New Term, New Topic!

I have been teaching high school English for three years (after many, many years of middle school librarianship). I am ready to try new activities! This term I am focusing my reading on materials that will allow me to change the way my students acquire information. I completed an online course this summer over teaching in a digital classroom, and although I picked up many tips, I don't teach an online class. I teach the students sitting right in front of me. I have the advantage of sitting face to face with my own PLN every school day. How do I make the most of this opportunity?

Although I have picked up several books in the past couple of years, I have not really read them well. I have skimmed them and carried them around, but now I am going to read them. I purchased most of the books for this project, as I am the type of reading who likes to write in books.

Today I will review the books I have read so far this term.

The Rosie Project and The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion: Loved these books! Adult fiction, these books are fun to read. (Watch out! Simsion is a firm believer in the power of the F-word. He uses it often.) Don Tillman is a geneticist in Australia. He is nearing 40 years old and he wants a life partner. Don is clearly an alternative thinker and learner. What makes sense to the average (Don's word) person does not make sense to him. When told gentlemen were expected to wear jackets at a fancy restaurant, Don does not understand why his windbreaker isn't acceptable. Don has also learned that he must defend himself against people who can't accept his differences. By the end of the jacket conversation, Don has disabled two of the restaurant bouncers and has met the woman of his dreams: Rosie. His goal now is to convince Rosie to spend the rest of her life with him. I enjoyed the book so much, I didn't even wait until I was finished with The Rosie Project to go get The Rosie Effect. (Clearly the title of the sequel lets us know Don's succeeds with his project. Yeah! Happy ending for us!) I hope that my time with Don and Rosie allows me to consider that many of my students will learn or understand concepts in ways I cannot conceive of. I need to work on making sure I understand what they understand before I decide they just don't get it.

The Teachers Big Book of Graphic Organizers by Katherine McKnight: Lots of graphic organizers I have seen before, all pulled together in one book. I purchased this used from Amazon, as the new price was $23.00. Lucky me, I found a clean copy for cheap and will have no guilt over tearing pages out. I heard McKnight speak at conferences twice this summer and found her to insightful and direct. I liked the fact that she often presents information on the manner that thinking does not always have to be assessed by a grade in the grade book. One of my current issues is the idea (often from students) that if it isn't going in the grade book, it isn't important. Life is not graded. We measure success by how we use what we know. Can I find quick and insightful ways for my students to acquire content? McKnight thinks so. Many of the organizers she provides are for younger learners, but she also provides a variety of adaptations to her organizers that may provide me with ideas to adapt them to my own needs.

Next week: Notice and Note by Beers & Probst. Not only does the book have lots of information, I am following the postings on the Notice and Note Facebook page. Lots of teachers are using this resource! I am looking forward to seeing what it is about.