students and I never saw the teacher using
relatable content to help her teach. She gave the regular assignments that
were in her curriculum which would have been fine for a class full of kids with
correct alphabetical knowledge. There were a lot of other factors hindering
these students performances but I feel way-in texts could have been helpful.
IV.

Statement or Idea: I continued to pause and think aloud three or four

times, and before long, the kids ahead jumped into the conversation, making
clear what they thought was important and defending their points of view
with examples from the text. The conversation became lively and provocative,
and no one had the iPod on. Ellin Oliver Keene Chapter 4 pg. 30.
a) Reaction: I love this statement because this is what its all about. Seeing our
students motivated and excited about the lessons we teach. When they are
engaged they will get more out of what is being taught and it will probably be
a memorable lesson. Keeping them active in the classroom and creating a time
where they can speak out and bounce off each others ideas is always a good
way to learn.
b) Connection(s): This takes me back to my government class and a debate we
had over two different societies with completely opposite rules. Our job was to
pick a side and debate over why ours would be more successful than the other.
I was a lively discussion and I hadnt been in a classroom that had done that

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before. Needless to say I still remember it and it had a stronger impact on me
than just reading from the textbook.
V.

Statement or Idea: By providing students with the text and then launching
right into questions about it, teachers offered little opportunity for students to
generate their own questions or articulate their own responses to what theyd
read. Students whose experiences in the classroom have been limited to such
recitations will need to learn how to identify questions or issues of their own
that will sustain conversation. Robert E. Probst Chapter 5 pg. 49.
a) Reaction: Just like my last statement, I found similarities in this one about
conversations in the classroom and how much impact they can have. Letting
them have a moment to contemplate the questions and then answer can give
them a chance to catch up and then give a more meaningful answer. If they
can search their minds and provide an answer they are confident in, the
conversation will be much better.
b) Connection(s): This was a tactic I learned how to do last semester in my
classroom. After giving my first few lessons I became more comfortable and
aware of how I presented the content to the students. I talked slower and
allowed more time to get feedback from the class before moving on. When all
I received were blank stares I asked more probing questions they could relate
to until we could find common ground and I knew they were beginning to get
it.