Daniels and Zemelman bring up some good points in the first two chapters of Subjects Matter. They discuss a major issue with how teachers use their assigned readings in class. I agree with Daniels and Zemelman when they talk about two different teachers. Those who assign reading and questions then move on to the next assignment and those who take reading and find ways to get the students involved and passionate about the subject by stepping outside the classroom. In the example given, the students are assigned fast food nation and then find different ways to get involved to deal with topics they were passionate about. While reading different students were allowed to take action on what they were most struck by in the book. Jaisy was impacted by the harsh working conditions of slaughterhouses and then wrote her Representative. Sean, Nely, Jenny, and Elvira created a picture book and read it to first grade students. Micheal and Antonio handed out flyers and asked customers if they knew the health ramifications of eating at McDonalds. All these students read the same book but came up with three different assignments that dealt with the subject matter as well as were curtailed to their interest.
As a teacher I would like to find ways to use reading to engage my students in their community. These types of projects are effective because the students are able to study something they are passionate about and express their individuality. A much better alternative to reading, answering questions, and forgetting the information the next day or after the test. Students have to feel that what they are reading has a role in their lives outside of the classroom. As a social studies teacher I feel that I have a good opportunity to do this. Students will remember assignments that allow them to write local politicians about what they are reading, become activists in the community and find different ways to apply reading the their lives outside of the class. I think teachers who simply assign a reading and give questions to answer are doing their students a disservice. They are narrowing the scope of what their students can learn from the reading by providing their set of questions or the ones made by the publishing company. What is important to pull from taking a more proactive approach like the one detailed in the book is that students not only are learning the subject matter but they are also developing skills that make them more productive and invovled members of their community. Assignments like these show the students that they have the ability to take action and use what they are reading to enact change.
Here's a website of students be activists through their education
Hi there Jake!
ReplyDeleteI love that your focus on the reading is responding to the community element that reading inspires--it's really answering those "when are we ever gonna use this in real life" question. I especially like your quote here--"I think teachers who simply assign a reading and give questions to answer are doing their students a disservice". Right! When I was doing observations, the teacher I was observing gave his students a reading assignment but didn't go over any of the content with them--they were bored out of their minds, and a handful of them drifted off into daydreams instead of doing the assignment.
I really think that, as history teachers, we have a unique means of getting our students involved in their reading and writing in a real way, since so much of history is community-oriented. Not only writing to local politicians, but petitioning and campaigning for causes, defending their rights as citizens...it's a classic struggle, and we can help our students see that!