week+of+jan+19+and+21

English 381 Find course syllabus here

January 19 and 21

The goals for this week include understanding the framework and progression of the course, as well as reminding ourselves and understanding different "camps" of learning theories. In addition, we will share and learn about one another, as well as examine a classroom scene with the "what do you see? what does it mean?" framework.

Clock Partner Activity as a way to introduce yourselves to one another, to introduce some of the key ideas we'll be addressing in the course, and to set-up future grouping structures to use in class.

The prompts for each of the time slots


 * 1) What is English? Does it include only the traditional literature, composition, language triad or does it include more, like technology, media, and the arts?
 * 2) Of the three traditional strands mentioned in number one, which should be given priority? What percentage would you imagine you would teach or focus on for each?
 * 3) Why teach English? Why should it be required from grades 6-12?
 * 4) Best teacher/class/assignment you've worked with? Why was it the best?
 * 5) Describe the kind of community you hope to teach in.
 * 6) How do you know you really learned something? What's one example of something you either struggled to learn or were surprised to learn?
 * 7) Would you prefer to teach cononized texts, like Shakespeare or To Kill A Mockingbird, or more popular and recent texts, like Stephen King novels or the Twilight series? Why?
 * 8) When students are given responsibilities for directing their learning, are teachers really teaching - and if so, what?
 * 9) To what extent should students choose what they earn about and chose the form in which they represent thier learning?
 * 10) Should all students be assessed according to the same criteria? Why? When?
 * 11) What's one or two things you really hope your students would walk away from your class remembering?

Day 2 - January 21

Free write our way into class ... Why do you want to be a teacher? What's the kind of life you want to have and how will being a teacher help make that happen?

Pass out the syllabus and discuss. Focus on the course goals and the unit plan, which is the main task for the semester.

Book talk for the literature circles / book club groups.

Photos of school scenes. Partner up and choose one of the photos your group has to observe. Answer the following questions using the "what do you see? what might it mean?" framework

(I drew the below list as a cycle on the board)
 * 1) What do you see? (List physical descriptions and suspend any judgment or interpretation)
 * 2) What is being learned? How is it being learned? How would we know it is being learned?
 * 3) What would you have to ellieve about (learning and learners; subject matter; teaching) in order to think it's a good idea to teach this way?
 * 4) What is missing from the photo that might confirm or disconfirm your speculation and hypotheses?

You and your partner(s) present to the rest of the group. As you present, share what questions you would want to ask the teacher? What would you want to ask the students?