Dear Sean,

            I am officially declaring Winter Quarter 2017 the toughest, yet most rewarding of my student career!  I had to dig deep this quarter to accomplish all of my goals and the two I am most proud of is completing a 19 credit hour class load, and having the opportunity to teach kids in a real classroom!  I think this quarter provided me with a glimpse of what the workload will be like as a teacher, and I am feeling more confident in my role as a teacher.  I appreciate the emphasis on being reflective and, I would like to share a few things that I have learned as I participated in English 493 that further developed my classroom philosophy.

            I think the most important lesson I learned this quarter is that even though I plan to be a History teacher, I have a responsibility to encourage my students to read and become proficient readers.  Allowing students to choose what they read is a critical component of sparking their interest in reading.  I need to be able to provide my students with some good choices and I have already started compiling a good list, thanks to our book talk activity.  The book talk activity also helped me formulate a process for sizing up a text to determine if it is something I should use in my classroom by considering its appropriateness, audience, lesson potential, and possible obstacles.

            My research this quarter has also made me realize the complexity of the reading process and that there really is more to it than opening a book and reading it.  Frontloading is a necessary strategy to help students engage with a text and it improves their understanding and comprehension as they read so, this is why I decided to construct a pre-reading activity for my mini-lesson.  I believe good pre-reading activities helps students understand the purpose for reading a text and provides them with a specific lens or focus to view the text, which helps them construct meaning.  The min-lesson also helped me be thoughtful about considering the amount of time an activity actually takes in a classroom.

            The three-week literature unit plan was daunting and in the beginning, I was not sure I could do it!  Well, I showed myself that I am capable of creating curriculum.  I think the most overwhelming aspect of this assignment was the amount of research I conducted (which made it difficult to decide the focus of the unit…..so many great choices!!!) and making sure I could justify the choices I made to ensure my students would be getting something of value.  I know that time in a classroom is precious and I want to use it wisely and efficiently.  The most important thing I learned from this process is that I can do it, and with time and practice, it will get easier.

            Sean, you provided us with some fantastic resources for theories and concepts and I thank you for building my personal resource library.  I had already determined prior to this class that I would incorporate quite a few cooperative learning activities in my classroom and I am grateful for the article “Discussion as a Way of Teaching,” because it provided so many different ideas on how I can incorporate collaborative discussions into classroom activities.

            Kelly Gallagher’s Readicide was also impactful.  I do not want to be guilty of committing readicide in my classroom.  I want my students to love reading, but I know many of my students will struggle with reading.  I know it is important for my students to learn reading strategies, but I also need to provide them with opportunities to get lost in books as well. I know students are not going to love everything they are required to read, but it is my job to help them realize the value in the texts I ask them to read.

            Even though I plan to be a History teacher, it is also my responsibility to teach reading too! In my classroom, I intend to help my students increase their proficiency in reading and build their comprehension by modeling reading strategies like reading closely and using essential questions.  I am a lifelong learner, and I want my students to develop that attitude as well. As I participated in this class, my focus kept shifting back to my future students and the importance of knowing them.  Building good relationships with students (and their parents) is the foundation for an engaging and warm classroom atmosphere.  Knowing my students means I know how they learn and that knowledge will help me know which instructional methods to employ for their benefit. 

Sean, thanks for a great quarter and thanks for modeling the skills of an effective teacher for me!  Hope you get to enjoy the slopes during spring break!

Shawna Nowels

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

I love Sherman Alexie!  My first exposure to Alexie’s writing was in a poetry class and I immediately fell in love.  I love how his writing conveys his attitude, spirit, intelligence, compassion, humor and honesty and even though he comes from a completely different background, he is able to connect with his readers.  I would definitely utilize The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian in my classroom.  The writing and language in the book is plain and is easy to understand, the story is very engaging, and because of this, I think students would actually enjoy reading it.  I think I would use this book more as a pleasure read than anything else and I would not assign formal written assignments, so my students can just enjoy it.  I believe students, especially middle school students, would connect with the book because of the identity theme.  Junior is just trying to figure out who he is and where he fits in, something all adolescents wrestle with as they grow up.  I think kids can also identify with Junior’s home life.  Even though his family experiences adversity and his father is an alcoholic, he realizes that his family cares about him and they are actively involved in his life.  Nobody has the perfect family life and I really appreciate Junior’s willingness to focus on the positive aspects of his home life and his ability to forgive his family members for their shortcomings and failures.  He demonstrates a resilient attitude while facing life’s struggles and I think that is a very important lesson for kids to learn.  Kids will also identify with the friendship theme in the story.  Junior and Rowdy’s friendship is tumultuous, but in the end, they are able to make amends and continue their friendship.  Kids need to realize that people can disagree with each other, be upset with each other, and still be friends.  Maintaining the bonds of friendship is difficult but worth it.  I really enjoyed reading this book and I know my students will too!

1. Teacher Candidate	Shawna Nowels	Date Taught	3/13/2017
2. Subject	History
3. Lesson Title/Focus	Night Unit Pre-reading Activity: Gallery Walk	5. Length of Lesson	20 minutes
4. Grade Level	9th

6. Academic & Content Standards (Common Core/National)	EARL 4.3.1 Analyzes and interprets historical materials from a variety of perspectives in world history (1450-present). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
7. Learning Objective(s)	Learning Objective:  Given the gallery walk, students will critically analyze a single image from the gallery by answering questions from the hand-out through small group collaborative discussions to construct a caption for the image and share it with the whole class. Small group collaborative discussions will formatively assess CCSS.SL.9-10.1 by allowing students to be actively engaged participants in group discussions by sharing ideas, rationale and background knowledge and building on others’ ideas by listening to their partner’s ideas, rational and background knowledge about the image from the gallery walk. Writing a caption for an image from the Holocaust formatively assesses EARL 4.3.1 by allowing students the opportunity to analyze and interpret historical materials from a variety of perspectives in world history. DOK3
8. Academic Language demands (vocabulary, function, syntax, discourse)	Language Functions: critically analyze; actively engage in collaborative discussion; connect background knowledge; write captions for pictures; construct captions. Language Demand: To introduce the topic of the Holocaust and Elie Wiesel’s novel Night. Students will be asked to reflect on their prior knowledge and progress towards achieving the learning objectives, participate in discussion, construct words and phrases to describe pictures. Vocabulary: Holocaust Syntax: Students will use their background knowledge to analyze images, share their background knowledge during class small group collaborative discussion, and to construct words and phrases to describe the images. Discourse: Students will work collaboratively, discuss as a small group, and share their captions with the whole group.

9. Assessment

Formative:  Night Pre-reading Activity: Gallery Walk Hand-out Analyze images by answering questions from the hand-out through small group collaborative discussion.  Small group collaborative discussion will formatively assess CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1 by allowing students to be actively engaged participants in group discussions with diverse partners by sharing ideas, rationale and background knowledge and building on others’ ideas by listening to their partner’s ideas, rational and background knowledge about the image from the gallery walk. Students will be expected to be active and engaged participants in group discussions by sharing prior knowledge and listening to other group members share their prior knowledge about issues and topics related to the Holocaust.  Students will record their ideas and analysis on the hand-out. Formative:  Constructing words or phrases that describe images in the gallery walk. Constructing words and phrases to describe images formatively assesses EARL 4.3.1. by allowing students the opportunity to analyze and interpret historical materials from a variety of perspectives in world history.  Groups will share their constructed caption for an image with the whole class.

10. Lesson Connections

This lesson opens a unit on the novel Night by Elie Wiesel.  This lesson is a pre-reading activity that will require students to draw upon and share their prior knowledge of the Holocaust.  The activity enables students to begin building connections with their prior knowledge of the Holocaust to the text. In the next lesson, students continue pre-reading activities by learning about Elie Wiesel, the author of Night.  Students will be asked to make predictions about the novel’s tone, plot and themes based on the pre-reading activities. Research: ·         Wei-Fang and Chung-Pie’s (2011) research shows that collaboration helps students activate prior knowledge, which leads to increased reading comprehension. Both students and teachers see the benefits of using class wide discussion as a pre-reading activity. ·         Resnick & Nelson-Le Gall (1999) contend that collaboration strengthens student understanding and promotes social intelligence, which helps students solve problems through discussion, goal setting and questioning.

11. Instructional Strategies/Learning Tasks to Support Learning
Learning Tasks and Strategies Sequenced Instruction
Teacher’s Role                   Introduction (5 minutes):    ·         I will greet students and remind them they are 9th graders. ·         I will have students read the learning objective and re-state it. ·         I will introduce the Night Unit and ask the students if they are familiar with the text or author. ·         I will give students the instructions for participating in the gallery walk and ask if they have any questions. After answering questions, I will instruct students to line up for the gallery walk. Learning Activity (5 minutes): ·         Students will look at each image during the gallery walk and return to their seats ·         Students will write a few words to describe their impressions from the images in the gallery walk. ·           Small Group Activity/Discussion (10 minutes); ·         After students view the gallery, I will instruct them to return to their tables and work with their tablemates (4 students at each table.)  I will give each group copies of the photos and instruct them to create words or phrases to describe each photo and write the descriptions slips of papers that I will provide. I will model the activity by leading the class through the activity for one of the photos. ·         I will engage with each group to assess prior knowledge and progress in the activity and to ensure that students are engaged in the activity.  I will be available to answer questions. Whole Group Discussion (15 Minutes); ·         I will ask each group to share the descriptions they created for each of the pictures.  I will ask the group to compare the different descriptions and the ideas and perceptions behind their unique descriptions. Concluding Activity (10 minutes): ·         I will read excerpts from the preface of Night, as a brief introduction to the novel. ·         I will ask the students to make predictions about the story based on the day’s activities and the preface text from the novel on an exit slip. ·         I will instruct students to prepare themselves and the classroom for departure. ·         I will ask students to hand me their exit slips as they leave the classroom.	Students’ Role ·         Students will enter the classroom, take out their History notebooks and write responses to the guiding questions on the white board. ·         Students will listen to the directions and will ask for clarification if needed. ·         Students will get up and move around the room to view each photograph.  ·         When students have viewed each photograph, they will return to their seats. ·         Students will listen to instructions for participating in the small group activity/discussion.  The will ask questions for clarification.  ·         Students will work with the tablemates to discuss each photograph and construct a description or phrase for each one. ·         Students will be respectful to their classmates by allowing each member to speak. ·         Each group will share the descriptions they constructed for each photograph by placing them under each photograph on the wall. ·         Groups will explain the ideas behind each description. ·         Students will listen as the teacher introduces them to the novel Night, by listening to the teacher read excerpts from the preface. ·         Students will listen to the instructions for the exit slip. ·         Students will use a piece of paper to write two predictions about the story in Night. ·         Students will tidy their tables and surrounding area to prepare to exit the classroom. ·         Once students have been dismissed, they will hand their exit slip to the teacher as they leave the classroom.
Student Voice to Gather ·         Students will share prior knowledge of the Holocaust by writing responses to the guiding questions in the entry task in their History notebook.  History notebooks will be collected weekly by the teacher. ·         Students will share prior knowledge of the Holocaust by constructing words and phrases to describe the photographs in the picture walk activity.  ·         Students will share their prior knowledge of the Holocaust with their classmates in small group and whole group discussions. ·         Students will make predictions about the story in the novel Night on exit slips.

12. Differentiated Instruction

·         Students will have the opportunity to share their prior knowledge of the Holocaust. ·         Students with mobility issues will be given their own set of photographs to view at their table. ·         Students who do not thrive in large group activities will have an opportunity to have their voice heard by writing responses to guided questions and participating in smaller groups. ·         Students will use non-print text to make connections to their prior knowledge of the Holocaust. ·         This lesson utilizes small and whole group discussions which helps students build their knowledge of facts and comprehension of the Holocaust.

13. Resources and Materials

Resnick, L. & Nelson-LeGall, S. (1999). Socializing intelligence. In L. Smith, J Dockrell, & P.               Tomlinson (Eds), Piaget, Vygotsky, and Beyond. London:  Routledge. Wei-Fan, C., Chung-Pei, C. (2011). Effect of Varied Types of Collaborative Learning Strategies On              Young Children:  An Experimental Study. International Journal Of Instructional Media, 38(4),               351-358. Photographs from the website: http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/the-holocaust/pictures/holocaust-concentration-camps/main-entrance-gate-at-auschwitz I will need to provide guiding questions, slips of papers for photograph descriptions, tape and photographs for picture walk. Students will need pen/pencil, History notebook, and slip of paper for exit slip.

14. Management and Safety Issues

I must cultivate a classroom atmosphere where students feels safe and supported to ensure participation in group activities and discussions.  During discussions, students should show respect for each participant.  Bullying and/or inappropriate remarks will not be tolerated. Students with mobility issues will be allowed to stay at their table or they will be provided with assistance.

15. Parent & Community Connections

Weekly learning objectives, assignments and due dates will be posted on the classroom website. Later in this unit  Mrs. X, a Holocaust survivor will come to the classroom to share her personal story and her experiences in the Holocaust.

The Graphic Cannon

Confession time……I hate graphic novels!  My own children were the first to introduce me to the graphic novel concept when they brought home the Captain Underpants and Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.  I will admit that I was as bit of a snob about these particular book selections and at first I wondered what my kids were really getting out of these books.  They likened the books to the Calvin and Hobbes comic books I had previously encouraged them to read (I wanted my children to be exposed to Calvin’s imagination and vocabulary) and so I relented and let them carry on with their graphic novels.  I figured it was more important that they were #1 reading and #2 enjoying what they were reading.  So, as I looked at the Graphic Canon selections, I tried to keep an open mind.

                One of the first things I noticed is that every piece has an introduction that gives some background information about the author, the original text, and the artist that created the graphics for the text.  This provides students with some background knowledge of the text, which can increase their comprehension.  Each graphic novel consists of a pictorial description with parts of the text included within the picture.  I felt that some pieces were more successful than others at portraying the stories.  I really had a difficult time reading Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.  It was really difficult to read the text incorporated into the pictures, but I felt that the pictures conveyed the message of the text.  I really loved the graphic novel version of The Great Gatsby because the pictures really captured the tone of the novel and the essence of the 1920s. 

                I could see utilizing graphic novels in my classroom because students seem to enjoy the format and I want them to be engaged readers.  I also think graphic novels would be beneficial for ELL students and resistive readers because the format can help them build comprehension.  Graphic novels could also help students build comprehension with difficult texts.  I’m still not a huge fan of graphic novels, but I see the benefits to incorporating them into my curriculum.

Complete Tales and Poems, By Edgar Allan Poe

            I’ll state the obvious, people don’t read Poe to be uplifted.  Simply put, Poe’s works are dark and disturbing.  He explores the dark, and troubled side of humanity in his stories and poems.  As I read through the selected short stories, I felt repulsion and I really did not want to continue reading. (I guess you need to be in the “right” mood for Poe, but I am not sure what kind of mood that is!)  In the few selected stories and poems, I was exposed to incest, animal cruelty, murder, and death by being buried alive, YIKES!  You cannot describe Poe’s work as light reading.  At least one of the poems gave me some reprieve!  “An Evening Star” felt a little romantic and whimsical. (One of these things is not like the other!)  This shows that Poe can be versatile.

            So by my introduction, I’m sure you can tell that I am not a big fan and I do not like Poe’s work.  As a future Social Studies teacher, I do not think I would incorporate any of Poe’s work into my curriculum.  However, if I had the opportunity to teach ELA, I would consider using some of Poe’s work, in particular his poetry, because of the feeling and emotions he provokes through his writing. I think poetry must reach a reader by allowing them to comprehend the text through emotion, which is Poe’s strong suit.  If I were to use his short stories, and that’s a BIG IF, I would definitely share his work with older students.  Kids might be intrigued by Poe’s macabre stories, or they might have nightmares! 

   I promise to keep an open-mind as my peers present their mini-lessons on Poe and perhaps they will inspire me to look past all of the gruesome literary details to find its value in a classroom.

                                                    

Ernest Hemingway in Paris, 1928

(The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston)

TEXT INTRO: 

1    In 1918, Ernest Hemingway joined the Italian Red Cross as an ambulance driver during World War I.  On July 8, 1918 he was struck by a trench motor shell on the frontlines and was sent to a hospital in Milan.  There is speculation that Hemingway developed a romantic relationship with Red Cross nurse, Agnes von Kurowsky, and many believe this is the inspiration for Hemingway’s 1929 novel, A Farewell to Arms.

The novel begins with Lieutenant Frederic Henry, an American serving as an ambulance driver in the Italian Army, considering plans to tour Italy during the winter lull of World War I.  After Frederic returns from his trip he encounters a British nurse’s aide, Catherine Barkley.  Catherine is emotionally unavailable for a romantic relationship because her fiancé has perished as another casualty of the war, however she engages with Frederic through fun and flirtatious banter.  Later, Frederic is wounded and is sent to Milan for surgery and recuperation.  He is delighted to discover that Catherine has been transferred to the hospital and she is assigned to tend to him.  Overtime, their playful relationship develops into a deep and meaningful love affair.  Eventually Frederic’s wound heals and he is granted three weeks leave and at this time Catherine reveals that she is carrying his baby.  Before Frederic can take his leave, he develops jaundice and is forced to spend his leave time convalescing. 

After making a full recovery, Frederic returns to the war front.  At this time, the Italians are struggling in the war and they cannot contain their frontline.  The Germans finally breakthrough causing the Italian forces and civilians into a hasty retreat.  Frederic leads the other ambulance drivers in the evacuation. The sheer number of people makes the retreat slow and laborious and eventually Frederic decides to try using backroads as a faster route.  The ambulances get bogged down in the muddy roads and they decide to proceed on foot.  Troubles arise within the group and Frederic rejoins the army’s retreat, but he is confronted with the horrors of war caused by chaos and confusion and decides to desert by jumping into a river and swimming away.  He returns to Milan by concealing himself on a train.

He reunites with Catherine in the town of Stresa and they escape safely to Switzerland.  They winter in the town of Montreux and settle into a comfortable domestic life.  Later in the spring they decide to move to Lausanne to be closer to the hospital for the delivery of their baby.  The novel closes after the birth of the baby.

Rationale for Choice: 

2.      I chose the book for a couple of reasons, first because it is my favorite book of all time. Second, because I believe students need to experience Hemingway’s minimalistic writing style.  The book is listed in the Common Core State Standards Appendix B as a text exemplar.  The book is listed under the Grade 11-CCR under the stories heading.  The book would be most appropriate for older secondary students due to adult content dealing with war and sexuality. 

Lesson Ideas: 

3.      My first lesson idea would center around collaborative discussions focusing on the Catherine Barkley character to foster discussions about gender roles. (Social Studies or ELA)

My second lesson idea would be to utilize the historical and biographical background to help students make connections to events during World War I. (Social Studies)

My third lesson idea would to use the parts of the novel for close reading exercises which exposes students to Hemingway’s minimalistic writing style. (ELA)

Obstacles: 

4.      This book has been used in schools for a long time, (I was first introduced to this book over 25 years ago in an English/Novel class) so I think usage of the book in secondary classrooms is common and accepted.  Parents and administrators might find some of the adult sexual themes to be unacceptable for some students.  Students might not find the book engaging because they are unaccustomed to Hemingway’s minimalistic writing style and struggling readers might have a difficult time engaging with the book due to content.              

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoI9OgVxDNE

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Readicide

Kelly Gallagher’s Readicide is impactful, because he provides a compelling argument about the damage inflicted upon students by focusing on “teaching to the test.”  Gallagher takes an in-depth look at the practices instituted in our school system to help struggling students, and his findings demonstrate that what these practices are not helping at all.  Gallagher defines readicide as “the systematic killing of the love of reading, often exacerbated by the inane, mind- numbing practices found in schools” (vii).  I completely agree with Gallagher that we are inundating our students with too many standards and not enough time to allow for deep learning.  I want my students to love reading and I want them to derive pleasure from reading a book.  After reading chapter three, I am totally re-thinking my unit plan project.  Gallagher advises the necessity for my students to experience the “flow” when they read (61).  I think my unit plan is too “chop-chop” and I need to re-evaluate and find some balance.  I know it is important for my students to learn reading strategies, but I also need to provide them with opportunities to get lost in the book we are reading.  Since I intend to be a Social Studies teacher, I know that I will utilize academic texts in my classroom, which means I have to help my students appreciate the value of these texts.  I really liked Carol Jago’s method for doing just that, by providing my students with a “guided tour” at first and eventually transitioning them to the “budget tour” of reading on their own (79).  This means I must model reading for my students.   The process for doing this is first, frame the text before we begin reading it, provide the students with a purpose for reading each chapter of the text and craft lessons that allow students time to discuss what they like, don’t like, understand or don’t understand about the text in small and large groups (79).  After reading this book, I am re-evaluating my unit lesson plan and so I believe I must head back to the drawing board as I consider the best way to help my students love reading!

I Read It, but I Don’t Get It

            I love this book!  Cris Tovani reinforced what I have been hearing in my education classes and what I see in the Common Core State Standards, EVERY teacher is responsible for teaching their students how to read!  I Read It, but I Don’t Get It, offers practical strategies to help teachers help their struggling readers.  Tovani identifies two types of struggling readers as “resistive readers who can read, but choose not to and word callers who can decode words, but choose not to” (14). The first thing that we all need to realize is that reading is more than decoding, “reading is thinking” (18).  Good readers utilize many different strategies to help them understand and comprehend what they are reading, like using existing knowledge and determining what is important (17).  I think the most important and practical advice in this book, is that I need to be a passionate reader of what I teach.  I love historical non-fiction and my passion and for the genre can help motivate my students to read it and love it as well.  The other important piece of advice is to model for my students how good readers read.  I need to teach my students to read with purpose to help their comprehension, think aloud to make sense of the text and it helps them see/hear the mental process and mark the text to help them become engaged with the text.  I also need to make my students responsible for monitoring their understanding and to take ownership of the situation when they don’t.  This means that student can’t give up reading a text when they struggle understanding it.  Tovani offers several useful strategies when readers get stuck, like reread, reflect, and visualize.  I think these strategies need to be practiced often so they become second nature to students (51).  I also know it is important to help students make connections between disciplines and I like Tovani’s suggestion to use Venn diagrams or to have students make a list of what they know about topics in an entry task (66).  My last take away from this book is that good readers ask questions.  Curiosity helps students make connections between the text the world around which strengthens and deepens comprehension.  I know this book will be a valuable tool for me to help my future Social Studies students improve their reading skills!

“Critical Pedagogy in an Urban High School English Classroom”

            As I read Duncan-Andrade and Morrell’s case study, the thought that kept coming to my mind was the importance of really knowing and understanding my students.  I need to know and understand their background and the things they experience on a daily basis, because I can utilize that information to enhance their learning process.  In many English classes, students struggle to be engaged learners, because they find the literature they are assigned to read and write about as boring and irrelevant.  Duncan-Andrade and Morrell discovered the importance of combining the classics with popular cultural texts that their students found relevant to engage their students and help them acquire the necessary skills to help them communicate effectively outside of the classroom.  By creating a “cross-cultural literary study,” students can recognize the similarities as well as the differences between cultures and experiences, which helps them make deeper connections by relating it to themselves.  I also appreciated the point that traditionally our public school system in its “industrialized” form has branded forms of culture that are not traditional or main-stream as undesirable and that needs to change.  Students need to be exposed to different views to expand the way they think and perceive the world around them.  I also see the value in offering students the opportunity to explore literature relatable to their lives, like the use of rap music in a poetry unit, because it involves a medium that they are interested in and they feel comfortable with it.  Utilizing relatable material with more traditional forms of literature helps students see that they are connected and relatable. This familiarity makes classical literature less scary for students and it might motivate them to engage in these texts.  

“Philosophy of Education-Pedagogy of the Oppressed”

     My response to this piece is AMEN!!!!! (Yes, that statement requires multiple exclamation points for dramatic effect.)  Even though this piece is very deep and required me to buckle up, bring a dictionary and read closely, it fired me up. Why did it fire me up? Because, as a student, I have endured too many college professors who prescribe to the “banking concept of education,” leaving me frustrated, stagnant, irritated and oppressed. I am not an empty “container” waiting to be “filled” with knowledge and I resent being treated as such!  This book should be required reading for EVERY teacher, including college professors, but that is a rant for another day………..

     Obviously this piece resonated with my student side, and I believe that will be most beneficial for me as a teacher because I do not want my students to endure this type of “learning” experience.  I believe that students need to be engaged learners and the best way to encourage them is by using the “problem posing” method of teaching.  The critical aspect of this method requires dialogue between the teacher and students.  Teachers that act as “co-investigators in dialogue” model the process of engaged learning which also demonstrates that teachers are still learning and growing themselves. I am a lifelong learner and I hope my students have that desire as well.  I am not omniscient, I make mistakes and that is how I learn.  I must model that process for my students.

     Some of the language in this piece was difficult, but some of it reminded me of the language found in the CCSS. The parts that sounded like CCSS were the parts describing the problem posing method.  It is easy to see why the problem posing method is superior to the banking model just by comparing how they are described.

“Banking education (for obvious reasons) attempts, by mythicizing reality, to conceal certain facts which explain the way human beings exist in the world; problem-posing education sets itself the task of demythologizing. Banking education resists dialogue; problem-posing education regards dialogue as indispensable to the act of cognition which unveils reality. Banking education treats students as objects of assistance; problem-posing education makes them critical thinkers. Banking education inhibits creativity and domesticates (although it cannot completely destroy) the intentionality of consciousness by isolating consciousness from the world, thereby denying people their ontological and historical vocation of becoming more fully human. Problem-posing education bases itself on creativity and stimulates true reflection and action upon reality, thereby responding to the vocation of persons as beings only when engaged in inquiry and creative transformation.”

I don’t know about you, but I want to be in the classroom with a teacher that requires me to engage in dialogue, think critically, provide activities that stimulate my creativity and encourages me to be self-reflective throughout the process. Banking education is boring, so I will prescribe to the problem posing methodology because and I would rather engage my students then put them to sleep!

http://faculty.webster.edu/corbetre/philosophy/education/freire/freire-2.html