Response: Jolin's In the Name of God

As I'm sure everyone else is saying, this was a difficult text to read. I still don't know if this is something I would ever consider teaching in my own classroom, however I can see the value in it, and would definitely want to contrast it with a second comparable text that offered the other sides not seen in this text, maybe an American Muslim, or a Muslim who feels oppositely of Nadia in Syria during all of this conflict, which has been going on since 9/11 and even well before that with civil war and the fight for the holy land and the Palestinians. These are wars that have been going on for centuries in different ways, and so it's really always been relevant. My point however is that it's more relevant now more than ever.
I can't really see this being taught in an English class. I see this more likely to be taught in a current world events class, which is offered to seniors at most schools and is a requirement to take in order to graduate. When I took my current world events class, we delved deep into political, economical, and social events that were happening all over the world, but because there has been so much strife in the middle east over the past 15 years, that was really where we focused most of the curriculum and discussion. The war on terrorism has been a hot topic all over the world since 9/11 and since the rise of technology, media, internet, and general access the worlds public has to what is happening around the world.
I think teaching this book in a social studies class would be more effective because there you have students who are able to actively connect this book to what is happening every day in parts of the world, and what is a reality for countless people. As Americans, it is more important than ever to been as knowledgeable as possible, even if just considering our geographical location. Very few of us (Americans) are within driving distance of another country. Most of the world is surrounded by countries that have different languages, economies, governments, laws, leaders, etc.  This is just one example of what it means to be American and why it is so important to expand our horizons and show students a glimpse of what other peoples realities look like.

Response: Shakespear's Romeo and Juliet

The first time I actually read Romeo and Juliet was in the 9th grade. I remember mostly speeding through it, we all had the versions of the play where the translation is on one page and the original is directly across. So we flew through it because my teacher wanted to get to A Midsummer Night's Dream because she had more extensive plans for that play. We read it out loud in groups, choosing our own roles and acting it out, as comedies should. It was funny and fun, and afterwords we watched the movie and were encouraged to translate our own versions, which we also shared and which also turned out to be extensively hilarious.
Back on point, I never liked Romeo and Juliet. I remember thinking it was a sappy story as well as unrealistic. I feel Shakespeare intended it to be ironic and satirical, but instead it was taken quite seriously and tragically. I never want to teach this story, except maybe only to clear up the common confusions, discuss the media and cultural references and modern influences behind it, as well as discuss tropes and how and where students see this play in modern plays, movies, TV, etc.
I feel there are much more unappreciated Shakespeare plays that can be more effective and less overdone in the classroom. Most every single student will know the premise of Romeo and Juliet before you teach it, and it might be more exciting to show students that Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet are not the only plays Shakespeare wrote. In fact, many of his plays I had not even heard of until college. I never knew about King Lear, Othello, and All's Well That Ends Well. These are valuable pieces of literature that I feel do not get as much light as they deserve, and, seeing as how Romeo and Juliet is already a commonly known, referenced, and cliched piece by the time students get to your secondary classroom, there is much merit in opening the door to other branches of Shakespeare that are equally valuable.

Response: Maus by Art Spiegelman

This was the most recent holocaust text I have read since reading "Night" by Elie Wiesel my freshmen year of high school. As they usually do, holocaust texts have a hard and heavy impact when I read them, and it takes a certain degree of seriousness and strong doses of reality. However, these graphic novels allow for both a distance and a different kind of closeness to the survivors stories being told. 

In the 9th grade, I took a pre-AP English class (It was the only advanced English class offered to freshmen) and absolutely loved it. One of the things we did in the class, after reading "Night" the entire class went to the online database which lists the details of every living holocaust survivor, including the story of their experiences in the death camps in WWII. We were asked to pick a survivor who is still living, and, based on their story, create a children's book, changing the survivor and their friends and family into animals, choosing carefully what kind of animals represented the survivor we chose, their family, and the German's. We illustrated and wrote and permanently bound our books which were then sent to the holocaust museum, as well as we sent a copy of the book and a letter the the survivor that we chose. I imagine that my teacher might have gotten part of this idea from Maus. I wish I had read these graphic novels before. I think they are greatly powerful and shed a different sort of light on the stories of survivors. 

Sherman Alexie: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

I have always loved this book since the first time I read it my freshmen year of high school. Of course, this being a banned book made it hard to get access to in my limited and conservative high school library, but after a long fight with the librarians, I gave up and found a copy in the city library. I have always been a reader, and a relatively quick reader, but I flew through this book faster than any other book I had read that year. I was so sucked into the life and struggles of Junior as a high school student who felt he didn't fit in because I'm sure most of us have felt that at some point or another in our educational career.
I wish I had had a class that taught this book because it truly is a strong and engaging coming of age story. Also the fact that this is a banned book is completely ridiculous but also may be a source of interest to many students. Reading a banned book can bring a sense of adventure and rebelliousness to hesitant or struggling readers, and also aids for great in class discussion. Students can work out the kinks of why the book might be banned and where, and if they agree with the reasoning.
The use of language and imagery in this book is simple and engaging, and pulls readers in from the start. I think everyone can connect to Junior, but also Junior offers a unique perspective that many students don't get to see often. I grew up in Western Washington, all up and down the coast, and because there is a more condensed population, there is a more diverse population. We have a plethora of Native American reservations and citizens on the west side, and the places I grew up were always a stones throw from a different reservation. So naturally, in school (especially elementary and middle school) we had a heavy dose of Native American history as part of the curriculum, and mostly catered to the tribe that was nearby. The elementary school I went to was right next to the Tulalip reservation, and so we spent lots of time on the tribes history, art, culture, language, and other aspects because it was so close. I am grateful for this, however I know now that my experience was unique and not all students get a chance to learn about Native American History or even see anything from their perspective, so this novel really can offer a great insight and perspective that will be new to most students.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

1) SYNOPSIS
The book in written in the extremely limited 1st person perspective of a young boy in England. It is made clear from the beginning that the boy, Christopher, has some sort of learning disability, possible high functioning savant or autism. He discovers the neighbors dog has been killed and decides to investigate. Christopher is aware that he is different and takes the time to explain to his readers why he feels the way he does and to be as clear and concise as possible. He also includes diagrams, pictures, and drawings, to help the reader understand everything that is happening as he investigates the death of the neighbors dog.

2) RATIONALE
I chose this text because I feel it gives an important and unique perspective that is both uncommon and difficult to achieve successfully in literature. This novel offers a new perspective into the world of a boy who is completely different from his peers.
Students can follow a lighthearted story and at the same time learn how other people see the world differently through a disability like autism or savant.
This text would be appropriate for 10-12 grade students. I feel this would be better for an older audience because a certain level of maturity is necessary. This is important for students because I doubt many students are regularly learning about students like Christopher. This novel can help open doors for all students, and help students develop an understanding and more open mind and attitude towards people with disabilities, while still enjoying a unique and interesting novel.

3) TEACHING IDEAS
This is a text that I could see being read in and outside of class. This also opens doors for extensive class discussion on topics of students with disabilities and their treatment in and out of school. This could also open the door for student projects, maybe putting together a journal of events in Christopher's POV or another characters POV.

4) OBSTACLES
I can see some issues rising with stereotypes of people with disabilities, as well as having to control language during discussion, words like "stupid" and "retarded" I can see being an issue. Also students opening up about these issues, as in my high school we had virtually no education on anything about students with disabilities, and we were completely separated from the students in the special education program. There might be issues with some parents. Because the novel is written from the perspective of someone who is very blunt and honest, we see brief descriptions of gore in the beginning, and brief mentions of drugs, alcohol, and sex. However these are all coming from the perspective of a young man who does not entirely understand these things, which may be even more off-putting.
I feel this book would be encouraged by administration.
I myself was excited as a student, I feel most students would feel good about reading this book. It definitely gave an interesting perspective and opened the door to great discussion and conversations.

This is a phenomenal book unlike any I have read before! I highly recommend everyone read this book.

Response: Readicide

I loved this book. From the start I couldn't put it down. Kelly Gallagher is obviously passionate about reading and I immediately connected with that. Gallagher has much to say and reasonable possible solutions to problems which are hurting students.
There are many things in this book that I want to talk about, but I can only reasonably choose one or two, so here goes. Firstly, I love when Gallagher addresses what he calls the curriculum tsunami. His example was a written curriculum on teaching To Kill A Mockingbird, where the curriculum was about half the length of the novel. Gallagher discusses how harmful this can be to the reading of a novel. Longer, more complex curricula like the example shown slices up the novel and makes comprehension and reading flow almost impossible. When novels are divided into a dozen sections, students are unable to get a complete feel for the book, and instead are more concerned with the endless amounts of activities, breaks, exercises, writing prompts, etc, that they are bombarded with in the curriculum. Teachers need to minimize this amount of busy work, and allow students to actually read the novel. Also spending more than a week reading something is not effective. Quickly students begin to forget what they read last week, and then the week before, and by the time they get to the end of the novel they can't remember half of the plot points because they were too busy worrying about character development, and language, and cultural influence; the list goes on.
We need to find a balance for our students. A balance of short and long, simple and complex, critical and recreational.
In addition, Gallagher points out that in all honesty, any type of literature can be taught, but what matters is how and when and for what purpose. Sometimes students need a break from Homer and Shakespeare- give them something they can relate to and enjoy, and help them along with the process so we are building strong readers, instead of strong test takers who hate reading by the time they graduate high school and enter the adult world.

Response: I Read It, But I Don't Get It

I want to address chapter 6 specifically, which focuses on connecting different strands of knowledge together, or the ability to take knowledge that we have compartmentalized and undo that process. Many students don't connect content from one class to the next, and are surprised when they are expected to use knowledge outside of the designated content area in which it was taught. This is a vital skill we need to build for students in order to allow them the continuity and multiplicity of different content areas in places they weren't expecting them.
Using prior existing knowledge is so valuable to students and will aid them in being more successful in their classes. As it says in the text, students who ignore math in science instead of using those skills they built will not be as successful and are not as strategic as students who recognize that algebra can be used in the science classroom.
This also reminds me of a section in Kelly Gallagher's book Readicide. Gallagher discusses how students in his class were not familiar with a word on a mandated reading test. Not one student knew what the word meant before reading about it. However, when Gallagher traveled from his classroom in a big city in California to a rural town in another state, the students in the other state knew the word because it applied to their lifestyle living in farm country. This demonstrates that when students bring prior knowledge to the table they open more doors to success. A student who doesn't know something is not necessarily less educated than the student who is aware. If may just be a question of experience, upbringing, culture, etc.

Response: Critical Pedagogy on an Urban High School English Classroom

This article offered countless good ideas, plans, and points on teaching English in an urban classroom. Recognizing that every student in every classroom in every school is different and has different upbringing, experiences, strengths, and challenges, and working through these things to provide students with a completely rounded education and outlook by the time they leave the system. The opening paragraph states they are creating "an approach to education that is rooted in the existential experiences of marginalized peoples; that is centered in a critique of structural, economic, and racial oppression; that is focused on dialogue instead of one-way transmission of knowledge" (Duncan-Andrade, Morell, 1). This is so incredibly important. Giving students curriculum they feel that can actively and fairly be a part of, something they feel they can relate to in different aspects of their lives. I know this article is only addressing urban schools, but I hope they open this door to all schools. Everyone should be able to relate in some way to someone completely different from them, or at least be able to listen and comprehend and relate to their own world through a different student.
"Studying canonical texts is an important strategy for understanding the values and ideologies of dominant groups at various points in history" (Duncan-Andrade, Morell, 3). This was also interesting to me because it focuses in on studying similar texts through different spheres of perspective, different lenses and lights. Allowing students to relate and understand texts in a new way they had previously thought impossible. However I become wary when the article mentions that it is important to remember including "critical literary theories." This is where I see entire novels being chopped up into pieces, which is how we end up with students who cannot read longer more challenging novels because they have been fed academic reading and writing for far too long. There is a correct balance here, and sometimes being too PC can be damaging.

Response: PAULO FREIRE: CHAPTER 2 OF PEDAGOGY OF THE OPPRESSED

Everything about this chapter spoke to me, despite its rather dark and preachy tone (almost 'end of days' tone). I appreciated the authors call to action to stop oppressing students and turning them into drones that are here to recite information and spit out what the teacher wants, at their own expense. I think it is interesting when the author relates students to citizens on welfare, and how these people have never been outside of society, but always inside and a part of it, because the oppressor desires to change the minds of those being repressed, not the situation which repressed them in the first place.

Another interesting point the author brought up was the banking concept of education. This is essentially when teachers simply deposit, and students receive patiently and recite back. The author argues that it is this method of teaching that dehumanizes students, and that creates filing cabinets and catalogs in students heads instead of spaces for creativity, critical thinking, and true knowledge. 

Response: Secondary Standards-Based Grading and Reporting Handbook

When I took my classroom management class last quarter, we discussed the very hot topic of "zeros." It seemed like the class was split down the middle between pro giving out zeros and against giving out zeros, so we discussed it and I still am skeptical about the practice. The article also touches on this, showing two sets of scores averaged out into grades, with one set including a zero and one set that took the zero out. Obviously, the score with no zero had a higher grade than the set that factored the zero. However, every time this issue comes up, the question is asked: in the score that factors the zero, is this grade is an accurate reflection of that students progress and success? And my response to this is always, yes (apparently the wrong answer), this is an accurate reflection, and there are two reasons why:
1) How does a student get an actual zero? The only plausible answer to this is that the student literally turned in a completely blank assignment, or just didn't turn in anything at all. This results in a zero. Why? Because that student showed zero work, zero progress, zero comprehension. However, I am a big believe in students who look like failures because I was one myself. If a student doesn't turn something in, or turns in a blank assignment, talk to that student immediately. There is no reason a teacher shouldn't find out why this student is slacking, and there is no reason not to give that student another chance, with help and guidance if they need, to do the assignment and turn it in again.
2) Why are the assignments so heavily weighted? If a student has three grades, and one is a zero, hopefully there are going to be more than three grades in the grade book for that term, and hopefully the teacher is a decent person and allows the student to make up the assignment, or do some extra credit. So actually, if there are zeros being factored in or sneaking out of your students grades, this is a problem with the teacher, not the student. I strongly believe that you get out what you put in. To me, factoring zeros out of a students grade is cheating. However, allowing that student to make up the assignment is not cheating, it's good teaching. Taking out zeros is not a motivational tool, this to me is negative reinforcement, and creates students who know that there are zero (ha) consequences to failing an assignment, or just skipping the ones they don't "feel like" doing.

Response: Assignment Template

The most exciting part of this article to me is how useful and applicable it is to our literature unit lesson plans. This also connects heavily to Readicide, which is a book I am reading for another class. One thing I know now is that as teachers we need to spark an interest in reading for our students, and helping students connect that to good writing. Building a scaffold for our students is so important to help them be successful readers without reducing reading material for students who are struggling.
A couple interesting points from the text: Allowing students to make a connection between the text and their personal life. This helps students become invested in the reading. Also, teaching students how to look at and evaluate and see their biases from an objective point of view. Setting purposes to reading can help students to have a goal to fulfill, but it can also hinder students ability to focus on the reading as a whole.
I never have liked the idea of teaching students how to skim read- I feel like this isn't completely necessary to all students.
One issue that was brought up in the article was vocabulary, and I feel strongly, and I am sure research does as well, that this is connected to good reading and writing. We probably pick up at least half of our advanced vocabulary from reading, but it might be harder to connect to the real world than picking it up from conversation.

Response: Team/co-teaching

In the article "Speaking of Teaching" we see the actual experiences and successes of team teaching. I liked the way the article was set up. However, it seems like team teaching is a tough effort, and one small issue can completely tip the scales. With this, both teachers have to learn to collaborate and compromise completely on every aspect of teaching, which I can see being quite a challenge for many people (see: group projects). Having to agree on grading, assessment material, curriculum, approach, strategy and time management seems like the main priority, and the hardest part. However I do see many benefits for students based on what was related in the article. If things go smoothly, students get multiple perspectives on topics and lesson material, and hopefully students also get to see a model disagreement, and how to be respectfully understanding of someone who has different views and opinions. Team teaching allows for professional debate for teachers, and I can also see a benefit in teaching with someone who you may not agree with on everything.
The second article was a great follow up to this. Having a clear and concise layout of co-teaching methods made visualizing the first article easier. The first method, "one teach, one support" I did not like at all. The power dynamics are too unsteady and it seems like one job required much more planning and responsibility than the other, and doesn't give much opportunity for true collaboration between teachers. I have had teachers who used the parallel teaching method, of one teacher focusing on the whole class while the other drew small groups into another room for more focused teaching. This was something I enjoyed in elementary school when I was on the student side. I felt that this allows teachers the opportunity to focus more on one-on-one, or gathering a small amount of students who need help with the same thing, as a focus group. In the elementary classroom we also did station teaching, which allows more freedom for the students and the teachers, but keeps power dynamics equal. Team teaching is just the all-out, and I can see the benefits to this, but it also seems like the most difficult for the teachers and students.

Response: "Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts Instruction in Grades 6-12"

Before reading this article, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were only a set of guidelines spread out and organized by the federal government in an attempt to organize curriculum and allow teachers more freedom in the classroom. I always felt like CCSS were put in place to balance the effects of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act. NCLB pushed teachers into a corner and made teachers feel as if their only option was to teach to the test, in order to keep jobs and  state funding in tact. However one aspect of the CCSS I did not like was the push to boost a public image of schools. The way the public regards a school should be reflected through individual student success and class success as a whole. I understand how CCSS can help students be more successful in opening up learning veins for teachers, but the "public image" needs to be about tangible proof.
The text did draw a bit on how 21st century life is much more complex, busy, and challenging in some ways than previous centuries, "with the demands of learning and living in the 21st century based on a knowledge economy" (Beach, Thein, Webb, 2012). It has become common knowledge that students now have more stress and a heavier workload than ever before in modern education. My own brother who is 5 years younger than me started learning algebra in the 3rd grade, where I didn't start until the 6th, in middle school. Education and curriculum are constantly changing, and at a rapid pace. Parents are unable to help students on homework come 9th grade, so forget going to a parent for help on you 11th grade calculus.
Overall, I believe that CCSS allow teachers to evolve with the curriculum, yet still have a say on what they teach, and how. Leaving this door open for teachers is critical to their own success as a teacher, and their students. I understand that everything from location to socio-economic status can change a students learning experience, and even their success. However CCSS can help teachers mold the curriculum to the student, instead of being handed pre-made material that every teacher is required to teach, no matter who is in their classroom.

Response: "Discussion in a Democratic Society"

Democratic discussions are significantly important in the classroom, but hardly ever are they the ideal situation described in the article. The only times I have experienced a classroom discussion that made me feel like I was whitewater rafting was my senior year of high school when we had a class debate on abortion- and the adrenaline wasn't from excitement so much as fear and anxiety. However, that being said, I think that these kinds of fear and anxiety-inducing discussions are important (especially for students like myself, who experience social anxiety that renders open discussions difficult to participate in). It is vital for students to feel this sort of tension in a discussion or debate. I believe this connects students to the world in a real way. A discussion will never be perfectly diplomatic and PC and exciting for all involved. There is always some kind of stake- whether it be emotional or based on values, experience, etc.- for those interested and invested. However, it is these stakes that create the opinions and new views that we open ourselves to in classroom talks.
The article addresses the four purposes of discussion and it occurred to me that I had never had any experience really learning how to have a meaningful discussion in a classroom until college, and it's something I felt lacked in high school. High school should have prepared me but what it did was teach me that the best and only way to have a discussion was if it was being facilitated by hovering adults and a carefully written selection of questions and prompts meant to facilitate "appropriate"  and "fair" dialogue. Which means to me now that the school was aiming to be PC and nothing else. These purposes boil down to being open-minded, fair, and staying informed and unbiased when justifying opinions.